Ski Touring Pack

Howdy y'all, I was hoping to get some advice on buying a touring pack. I think I have narrowed the packs down to three. The Ortovox Haute Route 40L, Hyperlite Crux 40, and the Raide Research 40LF. I think I could be happy with either bag but before I pulled the trigger on them I wanted to hear any first hand experience with them. This would be a dedicated ski touring pack, I would use for simple day trips but also overnight peak bagging missions in the North Cascades. Being able to have a bag that is effective in carrying/ accessing crampons, rope, harness and ski carry for some ski mountaineering missions are very important to me. Please let me know any advice that y'all have! 

I have a pretty dim opinion of the Crux 40. $500 and you get a pack that doesn't have an external helmet carry or diagonal ski carry (without some addon), both of which are features I use very regularly. I've also heard that it packs pretty small for a 40L, which may stymie your overnight goals.

I own the old version of the Raide pack that I use as my main ski bag and while I have some small issues with it, it's a great pack and I think most of my issues have been (theoretically) been resolved in the new version. It definitely has the space for overnight missions and compresses down well for day trips, although putting overnight gear in the bag makes the helmet carry much worse on my old version.

I don't have any experience with the Haute Route but it looks like a good pack, and is half the price of the Raide pack. The only potential thing it might not be able to do is carry all 3 of skis, helmet, and rope at once since the helmet carry looks like it interferes with the diagonal ski carry (the Raide can specifically do this, although it looks a bit ridiculous and would probably be a sufferfest). If you find yourself doing dry approaches to lines that require a rope, you might find that limiting but I personally have never needed to do that.

I have an Ortovox peak 45 that i have been using for a few years. Great pack, does everything I want a ski pack to do. Personally I like having a top lid for skiing. It makes it easy to stash all the things you might need to get or shed when your skis are attached to the pack. Also gives you the option to get more inside the pack for longer trips.

I have not used any of those packs but for the past couple of winters I have been using a Blue Ice Firecrest. Might be a tad small for summer overnighter carrying a lot of gear. Their top pocket design takes a bit to sort out because it is not the traditional extended top pocket.  Super light and much less expensive than the others.

Made by a guide  https://alpinethreadworks.com/products/custom-mountain-pack

I think the Haute Route 40 might be too tight for overnighters unless you pack very carefully, and maybe a bit heavy for NC objectives if you're doing technical climbing. Otherwise, it's a great daypack.

I'd also check out the new Black Diamond Cirque 50L. I looked at it in-store and was impressed. The rolltop adds a lot of space, and it compressed better than I thought for day trips and wasn't too heavy. The same goes for the Mammut Trion 35/50L. These are a bit older now but have strippable elements like removable brain, hipbelt, frame sheet, etc.

I’ve got last years raide pack, and while I loved it for being a really simple ski mountineering pack the durability left a bit to be desired for the price point. The bottom panel was eating it self from where the frame sat, and one of the shoulder straps is about to fall off. I guess I’m just a little disappointed with how fast it fell apart for how much it cost. I’ve owned other packs made from similar faberics that have lasted years. Granted they did send me a new one that I’m excited to take a look at when I get back from the ski trip I’m on.
some of the changes to the new design look….questionable to me, but I also think they just about nailed the design on the first go so I’m not really sure why they changed so much about it.
also for the price point you could buy something from a small pack maker with the same fabrics and similar features. 

Zach Higley wrote:

I’v
also for the price point you could buy something from a small pack maker with the same fabrics and similar features. 

Lol you mean a small pack maker like Raide ?

H Lue wrote:

Lol you mean a small pack maker like Raide ?

I guess I meant more a small pack makers that makes there own packs, Raide doesn't sew there own packs.

I have an earlier Dakine Guide pack which might work.  I haven't listed on MP yet but here it is:https://www.freeride.com/gear/backpacks/dakine-guide-55-liter.html  and https://www.evo.com/outlet/backpacks/dakine-guide-pack-2..  Mine's red, like new, and $100.  I have and use the Dakine Poacher which is the same design but smaller.

H Lue wrote:

Lol you mean a small pack maker like Raide ?

Raide packs are made somewhere in Asia

I've got the Raide and it's okay, but I'm not that psyched on it for the price. I prefer my previous generation Cirque 35 in most cases.

Zach Higley wrote:

I guess I meant more a small pack makers that makes there own packs, Raide doesn't sew there own packs.

Okay fair enough. Any recommendations?

A couple options 

https://www.apocalypse-equipment.com/

https://illuminationequipment.com/

Raise seems super expensive for what you get. I highly recommend an Apocalypse equipment pack for a custom made in America maker  or a Blue Ice pack for something that is great value and functional.

I have the apocalypse and it carries and skis incredibly but I’m not sure it’s big enough. Also the snow safety pocket is against the back. The illumination and alpine thread work’s move the snow pocket to the outside of the pack. And the illumination is available in a larger size

Allen Sanderson wrote:

I have not used any of those packs but for the past couple of winters I have been using a Blue Ice Firecrest. Might be a tad small for summer overnighter carrying a lot of gear. Their top pocket design takes a bit to sort out because it is not the traditional extended top pocket.  Super light and much less expensive than the others.

This pack has a diagonal ski carry hook -- one thing I prioritize  in a dedicated ski pack. 

Everyone values different features in a ski pack. Personally, I don't see the point of dedicated avy gear pockets in non-airbag packs; if you're digging pits, conditions may warrant an airbag, which isn't much pricier than fancy custom packs. I prioritize an easy-to-release ice axe carry system (like CiloGear buckles) since waiting too long to grab your axe isn't fun. Front vest-style pockets are excellent and easy to retrofit.

Alpine climbing packs like CiloGear work well for me with some mods, though their narrow profile—great for scrambling—can be less ideal for skiing.

Blue Ice also sells an add-on skimo-style quick release kit: https://us.blueice.com/products/quick-ski-carry-kit which is pretty easy to use if your pack has attachment points that work. I use it on my apocalypse equipment pack. Maxes out at skis around 95mm underfoot I think. 

bearded sam wrote:

A couple options 

https://www.apocalypse-equipment.com/

https://illuminationequipment.com/

The immolation looks pretty much the same as the og raide, but higher build quality.
I just got the apocalypse pack in the mail from Sam, and it makes my raide packs look like plastic bags(which I guess they are.) 

But the og raide pack was a way better design then the new one in my book. I was disappointed that it didn’t even last me a full season. The new one seems way to busy and I never would have paid 430 for it, I guess shout out raide for giving me a new one on warrenty though. 

Horizon designs also looks like they have some cool packs, which are much more moderately priced and made in Utah. If I was going to go with a larger brand it would probably be blue ice.