DAKINE Pro 2 Backpack - 1600cu in

What can I say? What's not to love about it? Two winters ago I was using my Dakine Heli Pro, which is still a great pack, but in my opinion this pack is better. My favorite feature the large restraining system on the outside of the pack. What I am referring to is the black area on the visible back of the pack. With some packs, all of your equipment slides to the bottom. With this restraining system, however, you can tighten the straps so that your equipment stays evenly distributed throughout the entire pack. The cross carry system is great, as can always be expected from Dakine. The only drawback of this pack is the sometimes dysfunctional back pocket, but that really isn't that big of a deal.

Ive used this pack for a season, its a great pack. Plenty of storage for the slackcountry adventurer. The snowboard carrying system works wonderfully and its nice to have the added space that the Heli Pro is lacking. If your thinking about getting the Heli Pro, get the Pro II.

I bought the 2007 version of this pack in the fall at backcountryoutlet.com and it worked very well during this past ski season (08-09) and during several day hikes in the fall. I Skied with this pack 25+ days at Ski Roundtop in PA, 5 days in Vermont, and 5 days in Colorado. The version of this pack I have is very light and comforable. I was able to carry everything I needed for the day including my camera with additional lenses and snacks all while carrying a full days worth of water in the hydration bladder (not included). It was a little difficult to feed the hydration tube into the shoulder strap, but was well worth the effort.

I got this pack last minute for a contest I needed to do. I'm not used to dropping cliffs with a pack so I was a little worried how the size would be. With a almost full pack it was perfect! It didn't constrict my movement at all. The only downfall is that it only carries skis diagonally.

I really wanted to like this pack, but I can't given that it's nearly impossible to close the top strap when trying to carry a snowboard vertically. If the pack has much in the way of gear inside, the straps simply aren't long enough to reach around the snowboard. Seems strange that such an elementary application would be overlooked. When not carrying a board, the pack is very nice. Lots of dedicated pockets for tools, avy gear, camera, goggles, etc. The hydration sleeve works well and the pack is comfortable to hike and ride in. Just tough to overlook the strap issue....

This pack is sheer awesome. More than enough space for all the stuff I would ever need to carry. Quality is top notch, all the zippers are strong, and the pockets are well thought out. The build quality really is second to none.

Now the only downfall here is that the board-carry straps were not all that well thought out. As mentioned below, the top vertical carry strap is just too tight to get around your snowboard if the bag is ~65% packed or more. Secondly, to get the board in the horizontal carry, you need to slide the board through both shoulder straps, which can be a real pain if you have to do it often or if you have bulky bindings.

Both those issues can be solved if you have a decent knowledge on how to sew. I adore this bag and give it 5 stars regardless of the carry. One of few things I feel bad for paying full price for.

And like most Dakine packs it is a solid piece of work!! It seems to have the right amount of storage space you need for your backcountry adventure and will also work well as a laptop carrying/extra clothes for your overnight stay kind of a pack if you so choose to use it that way. And props again to backcountry for the fast service.

Wow. This is the most amazing daypack out there. It has so many features, is built really solid, and flat out looks sick. I use it for school, travel, and skiing. The black chop shop graphic is really loud and sticks out. This pack has a small profile, so you can wear it on the lift, but is deceivingly roomy inside. The reason I chose the Pro II over the Heli Pro is the better, more stable ski carry system and more overall compression for smaller loads. It looks like it can hold skis up to around a 20-130mm waist, so if you're rockin the K2 Pontoons or other fatties, this should work better than the Heli Pro. The snowboard carry system works great for boarders, and carries a skateboard as well. It takes awhile to get acquainted with this packs features since theres so many. The main compartment is accessed through the backpanel, which is nice, and a smaller zipper on the top. For an inbounds day, you can throw your lunch inside and cinch down the straps knowing your load will not move around, or load it up with avalanche gear, skins, a puffy, helmet, food, water, camera, spare gloves and goggles, and an ice axe. This pack will carry anything you might need for a full day of big mountain riding. I highly recomend this product, it will last a very long time.