Feature-rich pack

By Bill Schildknecht Ranked #251 - Winter Packs December 23, 2009

This is my patrol pack of choice for the 09/10 patrol season at Bear Valley, CA. The pack has many great features (fleece lined goggle pocket, enclosed avy tool pocket that fits shovel, probe and snow saw), but my favorite is that the back panel unzips entirely so that you can completely open up the pack from the back and lay it open on the snow as a work space - keeping gloves and supplies off of the snow. You'll definitely appreciate this when reaching the top of the skin track - as you can easily stow your skins and grab water/food. The side pockets are also great to store quick need items (cpr mask and gloves in my case). If you spend any time on lift served terrain, you'll appreciate that the pack is not too wide, making getting on and off a chairlift more manageable. I prefer to a-frame my skis, but they can also be carried diagonally. My one wish is for a built-in pack cover like the ones you'll find on the Traverse Rescue patrol packs. Overall, a great pack.

Note: for a better image of the pack - check out this page:

http://www.backcountry.com/store/promo/7931/vm_dec09_storm_patrol.html

View Details: Columbia Storm Patrol Ski Pack - 2227cu in

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes