Great for side country days out of the resort. Carries Avi gear plus water and skins no problem. Probably a bit small for bit ski mountaineering days (I like a 30 - 40l bag for this). The helmet carrying system is easy to use and out of the way from accessing pockets.

This thing is a beast while still being super function and low on weight. Multiple ski carry options make the pack versatile and keep your skis out of the way on the boot pack. Compatible with the avalung system if necessary. Solid pack!

It's nice and slim, which I like. Well made. Whats annoying, for a winter back, is the lack of some basic attachment points. Like, the ski straps and stuff work, but when you're out skiing, you peel off layers as the day progresses (typically), and there is no way to keep those layers attached. A simple daisy chain along the sides, even hidden, like the bottom ski strap, would go a long way to creating some flexibility. It's a nice pack, and that's my only complaint (albeit a big one).

This is a great size but I wish it had more pockets!

I haven't put too many days in, but from what I have seen so far, it is a great pack. Lots of pockets and all in the right places. Ski carry system is secure and will keep your skis in place. In other packs with similar carry systems, I have noticed that they never seem to tighten down enough to truly keep the skis in place. I have not experienced this problem yet, so that was a plus. Shoulder straps as well as the hip and chest straps were all very comfortable and easy to adjust. My only hesitation to this pack is that it is fairly rectangular and somewhat rigid, so I could see that becoming potentially annoying. Other than that, this is another great BD product!

The Dawn Patrol is a killer fully featured pack.
The design is well thought out, and everything is easy to use.
The M/L was perfect for a 6'2" long torsoed person. That being said, the shoulder strap adjustment has a seam sewn in. I did away with the seam, and it fits great now.

The waist belt could have a little broader padding- it is hard to get it tightened down enough when you have a full load, or are wearing bulky layers.

The avalung element is super awesome! That being said, if you are a goofy footed snowboarder, keep in mind it will sit on your rearward shoulder. This makes it difficult to ride aggressively with the avalung element in your mouth.

I gave that feedback to Black Diamond, and I'm hoping next year's model with have some additional length!

I had been on the search for my first backcountry ski pack and really liked the simplicity of this one. For hiking I always use minimalist style packs (frameless) and wanted the same no-nonsense features for skiing.

I got this thing in the mail, ripped open the box and was immediately impressed by the well thought out features and construction.

No extra bells and whistles! Just a way to carry your skis, shovel/probe/skins, and a place for your gear.

Unfortunately as soon as I put the pack on it just didn't sit right on me. The way the shoulder straps are designed in a "yoke" type fashion just did not sit right against my neck and I could tell that it would only be more uncomfortable while hiking or skiing.

For reference I'm 5'7" and 175lbs and wear a men's large in all my jackets. I was advised to order the M/L pack, which should fit me.

This pack would do best on someone tall and slender, kind of the opposite of my frame.

I thought about ordering the S/M but since it has the same strap configuration I decided that it wouldn't make much of a difference.

Luckily, Backcountry has awesome customer service and I was able to find a different pack with shoulder straps that fit my frame better.

Even though it didn't fit I would absolutely recommend this pack! Quality is amazing, and I'll be jealous if it fits you!

Perfect sized for day tours and work with the avalung element thats sold separately.

I bought this pack for my wife, whose "lot in life" is never finding a
pack that fits. She's 5'0" with a torso length of 15". I got her the sm/med which fit comfortably in shoulders and hip (Dawn Patrol 32 is too big). The shoulder straps are 1/2" narrower than most packs, thereby not cutting into the shoulders. The hip belt has more webbing to cinch. The sm is actually 23 liters and has a nice narrow profile. Elbows have less chance of hitting the pack when using poles. If you're going light it's great, but for what my wife wants to carry it is too small. Biggest complaint is the location of the zipper for the main compartment. It's on the back panel, no access for a friend to pull something out, you need to take the pack off and the shoulder straps get in the way. The zipper has a slight curve (which makes the profile nice and narrow), but if you are overstuffing the pack, it is hard to zip up. Also, in the avy tool pocket, a 10" wide shovel blade barely fits, and everything needs to be less than 17.5" long (BD 230 probe barely fits). There is enough room for skins in this pocket.