Finally got my Lafuma 28 day pack- question

[Marc]

Well, I went out to the Framingham REI and picked up my $40 1800 cu. in. BC pack today. It will be handy for business trips too I decided. It should be small enough for a carry on. Lot's of pockets, one for hydration sleeve... ski straps, ice axe/tool loops... one aluminum stay provides rigidity, and is easily removable for storage and compact transport. Now if only it were winter. Oh well, maybe I'll do some day hikes with it this summer. Here are some pic's of it...

Does anyone know what the webbing tucked away just behind your head would be used for?
Here is a picture of it opened and hanging down... this may be a real beginner question but fortunately I have no shame...

 

[awf170]

Does it have diagonal or vertical ski carry? It must but I just cant see the straps for some reason.:???:

 

[Marc]

Vertical... if you look closely at the first picture, you can see a strap on the left at the bottom of the mesh. That strap is doubled over nylon for holding a ski.


Which may render that mesh pocket incapable of carrying a Nalgene which it seems to be designed for which is too bad... but then again for $40 it isn't really too bad at all.

 

[Marc]

You think maybe it's for holding the skis together?

 

[Marc]

Ah, nevermind, I figured it out.



It's for a snowboard.



Der. I should go to bed now.

 

[Marc]

This shows where the skis slide in (the pack slid down from where it should be).



The loop that tucks behind the head is hanging down on the top of the pack and the second snowboard loop I think is the one hanging just below the "Race" stitching.

Man, I can't wait to do a day trip to Tuck's or GoS or something now...

 

[awf170]

Yuck, A-frame style. Having you skis together when you put them on your back makes it so much easier. Horizontal carry is the way to go. But it was a good deal. I don't think that pack was made to carry skis.

 

[bvibert]

I don't think that pack was made to carry skis.

From the product description:

Lightweight construction and technical details meet in the go-anywhere-fast Lafuma® Race 28 daypack for backcountry skiers.

Sounds like it was made to cary skiis to me... :roll:

Nice looking pack Marc, looks like a good price too. :beer:

 

[Marc]

Thanks Brian, it is nice, and it appears to be of rugged construction and quality material.



Austin- it is definitely made to carry skis. I put the pack on as you see it in the picture last night, and it felt just like when I put on Nate's Lowe Alpine pack with skis on. They fit the same way as well. Not to mention the product description as Brian pointed out and if you can figure out another use for those heavy nylon straps, clue me in.


I measured it last night and it is just perfect size for a carry on item. That made me even happier.

 

[awf170]

To me it doesn't look like it was made to carry skis. Pretty much every pack has those straps on on the sides and can carry skis in some way. I pretty much thought that every pack made recently had horizontal carry because it is considered the best/easiest way to carry skis.

 

[Marc]

To me it doesn't look like it was made to carry skis. Pretty much every pack has those straps on on the sides and can carry skis in some way. I pretty much thought that every pack made recently had horizontal carry because it is considered the best/easiest way to carry skis.

Well, I don't know what to tell ya, kid, you thought wrong.


I can definitively conclude the pack was made to carry skis. Your evidence consisting soley of "it doesn't look like it was made to carry skis" to the contrary has yet to be convincing.

Perhaps to fully satisfy you, a look at the following item description from the manufacturer's website will do the trick:

LFS 3152


Material: Cordura® Light 80 / Baby Ripstop / Ballistic®

Volume: 1200 cu in

Weight: 1 lb 9 oz



. Load transfer on shoulder harness straps

. Aeroback back panel

. Padded, ergonomic shoulder straps

. Sternum compression strap

. Ice axe loop

. Ski slots

. Pole holder

. Hydration pocket and port

. Two pockets

. Central mesh pocket

www.lafuma.com

It's a frames website so I can't hyperlink it.

 

[bvibert]

It's a frames website so I can't hyperlink it.

Actually you can link it if you get a little creative...

http://www.lafuma.com/lafuma/COMMUN....asp?cd_cat=13&cd_pays=3&cd_prod=1378&string=

They would probably frown upon circumnavigating around their layout though...

I find it interesting that they don't mention the ability to carry snow boards, yet your pack has straps that I can't think of anything else to use them for... :roll:

 

[bvibert]

To me it doesn't look like it was made to carry skis. Pretty much every pack has those straps on on the sides and can carry skis in some way. I pretty much thought that every pack made recently had horizontal carry because it is considered the best/easiest way to carry skis.

Austin, no offense but you're still pretty young and relatively inexperienced in BC skiing. Maybe you should consider that before harshly judging someone elses gear in the future.

AFAIK packs designed to carry skis A-frame style have been around for a lot longer than the diagonal method. Some people even perfer it...

 

[Marc]

Actually you can link it if you get a little creative...

http://www.lafuma.com/lafuma/COMMUN....asp?cd_cat=13&cd_pays=3&cd_prod=1378&string=

They would probably frown upon circumnavigating around their layout though...

I find it interesting that they don't mention the ability to carry snow boards, yet your pack has straps that I can't think of anything else to use them for... :roll:

Touche, thanks for the assistance.

I too wondered about the snowboard thing. I thought maybe a sleeping pad as well, but it's a day pack so that would not make any sense. I'm pretty sure they must be for snowboards...

 

[awf170]

Austin, no offense but you're still pretty young and relatively inexperienced in BC skiing. Maybe you should consider that before harshly judging someone elses gear in the future.

AFAIK packs designed to carry skis A-frame style have been around for a lot longer than the diagonal method. Some people even perfer it...

Alright, I should have said that "if you could find another bag at that price with horizontal carrying then you should get that instead". Some of the nicer bags actually have horizontal and A-frame carrying. Just after seeing my dad deal with a-frame style for his first trip up Tucks I can say that horizontal is easier. Marcs bag does look a lot easier than my dads pack but still not as simple as horizontal. It was such a good deal though that I wouldn't pass it up either.

On another note that is IMO the perfect pack size for bc day trips. My pack is 1500cc and seems a little small for bc trips, so that should be perfect.