Recommend a Day Pack for BC skiing

[riverc0il]

Looking for a good day pack. A couple of features I am interested in:

a. some sort of hydration system
b. good ski carrying capability
c. separate largish chambers - one for jackets, layers etc; one for holding ski boots.
d. relatively compact despite having these features, ie. comfortable to ski with


on a budget and hope to find something under $150 if possible

Personally, I like diagonal ski carry. Your mileage may vary, but I find it way better than side or A frame carry. Not sure why you would want a chamber in a pack for holding ski boots... if you are not skinning, clip them into your bindings. Otherwise, you are going to need one helluva large pack and your (D) criteria will not be met.

I have had nothing but great success with my Dakine Poacher pack. They make a large variety of packs from the small Heli Pro to the larger Blade/Poacher/Guide packs. Ultimately, fit is the most important issue but I bought mine sight unseen since it had all the specs I wanted including size.

That is just one company's set of options. There are plenty of others out there that might have worked just as well for me. Determine the size of pack you need. Bring your assortment of gear into an outfitter and stuff bags until you find the right size for all your stuff. Bring your max load with a really cold day's worth of layers so you don't skimp on size. Decide which ski carry method you prefer, that will narrow things down some. Decide what type of extras you want such as the hydration park (you'll probably want something with a system that keeps the hose inside the shoulder strap, at least I find that helpful). Etc.

 

[riverc0il]

Oh, another way of carrying boots without clipping them into your bindings is to loop the strap over the top of your pack so the boots fall down on both sides of the pack with the toes facing backwards. This only works with diagonal ski carry. Keeps the boots closer to your center of gravity and not pulling you back as much. I use this method when hiking to tucks when it is not skinable. Don't see any other folks doing this but I find it superior to clicking boots into the bindings. Then again, the average Joe slogging up to Tux doesn't have a pack designed for diagonal carry.

 

[eastcoastpowderhound]

Oh, another way of carrying boots without clipping them into your bindings is to loop the strap over the top of your pack so the boots fall down on both sides of the pack with the toes facing backwards. .

that's how I carry my boots too...never liked the way they felt clipped into my bindings. dakine heli pro pack, diagonal ski carry.

 

[deadheadskier]

Oh, another way of carrying boots without clipping them into your bindings is to loop the strap over the top of your pack so the boots fall down on both sides of the pack with the toes facing backwards.

That to me is the appeal for the Rossi pack's design, but as others have mentioned it's more of a tote your gear from the car to the lodge pack. If a similar design was used for a BC pack, I'd be all over it.

http://www.rossignol.com/US/bootie-transport-pack_MS9145_product_ski-men-bags.html