This is the World Famous TelemarkTalk / TelemarkTips / Telemark Francais Forum, by far the most dynamic telemark and backcountry skiing discussion board on the world wide web since 1998. East, West, North, South, Canada, US or Europe, Backcountry or not.
This is the World Famous TelemarkTalk / TelemarkTips / Telemark Francais Forum, by far the most dynamic telemark and backcountry skiing discussion board on the world wide web since 1998. East, West, North, South, Canada, US or Europe, Backcountry or not.
This is the World Famous TelemarkTalk / TelemarkTips Forum, by far the most dynamic telemark and backcountry skiing discussion board on the world wide web. We have fun here, come on in and be a part of it.
Last winter I made a wrong turn that morphed a 2 hour trip into a 4 hour one. The silver lining was that I made a resolution to improve not only my crappy navigation skills (& tools), but also my level of preparation for the unexpected when skiing an unfamiliar area. The weather started to turn nasty very quickly that day and I remember thinking how I should have packed more layers, food, water, etc.
To that end, what do you recommend for a daypack for shorter, half-day trips, say 2-5 hours? There are an overwhelming number of choices out there, but many of the daypacks seem better suited for summer hiking with no insulation for hydration and lack of weatherproofing. Also need one that won’t bounce around when K&G.
* Which items do you consider essential for a half-day tour? Have you expanded your list over the years? Which items have you added?
* What size daypack? Assume no avy geared required. My initial thought was 10L at low end up to 22 L
* Do you use a built-in hydration pack? Or old school water bottles?
* Do you prefer the traditional daypack style or more modern fastpack/runner’s vest style?
Here are a few winter daypacks that I came across in my research, some pricier than others:
For a half day (to one year) pack may I suggest the all-American bindlestiff?
For "navigation tools" may I suggest a map that does not require batteries, and a magnetic compass coupled with the ability to use them together (on winter terrain), augmented by an optional GPS of some sort.
Maybe try an old school flask of say 1 litre filled with brandy, that should make the "av gear" redundant for a day trip.
Have fun and don't sweat the knapsack.
PS Re the "built-in hydration pack: These are only useful in winter if your booze is not high viscosity and is of sufficient proof. It should function fine with whisky, brandy and tequila but you might want to add extra salt to your margarita mix to avoid tubal blockage.
I am a big fan of the Black Diamond Nitro 26. Has a proper hip belt, and good strap adjustments, which is often hard to find on smaller packs, a couple of good pockets at the top, a back pocket for a shovel (but which is a good place to stash a down jacket). I use it winter and summer for day trips.
And, after a couple of hydration pack fails, I have gone back to water bottles, which have never been a problem unless I forgot to screw the lid on properly.
When carrying heavier 178cm Black Crows Camox Freebird's I strap them high enough to keep heels of ski off heel of Me. That works fine enough, however, with high winds on ridges, it's not bomber with that weight but always acceptable. It skis well, both AT Alpine and BC Nordic. Side access is the way to go.
I don't think I've ever strapped Gamme's on but that would be much lighter.
Many thanks all for the great recommendations on the packs and backcountry wisdom. You’ve given me much to chew on.
One of the challenges seems to be figuring out how much to bring for the what-if scenarios, like suffering a bad injury when going solo. I’ve suffered enough falls to realize how easily you could lose the ability to ski out (my tall body tends to fall and land hard like a tree!). Want to be prepared, but don’t want to overload either. I’ll try the 15L vest for the half-days and then work up from there for longer or more technical trips.
Regarding the navigation, I’ve always used paper maps, but want to start using GPS to keep me on track when there are lots of intersecting trails. A few buddies recommend GPS apps on phone over Garmin-type devices. Any opinions? (my current iPhone 6 sucks and dies quickly in the cold!)
The Xcover Pro phone from Samsung is one of the only phones that still works (and works well) at -25C and a bit lower. It is also waterproof, has changeable batteries so you can carry spares ( I carry two spares) and is reasonably shock proof, It has a big battery. it also has a "gloves on" setting that works ok. They also make the Xcover Field Pro which does the same but costs considerably more as it has flagship functionality as well (that one only from ATT as far as I know). There are several good GPS phone apps and many bad ones. Set your phone to airplane mode if you are navigating by GPS. I only use it to fix exact position then use magnetic compass and hard-copy maps as I can see a much broader area and I am not reliant on an electrical appliance like a cell phone. Also- worry less and ski more.
Re: Favorite daypack for half-day trips?