To ski with a backpack, or without one… now
that is the question. For me, it’s an easy question to answer. A backpack is a must for anyone in the backcountry – good luck finding a pocket big enough for an avy shovel – but even when I’m on the resort, the amount of things I like to have with me (glove liners, hat, extra buff, water, snacks, headphones, multitool, maybe a beer or two) far exceeds the number of pockets I have, even when wearing a set of bibs. And not just any old backpack will do, you don’t want to spend your time on the slopes digging snow out of the outside water bottle pocket, or have it flapping around like a fifth limb on your way down the slopes. You want a ski/snowboard backpack. Furthermore, backcountry skiing and snowboarding is a technical endeavor, befitting technical gear, including your pack.