Can You Ski With A Backpack?

Is it possible to ski with a backpack on your back? Yes, it is very possible and if you follow the basic skiing techniques (bearing safety in mind of course) that I recommend below then it should be no problem. This will allow you to ski without a full-body harness, instead you will just use the straps and loops that are designed to attach the ski rucksack to your back.

What Size Backpack?

Next you will need to decide how much room you want your pack to have. If you travel light out in the snow, then a pack of the size that can accommodate your skis and bindings should be sufficient.

If you like to have more gear in your bag then you may need to purchase a backpack with a bigger capacity pack.

Another point of consideration when choosing a pack is the size of the pack itself. You will need to take into account the amount of space that your ski boots occupy, therefore you will need to choose a backpack that has a higher load capacity rather than a small bag. For example, if you ski at a moderate pace and pack less than half a kilo of gear then a regular backpacking backpack will be fine.

Large or Small Pack?

However if you often go very fast then you should consider a small pack, and for very intense activities like speed skiing or heli-skiing you will definitely need a bigger pack. I suggest going for ski packs with a load capacity of between eighty-five and one hundred and twenty pounds.

The next issue is that of whether you want to strap on your pack to your hips or to your legs. To do this you will need to strap a strap across the top of your waist and then take your ski boots and straps off of the ends of the boots.

Now take one of the straps that is tied across your waist and tie it to the strap on your ski boots and the other strap across the ankle. You will now have a second strap that you will use to strap your pack onto your hip belt it will help to keep it on - shoulder straps will help it maintain stability also. If you have been skiing for some time then this step may seem obvious but it is important to remember to take the other ski boots off before you strap on the pack onto your hips at the side. This is because you will need to remove all of your skis from the straps before you can ski carry them onto the pack.

The last step is that you should now go ahead and strap the pack onto your hip and you are ready to go! I hope that this article has given you some useful information about how to best ski using a backpack. If you are new to backpacking then you might want to start off with some basic techniques before you try using a pack in the winter snow.

If you decide that you would like to try using a backpack then there are many types of best ski backpacks available to you that you could try. You can go with a regular backpack that has an extra large diagonal ski carry pocket for carrying skis or you can opt for something a little smaller but still with plenty of storage space for extra gear.

 

Decent ski and snowboard packs will usually come with a number of compartments that you can either use to store your gear, including : helmet, shovel and probe, avalanche safety equipment, skis or for easy access when you aren't using them. Some top loading backpacks even have fleece lined removable compartments and zips to make it easy to get a jacket, gloves, a pair of ski pants and a jacket or vest with your skis in, all you need to do is zip them up. Multiple features like this come in super handy when you access the slopes.

Backcountry Snow Pack

There is also an optional avalanche airbag on some ski packs, which are more suited to backcountry skiing (these bags do sometimes have a suspension system as well as being waterproof). For a backpack that you can literally throw into the water and it stays dry you can check DryTide backpacks. Remember - preparation in the backcountry is key to safety and survival, especially in those extra cold winter months.

Once you have decided what size pack you would like to choose you should then take a look online and see some of the different types that are available. It is important that you read reviews long and hard on what brands of ski backpacks that you are considering buying so that you know what kind of experience they have had in the past.

Snowboard backpacks are not about saving yourself money, it is about experiencing the features of the best gear that snowboarding has to offer, so if you are a complete beginner then I suggest going with a simple day backpack or even a hydration pack, since hydration is such an important issue when out snowboarding all day. You may consider a camelbak. If you have done a bit of snowboarding before then you can choose to buy a full blown, custom-made backpack which usually have a snowboard carry system.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Fred Felton          

Content Creator / Editor

Fred Felton is a copywriter, editor and social media specialist based in Durban, South Africa. He has over 20 years of experience in creating high end content. He has worked with some of the biggest brands in the world. Currently Fred specialises in the winter outdoors space, focussing on skiing and snowboarding. He is also a keynote speaker and has presented talks and workshops in South Africa.