Skiing with a pack....

Thoughts?  

Personally, I only ski with a pack when I see a need to ski with a pack, and don't consider a regular day around the resort to be such a time.  I say that at the risk of offending any everyday resort pack skiers out there, but what fun is the interweb if someone isn't offended?

I ski with a pack when I need to carry the necessary equipment and supplies for a day of skiing that actually NEEDS equipment and supplies.  The Slides are open, I need the avy gear.  I also know I won't be stopping for lunch so I need to pack food and water.  To the point of the article nepa posted on back/slackcountry skiing, I do treat something like the Slides with respect, and make sure I pack whatever might be necessary if I were to get hurt or lost in such an area.  Extra layer, extra gloves, lighter and paper, medical kit, etc.  Anything I might need to eat, stay warm, treat injury, or effect rescue if something were to happen.  If I know I'm going to hike the Chin at Stowe, or go exploring beyond Paradise at MRG.  Even a day of powdery goodness in the trees at Gore, where I won't be stopping for lunch and could possibly have an unfortunate encounter with a tree.  Those, to me, warrant a pack, very much like a day in the backcountry.

I do shake my head at some people I've seen recently at WF.  This past weekend, when there was no option to explore off the beaten paths, there was this group of twenty something's that all had packs on.  Over the Presidents Day holiday I rode the gondola with a gentleman and his friends, and he had on a huge pack that looked like it was ready for Everest.  Sure, occasionally someone might want to plan a lunch on the deck of the mid station lodge that requires some supplies, which is cool, but that didn't seem to be the case with either of these observations.

I don't want to ski with a pack unless I have to.  When you NEED  it it's relatively heavy and can effect your skiing......and if you don't need enough to make it heavy, shouldn't you just leave it in the lodge?

What am I missing, or am I just being a judgemental pos?

+1

Not that I really care what others do.  But, IMHO, I see those that do as being the skiing equivilent of "Fred" in biking.  

I agree with you with the whole not skiing with a pack unless there's a need.  I rarely do it, especially just for a typical day of resort riding.  Have found it to be convenient recently at WF to ski first run with a pack so I can hang it up outside mid and be able to have lunch in there instead of going down low.

Was just thinking about my upcoming UT trip - and what to do about a pack.  Don't own any avy gear yet, so it will just be food beers and some tools.  Don't want to ride with it and don't know if I trust hiding it somewhere mid-mountain.  Going all the way down to the base for a quick lunch is a pain in the ass at big places out west.  Wastes alot of time.

+ 1 on ditching a pack when riding lifts.  I do agree that a small pack comes in handy when riding from mid stations, etc, but even then, they can be more of a hindrance than their worth.  There's also the safety aspect to consider, as it's so easy to get straps caught in the chair... So in the famous words of Phil Esterhouse.... Let's be careful out there.

Inbounds I ski with a fanny pack.

Contents:

Spare mittens
Mitten warmers
Facemask
Ear plugs
Scraper
Chapstick
Multi-tool
Water
Whistle
Straps to hold tele skis together

(I carry my phone and camera in separate pockets in my fleece.)

It's a fairly big bag and with the contents above there is the room to put my ultralight shell inside. At times I want my shell off, but don't want to be without it.

Also I always keep skins in my boot bag and at times, at the resort, skins come in handy. At Gore, gondi goes on wind hold, you could climb up to the summit from the saddle.  (Anyone ever been up at the Gore summit on a storm day when no one else can get there? It's awesome.)

At Snow Ridge this year on opening day Nick and I used skins for one run before the lifts opened. Best run of the day:



^^For this lap shell was in the pack on the way up, skins on the way down.

My thinking and experience on each item. Like I said when you are at the Gore summit, it's not like skiing at some other mountains, if you lose something, it can mean a trip back to the bottom.

Spare mittens - super warm, durable Burton mittens. I normally wear a pretty thin pair.  I'm taking them off constantly to take pictures.  I've dropped them from the lift, lost them, gotten them wet. I always want to have a backup pair of mittens and warmers. When it's below zero and you are taking 150+ pictures a day, your hands get cold.  Having mitten warmers keeps your fingers going. (Had one finger that I cut pretty bad and it gets thick fast).

Facemask - Really don't like them, but often they are good to have on super cold days or when skiing under the guns. Takes up no space.

Earplugs - hate the sound of ratnik ground guns. Sometimes that is where the best snow is.

Scraper - has saved my ass in early season when there is snow in the woods but the ground isn't frozen.  Huge day at Gore in early December at Gore, we were skiing Cirque glades, there was running water but it was 5 degrees. We were warned my patrol but went in anyway. Downside was that I ended up scraping the skis of 4 other skiers.

Multi-tool - Just seems like a good thing to have. Most often have use the flathead screwdriver. Saved Jamesdeluxe's ass at the top of Superchief at Belle on his first run of the season he realized his DIN was set at zero. Also opened up a bottle once.

Water (and sometimes cookie) - this is mostly a Gore thing. When you are at the summit the closest water or snack is at the saddle which often requires a trip back to the base. I really like having water or OJ with me.

Whistle - never used it, hope I never do.  I figure from the trees at Gore, IF (BIG IF) you could blow a whistle you could get found.  I'm a bad boy I ski the trees alone.

Straps - 75mm teleskis don't stay together the way alpine skis do. They are way easier to carry with straps and they don't weigh anything.  Carry to and from the car, hiking up Hedges to poach Echo late season or whatever.

I admit it's a security blanket and probably messes with my balance a bit. But I rarely leave it behind.

I almost never do but occasionally at a big place, if I don't know where I'll be at lunch time, if the weathers variable and I think I might want to add/subtract layers I'll take a small daypack out with me. Some times I find myself really far from home, skiing by myself and feeling pressure to get back on the road by 3:30 or 4. If I bring my lunch and some drinks in a pack, I can eat on the lift or on line and maximize what time I have. I admit to seeing people with backpacks on at very small hills and thinking "what do they need that bad?" but then again, it's really none of my business. For all I know, that kid with the pack might be diabetic and his parents make him keep his insulin and some candy bars with him at all times. I don't know so I try not to judge.

Harvey wrote

 Inbounds I ski with a fanny pack.

So you're a Fred ? I thought you were a Harv.

That's a pretty good list. I ski with a lot of that stuff almost every time I go. Most days, my pockets are bulging with all my crap. Those few times that I bring my pack, it all goes there and ends being more comfortable that way.

I think it's a form of hoarding. Can't just leave stuff in the car, you know. Must be damn uncomfortable.

Well how else are you supposed to carry around your 18 pack?

raisingarizona wrote

Well how else are you supposed to carry around your 18 pack?

 

Harvey wrote

Inbounds I ski with a fanny pack.

is it fluorescent green?    I ski with a camelback. I have touted the benefits of this before so I apologize for the repeat.
most of you are not hydrating enough on the mountain. I have tools and snacks inside of it. I wear it inside my coat so it really does not effect my skiing. you barely notice it. granted its a pain to take off your coat to get at your lunch.

Ha, fun topic! I hate having a bag, throws my balance off. That being said, my best riding buddy ALWAYs wears a backpack, even on small hills, and he is so ridiculously good (rails, boxes, jibs, jumps, grabs, spins, all that) that I think hmm maybe I should get some backpack.

So, those that argue that it makes riding harder are full of shit. All of the back country movies, jeremy jones has a full on pack with ice pics and shit sticking out, popping off of splines.

The packers I see usually fall into two categores: beer can backpackers, or the utilitarian types. Toting your beer around in a pack is a double edged sword I have observed. I saw a boarder wash out on a hairpin and bail right on his backpack. You could hear the cans hissing, and the drippage started right after. I think he had to drink a sixer right there on the side of the trail, but also drinking from the holes in the side of the can. Shotgun anyone? I find it is better to dig a little hole in the trees and mark it then loop back every now and then. Usually the drink doesn't freeze all the way for some reason.

campgottagopee wrote

raisingarizona wrote

Well how else are you supposed to carry around your 18 pack?

 

Looks like a suicide bomber jacket.

I just don't understand why you'd tote beer with you. It will just get warm and shaken up.  You find a nice secluded spot near the top of one of your favorite lifts, bury lightly in snow and mark the spot with a branch or something.  And, voila, you have fresh, cold beers when you need them all day (or all weekend, depending on how many you bury).

I don't think skiing with a pack makes skiing more difficult, especially for someone who skis with one all the time.  However, when you go from skiing without a pack to throwing 30 pounds on your back.....that first run requires a bit of adjustment, as you center of mass and balance will be a little different.  

I understand there are some valid reasons for toting some stuff around with you.  I can general fit most of that generic stuff in the plentiful pockets today's utilitarian gear has.  I can also understand the use of a pack a bit more for inbounds use at a large western/Canadian/European resort.  

I don't get the whole 'backpack to carry booze' thing, especially on an Eastern hill.  First off, a 12 pack during the day is just a bad idea.  Secondly, get yourself a flask if you need to get lit while you ski!  Who needs all that liquid?  But mostly, if you are at WF, where a typical weekend has no lines, and you really need a fix, just swoop down to the base and hit the Cloudspin Bar.  Really, it's not gonna blow up your day.  So the whole booze argument is a non-starter for me.

Like I said, a couple of observations I made spurred this thread.  Last weekend the group of a half dozen 'rad' twenty-something's, all decked out in the latest gear and light, saggy, empty packs (no beer, or much of anything else) was a bit rediculous.  They all thought they looked cool as shit no doubt....when they really looked like a bunch of doofus gapers.  And the guy with the overnight pack loaded to the gills.  Thing had to weigh 50 pounds, more than I brought for a day on Tuckermans!  At least he did have booze, but from the discussion on the lift he didn't even bring the good stuff!

Marcski wrote

I just don't understand why you'd tote beer with you. It will just get warm and shaken up.  You find a nice secluded spot near the top of one of your favorite lifts, bury lightly in snow and mark the spot with a branch or something.  And, voila, you have fresh, cold beers when you need them all day (or all weekend, depending on how many you bury).

Really, go find your fave safety meeting spot and just stash!

A Plattekill tradition, the Cardinal:

sig wrote

Harvey wrote

Inbounds I ski with a fanny pack.

  I ski with a camelback.

dakine hydration pack for larger resorts and spring shit show days. holds extra layers, gloves, water, clif bars, jerky, beers etc.  big enough for shovel & probe for slides if needed (unfortunately have yet to ski them though )

home mountain pond skim, bump comp days  and such for hauling beers, will stash a few around the hilll - still need to pack out the empties! cargo pockets work for a beer or two and the maple flask

Marcski wrote

I just don't understand why you'd tote beer with you. It will just get warm and shaken up.  You find a nice secluded spot near the top of one of your favorite lifts, bury lightly in snow and mark the spot with a branch or something.  And, voila, you have fresh, cold beers when you need them all day (or all weekend, depending on how many you bury).

How does it get there?