Ski Mountaineering Pack Tips |

Ski Mountaineering Pack Tips

| By Roy Rasmussen | Category: Outdoor Activities

Ski mountaineering should never be undertaken without training and planning. This includes gear; your ski mountaineering pack is your home away from home when on expeditions. You need to reach your destination, return home safely, enjoy your trip, and survive any emergencies with what you have on hand. Because it’s so important to both your enjoyment and your survival, it’s vital to select the right type of pack and equipment. This article gives you some tips on how to select and equip your ski mountaineering pack.

What Goes in My Ski Mountaineering Pack?

Your ski mountaineering gear has to include everything you need for your travel, physical needs, safety, navigation, communications, and recreational enjoyment, minus what you’re currently wearing and carrying in your hands. Bear in mind that you’ll need to move things in and out of your pack from time to time. Your equipment requirements can vary somewhat depending on the specifics of where you’ll be mountaineering, with specialized terrain such as glaciers presenting unique considerations. A checklist of what you may need to fit in your backpack under different conditions includes:

Ski equipment:

Skis
Skins
Skin wax
Scrapers
Bindings
Ski crampons
Poles

Mountaineering equipment:

Mountaineering axe
Pitons and piton hammers
Harness
Crampons
Rope (40m)

Other travel gear:

Sleds
Kites

Clothing:

Headgear: Hats, balaclava, and buffs
Goggles
Sunglasses or glacier glasses
Insulated jacket
Gloves
Boots

Food and drink:

Water bottles
Steel bottles and thermoses
Snacks
Cooking equipment

Emergency equipment:

Bivy sack/tarp for emergency shelter
Fire building equipment, including matches, lighters, fuel, and kindling
Repair kit
First aid kit
Crevasse rescue kit
Avalanche rescue kit, including probe, shovel, and transceivers (beacons)

Navigation equipment:

Maps
Portable GPS System
Compass

Communications equipment:

Transceivers (beacons)
Cell phone
Tri-band radio

Sightseeing equipment:

Binoculars
Camera

How Do I Select a Ski Mountaineering Pack?

What you need to fit in your ski mountaineering pack dictates how you should select your pack. Here are some important considerations to take into account when selecting a pack:

Volume: Is my pack big enough to fit everything I need? 1,500 to 2,990 cubic inches will serve most needs.
Compartment organization: Does my pack’s compartment organization system allow me to fit everything neatly and quickly access frequently-used items?
Weight: How much does my pack weigh? 3 to 5 pounds is average.
Carrying capacity: How much can my pack carry? Your pack’s suspension system should be designed to carry up to about 25 pounds comfortably.
Ski and tool carrying systems: Some packs come with specialized ski mounting and tool carrying systems, useful if you have needs in these areas.
Closure mechanism: Top loading closure backpacks allow more spatial flexibility than zipper closure backpacks, minus the risk of a zipper that suddenly doesn’t work in the middle of the wilderness.

Pick the pack that meets your needs, don’t forget to pack everything on your checklist, and have fun!