The 10 Best Ski Backpacks To Carry Food, Layers, Equipment And More

Style: Backcountry | Weight: 2.14 pounds | Capacity: 32 liters

Previously sold as the Arc’teryx Rush SK 32, the Micon 32 is an exceptional quality, high performance backcountry backpack. The surprisingly rigid aluminum back frame curves to fit your spine and works hard to keep the weight balanced and away from your shoulders. The cinch straps pull everything tight too, which, despite being quite a large pack, even when fully loaded, the straps hold everything in position making it a joy to ski with.

It’s a bag built for ski touring in the wettest conditions. Made using super tough 210-denier Cordura nylon, with a liquid crystal polymer ripstop for tear protection, it’s finished off with laminated fabric and taped seams. In short, your gear will stay dry whatever the weather.

At 2.14 pounds (970g) it’s positively featherweight compared to a lot of the competition, and looks great off the mountain too. Gorp-y aesthetics aside, it performs brilliantly on the mountain, with versatile ski and snowboard mounting options—the rigid frame helps manage the load—as well as separate pockets for avalanche tools, and a lovely fleece pocket for essentials. Having a roll-top design also means you can carry more than 32 liters, and the waterproof side zippers make access to the main compartment easy.

That said, Arc’teryx has swapped hip pockets for harness style gear loops, which are handy for serious mountain adventures and customization, but even the hardiest mountaineers need easy access to a Clif Bar occasionally.

If 32 liters is too much for your carry needs, Arc’teryx has a smaller, similarly minimalist Micon 16 pack that might be the ideal compromise.

Pros:

• Lightweight
• Brilliantly balanced
• Durable weatherproof construction

Cons:

• Lacks a couple of easy access pockets

Style: Resort | Weight: 1.5 pounds | Capacity: 22 liters

A staple in the Burton catalog, the Day Hiker is a no-nonsense everyday backpack made from tough, sustainable materials that’s equally at home on the daily commute, school bus or slopes.

The hydration-compatible sleeve doubles as a padded storage pocket for a laptop or tablet (18 by 10 inches), while the durable twin straps make it easy to carry your board hands-free.

There’s also two water bottle pockets, handy daisy chain attachments points on the back, a lens-friendly goggle pocket and safety-first key clip hidden inside. We also love the glove-friendly clips and low-profile shape that sits well on a chairlift.

The bag isn’t loaded with backcountry-ready features, but it’s a solid all-round option, and if you don’t mind wacky colorways, Burton currently has a couple of options on sale for just $68.

Pros:

• Light and stylish for everyday use
• Plenty of internal storage space

Cons:

• No ski-carry options

Style: All-round | Weight: 2.6 pounds | Capacity: 22 liters

French brand Picture Organic continues to impress with their innovative, sustainable designs that don’t burst the budget. Even at full price ($140) the Kommit 22L backpack represents great value thanks to its relatively light weight (2.6 pounds), PU-coated recycled ripstop construction, excellent back panel support and comfortable strap designs.

It’s a minimalist pack, and all the better for it, with little to snag on lifts and everything neatly organized away inside. There’s toggles for poles and/or ice axe carry and webbing loops for attaching any extras you might need, and I love the fact the ski/snowboard carry straps can be completely stowed away when not needed.

The front pocket is designed to hold your avalanche safety gear and the main compartment can be accessed easily via the back panel, which is super handy when transitioning from touring to downhill modes, or just getting snacks out at lunch.

There’s also a plush goggle pocket at the top of the bag which is great for stashing items for easy access, but once it’s full, using the top zip to access the main compartment becomes a little tricky as the goggle pocket flops around. It’s not a deal breaker, especially at this price.

Other notables here include space for a hydration system (or 15-inch laptop), an insulating zip cover for the hydration tube to prevent it from freezing and a pull-out helmet net that works a treat.

Pros:

• Slim and light
• Multi-functional
• Chairlift-friendly

Cons:

• Main zip tricky to open when goggle pouch is full

Style: All-round | Weight: 2.1 pounds | Capacity: 20 liters

Despite only having a relatively small capacity, the Kamber has more than enough space for extra layers, dry gloves, snacks, water and all those things that help you through laps around the resort. You can also carry skis or a board with ease, and attach your helmet.

That’s not to say you can’t take it into the backcountry—Osprey has included a dedicated pocket for avalanche safety equipment. But we’re not sure that there’s enough usable capacity for long days in the wilds, though the separate wet gear storage compartment is a genius touch if the snow is slushy. The 420D fabric is also impressively water resistant, and tough enough to survive a season carrying an ice axe.

Hydration system-compatible with an insulated sleeve to avoid a frozen bladder tube, there’s also a super soft goggle pocket and surprisingly glove-friendly zip pulls and toggles.

But the real reason we love this Osprey comes down to just how comfortable it is to wear. The padded back panel, contoured straps and generous hip belt all combine to make a bag you’ll be happy to wear all day.

Pros:

• All-day comfort courtesy of Osprey’s pack knowledge
• Light yet durable design

Cons:

• Not well-suited for overnights or all-day backcountry tours
• Heavier than most 20 liter options

Style: Backcountry/multi-day | Weight: 2.13 pounds | Capacity: 40 liters

Patagonia’s 40-liter Descensionist Pack is a stylish and practical two-compartment design with a host of ski and snowboard carry options and masses of capacity for multi-day tours and mountain missions. It has a well-organized avalanche safety equipment section, all of which is made from super-durable, eco-friendly 420-denier recycled nylon shell. It’s also currently on sale, which makes it doubly tempting.

This roll-top design weighs just 2.13 pounds and feels remarkably light when not fully loaded. The front pocket has been designed for safety tools, but could also be used for family snacks and sun cream on a resort day, although be warned, it is a big pack if all you’re transporting are a few spare layers, so you’ll want to make the most of the side compression straps.

We appreciate the versatility of the carry straps here too, as you can carry skis diagonally, or in a more typical A-frame shape, and there’s also a strap for a snowboard, so nobody misses out. There’s also space to carry a helmet, rope and ice axe.

There’s no rigid frame on this pack, but the back panel offers some protection against a poorly packed lumpy bag and is nice and breathable, allowing hot air to escape when you’re working hard.

Pros:

• Stable skiing even when full
• Multiple carry options
• Currently on sale

Cons:

• Too big for most resort users

Style: Backcountry | Weight: 3.9 pounds | Capacity: 35 to 38 liters

Swedish luggage specialists DB have a superb range of ultra-premium bags, including the ingenious roll-top ski/snowboard wheelie case, and the Snow Backcountry Backpack is arguably the most durable and versatile snow sports backpack available.

Made with abrasion-resistant recycled Cordura Eco fabric, the 35-liter pack (expandable to 38 liters using the roll-top opening) is big, has padded sides to protect gear and keep its shape, and boasts an impressive number of useful compartments and straps including those for skis, snowboards, ice axes, avalanche safety gear, rope, goggles, skins (for ski touring), snacks, valuables and a hydration bladder.

The bag has a light-but-rigid metal frame and a tough EVA-molded back panel that unzips and opens wide to allow easy access to the main compartment. The shoulder and hip straps are supportive, and we found the backpack comfortable even when heavy and fully loaded.

There’s no escaping the fact that this bag is expensive, big and fairly heavy at almost four pounds, but it will last for years, and with cool all-black looks, we’d happily use it off the mountain too.

And as a bonus, if you like to carry a DSLR camera on your adventures—or are indeed a videographer—this bag is compatible with DB’s camera inserts which offer excellent protection for a camera body and lenses, and quick access to all electronics via the back panel.

Pros:

• Exceptionally durable fabrics
• Expandable capacity for more gear
• Unrivaled versatility

Cons:

• Seriously expensive

Style: Airbag | Weight: 6.5 pounds (S/M), 6.7 pounds (M/L) | Capacity: 25 liters

While not focusing too heavily on airbag technology in this feature, Black Diamond’s JetForce pack is worthy of inclusion for its game-changing ingenuity. This system uses a lithium battery-powered electric fan to inflate the airbag, which not only means you can take it on a plane without emptying and refilling gas cartridges, but more significantly, you can practice your avalanche safety and airbag deployment without the extra cost of new cartridges. The airbag also automatically deflates to create a potentially life saving air pocket once you’re buried under the snow. And it’s even Bluetooth compatible so you can update the software with ease.

Aside from the inflation technology, the 25-liter pack has, as you’d expect, an avalanche tool pocket, plus plenty of volume for layers and water. If, however, you need more capacity, you can connect on modules of either