What's in your pack?

[Noodler]

I've watched numerous videos and read articles on what should be in your pack for backcountry touring. I have compiled the following list from those sources. What I'm wondering is what's really required for day touring out-of-bounds; the "must have's" vs. the "nice to have's"?

• Beacon/Shovel/Probe (obviously the beacon is on you, not in the pack)
• First-aid Kit (including ibuprofen)
• Rescue blanket
• Emergency whistle
• Water bottle - 1-2 liters (more for a full day)
• Food/snacks
• Puffy jacket
• Balaclava
• Ski helmet (for the down)
• Ski hat (for the up)
• Skiing gloves (for the down)
• Touring gloves (for the up)
• Goggles (for the down) - goggle sock for lens protection
• Sunglasses (for the up)
• Sunscreen stick
• Hand warmer packs
• Carabiners (to increase stowing option)
• Ski Multi-tool
• Microfiber cloth
• Flashlight
• Lighter (or cigar torch)
• Small roll of duct tape
• Skin wax
• Skin scraper
• Skin glob stopper
  
  Also, my pack does not have any dedicated way to carry a helmet. When your pack doesn't have a helmet pocket to stow it away ( and I cannot fit it inside the pack), what's the best way to secure it to your pack in a manner that won't have it getting filled with snow?

 

[chris_the_wrench]

I love those titan straps or similar.

 

[Noodler]

I love those titan straps or similar.

Voile Straps? OK, what sizes? How many?

 

[In2h2o]

FWIW Voile strap wraped around your pole when not used for skis, small repair kit, zip ties, a bandana for drying skis before putting on skins, inreach/satellite communication, hand sanatizer (removes pine pitch), small baggie with diaper wipes, sunscreen lip balm.

Most packs have a helmet carry system or you can buy an after market. I'm not sure why your helmet is getting full of snow?

 

[chris_the_wrench]

Ive got a mess of them. Usually have a few with me. The 9” and 18” are my most common. They get used for skiing, kayaking, cycling, work....

 

[pais alto]

Beer?

edit: spare batteries, zip ties, headlamp (instead of flashlight), rescue beacon (ie. Inreach), TP/mountain money...more as I think of them.

edit2: compactor trash bag, bandanna, compass, map.

i carry most of that stuff all the time. You never know when shit’ll get real/go south.

 

[In2h2o]

^^^
Beer and a chair back at the car
Unless its Cinco de Mayo then you need tequila

+1 batteries compass headlamp

Btw after a while you will figure out what fuel works for your body in those conditions. You may need electrolytes or extra sugar/protien/fat ... I'm always perplexed by what some people eat

 

[Noodler]

FWIW Voile strap wraped around your pole when not used for skis, small repair kit, zip ties, a bandana for drying skis before putting on skins, inreach/satellite communication, hand sanatizer (removes pine pitch), small baggie with diaper wipes, sunscreen lip balm.

Most packs have a helmet carry system or you can buy an after market. I'm not sure why your helmet is getting full of snow?

Hanging the helmet in the ways I've been trying leaves it open facing the sky, which of course could then fill with snow if it's snowing. I'll see if I can find an aftermarket carry system for the pack. Do you have some suggestions? What are they called?

 

[Noodler]

^^^
Beer and a chair back at the car
Unless its Cinco de Mayo then you need tequila

+1 batteries compass headlamp

Btw after a while you will figure out what fuel works for your body in those conditions. You may need electrolytes or extra sugar/protien/fat ... I'm always perplexed by what some people eat

I'm all-in on keto. I don't need much for energy as I have plenty of fat still on my body for all the energy I need; one of the huge benefits of being keto-adapted. I'm not a slave to the typical blood sugar cycle.

 

[In2h2o]

Some thing like this, but this is a bit much - https://skimo.co/mammut-helmet-holder-pro
each brand of ski back pack either has this as a feature or add on, its usually just mesh/nylon with elastic straps that attach to the outside of your back pack.

 

[Pequenita]

I don’t carry biners. I don’t have anything dangling on the outside of my pack, and a voile strap can do whatever a biner does, plus more. My repair kit includes a spare pole basket. Agree with all the suggestions that others have added. The headlamp that lives in my pack is a compact emergency one.

 

[mdf]

Some thing like this, but this is a bit much - https://skimo.co/mammut-helmet-holder-pro
each brand of ski back pack either has this as a feature or add on, its usually just mesh/nylon with elastic straps that attach to the outside of your back pack.

When I show that page, it has a suggestion for a simpler and cheaper one that looks like a better version of what you might jury-rig yourself:
https://skimo.co/mammut-helmet-holder

 

[In2h2o]

Crampons. Ski and boot.
As seasonally needed.

 

[AtleB]

When carrying helmet on the outside of pack I always keep it in one of those helmet poaches that usually come with the helmet when you buy it.

 

[AtleB]

I'd also suggest a radio.

 

[Rod9301]

Carry a 1l wide mouth bottle and keep filling it with snow every time you drink.
This will give you almost 2 liters and you only carry the weight of one.

 

[Primoz]

Basically all what's on your list @Noodler except for:

Emergency whistle - my ABS backpack has it on chest strap, so no need for extra
Sunglasses (for the up) - most of time I don't bother
Sunscreen stick - never really needed that, except for once it would be cool to have it. But in general I'm out enough to have such tan, that most of people don't have it in middle of summer, so no need for sunscreen
Hand warmer packs - never. Don't really feel that cold that thick skiing gloves wouldn't be enough.
Carabiners - no need for that. If it doesn't fit in backpack, it doesn't go with me
Ski Multi-tool - not really, but I have torx T20 with me in case I would need to tighten something on binding (never needed until now)
Microfiber cloth - no need for that. googles bag is good enough if needed to wipe googles
Flashlight - only on early morning or late afternoon tours
Lighter - nope, I don't smoke and up in mountains when you are above forest level and have only snow around, it wouldn't help much either
Small roll of duct tape - wrapped on my pole. It does come handy here and there
Skin scraper - there's something you carry with you anyway, and does job good enough.... ski
Skin glob stopper - small piece of Swix CH8 is always in backpack, but I prefer to take care of my skins at home already. I guess that's same as Skin wax or?

Next to that, ski crampons, unless there's really only powder and I know for sure, there was no wind anywhere, two ski straps, if I move skis to backpack, and there's also crampons and ice axe or two, if tour requires climbing some steep faces. For food, I almost never use anything but home made powerbars. Sandwiches are not too tasty when cold, neither is chocolate, and with 3 or 4 home made powerbars, I'm good for 10h tour. Water is more of an issue for me then food.
Oh and I forgot... plastic strip and bag for skins. All my Pomoca skins have such glue, that you sprain your shoulder dragging them apart if you put glue to glue. Which on the end is not so bad thing, as even for sixth transition at -20c, glue still works So no matter what, I prefer to stick that plastic sheet between skins when putting them to backpack.

 

[jmeb]

Put this together recently. This is typical day-tour carry. Not ski mountaineering (ice tool, crampons), not spring (ski crampons), not glacial, etc.

My kit after logging my 200th day in the backcountry. An inventory for those curious...
- Bag: 40L Patagonia. I use this for day trips, carried it on a haute route (5 days across the Swiss Alps) and shorter summer backpacking.
- On the shoulder straps: A Fox40 whistle, and a Rocky Talkies two-way radio.
- On the hip straps: camera case and hip pocket (see later photo for contents.)

On the back:
- Helmet: in this case a Pret with the liner removed. Connected to daisy chain by two small, light carabiners.

Inside the lid
- Garmin inReach Mini for SOS or contacting friends or family.
- I typically also attach my car keys here on a carabiner.

Unloaded bag (top right to bottom left): (NOT PICTURED: Avalanche gear! It goes without saying, in the avy pocket is a probe, shovel, and my beacon -- either a Tracker 3 or Mammut Barryvox)
First row:
- Skins: in this case, Contour Hybrids.
- Spare Layers: varies by day, this day was windy and cold so a hardshell and puffy.
- Lightweight gloves: $12 at Costco. I buy a pair every year and use them all the time. Most days I skin and ski in them. When I'm not skiing, I run and walk the pup in them.
Second row:
- Goggles: usually buried deep in the pack. Infrequently used as I typically wear sunglasses.
- (black bag) Repair/first aid kit stored in a crampon bag. Contents below.
- My go-to cold weather touring hat from Lowe Alpine. It's micro fleece lined, with ear flaps, and wind-proof shell. Hella dorky.
- 1L Nalgene for water. Duct tape.
- Backup gloves/mittens. Which pair depends on how cold the day is.

Inside the first aid/repair kit.
Top:
- Left zip lock: first aid, includes: antibotic ointment, diphenhydramine, aspirin, immodium, alcohol swabs, acetaminophen, 4x4 bandages, roller gauze, bandaids.
- Right zip lock: first aid and fire starter. Includes: lighter, waterproof matches, a cravat (triangular bandage), moleskin, athletic tape, nitrile gloves, ibuprofen.
Middle:
- Space blanket. (A SOL bivvy gets swapped in for certain adventures.)
- Wire splint
- Ratcheting tool with various bits for fixing bindings/boots.
- Stick-on Patch material
- Ski pole "splints" (for fixing a broken ski pole, right above the chap stick) -
Chapstick (more in my pocket)
- More duct tape.
- Pipe clamps for fixing poles/bindings
- Spare powder basket Bottom:
- Skin wax
- Zip ties
- Safety pins
- Ski straps.

In the hip pocket for quick access:
- Multitool
- Slope angle meter
- Mini scraper (awesome for getting ice out of bindings etc.)

In the lid:
- Spare warm hat
- Headlamp
- Bag o' random food stuffs (whatever I'm eating for the day.)

 

[Noodler]

^^^^^^^^ - if I could "double like" your post @jmeb I would. This is fantastic super helpful information.

 

[Noodler]

@jmeb - what exactly on your helmet is hooked into this setup to secure it to your pack?

I found this post about how a guy uses shock cord and a cord lock to secure the helmet:

How do you clip your helmet to your bag when not wearing it?

I've been using a carabiner through the strap to clip my helmet to my backpack. But it seems clumsy, and the helmet dangles around a lot. I've seen other people with helmets closely mounted on a ...

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