So I finally gave in and bought a backpack for skiing, the Dakine Heli Pack with Hydration. I have seen tons of people skiing with backpacks and always wanted one for extra gear, not to mention for water. The problem is I always worried about the weight and balance while on the slopes, but decided I would never know unless I took the plunge I got one. Thanks to The Clymb I was able to snag one at an awesome price and strapped it on this past weekend.

I guess this would now be a review of the Heli Pack and am happy to say that this backpack is awesome. The fit of the Heli Pack is pretty snug with all the straps attached and I barely noticed it while on the slopes. I filled the hydration bladder with about 1.5L of water and did not feel it sloshing around at all. The only issue I had was being new to the pack, I spilled some water on my gear as I was a little unsure on how to open and close the spout but got the hang of it as the day went on. It is still not the smoothest spout out there (that award goes to Ultimate Direction) but being on the lift with my poles does not lead to most advantageous positions for drinking. Sorry, one other gripe is that I could not get the hydration pack to stay on the hangar in the bag. It kept slipping down into the pocket of the bag. Not a big deal, but would love to learn how to keep it up there.

This bag holds a lot of stuff and even with some sandwiches, the hydration pack, and extra layer and hat, it felt barely there. One of these days I will use the bag to its full potential and have my shovel in the back, avalanche beacon and bust out the straps so I can carry my skis and hit the backcountry. Once the spring hits I will also be able to use the pack for all day hikes in the mountains, but do not see this as a pack for long runs. A little too heavy and I am still a huge fan of my Ultimate Direction fanny pack.