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NOW UPDATED FOR THE 2011/2012 SEASON !
10/23/2011- Saw Snow on the Mountains a Few Hours from the Home Base last weekend!
Won't be long until it's snowing here too! Welcome to the New Winter Season!
Get the latest information about everything related to snowboard backpacks,snowboard daypacks and hydration backpacks...
There are a few PROS and CONS to wearing a daypack, backpack or hydration pack while snowboarding at your favorite snowboarding spot... If you plan to go into the backcountry... Go to the BACKCOUNTRY PAGE to check out everything you need to know about snowboard backpacks used for backcountry snowboarding...
Hydration backpacks have become very popular in the last 5 years...They have become much more comfortable and easy to use and have many cool features that make them a good choice to add to your accessory gear...Many of these can be integrated with snowboard backpacks or are a combination daypack and hydration pack... Click here to go to the HYDRATION PACKS PAGE to learn all about these types of packs before you buy snowboard backpacks or daypacks... GOOD REASONS TO CARRY A BACKPACK
There are some very good reasons to carry a daypack, backpack or hydration pack while snowboarding... The NUMBER ONE best reason is you can carry some extra clothes or gear in case the weather changes from good to bad or bad to good...This means an extra sweater or shirt, maybe some extra goggles or sunglasses and gloves or mittens...
The second most cited reason is you can carry gear...ie...snowshovels to build kickers and jumps and video cams or cameras to catch the action...
Another real good reason to use snowboard backpacks is you can carry food and drinks, allowing you to by-pass the $$$expensive$$$ resort mid mountain restaurant or cafeteria...
Carrying your own supplies means you can stop to eat or drink when and where you want...You also save time by not having to stand in food lines and then getting too comfortable and warm and wasting the time left on your lift ticket... REMEMBER the clock is ticking on that ticket!
Many snowboarders carry just a hydration pack only or a combo hydration/daypack or hydration unit compatible backpack...It's a good idea as it's common knowledge that you lose alot of fluids snowboarding and they need to be replaced if you want to keep charging all day. One more very good reason is you can carry a small amount of first aid and safety gear depending on where you are going and if you plan to venture out of bounds...
If you plan to go anywhere (even in bounds)that might have the chance for AVALANCHES
It is a necesity to have a snowboard backpack to carry the necessary safety gear to deal with an avalanche emergency...
REASONS NOT TO CARRY A BACKPACK
OK there are a few CONS to carrying daypacks, snowboard backpacks or hydration packs... The number one reason is they are not comfortable to wear on the chairlift and it is a hassle to take them on and off every time you load onto the lift...Of course this may vary from barely noticeable for a small daypack or hydration pack up to you can barely sit on the lift with the jumbo pack...The larger the pack the more difficult it is to be comfortable on the lift...On the days I have carried a heavy or bulky pack , I tend to sit sideways on the lift to allow me to sit comfortably, but you cant do that on crowded days...
The second problem is backpacks can make it more difficult to snowboard as they throw your center of gravity off...Again the heavier and bulkier the backpack the more difficult it is to ride comfortably...After some practice you can become accustomed to the weight and have less problems than when you first ride with a pack...
The third negative reason is wearing a backpack can prevent body moisture from escaping through the back of your jacket and I have found through experience that my back tends to be alot wetter and colder wearing snowboard backpacks than not...The reason for this is the backpack is pressed tightly against your back and compresses the jacket material and hampers the transfer of water vapor through the jacket material and the backpack itself acts as a extra barrier to water vapor exiting your jacket...Again this depends on how big and how heavy the snowboarding backpacks you are wearing and the amount of energy you are putting out...
The bottom line is...it's a good idea to carry only as much gear as you really need and to carry the lightest and smallest pack you can for the snowboarding activity you plan to do...
QUALITY BACKPACK DESIGN & FEATURES
Now lets look at what designs and features are found in the best quality snowboard backpacks daypacks and hydration packs...First we will start with the daypacks and snowboard backpacks...
Most good quality snowboard backpacks have good padding at the shoulder straps and a mesh exterior liner and good padding where your back is...
The mesh outer liner at the back acts to allow that water vapor to get out through the back of your jacket...The best snowboard backpacks have a waist strap and a chest strap to keep the pack firmly in place and prevents the pack from swinging back and forth as you turn ...THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT! IT IS NOT A GOOD IDEA TO WEAR A BACKPACK that doesn't have these straps! Unless it is a very small and very light daypack...
Most of the best snowboard backpacks have lots of compartments and pockets to allow you to carry lots of different gear and to have easy access to your gear...It is also important to look for straps,shock cords and other loops used to fasten shovels, probes and your snowboard, skiis and snowshoes firmly onto your snowboard backpack...
Some of the best will have a mesh fabric flap with a waterproof compartment that allows you to put wet gear into, separate from your other gear...The fabric materials used tend to be tough and waterproof such as ballistic nylon,cordura or canvas type material...Here it is important to look for a fabric that is tough but light...
Good quality zippers are better than a velcro closure.The zippers should have BIG... brightly colored... tabs to make it easy to zip up or unzip with gloves or mittens on...
One of the MOST IMPORTANT THINGS about snowboard backpacks is that they fit well and are comfortable to wear for extended periods of time...LOOK FOR DESIGN FEATURES that allow you to make adjustments to how your snowboard backpacks to fit your torso and check the sizing charts to make sure you get the right size for your body type and measurements...The best quality snowboard backpacks will have ways to make adjustments for an optimal fit...
The very very best snowboard backpacks have JET PACKS
built in that allows you to fly up to your favorite peak, bypassing the chairlift and those really long summit hikes... Where's my jetpack?
"Nah Nah NAh, only fooling...We all wish...Look for this feature in 2020....MAYBE..."
That's what I said back in 2005 but here we are now in 2011... 6 years later and there is finally a jetpack you can buy and fly...
Of course it is too bulky for snowboarding down once you fly to the summit, but its a major step forward !JET PACKS @ martinjetpack.com
WHERE TO BUY THE BEST QUALITY BACKPACKS
OK NOW YOU know what it takes to make quality snowboard backpacks and daypacks...Lets look at who has them and what kind of selection and prices these shops have...
Keep in mind my advice...MAKE A LIST OF THE TOP 5 or 10 SNOWBOARD BACKPACKS OR DAYPACKS YOU LIKE AS YOU SHOP.Then go back and buy the one you like best and for the best price you can find...
NOTE: Some of these backpacks have integrated hydration packs in them or can accommodate a hydration pack...I favor these as they make having two backpacks unneccesary...See the HYDRATION PACKS PAGE before you buy a hydration compatible or combo hydration/day pack...
Next check out
Altrec Outdoors.com... They have a very good selection of snowboard backpacks...One thing I like about Altrec is they carry snowboard backpacks made specifically for women...
So all the ladies please check out the backpacks they have for you... Dont' forget Altrec Outlet - Up to 70% off too if you are on a budget !
You can also go to SierraTradingPost.com and check out all the backpacks that they have in stock right now. They have only one backpack in their snowboarding section but many different backpacks in the outdoor gear section, best way is to type in backpack or snowboarding backpack brought me the Crunk day pack and various other packs on sale.
OK where else has good quality snowboard backpacks?
Plenty of places...Lets look in the backcountry over at Backcountry.com Backcountry.com has a very wide selection of snowboard backpacks for day use and for weekenders and extended trips...Keep in mind not all the packs shown here are designed for snowboarding...
Another Doggone good place to check out isDogfunk.com
They have got a full selection of the DAKINE daypacks and snowboard backpacks in stock PLUS they offer free shipping on most of their gear... It's a good idea to wander through their website and sniff out some of the hidden deals they have...
If you are budget minded DO NOT forget to check out Department of Goods: Outdoor Gear Without the GougeOK I GOTTA BE HONEST
Dept of Goods.com has MOST of the same gear as Backcountry.com and usually the same prices... But sometimes you can find closeouts and you can save more money and sometimes
get even hotter deals if you shop carefully...
Lets see where else can we look...I think it is time to head on out to USOUTDOOR.com where you can find a full on selection of snowboard daypacks from most of the best names in snowboard gear like Arteryx,Burton, DaKine, Osprey, Marmot, Patagonia and NorthFace...
They also carry a large selection of snowboard backpacks from all the same names I told you above plus Black Diamond and Gregory...Osprey is represented here in full force with over 20 designs and models in stock today...These guys have real competitive prices too...
REI.comis also a real good place to check out for daypacks and winter backpacks... REI is one of the oldest and best Online Stores you could ever hope for... So lets see what
REI.comhas to offer you... They have a pretty good selection of Daypacks, but...They are not in the snowboarding section.They are in the camping and hiking section under the daypack heading...
Another negative is they do not specifically say which packs are really designed for snowboarding or winter usage.You have to go through and read about each one to see if its a candidate for your list or not...That said ..They do have a dedicated section for the women , so check out the daypacks they carry specifically for you gals.REI has a bunch of killer DaKine packs and some really good Backcountry Access packs which get my HOT PRODUCT approval...They also carry some Northface and some Camelbak combo packs... Pretty good prices too...Don't forget to look in REI.com's backpack section to check out the winter backpacks...
If you live on the east coast and you need gear quick...a good place to check out is ...
ParagonSports.com They offer Free Shipping On Snowboarding Gear, Boards, Boots,and Apparel. They have got a wide selection of daypacks and huge selection of backpacks...
In the daypack section they carry alot of good NorthFace packs,most which work well for snowboarding, Jansport, most which are not designed for snowboarding, Eagle creek, MountainSmith, Victorinex also plenty of selection, plus some miscellaneous packs , Oakley and Osprey...If you look in the snowboarding shop you have a exclusive choice of Burton snowboarding backpacks...
Another place to check out is The-House.com They carry Daypacks by, ALLY, Bonfire, Bakoda, DaKine, Clive and more...Top Pick here is the Bakoda Lukas Huffman...Killer pack,Killer price...The-House.com also seems to have some of the lowest prices on backpacks I have seen anywhere, so this shop is a must for you snowboarders with low cash flow and large wish list...
The THE SNOWSHACK.com has a good selection of day packs and snowboard backpacks by Dakine,Head, K2, Burton and Salomon in their snowboard bags section and backpack section, plus lots of various other gear bags fanny packs etc...
One of the last on the list today is
Summit Sports - Free Shipping over $99! who has a varied selection of day packs by Dakine, Bakoda, K2, Camelbak and others...I did notice alot of their daypacks are not designed specifically for snowboarding, but they do have a few that are and it is easy to check out the descriptions to see which are or not...
Here's a QUICK LIST of other online stores and resources to score snowboard backpacks...
FogDog.com has snowboard backpacks and lots of other real cool snowboard gear...
Boardtactics.com has a great backpack selection at good prices...
Amazon.com where you can find snowboard backpacks offered by thru their affiliated retail stores...
Try BIZ RATE.com comparison shopping for Snowboard Backpacks and Snowboarding Gear. Its a fast way to find the best price if you already know exactly what you want...
BACKPACKS FOR UK , EU SNOWBOARDERS
If you live ANYWHERE in the EU...
You are in luck as the HOTZONE.tv has free shipping to anywhere in EU and they have a killer selection of over 60 different daypacks and backpacks by Burton, Analog and Gravis...Look in the Bags section under the backpack sub-section...While you are there at the HOTZONE.tv check out the equally killer selection of snowboarding gear they got lined up ...
Well If you live in the UK you can check out Boardshop.co.uk Well Boardshop.co.uk has a decent selection of snowboard backpacks by Bakoda, Billabong, A very good bunch of packs by DaKine and West...So check out what they have on hand...Seems the prices are reasonable too...
There is one other shop in the UK I know of that has Rucksacks and daypacks and It's OutdoorGear UK This shop has a various selection of daypacks rucksacks and hydro packs for you to browse through...by names such as Regatta, Berghaus, Craghopper, Grizzly and Hydro-wave...and more ...Plus they have very reasonable prices...So check em out right now...
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Altrec Outdoors.com... They have a very good selection of snowboard backpacks...One thing I like about Altrec is they carry snowboard backpacks made specifically for women...
too if you are on a budget !
where you can find snowboard backpacks offered by thru their affiliated retail stores...
