The Best Ski Backpacks of 2024-2025

One of our favorite details is the pack’s spacious top compartment, which easily zips open and has a second mesh zippered pocket inside for sunglasses or goggles and an extra lens, snacks, or chapstick. A horseshoe-shaped zipper along the edge of the pack unzips to expand the volume of the pack’s compartment. Two sets of side straps carry your skis while you bootpack.

At this price point, you give up a padded hip belt, though one isn’t requisite if touring isn’t your primary focus and the simple strap saves weight. The pack lacks a hip belt pocket and load lifters but the shoulder straps can be cinched down.

The helmet carry system is two rigid loops, where you thread your helmet strap through (not the easiest process if the padding is thicker), and the noggin protector can bob around quite a bit. If your helmet is being toted, like on a hike, it also blocks the zip entrance to the primary compartment. After taking the SnoBlast 22 Hydration Pack out in snowfall, the exterior fabric does repel snow and the belongings stayed nice and dry. Ultimately, this is a svelte, simple, economic option for lift laps.

The men’s Dakine Poacher 32L ($215) offers a bit more volume and all the same features. There are additional options, too: the Poacher 22L and Poacher R.A.S. 18L. The acronym R.A.S. stands for removable airbag system, which integrates with the 3.0 version made by Mammut (sold separately) that’s accessed through a roll-top closure. When deployed, the buckles remain clasped while the inflated airbag pushes through the rolled fabric. Plus, a rescue whistle is integrated into the sternum strap so it’s always there in case you need it.

Despite being sub $300, this pack is made with a durable 100% recycled nylon face fabric and a 100% recycled nylon liner. A spacious tool compartment has sleeves for your shovel, probe, and saw with a dual-zip closure. On the top-front is an oversized fleece-lined goggle pocket that we love. Just below, a helmet hammock deploys from a stealthy zipper-enclosed stowaway (which is a squeeze to pull in and out with gloves on and a stuffed pack), and you can carry your helmet in two different ways. One side has an oblong, deep zippered pocket for a large water bottle. We also really dig that the smooth material of the molded back panel really does shed snow.

One of our favorite details of this pack is a large pocket that sits parallel to the goggle pocket for all sorts of goodies like snacks, a satellite communication device, and an ice scraper. A second mesh pocket sits inside to help organize smaller items. Another small pocket hangs on the hip belt. Two insulated sleeves are available for a radio (which we always use) or a hydration hose. The primary compartment is accessed through a clamshell opening in the back — we’d be even happier if we could also access this large zone from the front, so we weren’t fishing around or unnecessarily exposing gear to the elements, especially on the deepest days.

We noticed that the women’s-specific back panel and 38mm-padded hip belt don’t offer the most lower back or hip support or comfort, and the hip belt straps do not easily slide to adjust as we adapt our layers and pack load throughout the day. That said, we really like the volume, splitboard-specific straps, pocket organization, and clean style of the Dakine Poacher series. We wish that the R.A.S. system was available in the larger volume versus the smallest, but it’s cool to see the option. While we like the size and variety of pockets on the Poacher better, the Gregory Women’s Targhee 30 has a superior waist belt and lumbar support.

First, the fabric is the toughest we’ve seen. The 840-denier nylon has a TPU coating, which gives it excellent water resistance and extra durability against sharp skis and abrasive rocks.

Oversized zipper pulls (and zippers) are all glove-friendly and indestructible. And there are handy color-coded zippers. The red pull tab on the snow safety gear panel helps prevent groping around when seconds count.

The Gallatin Peak is roomy enough to carry gear for hut trips or light multiday excursions. The densely padded hip belt and shoulder straps cushioned loads up to about 40 pounds. A couple of our more masochistic testers went heavier, but less weight means you’ll move faster. This thoughtfully designed, well-constructed pack is ready for when a trip becomes a mission.

This molded foam hip belt and shoulder straps supported loads up to 45 pounds without too much discomfort. The frame sheet has a perimeter stay and a molded foam back panel.

The main pack bag of the Eddie Bauer Alpine Sisu 50 has a traditional top opening (with a wide 38-inch mouth). There’s also back-panel access via a zipper that bisects the back of the pack. This lets you access gear in wet, snowy conditions while keeping the back panel and shoulder straps dry.

We noticed that the snow-safety tool compartment is accessed with two long zippers that let you peel back the entire front of the pack. You just grab a handle and pull apart the Velcro closure, and the zippers slide open. There’s a top lid with a single pocket for storing small items as well.

One thing: We wished for a hip belt pocket for cellphone storage, but the dual gear slings did come in handy for alpine climbing and glacier crossing. For heavy loads or overnight tours, the Alpine Sisu 50 is one of the best ski backpacks on the market today.

Providing ample comfort, the hip belt is also made in a conical shape. We found this streamlined pack extremely comfortable, and despite the pack feeling light, the design carries and distributes a heavy load well. We love that we can access our gear stash through the full-zip back panel. Inside, our avalanche gear is neatly organized in its own compartment.

We really noticed the Freerider 28 SL’s standout pockets: there’s a deep zippered pocket in the front avalanche gear compartment and another large mesh zippered pocket in the main compartment. A third large pocket, which is accessed from the top, is lined for goggles or sunglasses and features a divider to help collect other miscellaneous items.

There are two removable straps to use for the front vertical carry, such as for a snowboard or snowshoes, or to use for the vertical ski carry. The modular setup has its pros and cons, but it’s nice to be able to customize your pack on the fly. Adding an extra step (switching the straps around) while backcountry skiing can be energy-consuming, and we’re concerned about losing the straps given they aren’t integrated. It’s best to set up the straps for the day’s needs in advance.

We also like the unique holder for glasses on the face of one shoulder strap. There’s space for a 3L hydration bladder as well. For female shredders who want a more customized feel, the Freerider 28 SL Ski Tour Backpack is the ski backpack we’d recommend.

Flying forward into the handlebars while romping a powder field and hitting an unexpected hole never feels good, but this armor can help you come out the other side. The BCA Float MtnPro Vest Avalanche Airbag 2.0 ($800) is one of the most tailored, unique packs on our list. If you’re a hybrid user or snowmobile enthusiast who hops on your sled to enjoy those powder days in flat terrain, or you simply love adding speed and power to your ski turns, consider investing in this pack rather than double-dipping with your ski pack.

Suiting up with this streamlined vest/pack delivers all-around upper body protection: 1 mm of hard shell sandwiched between two layers of PE foam. And it makes sled-skiing so much better; more comfortable, efficient, and safer with protection against injury. As a vest, the front of this pack fully protects the chest and feels comfortable for male and female shredders alike, according to our testers. Two huge pockets up front are easy to access and hold a large phone and snacks. An external shovel carry sits square center in the back, so you can quickly grab your tools to unbury your or your buddy’s sled.

Interior sleeves for an avalanche shovel and probe are integrated in addition to a large mesh pocket. There’s plenty of space inside to stash water, lunch, and extra layers. An additional external zippered pocket is big enough for a phone or snacks. There’s also an interior zippered goggle-size pocket, though it’s unlined. Two key clips hang inside, too.

Not to mention, the BCA Float MtnPro vest features an integrated lightweight Float Airbag system (leg strap included) for sledders to pull in the event of an avalanche. (The refillable 2.0 compressed air cylinder, which powers the airbag, is sold separately for $200.) The handle for activating the airbag is integrated inside a zippered pocket on the right side (so riders need to be sure the handle is within reach when they’re in avalanche terrain). The other shoulder has a zippered sleeve that’s great for integrating a radio.

One critique: We wish the radio integration was a bit easier to manage and the radio sleeve didn’t feed through the avalanche airbag compartment. Regardless, the Float MtnPro Vest Avalanche Airbag 2.0 is now a staple for our kit.

Compartments: They’re super spacious and convenient to get to. The central storage is accessed through a clamshell back panel and a second zipper that spans the top and sides. That’s where the compressed air cartridge is held in a tight sleeve on the side of the pack, which never gets in the way. On the opposite side is a deep mesh pocket for stashing a radio, which threads out along the shoulder strap (we’d rather have a mic there than a hydration hose). Though purchased separately, the cartridge is transferable between compatible packs.

The adjacent layered storage is for stashing your beacon and shovel with two dedicated sleeves. Inside, the topmost portion of that alcove features a large mesh pocket — which we appreciate for holding snacks, skin wax, and our satellite communication device, but we wish that there was a zip closure to secure stowables in place. Especially when we lay the pack down to enter through the back panel, items tend to run loose from that mesh hammock. On the front is a deep, softly-lined goggle pocket, which is good for tossing eyewear as well as any other small essentials that need to be easily found. The right side of the hip belt has a zippered pouch for a slope angle reader, tool, chapstick, and sunscreen. 

We used the ice axe carry and helmet holder on a range of big mountain bootpacks, and both worked well. The side loops were also good for securing tri-section splitboarding poles, but we wish they were placed closer together and that the buckle was a bit more streamlined to thread through the folded segments. This sounds like a small detail, but the huge, sturdy, streamlined pull loop on the top of the pack is also super helpful for quick ground shifts, pulling on the load, or hanging the pack to dry out. 

Withstanding weather, the pack’s exterior is PFC-free, while the exterior fabric and liner are made of recycled textile, which we appreciate. Overall, we like the bright touchpoints on the pack — the zipper and interior liners in the avalanche tool areas are neon orange — as well as the ability to carry all the safety gear we need or items for overnight hut trips. 

Where the pack falls short is the suspension system and lumbar support — there wasn’t any. The hip belt is bare bone, and narrow-waisted testers found the weight needed to be carried on our shoulders. For women, even with a size small, the hip belt was maxed out with how tight it could be and still not stabilized above the hips, leading to a — rather bulky — swing weight any time she reached down or made big moves on the descent. The compromise is sore shoulders for the ability to carry more safety gear or necessities in an airbag-compatible pack. Without cushioning, we’re not sure a skier or rider working on snow would be able or stoked to sustain wearing this pack day in, day out — it’d have to be the right fit for their body shape. Otherwise, we really dig the organization, capacity, materials, and airbag compatibility of the Pro 45 Removable Airbag 3.0. If you’re a woman with a narrow waist and need a snug fit with plenty of lumbar support, check out the Gregory Women’s Targhee 30, which hits that mark. Or, check out the Mountain Hardwear Snoskiwoski 40 for an even more mountaineering-centric and lighter pack design.

And on the pack’s front — which is reinforced with 1,000-denier CORDURA for extra durability — is a handy zippered pocket where you can stash sunglasses and snacks. The zippered snow-safety compartment and a roomy pocket on top of the pack (with a small interior pocket with a key clip). Then, the main compartment, accessed through the back panel, is big enough to house extra layers, a stove, a small bivy, and a helmet. One wing of the hip belt has a zippered pocket that’s big enough for a cellphone; the other side has a gear sling.

While the unisex Targhee has been in Gregory’s lineup for a while, the women’s specific pack offers a tailored feminine fit with shorter and narrower torso dimensions. The hipbelt and shoulder straps are likewise contoured to accommodate female physiology. The design launch was in response to requests from customers and ambassadors, as well as the brand’s effort to be more inclusive and to help women experience more comfort on backcountry adventures. The pack also innovates more recycled material. The pack body is made of 210 high-density 45% recycled nylon with PFC-free DWR. Inside, the lining is 40% post-consumer recycled 135D polyester with PFC-free DWR.

One of the most cherished traits of this pack is the huge top pocket that sinks nearly halfway through the pack, which is a great dish for accessories from eyewear to a beanie or headlamp. Inside is a second streamlined, zippered, unlined pocket that fits snacks or sunglasses. At the pack’s front is a spacious compartment with two dedicated pockets for the shovel shaft and probe. The largest primary storage is accessed via a full clamshell-style back entry, which is great. Though, we wish we could access the primary compartment through another zipper on the side or top (hopefully not at the expense of the large top pocket), because a back-entry is less ideal when a helmet is cradled on the front.

When strapped with splitboard skis for hiking to the summit, the pack suspends a full load really well. That’s in part thanks to the VertFlex suspension system, which offers stability yet torsional flexibility. We never found swing weight to be an issue. The chest straps slide, an important adjustment for women, though are not the quickest to adjust on the fly. 

A couple of bugs: We didn’t like that the two upper-side compression straps have lock lever buckles, which require closure for tension and require opening for a quick slide-through. The lock levers don’t open and close quickly or easily, and they aren’t durable — we eventually broke one. An integrated, stowable helmet carrier is a must, though the hammock (which extends from the pack’s side versus the bottom) is off-centered, and it doesn’t sit totally flush on the center of the helmet. That said, the beefy buckles offer security and we didn’t have issues with our helmet sliding around or flying down the slope.  

We also like the sizable hipbelt pocket and large 9-inch long grab loop on the pack’s top, which makes transport or hanging easier. Though we didn’t use it, there is an insulated sleeve for a hydration hose. A lightweight bungee system and sleeve lets you carry an ice axe. Also, a tenacious 1000-denier strip of Cordura fabric is placed diagonally on the pack’s front to prevent any ski edge dings during a carry. The Women’s Targhee 30 is a super comfortable, well-made small-to-medium size pack for quick laps and short tours.

Up top is a nearly 9-inch long pocket that’s unlined and spans the pack’s width. That’s also where you can deploy the stackable helmet carry that can clip your helmet to the front or top of the pack — a unique design. The first moderate-sized compartment has two sleeves for your shovel shaft and probe, and it’s accessed by three dual-way zippers. The central, largest compartment is accessed by the back panel, which opens via a clamshell zipper. While we love a back entry, we think it’s even better if we can also access the largest compartment from the front so we do not need to dig around or expose our gear to the elements too much.

Inside the primary compartment is a spacious, zippered mesh pocket. There are also two long dump pockets on each side, which are the perfect size for a narrow water bottle but aren’t the easiest to slide one in and out of, especially if you’re on the go and the pack is stuffed.

We like that there’s a streamlined hydration sleeve you can slide a reservoir into before threading the hose through an insulated, enclosed sleeve. A radio can thread to the other sleeve, which isn’t enclosed. We also love that there are two zippered hip pockets — most packs have one or none. If you suffer from back or shoulder pain or spend a lot of hours on your feet, the Women’s Kresta 30 and Men’s Kamber 30 provide one of the best suspension designs out there. While the Kresta had excellent lumbar support, we found it was a tad firmer than the Gregory Women’s Targhee 30 and that the Kresta’s pocket design was a bit more complicated.

With another step of innovation, this airbag system (the 2.0 air cylinder engine) is 30% smaller and 15% lighter than BCA’s previous iteration. That extra room is key.

On big days playing in the backcountry or on the job — like volunteer search and rescue — we need to carry additional rescue gear, food, hydration, and layers. We like that you can access the cargo through a full back panel or through the front.

The Float 42 Avalanche Airbag has a sleeve to integrate a radio and another for a hydration hose. With the internal support frame, the back panel is rigid and supportive yet comfortable. We also like the hip belt pockets and the fleece-lined goggle pocket.

Taking a look, the main pack bag is a teardrop design, so heavy gear sits over your hips where it belongs. There’s a full-featured snow safety gear pocket accessed via a big U-shaped front panel zipper. On top is a microfiber-lined goggle pouch large enough to accommodate big lenses.

An insulated sleeve keeps hydration bladder tubes from freezing, although we prefer a water bottle for cold-weather skiing. Testers really liked the Upslope’s secure ski-carry system (diagonal and A-frame). It’s a big improvement from the original Upslope, and we like how easy it is to use when we’re wearing big, puffy gloves. Plus, the critical buckles that attach the shoulder straps and hip belt are metal, so there’s no danger of a catastrophic break in the backcountry.

Don’t worry about the load because the Upslope 35 L carries a lot of weight. We found it carries 30-pound loads easily thanks to the densely padded shoulder straps and full-perimeter stay. The hip belt is a combo of big, wing-shaped pockets and 2-inch webbing. It’s also able to accommodate Mammut’s RAS 3.0 (Removable Airbag System).

A smaller front compartment is home to avalanche equipment and features a nice zipper-access mesh pocket, though the pocket is not very big. One of our favorite design details is a mega side-entry zipper to a long, deep pocket that can easily stash skins or a water bottle and snacks. Remaining gear is carried in the spacious primary compartment, which has a quick-draw top skirt opening and integrated storm flap as well as a side-entry zipper.

We really like the quick-access tool carry on the front of the pack and the reinforced A-frame ski loops for skis or splitboard skis. The shoulder straps have lash points for a radio or hydration hose, though they aren’t enclosed. On the face of the pack, two elastic straps with slidable adjusters do a great job of holding the shaft of an ice axe. The removable helmet hammock is attached by slender straps that slide into and hook tiny daisy chains but do not lock in place, so they are only secure when fully weighted — otherwise, they can slide out. The hammock poses a risk of blowing away on windy summits or getting misplaced. A solid attachment point or direct integration would be an improvement.

Taking the same modular slide-and-hook design, there are two additional straps, which can be lengthened with small buckle adjusters, on the front of the pack to secure gear. The straps, likewise, do not lock into place. As such, our ski crampons fell off our pack on a snowmobile approach, and we had to buy a new pair. Not fun! Use those two lean straps with caution or scrap using them at all.

Despite the issues with the exterior strap attachments, we still keep the Snoskiwoski 40 as one of the best in our lineup due to its tenacious materials, sheer volume, ultra-lightness and ability to carry a heavy load with comfort. If you’re looking for more pockets in a high volume pack, check out the Mammut Pro 45 Removable Airbag 3.0, which is also airbag compatible.

After testing this pack on backcountry splitboard and ski days for the past few seasons, we still grab it for uphill sessions or fast missions. Overall, we’re impressed by the pocket organization despite the lean silhouette.

Inside the Cirque 25 pack, there’s a compartment for avalanche rescue equipment that’s separated by a divider with a buckle closure. The primary chamber has an expandable pocket with an elastic band for security. There’s a second pocket that’s large enough for extra goggles with a zip entry and key clip. Another sleek zipper-enclosed exterior pocket sits near the top, which is wide enough to hold extra goggles. It’s also a convenient spot for a snack or cell phone.

This sternum strap also has a built-in whistle. Keeping things light, the hip belt of the Cirque 25 Pack is not padded but prevents pack sway. The back pad is removable for an even slimmer kit.