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Resort ski-carrying backpacks for kids?

tovodeverett

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I've got two kids who will turn 10 and 13 this ski season. We do almost 100% resort skiing and we skied 30+ days last year. When outer areas open, both of them are game for hiking, but they get tired climbing while carrying skis in one hand and poles in another. I will sometimes carry the younger's skis plus mine and have him carry my poles and his, but even that isn't ideal. The older has done a 700 foot vertical climb on two occasions to access the good stuff, and the younger is ready for that sort of thing if it opens.

I'm looking for good resort backpacks for them that will enable them to easily strap skis to it so that they can hike and use their poles as they climb. I don't need a huge pack for them - I'd like it to be big enough to carry a probe and shovel and skins and maybe a little clothing when we start branching out into backcountry, but I would be the main hauler in that situation. I'd also like to look for a resort pack for me. I'm definitely tempted by the Mystery Ranch D-Route, but I'm not sure how that will work on their smaller frames. I love MR's stuff (I've got a Swift and a Sphinx) - it's a little heavy, but it's bomber gear and I love the way the packs ride and how easy it is to get to stuff.

Thoughts? Anyone have something they love for their kids? I do have transceivers for both of them, and they wear them every time we ski, even at the resort - I figure if you've got it, you might as well wear it. That said, I'm not sure I feel they need airbags at the resort.
 

Alexzn

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Awesome picture, great terrain, and looks like you got some ripping young skiers! I am not sure I support the idea of kids wearing packs at the resort just to support occasional hiking. The pack changes the center of gravity when they ski, gets in the way on the lift, etc. If they absolutely hate shouldering skis, I would look at something like a sling. If you are going dedicated backcountry, then sure, you need a pack that is big enough to hold shovel, probe, skins, and you being in Alaska possibly the airbag. But at the resort a pack is an overkill. I wear mine only when I have to bring out a camera with a long lens. And I would never let a 10yr-old kid ski with an airbag at the resort (imagine a friend pulling a cord on the lift?)

But if you are determines, here is my 0.02. it really depends on how much time you spend that the backcountry and whether or not you want the airbag. I am with you on Mystery Ranch- awesome products, at least their mainstay Y-zip line (I have the civilian version of the 3-Day Assault and the earlier version- Sweet Pea), both are best packs I have ever used). But I do not think MR makes an airbag pack. If you are after airbags, BCA offerings are pretty simple, but well-made and actually well-designed. best of all, you can remove with the airbag part if you do not need it. I wore my airbag at the resort only once when it was really scary (and probably still overkill, because it it were truly scary they would have shut down the place!).But I have taken out the airbag part on multiple occasions and just brought the pack (to lug the camera).
 

dbostedo

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Crank

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5 years ago a guide we skied with in Chamonix had an airbag pack and it was big and heavy. Last March we did a guided off piste day at Val d'Isere and the airbag backpacks provided for us were much smaller and lighter and would be easy for kids to carry However, I think you can't fly with the cartridge used to inflate them. What this means is you have to find a shop that sells them where you are skiing. I could be wrong on this though, I am remember my friend having to find and buy cartridge on a ski trip for that reason.

We have regular Dakine Heli Pros and I like their ski carry system, plus there is plenty of room for shovel and probe along with a puffy and snacks. Might be a little big on a 10-year old?
 

Analisa

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How tall are they? No kids Here, but kind of child sized - 13” torso that barely puts me in the adult charts. Osprey Kresta 14L or 20L are the shortest options. I resort ski with a women’s Dakine Heli Pro and tour with a women’s Deuter Freerider Pro 28. Both are a touch big, but bearable. Finding an overnight ski mountaineering pack and airbag pack? Major struggles.

Mystery Ranch has a size chart, and for their non-size variated packs, it’s built for 15-20” torsos, 40-30” around the waist.
 

Beartown

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The basic DaKine Heli pack sounds like a good bet for your needs. Slim, diagonal ski carry, most people wear em onto lifts. Probably not big enough to swamp a kid.

I've got two of these. They are money for resort skiing/hiking. Easy in/out with the skis when you want to hike. Super low-profile so you don't feel like you're going to fall off the lift.
 

Slim

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And another verified vote for the smallest Dakine Heli women’s pack:
  • It’s small and flat, so bother on lifts or affecting center of gravity while skiing
  • It’s cheap, I’’ve often seen them for ~$50, and available in tons of colors.
  • My 8 year old has worn it, and it was ok.

How tall are your kids?

Even if there are other packs as good for this use, the price and availabilty are unbeatable.
It also makes a great carry on pack for airtravel., because it easily slides under the seat in front of you.

if even the women’s one is to tall for them, just get something else flat, Like a Camelback, and craft a diagonal carry system. Easy enough to do.
If you don’t have shovels and probes for them yet, make sure you get something fairly short (Collapsed length) and small, this is not a big pack.

https://www.evo.com/outlet/ski-snow...MIpdj53Prs5QIVjh6tBh0nrwCGEAQYAyABEgIlqvD_BwE
 
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kayco53

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Couple of things that make things easier. Your small pack is a good idea. But because it is resort make sure it comes off easy because most mountains require them to be removed up here anyway on the chair. The other is try not to have to many tangling straps.
 

Slim

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Couple of things that make things easier. Your small pack is a good idea. But because it is resort make sure it comes off easy because most mountains require them to be removed up here anyway on the chair. The other is try not to have to many tangling straps.
If you check out the pic of the Heli, you see it’s pretty streamlined in the back, with carry straps mostly tucked away, that’s one of it’s benefits.

What I do with my packs (which are bit bigger) is leave the waistbelt on and spin it around to the front, and put one arm through a shoulder strap.This way I can sit comfortably and safely on the chair, and dig in the pack while riding the lift. Also keeps wind of my front if it’s cold ;-) Then once I’m off, I can spin it back and off I go,
 
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tovodeverett

tovodeverett

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Wow! I didn't expect this many responses so quickly!

Option 1 would be to get a single pack for me (probably the MR D-Route since I'm an MR junkie) and getting a good pair of ski slings for the kids. If I'm carrying a pack, the slings can be a bit beefier. I'm liking what I see for the Mountain Goat Ski Tote - it's a vertical carry with two shoulder straps, so they should have an easier time keeping it in place. Plus they make a Small Size (for youth through teen and smaller framed adults). I may get one, have the kids try it out, and then investigate mods. Mods I'd consider are a minimalist hip belt and some form of spine padding (I love modding gear). Since I'd have a pack with me, I could toss the slings in my backpack so the kids don't have to stuff them in their pockets. Also - major win from the Mountain Goat web site is that they ship USPS Priority, so shipping to Alaska (usually a major problem) is only $3.12!

Option 2 is to investigate the Dakine Heli 12L Womens pack. I'll see if I can find a local retailer (REI doesn't carry the 12L, but maybe Blue & Gold carries it and they're close by) so that the boys can try it on. This looks very clean on the back with respect to straps, and it might even make the kids safer on the lifts since they'd stop slouching so much and looking like they're going to slide off!

Backcountry for this season will probably be limited to spring skiing - between Masters for me and Mighty Mites for the boys, our weekends will be spent driving to Alyeska (assuming we actually get snow - this has been the worst winter I've ever seen, so far). Also, they don't have AT bindings or skins yet - hiking is a lot easier on spring corn!

If/when they start wanting to do serious backcountry, I'll look at airbag packs at the same time I'm looking at AT gear options for them.
 

Smear

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Also, they don't have AT bindings or skins yet - hiking is a lot easier on spring corn!
Do they have XC-gear? We have had some success using XC-gear with climbing skins on the uphill, and bringing the alpine setup in the backpack, see this thread. In terms of backpacks, then dad will need a big backpack. Mule training :)

With the price of AT-gear and how quickly they grow out of it, then I think that will be our setup for the next few seasons. Going to hold on to some of the shorter xc-skis that they have grown out of for that purpose.
 

Davec1

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We have an abnormal number of skiing, hiking and mountain biking backpacks in our house. For whatever reason, we continue to accumulate more.

In terms of skiing inbounds backpacks, we have a few Ospreys, Dakines, Evoc, Berghaus and Norrona.

My 2¢...
My preferred inbound pack is the Dakine Helipack 12 (or the older Helipack 11). In my opinion, it is the best value and most functional size that still includes ski carry.

I find 18+ litre packs just too big for getting on and off lifts all day. For backcountry trips, 18+ is a better option, but not inbounds.

For inbounds, the Heli-pack 12/11 I will carry lunch for 2 adults, snacks for 2 adults +2 kids, 4 x spare gloves and neck warmers, 3l hydration bladder, mid-layers, spare goggles, first aid kit, phone power bank, plenty of the wife's nic nacs, etc.

If we're venturing into side/back country it fits a shovel, probe, ski carry, hydration, snacks, mid-layers, etc.

I would recommend picking one up second hand on Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace, eBay, etc. It will cost approx $20. Give it a try and see if it fits your needs.
 
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tovodeverett

tovodeverett

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I ended up ordering one of the Mountain Goat Ski Totes in Small and checked it out. I'm pretty impressed - simple, but reasonable stable. I tried it on the kids and they think it's pretty cool, so I ordered a second one. I went the D-Route for me just because I have a Mystery Ranch fetish, but when my oldest is ready to start carrying a full pack I'll definitely look at snagging a Dakine Heli.
 

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