new backpack time...

I really like my BD Revelation 45. It could use a diagonal ski carry, and stuff falls out of the inside lid pocket when it's open and I flip the clamshell closed, but it is very convenient and it's a part of me on the down. I used it for a 3-day at Elfin Lakes Hut last spring and it held enough gear.

anybody have any experiance with packs from indigo equipment? i was looking @ the elvn...

On the recent Wallowa Alpine Hut trip I was on , all the guides had the new BD Anarchist packs with avalungs and they looked really good. They had a quick vertical ski carrying feature that worked real good. I now lust for one.

IMO, a really important feature is the ability to both A-frame your skies for long tours and to be able to quickly lash your skies, (via a diagonal carry feature or otherwise) for short bootpacks.
Some fellow skiers that had packs that only allowed for A-frame carry had to go through the whole A-frame procedure for a short bootpack and it takes time and gives you cold hands.

My Dakine also has a rear entry feature that I like but the dual carrying sytem is the money for me.
No dual carry sytem, I won't buy it.

Look into the BD Anarchist.Sweet!!

I took my new BD Covert 33L Avalung out for a cruise. Here are some first impressions.

1. For a 33L pack, it packs pretty full, meaning you are close to filling the thing up before you think you should have. It essentially has a wet/emergency stuff-other stuff division in its 2 main compartments, which is nice, but that "other stuff" area fills fast. I sure wouldn't get the 22L. I'd say you need the 33L even for a daytour.

2. It wouldn't be easy to A-frame, and the BD website says it has diagonal mode only for carry. I kinda prefer A-frame, so I'll need to experiment to see if this is possible without endangering the Avalung components. Not sure about snowboard carry possibilities either.

3. The outside of the pack is sleek, but kinda too sleek. There's no quick pocket for snacks or a thermos, you have to open one of the clamshell zippers. And the "other stuff" zipper especially will tend to "dump" because it has the weight of the "wet stuff" compartment pulling down.

I think eventually I'll like the pack, but it's taking getting used to. My previous pack was a pack I've never seen anyone else use: a LaFuma Yakou II (no longer available?) That LaFuma pack was a brilliant piece of design IMO in terms of ease of access and carry modes, but it did have some durability issues (ski pockets not adequately reinforced, thus its need to be replaced, although I think I'll try once more to sew it together better for springtime usage).

One "plus" of the Avalung packs: the mouthpiece, when deployed forward and out, serves as an auditory windspeed or travel speed indicator (it whistles, with varying intensity and tone!) I'll have to try it out simultaneously with a GPS, so that I can calibrate and I'll know next time that an A-flat means I (or the wind) am going between 20-25mph.

Hey Scotsman, when were you in the Wallowas and what were the conditions like? We did two self guided trips last year (Feb & Apr) with mixed results. The Feb trip was the epic trip of all trips (about 2' of fresh, light pow). The Apr trip was a mixed bag.
FYI, I've used the compression straps on my DK packs to carry my skis in the A frame configuration.

H2OJOE,
Wallowa trip was between Xmas and new year , see my trip report in Dec posts.
I'm guessing you went to the Wing Ridge huts in the other valley run by a competing group.
Conditions where excellent glade skiing with deep, light powder. Alpine was wind scoured and crust.

Sorry for the thread drift but just answering H20JOE's question.
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