Backpack suggestions?

Hi all,
Well I finally destroyed my dakine pro 2 backpack and i am in the market for a new pack. I will be using this backpack to patrol with, so it needs to fit my avi gear, med kit, and other important items. I liked the dakine, but it really did not have enough room to put layers in, and it wasn't the best backcounty pack ever. I am getting more and more into the backcountry and spending less and less time in bounds, so it would be nice to have a little more room for layers and food and such.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions, Jack

I'm not a patroler but I use the North Face Patroler 24 for side and back country days and it holds everything nicely, all avi gear, water, lunch, skins, first aid kit, repair kit, and enough room for a light compressable essential. Has diagonal carry loop and side loops for A frame carry.
Good zips and rugged construction, for a 24 liter pack it is excellent.

www.mysteryranch.com/adventure/skiing-sn...packs/blackjack-pack

I have a Osprey Kode 30 that I use as my patrol pack. I'm pretty happy with it. I like the back zipping open so I can get at stuff easily. The hip belt pockets are good for gloves, band aids, pens etc. There is a separate pouch for the avy gear (and it even has a drain hole!). When I was looking I also checked out the Osprey Kode 38 (decided it was a tad big) and the BCA Alp 40 (?) pack. My wife attached the crosses to the Osprey and put some velcro on a couple other packs I often ski with (a BCA Squall [cool little pack] and a BD Anarchist) so I can slap a cross on them as needed. The only part about the Kode 30 that annoyed me was the length of some of the straps. An annoyance quickly solved by a pair of scissors.

Did I get that Mystery Ranch link right? The pack was listed at $1025!

Did I get that Mystery Ranch link right?  The pack was listed at $1025!

Yes -- $1025 -- it is an "air bag" pack -- so the pricing is not so different from other "air bag" packs. The North Face Patrol 24 ABS pack is $1179 from REI. Other ABS packs from BCA are more in the $700 range.

I second the Osprey Kode 30 pack. Picked one up late last winter and so far am loving the features. Other packs that have worked well for me is the BD Covert 35, and the BCA Alps40.

One thing I look for is a solid and stable diagonal carry system. The alps40 sucked at that, but the Covert and Kode are solid.

One pack I recently learned about over the summer is the Cilogear line of packs, they have some dedicated ski packs but its their worksack line that intrigues me. Their worksack comes in a variety of sizes and is an interesting design in such it seems to be modular in a way that's tuneable to each users needs. Can be set up for alpine climbing one day, then ski touring the next. Needs the Cilogear diagonal ski carry accessory to carry accordingly, but otherwise handles A frame.

I'd be curious to hear if anyone uses one of these and how they like it, or don't like...