All winter long, we've been testing some great products for backcountry skiing. Dakine, Black Diamond, Goode, POC, Surefoot, Merrell, Smith, and Zeal Optics are just a few of the brands that our testers have taken through the wash. Now it's time to send out report cards...
Skiing the Backcountry gear reviews are not just your average paid blurb in a magazine. We have received no money from any of these companies. We hold no allegiances or biases. All we do is ski in the backcountry. All we want is gear that performs well and offers good value. Our reviews are comprehensive, honest evaluations from real backcountry skiers.
As we continue to grow and more backcountry skiers get involved in our testing program, we will strive to develop a complete source for backcountry ski gear reviews. Keep your eye out over the next several months for this year's gear reviews and please send us any feedback regarding how to make the reviews as complete and useful as possible!
Our first review is of a Dakine Tactic Backpack. It was tested by LowPro, who spends his time skiing the Taos Backcountry in New Mexico. This review is the first of a series of three: Initial Reactions, Comprehensive Testing and Long Term Follow-Up.
Review # 1 : Initial Reactions and Product Info
by: LowPro
Dakine Tactic Backpack
Product Specs
www.Dakine.com
Suggested Retail: $100.00
Style # - 8100 720
Color: Black Box
Weight: 2.6 lbs. (1.2kg)
Dimensions: 21 × 12 × 9 in.
Fabric: 420 D Nylon RipStop, 630 D Nylon
Waterproof: Zippers and seams are sealed, fabric is water resistant
Highlighted Features: Retractable Ski Carry, Waterproof Zippers,
Insulated hydro-sleeve, Snow Tool / Shovel Pocket, Quick Draw Ice Axe Sleeve, Load Compression Straps
Size: 1500 cubic in (25 liter)
Intended Use: Skiing
Is the Packaging recyclable: Even better, this product comes without packaging!
First Reactions
Overall: a sweet looking day pack, a little heavy and also a little small for backcountry skiing. This pack has lots of features that will take some time to use and understand better.
Color: OK, not too flashy, not too simple
Style: N/A
Things you like: Iinsulated hydro-sleeve, Retractable Ski Carry System, excellent shoulder straps and waist belt, Sunglass/Camera Pocket
Things you don't like: Zipper Hydro-sleeve pocket is too small- causes bite valve to leak. Pack weight is not equal to pack volume - this pack weighs in at 2.6 pounds, but barely has enough room for my avy- gear and backcountry essentials, especially the camera.
Value: $100.00- heavy price tag for small pack, but comes with several useful features unique to Dakine
Comfort: great fitting shoulder and waist straps
The Mitten Test: All straps and zippers are easy to operate with mittens, except for the Hydro-sleeve zipper strap (hard to get bite valve back in) and the upper retractable ski carry strap (hard to reach into pocket and pull out strap)
Comments:
This pack is an excellent choice for an inbounds day pack. The features such as the ski carry system and insulated Hydropack sleeve make life easy, but the size of the pack itself does not give much room for extra gear. It has excellent storage options such as a fleece lined sunglass pocket, but not the easiest or most convenient avy tool storage. The dedicated 19 " shovel pocket does take a shovel, yes, but in 3 pieces rather than 2 (Viole 3 piece avalanche shovel), and does not leave room for my probe (G3 10' 6" avalanche probe w/ 18" segments). Dakine OuttaBounds probes at 8'4" with 15" segments would fit easily as well as their D Wedge shovel at 35". Overall I feel that it should fit most models, not just some. Note, the QuickDraw Ice Axe holder can also hold and securely snug down a larger and longer probe such as the G3, keeping it accessible in emergency situations.
The Tactic skis well, compressing easily with 4 independent straps and a snug shoulder harness system. I really did not notice that I was skiing with a pack as it adjusted a lot and hugged my back very well. This pack would make an excellent inbounds pack for dropping in and out of the resort, as well as a light backcountry oriented daypack. Waterproof zippers, fleece lined sunglass pocket, insulated Hydropack sleeve, and a retractable ski carry system all make this pack top notch and worth buying.
dave downing wrote on 04/20/08 at 09:15:50 am pst:
Good review. I had a very similar experience with my Tactic. And after some layering tweaks, have found it to be a great pack for most of my BC days, making my trips much more enjoyable (re: I don't feel like i have a pack on). Check my review here : www.wildsnow.com/?p=977.com
freeheelgirl wrote on 04/21/08 at 3:54:03 pm pst:
Excellent review - it does look pretty small for an all-day tour, but I could see carrying one at the resort.
Jackson Girl wrote on 06/12/08 at 3:14:11 pm pst:
I'm looking for a backpack that will fit well on a smaller female frame. Would this be a good choice?