30L Ski Touring Pack
Personal : Soft Goods
In 2024, I made my first backpack…
I purchased a pattern from Etsy, cut up an old sail that was no longer viable to race with, and went for it. The intent was a general-purpose adventure pack: good enough for skiing, hiking and travelling, but not specifically built for any activity.
So far it has survived three trips, 4 ski tours, and the abuse of day-to-day life for the past 6 or so months. Not bad for some old dacron!
But now my friends would like one too…
(This is, to be very clear, a personal side project, not a professional project. A few key steps in the design process are, as such, completely ignored.)
After some bartering, I agreed to make another set of packs for my ski touring friends. We spent an evening talking through goals, use cases, and features, and agreed to a small selection of key features:
Nice-to-haves:
1) Loops for Ice Tools
2) Rain-proof for at least a 1-day trip
3) External Pocket for snacks and goggles
Non-Negotiables:
1) External Pocket for avalanche gear
2) Diagonal and A-Frame ski carry options
3) Bottom-carry straps for tent / bivvy
“Client Approval” for this project was a whatsapp group chat, so sketches stayed pretty rough for this one…
Prototyping
Once we agreed on a final design intent, I got to updating the pattern. To ensure the bag looked and felt the way I wanted it to, I made mockups with Tyvek and then modified the pattern. I repeated this cycle, mockups and edits, until I was happy with the front zip, top zip, and the Ice tool plate.
Material Selection
Several of the items this pack will be used for are sharp and/or stabby. Ice tools, skis, poles… Abrasion resistance and waterproofness were the key considerations. Secondarily, weight is a factor, so a heavy ballistic nylon would be a beast to carry up a mountain.
I selected a woven Dyneema/Polyester blend with a PU interior coating as the base fabric. Murder on the budget, but it should outlive the lot of us.
The Final Bag:
It was pretty much a one-shot from there. Waterproof fabrics are a whole lot less waterproof when you put needle holes in them, so there isn’t much room for rework after mistakes. Seams were taped and sealed, straps and clips were mounted, and the bags are ready for adventure!
