Best Ski Backpacks 2023

Few activities require more gear than skiing. Aside from the skis, snowboards, poles, boots, goggles, gloves and outerwear, there's the extra layers, spare lenses, sunglasses, liquids and snacks, and that's just stuff you’ll need for the kids. If you're heading out of bounds in search of fresh tracks, you'll need to consider safety equipment including a shovel, probe, beacon and potentially ice axes and rope. Suffice to say, you're going to need one of the best ski backpacks to haul all that equipment, which is why we've identified the very best options to suit your needs and budget.

Toss your on-mountain essentials into one of the best ski backpacks to stay organized.

Obviously, not everyone will need a backpack suitable for avalanche zones, but what sets a skiing or snowboarding backpack apart from a traditional hiking pack? The best ski backpacks will have fleece-lined pockets for goggles, specific areas for avalanche safety gear, multiple entry points for easy access, carry straps for you skis or board and even ingenious airbags for added safety in the backcountry. Below are our top ski backpacks, including great value options for resort riding, indestructible packs for serious adventures and even a few stylish multi-purpose designs that you could happily carry to work.

BCA

As any adventure-minded snowbound explorer knows, Backcountry Access make some of the most high performance snow equipment available. They blend innovative designs with the latest in safety technology better than most, which is what makes the Stash 30 one of the best skiing backpacks available.

The main fabric used here is 210D mini ripstop nylon with a PU coating, while a 420D oxford nylon is used on high-wear areas. What these fabrics lack as a catchy name, they make up for by being extremely tough and light, and, like a waterproof jacket, the YKK zippers feature a DWR coating to seal out water, snow and ice. Add in moisture drain holes to let liquid escape, and you're gear is protected whatever the weather.

At 3.3 pounds, the bag is cleverly designed with an internal support frame to make it feel robust and supportive as it fits the shape of your back, and the back panel is combined with height-adjustable hip straps to distribute weight, especially if you're fully loaded.

The full- zippered back panel design makes stuffing—sorry, neatly organizing—your kit fairly simple, and the top zip opening provides quick access to your gear, although it isn't quite as convenient as the back-opening panel. There's a dedicated avalanche safety equipment section with divided storage for a shovel and probe, and you can carry skis and snowboards in multiple ways, and also hook helmets, ice axes and any other loose items neatly against the exterior.

In truth, this pack is overkill for most, but if you want one of the toughest and most comfortable designs for serious ski mountaineering, you've come to the right place.

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Burton Snowboards

A staple in the Burton catalog, the Day Hiker is a no-nonsense everyday backpack made from tough, sustainable materials that's at home on the daily commute, school bus or slopes.

The hydration-compatible sleeve doubles as a padded storage pocket for a laptop or tablet (10 x 8 inch), while the durable twin straps make it easy to carry your board hands-free.

It's available in four colors, including fun camo and bold cobalt blue colorways, although the sharkskin grey remains the most matured choice if you're heading to the office.

The bag isn't loaded with backcountry-ready features, but it's water resistant, and the design is finished with quality chest and hip straps, two water bottle pockets, an easy-access zippered pocket and an internal key hook.

Consider this bag comfortable and practical, and an excellent value for the money, especially if you're a casual resort rider.

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Picture Organic

Designed in collaboration with snow safety equipment specialists Arva, the Calgary 26L is a great option if you want to carry the essentials, but don't care to be weighed down as you ski. At 2.24 pounds, it's light, made completely from durable PU-coated recycled polyester, and has a slim body that can be cinched tight, or relaxed, depending on how much kit you're carrying. This shape also makes it a good choice in the resort as it can be worn on a chairlift without feeling like you're perched on the edge of your seat.

As we've come to expect from backcountry-orientated bags, there's a generous side-zipped front pocket for a shovel, probe and safety equipment, plus an ice-axe holder and both ski- and snowboard-carry straps. There's no helmet holder, but Picture does sell a compatible helmet net.

The dual-buckle roll-top opening requires a bit more effort to unroll than a traditional zip or clip, but you may not need to open it often as a side zipper provides quick access to the main compartment. Again, not quite as practical as a back access panel, but given the low price, it's a perfectly good alternative solution.

Other notable extras here include space for a hydration system (or 15-inch laptop) an insulating zip cover for the hydration tube to prevent it from freezing, and a removable hip belt that transforms it into a great all-round backpack for general everyday use.

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WING CHAN

Despite only having a 20-liter capacity, the Kamber has more than enough space for extra layers, dry gloves, snacks, water and all those things that help you through laps around the resort. You can also carry skis or a board with ease, and attach your helmet.

That's not to say you can't take it into the backcountry—Osprey has included a dedicated pocket for avalanche safety equipment. But we're not sure that there's enough usable capacity for long days in the wilds, though the separate wet gear storage compartment is a genius touch if the snow is slushy. The 420D fabric is also impressively water resistant, and tough enough to survive a season carrying an ice axe.

Hydration system compatible with an insulated sleeve to avoid frozen tube, there's also a super soft goggle pocket and surprisingly glove-friendly zip pulls and toggles.

But the real reason we love this Osprey comes down to just how comfortable it is to wear. The padded back panel, contoured straps and generous hip belt all combine to make a bag you'll be happy to wear all day.

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Patagonia

Patagonia's 32-liter Descensionist Pack is a stylish and practical two-compartment pack with a host of ski and snowboard carry options, and a well-organized avalanche safety equipment section, all of which is made from durable, eco-friendly materials. It's also currently on sale, which makes it a bona fide bargain.

This roll-top design weighs just 2.5 pounds and feels light when not fully loaded, and the PU-coated Cordura ripstop fabric—including the reinforced bottom panel—is reassuringly ski edge resistant and snow proof. The front pocket has been designed for safety tools, but could also be used for family snacks and sun cream on a resort day, and while we would have liked to have back access to the main compartment, it shouldn't be a deal breaker, especially if you spend more time on the trails.

We appreciate the versatility of the carry straps here too, as you can carry skis diagonally, or in a more typical A-frame shape, and there's also a strap for a snowboard, so nobody misses out. There's also space to carry a helmet, rope and ice axe.

There's no rigid frame on this pack, but the back panel offers some protection against a poorly packed lumpy bag and is nice and breathable, allowing hot air to escape when you're working hard. It's also available in a larger 40-liter version if you need more space.

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Db North America

Swedish luggage specialists dB have a superb range of stylish bags, including the ingenious roll-top ski/snowboard wheelie case, and the Fjäll backpack is arguably the most durable and versatile snow sports backpack available.

Made with abrasion-resistant recycled Cordura Eco fabric, the 35-liter (expandable to 38 liters using the roll-top opening) is big, has padded sides to protect gear and keep its shape, and boasts an impressive number of useful compartments and straps including those for skis, snowboards, ice axes, avalanche safety gear, rope, goggles, skins (for ski touring), snacks, valuables and a hydration bladder.

The bag has a light-but-rigid metal frame and a tough EVA-molded back panel that unzips and opens wide to allow easy access to the main compartment. The shoulder and hip straps are supportive, and we found the backpack comfortable even when heavy and fully loaded.

There's no escaping the fact that this bag is expensive, big and fairly heavy at almost four pounds, but we expect it will last for years, and with cool all-black looks, we'd happily use it off the mountain too.

And as a bonus, if you like to carry a DSLR camera on your adventures—or are indeed a videographer—this bag is compatible with Db's camera inserts which offer excellent protection for a camera body and lenses, and quick access to all electronics via the back panel.

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Black Diamond

If you're serious about backcountry skiing and touring, you'll already be carrying a beacon, shovel, and probe (mandatory safety equipment) in your pack, but an inflatable airbag offers an extra line of defense if you’re caught in an avalanche. Over the past few years, airbag deployment technology has improved immeasurable, and with its fast-charging Alpride E1 supercapacitor-powered system, the Black Diamond JetForce Tour 26L is easy to recommend.

Weighing just 2.8 pounds with the fan system, it's considerably lighter than most lithium-ion airbags, and while heavier than a cartridge system, it doesn't come with any of the inherent travel restrictions. We love the fact that it can be charged using either micro-USB (20 minutes) or two standard AA batteries (40 minutes).

Hopefully you'll never need to deploy the airbag in an emergency, and can simply make the most of this well-organized and balanced pack. While 26 liters won't be enough room for multi-day adventures, it's more than enough space for long touring days. A large snow safety gear pocket keeps essential kit close at hand, there's loads of space for layers, snacks and water in the main compartment, and the hip belt has a large pocket for essentials like a phone or keys. A helmet holder and ski/splitboard straps are also included, but there's no means of carrying a snowboard.

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Ortovox

Also available in 18-, 23- and 25-liter variations, the Trace 20 is 0.96 pounds of ultralight engineering, but far from being just a featherweight shell of a bag, it's bursting with features designed to make life easier for all styles of skier. That said, it's at its best when you're working exceptionally hard either skinning up summits or hurtling down them.

The teardrop design is deceptively spacious, with the back-opening main compartment having room for layers as well as emergency equipment, while the smaller front-zip pocket is positioned for stashing snacks, sun cream and more. There's also mesh side pockets for water bottles and extras, an integrated helmet net that tucks out of the way until needed, plus ski straps and clips for poles and an ice axe.

It fits very close to the body, and the straps have minimal padding, but we didn't find it uncomfortable and actually appreciated the added ventilation provided by the mesh material. We also applaud the inclusion of a removable foam panel insert that adds a layer of cushioning and protection from the contents inside. Nobody likes falling on a snow shovel or radio.

If you're a skier who loves to travel light, but still needs to carry the essentials, you'll not find more features for the price than this.

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REI Co-op

With capacity for 70 fluid ounces of water and 10 liters (610 cu.in) of well-organized cargo space, this hybrid hydration pack covers all the bases, and at a mere 1.87 pounds (without water), it's light and manageable too.

Supplied with the latest CamelBak Crux Reservoir system, it has a huge faucet-friendly opening and cleverly engineered mouthpiece that delivers a quoted 20% more water per sip than standard bladders. We can't accurately corroborate those statistics, but we can tell you that when you take a suck, you get a huge amount of water for your efforts. The pipe is also housed in an insulating sleeve and everything can be zipped away to avoid freezing and/or flapping about when not needed. As a test, we carried a standard plastic water bottle along with the hydration bladder and in 14° Fahrenheit conditions, the bottled water didn't freeze, but was too cold to comfortably drink, and made the lining of the bag damp with condensation. No such issue with the bladder system.

The traditional backpack section has been well thought out too, with a comfortable harness that can easily be swung around into your lap when riding on a chairlift, plus a soft sunglasses-friendly top pocket as well as generous internal space for spare layers and snacks. We'd like to see more capacity if heading into the backcountry, but for resort days, it's superb.

It also has a durable diagonal ski strap for hiking (even if it's just from the carpark), although the design can't accommodate a snowboard.

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