Packs Are For Packing

Out skiing the other day, a fellow skied past me with all manner of gear hung about the outside of his pack. A shovel handle was strapped on one side, a probe on the other, a water bottle hung off a hip and helmet dangled off the back. Nothing was securely attached and the entire contraption looked uncomfortable, inefficient and potentially hazardous.

One encounter with a tree or even a small snow sluff and most of the stuff on the outside of that pack would be gone and lost forever. In an avalanche, even a small one, those essential items like probes and shovels would be whipped off that pack before a Republican could say "tax cut."

Backpacks, as one pundit put it, are meant to be packed, so pack the damn thing. Essential equipment, like probes and shovel parts should never be on the outside of a backpack. So, does that mean helmets, water bottles, etc. are fair game for strapping to the outside of a backpack? Not if you consider them essential. And, if they are not essential, why the heck are you lugging them about in the first place?

If your backpack is truly too small for essential gear, buy a new larger one. However, most of the time, when I see gear hanging off packs, the issue is not space, it's stupidity. Like the fellow who skied past me a couple of days ago. There was obviously room in the backpack for essential gear, for some reason, unknown to anyone, the dolt had just decided to dress his pack up like a Christmas tree.

That's all very well if all you want to do is stand in a corner and look pretty, but if you actually want to ski tour, it's just another dumb idea with potentially harsh consequences. 

A pack not packed