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Black Diamond Bandit with Avalung Winter Pack - 690cu in

Black Diamond Bandit with Avalung Winter Pack - 690cu in description

The Black Diamond Bandit Avalung Pack does something that no other yo-yo packs doit helps you breathe under the snow if you're caught in an avalanche. You're on your own as soon as you leave the gate at your local resort, so make sure you have the right tools for the job. This Black Diamond pack has just enough room for a shovel, probe, and a little water for short backcountry tours. Outside Magazine was so impressed that it awarded the Bandit with Gear of the Year, and this pack also won the Innovation Award at SIA--plus, skiing icon Seth Morrison loves this pack.

Bottom Line: Be prepared even on a short backcountry run.

I was stoked when this pack came out a few years. It is small and thats why I like it. As you can see the plaid print stands out, and stands out, important in the backcountry environment. This a day pack for skiing out access gates at your local ski area, or for carrying around some gear while skiing the area, perfect for snowcat skiing or making those dreamed about heli runs. The avalung is built in, why not? Why wouldn't you want this? To me its as important as your beacon. Last year was a prime example that slides can occur inbounds at resorts. Another tool that takes up zero space when its built right into your pack.Look at the pic to see what I can fit into the pack, this is the max. The ski carry needs to have the lower loop as tight as possible to the ski, you can preset and tuck away in its opening from the pack. Then on the upper removable strap make sure the strap goes under your lowest part of the toe piece and make it tight as possible. Having it set up this way will have the tails as high up as possible so as to not hit the back of your legs. The shovel goes upside down in the pack, works perfectly with the Black Diamond Deploy 3 Shovel.Mind you this pack is for short trips, and can be an everyday pack for the other listed activities, rarely do I use anything bigger. Depends what you like to bring and if your spending the night out in the field.

This thing is by no means big, but it can handle a shovel, probe, extra gloves and hat, which is all I really need when steeping out of bounds from the resort. The added benefit of having the avalung included in a lightweight, comfortable pack is huge. My only gripe is that the waist strap is pretty small (it is comfortable to ride with, but difficult to find and strap together at times).