Pingora's new backcountry backpack

[wilcox510]

I always use a hydration reservoir and put a lot of value in packs being made to be to be compatible with them. If you have an insulated sleeve for the hose and bite valve and blow the water back out of the bite valve after drinking I don't think freezing up is hardly ever a problem here in the Wasatch where it's not typically all that cold. Every once in a while I forget to do one of those things and screw myself over with a frozen tube... I'm used to having the tube on the right side, since the airbag activation is on my left for when I do use my airbag.

[cravenmorhead]

Pack arrived! Layout looks great. One bit I couldn't figure out are these little tabs on the upper side straps - what are they for?

[MakersTeleMark]

Loops for ski/treking poles?

[cravenmorhead]

They're skinny - I can just barely get my pinky through them and I don't have particularly fat fingers.

[kamtron]

@kamtron, i'm just getting into radios. i'm used to very small groups, phones, and less spicy lines. Now though with photo shoots and returning to more aggressive lines and locations we're back to radios. help me understand where in the pack you'd want to carry the radio body. Would the top pockets be appropriate or would you just dump it into the main body? Personally we're looking into rockytalkies for this season.

Just got the pack yesterday, thanks! Build quality looks great, I'll just have to figure out the features. I ordered a new soft flask to try for my water system on the shoulder straps. We may get enough snow up high to ski in a week or so. I'll report back once I've used it!

Radio- I have a Baofeng which is new to me. It has a big antenna. Likely I'll stick it into the main compartment of the pack or maybe into the goggle pocket with the antenna sticking out a bit. With a radio inside, I like having a handheld mic clipped onto my shoulder strap so I can easily talk and hear (since it's a speaker). I may also just try it without the external mic if I can hear it inside the pack.

I'm definitely not a pro radio user, so I'll be figuring out how to make the system work. I think most packs use a hole similar to what you would use for a hydration sleeve for routing a mic cable.

[kamtron]

I'm wondering what is supposed to attach the ice axes up high? Like, once you've got the toggle in, do you use the strap?

[wra]

[QUOTE=teetsplitterSLCMunchie, does the 35 or 27 have straps for vertically carrying a snowboard? The colors are pretty fun! Also can I get ahold of the discount code you speak of?[/QUOTE]

I use two 25" Voile straps threaded thru slots on the back of the pack, one high and one near the bottom. Works good for snowboard and vert snowshoes.

@wra - you are indeed my super user ! Let's link up later this winter when we get our split board proto's in. Thank you very much, as i've said before for all the testing. You put our gear through endless cycles of use which we just can't replicate. Thank you so very much!

Thanks all! Super awesome feedback, questions, etc. Stoked for snow!

Appreciate the use of the packs. They carry well.
Will make contact for a splitboard proto. Any idea of when?
You may want to show how the pole attach works. It's a little fiddly and not so intuitive.
I prefer to keep the poles together though, like the current ultra runner packs, many with a pole pouch.

[rod9301]

Does it have internal stays to carry heavy loads?
When i put the skis and boots on the pack, it's close to 40 lbs

Sent from my moto g 5G using Tapatalk

[D-Roc]

Hey!
Sorry, I don't get to checking this thread often enough.

Thanks for the orders guys! Just saw yours come through Kamtron. I'll get that in the mail here in the next 30 minutes.

Updates for questions: Yes, the 35 expands up to close to 40. We haven't volumed it out yet, but that is what i'd estimate.

Hydration- you are correct, no hose routing. There is an internal sleeve we were going to use as a bivvy pad holder but abandoned it. A super user ended up using that for his reservoir sleeve and just routed the hose out through the zippers initially then ended up cutting a hole in the bag. We are currently developing a hydration system for 2026 versions of this bag.

While we're on the topic of hydration- can I take a quick poll? How often do you use a reservoir and is it a decision maker for a bag? When you do use it, what side do you like to route the hose on and how strongly to you feel about your side of choice?

We're trying to decide whether to make the insulated hose routing work on both sides or to choose one. Also in consideration is how this works with our shoulder strap pockets and whether we ditch them or whether the extra weight is worth providing options for what side of your body you route hoses and keep pockets open on. Hope that makes sense. I personally am not a fan of reservoirs as i usually end up with a frozen hose or bite valve.

IMHO, i like having a snap on / off water bottle holder for like a bike bottle. Just nice to be able to have the water bottle on the initial up and snap it off and toss in the bag during a transition. Similar to what hyperlite does with the strap on.

[SLCMunchie]

HEYO!

Damn, some great feedback and comments and love. Thanks guys!

Stays- the 35L version does have an internal aluminum molded frame support for load transfer.

the toggle loopy things, if you reach through the big loop to grab the little dangly tab, it creates a loop you can slide the shaft of an ice axe through. photo attached for ice axe installation. We're working on some better imagery for this and skis.

[406]

Yeah, I would like to see aframe w/ ice axe and diagonal ski carry on the 35.

Could I just run a water bladder hose out the back zips? Anything inside to clip a bladder to?

[TripleT]

SLCM…

Any progress on additional images/details? Ready to pull trigger but would like to see the stuff mentioned above.

[kamtron]

Got out for a shakedown tour and actually found some powder. We walked for maybe 40 minutes before skinning so I got to feel how the pack carried with a medium load including skis. My first impressions were quite nice, I found the features to work well and especially appreciate the hip and shoulder strap pockets. The hip one is a bit small and out of the way, which makes it less useful than it could be, but whatever. I will chime back in after I've used it a lot more. I immediately took off the vertically oriented removable straps that can optionally secure the roll top since these seemed unnecessary.

I do think the volume could be easily 40 L if expanded. Not sure how you would secure the top when overstuffing without finagling a strap from the daisy chain over the top. Showing pics of that would be useful too.

Pics of me (6' tall) wearing it loaded up with the skis.

[TripleT]

@kamtron - you get out any more and have additional thoughts? need a new pack and I’m ready to get off the fence

[wra]

Adding a photo of my Verts carry on the 35.



The slots on both sides of the pack allow threading of, in my case, Voile straps.
Works just fine. Looking at the pic, that's plenty of straps since I also use them for the bindings.
As can be seen, skiing is a bit limited around here.

[cravenmorhead]

Ok, what's this little tab for?

[kamtron]

Longer term review: I've been using this pack for all my touring this season. I like it. The zippers have been holding up well and the only signs of wear are a few loose threads in a couple places. There are, in my opinion, some minor design flaws that could be addressed in the next version.
The first is that the zippered pocket above the back panel, which I think is for goggles or valuable, is tight to get anything in and out of that would actually fill the pocket. I cannot easily get a goggle in and out. I've been using it for my radio, which works ok. The zipper closes on the wearer's right side. This means when I route my handheld speaker/mic I have to put it on that side which has it right next to my soft flask bottle. It works, but it'd be better to have the opening onto the other side where there isn't a water bottle.
The soft flask holder is ok. It seems unnecessary to have a zippered pocket on that side as well. The hip pocket is relatively small and hard to get things in and out of. The mesh pocket in side the back panel seems useless to me.
Ice axe carry: I haven't used the carry system, because the toggles are a little loose for my taste and the axe dangles low. I'm going to add a standard bungee for holding the shaft end onto the daisy chain. I have carried an axe inside the avy tool pocket, which works ok with my tiny Petzl axe. Putting in one with a real spike might damage the pack bottom.
Buckles: The chest buckle is a stupid, non-standard design with a tiny groove in the middle that accumulates ice. I have to use my mouth to melt it out to get it closed when it's snowing out. Luckily the belt buckle doesn't have this little groove. I would suggest just going with normal buckles.
My only other gripe is that the material is far from water-resistant. Placing the pack down on the snow (PNW wet snow) will wet through the bottom panel and moisten a down puffy if you have one stuffed into the bottom.
These are my (minor) gripes. Overall, the features are working well for me. I like the 35+ L size for a full day's touring. It carries well when loaded or half-packed, and the helmet carry is robust. The main issues that can be addressed are the complicated zippered pocket systems. I've gotten to like my Exped pack's nearly waterproof fabric and wish this were made with something similar.

[kamtron]

One more thing: I am unclear how you are supposed to close the roll top when it's overstuffed. On my Exped there is a long cinch strap perfectly setup for that. On the Pingora, there is a clip strap across the daisy chain, and I can use it to this effect. But it is too short to work when the top is full and it also isn't long enough.