Post Your
Own Review
|
|
The Product...
Tourmarque La Sal Daypack by Voile
Size: Small: waist 32" or less, Large: waist above 33"
Weight: 34 oz.
Warranty: 1 Year Standard - Against normal wear and tear and manufacturer defects
Customer Service: 801-973-8622
MSRP: $130, with shovel $163, with hydration bladder $147, with both shovel and bladder $180
|
|
 |
|
The Completely Biased Review...
Category: Accessories
Photos: Scott Wicklund
In my experience it has been essential to work with a pack that is comfortable. Tours with long approaches and challenging terrain require secure packs with enough capacity for gear, and freedom of movement for aggressive skiing. The Tourmarque La Sal Pack by Voile provides these needed features and more.
Skiing the Northwest means accessing the backcountry through ski area boundaries. Having a pack versatile enough to use on long day tours, yet manageable enough to tear up the local mountain is essential. While testing the La Sal Pack I was pleased to find a pack that carried everything I needed for spur of the moment trips, characteristic of local ski behavior here in the Cascades. I was able to ski aggressively in-area while carrying skins, trekkers, shovel, probe, extra gear, and of course a big lunch.
This pack had a couple of features that made it stand out from others. One is the built-in hydration system. The La Sal comes equipped with a 60oz., zippy tour hydration bladder. Though the 60oz. bladder that comes with the pack is a bit small for most day trips, the pack is capable of holding a bladder that fits up to 100oz. This allowed me to stop, rest and hydrate without removing the pack from my back.
The second feature is the external shovel and probe carrying system. I especially liked this feature as it frees up internal pack space, while providing quick and easy access to essential backcountry equipment. Thick, secure elastic straps hold the shovel handle, blade and probe snuggly to the outside of the pack. I found that the equipment remained in place during aggressive descents as well as during a jolting fall I experienced.
This pack was designed with both the backcountry skier and snowboarder in mind. However, it seems to be more compatible carrying a snowboard than a pair of skis. The pack has a large, quick release buckle system on the back, allowing for a simple mounting/dismounting of a snowboard. Though the La Sal has the capability to carry skis, the pack seems to be better outfitted for the backcountry snowboarder or a telemark/touring set up with skins.
The Tourmarque La Sal worked well for me as an over the resort rope pack. I would not recommend this pack for long day or multi-day adventures since it is too small to carry extra gear. However, I would recommend it to anyone looking for a low profile, yet above adequate volume daypack. It provided me with everything I needed and it performed well. It was comfortable for touring and had a good capacity for storage. Most important though, it did not hinder my skiing performance like some larger, more cumbersome daypacks have in the past. Plus, if you're looking for a probe and shovel as well (two backcountry essentials), the Tourmarque package offers a great cost alternative to buying these items individually.
More Biased Reviews Of This Product...
|
|
