Deuter Cruise 30 ski and snowboard pack
Deuter Cruise 30—Blending all your desires for a full-on ski or snowboard winter backpack
Growing up skiing and hiking in the Colorado Rockies with a gear-head for a dad taught me a thing or two about finding a good pack—especially a good pack that can serve numerous functions. Since I spend time with a pack on my back in both the winter and the summer months, it is important for me to find a pack that not only has great backcountry skiing features, but that can also work well for over-night hiking trips in warmer weather.
Enter the Deuter Cruise 30. This pack is the newest edition in Deuter’s Cruise series and according to their web site has “sealed the deal as Deuter’s most efficient backcountry ski pack.”
With full back panel rear entry, internal shovel and probe sleeves, snow-shedding fabrics and a lightweight design, Deuter might just be right. The Deuter Cruise 30 seems to blend all of your desires for a great ski or snowboard backpack into one package.
The rear back panel zippered access allows to put the pack down in the snow and find that extra layer (or take one off and shove it back in the bag) with ease. The alpine back system of the pack also allows you to carry the weight of your gear and you skis or snowboard comfortably, even when you’re huffing up a super steep ridge.
The pack also feature ice-axe loops and an under lid pocket for storing your valuables. The hydration bladder will also ensure you stay hydrated and at your best on the mountain. Overall, this tough, sensible pack is perfect for ski trips into the backcountry.
The Deuter 30 also has an extendable collar, which could cause you to overfill it for ski trips, but also allows you to fit more gear in the pack for overnight trips in warmer weather, though this pack was designed exclusively with skiers, snowboarders, snowshoers and cross-country skiers.
This pack was also designed for maximum comfort. It features a “chimney” spinal column for ventilation when you are going up, as well as providing extra comfort and stability. The padded foam straps also ensure a flexible fit that’ll work with a variety of body types. The Deuter Cruise 30 also has a stabilizer straps that pull the load closer to the body, increasing mobility and having the pack move with you when you are cutting those fresh tracks.
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The Quick & Dirty:
Where you can get one:
Buy Deuter Cruise 30 Day pack
Why it Rocks:
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• Molded-foam lumbar pad and patented Delrin rod hipbelt construction redirect weight out of lumbar area and onto the hips, distributing it evenly
• With a rip-and-stick torso adjustment, shoulder strap system easily slides along pack frame stays to fit torsos of varying lengths
• Simple, lightweight tool attachments let you quickly stash trekking poles and ice axes
• Anatomically cut shoulder straps and hipbelt for stability and comfort
• Hipbelt has two pockets for easy on-the-go access to necessities such as snacks and navigation tools
• New, 140-denier nylon ripstop construction provides increased durability without added weight; polyurethane coating for weather resistance
• Padded hip belt with zipped pocket and gear loop
• Special compression straps double up for snowshoe or ski attachment at side or front. To compress the pack to the max, these can be centrally secured over the front of the pack
• Pole & ice axe lashing / central ski loop
• Stretch side pockets
• Zipped front pocket
• Lid pocket with zipped valuables pocket
• Pockets for snow shovel, probe and shovel handle
• Alpine Back System
• Full Back-entry Hemispherical Zipper
• Wide Ski Slots
Seat-of-the-pants rating: 9 out of 10
If you are looking for a tough, sensible and fully loaded winter ski or snowboard pack, you can’t do much better than the Deuter Cruise 30. The newest pack in the Deuter Cruise line, the company claims that this pack has “sealed the deal” on the most efficient backcountry ski pack and I might just agree with them.
The new Cruise backpack will hold everything a winter warrior could possibly need, and a little more. The additional pack opening from the back allows for easy access to the entire contents via a hemispherical zip – no more endless rummaging through your stuff.
If all of that wasn’t enough, this pack is also designed with extreme comfort in mind, which can certainly go a long ways when you are hiking up that last steep part of the ridge with your skis or board on your back in the hunt for fresh powder.
Looking to buy? Here’s where you can get one:
Buy Deuter Cruise 30 Day pack