- Price: £90
- Capacity: 25 Litres
- QUIKSILVER.COM
This Travis Rice-designed backpack is, unsurprisingly, geared towards riders for whom the siren’s call of fresh pow is what keeps their fires stoked. A bag built for long days away from the marked runs, the Quiksilver Platinum backpack has all the ingredients to perform perfectly.
The 2016/17 version of the Quiksilver Platinum backpack has a slightly increased capacity, which is divided into three main sections. The largest can hold the majority of your gear, and features a sleeve for a hydration system. The tube can be fed through the shoulder strap, where it’ll be sufficiently insulated to prevent freezing, and the spout is accessed easily via a zipper.
“Riders who live for day missions in the backcountry will be well served by Travis Rice’s swag-sack of choice”
A large, fleece-lined pocket on the top is ideal for holding your goggles during a hike, as well as any spare lenses you may have. Then there’s the quick-access pocket at the front which has an elastic mesh to hold your shovel blade and anything else you might want to grab in a hurry – just pull down on the sturdy grab handle to get in sharpish.
On the exterior you have a couple of large compression straps for carrying your snowboard with ease, a couple of smaller ones that help lower the bag’s volume and size when you’re not fully loaded, and a side-mounted water bottle pouch. The back panel is ergonomically padded for comfort, and features a moisture-wicking mesh that extends onto the shoulder straps and waistband.
The latter also features a handy stash pocket, and when clipped it works in tandem with the chest strap to make the Quiksilver Platinum backpack sit securely on your back when riding. There’s even a dedicated holster for a walkie-talkie on the right strap, so after you’ve called your drop-in the handset can be stashed securely away rather than rattling around in your jacket pocket during the descent.
If your backpack usually contains a sandwich and an extra layer, tooling up with the Quiksilver Platinum backpack may be overdoing it a little. However, riders who live for day missions in the backcountry will be well served by Travis Rice’s swag-sack of choice.