Most ski packs out there have plenty of capacity, with room for extra layers, avy gear, skins, a ski carry system, hydration, etc., and many companies make multiple packs of varying volumes, which allows you to pack different amounts of gear for however long and involved your adventures gets.
I have found the 30- to 35-liter range suitable for most everything I do—not too bulky to take on a quick sidecountry lap, but roomy enough to carry multiple layers, loads of water, and still have a little room left over for climbing gear, camera, or other gear needed for a longer day.
The Kode’s 30-liter capacity is divided into two main compartments, which Osprey suggests be used to separate “wet” and “dry” gear. Avy gear, skins, and anything else that might get wet in the snow goes in the front compartment. The larger back compartment is where you might toss extra layers and water, snacks, gloves, etc. I do think it works well to store you gear this way, but you can use the two compartments any old way you like.
The back panel also unzips all the way to let you access the back compartment pretty easily. This is especially nice when you have skis or other gear loaded on the outside of the pack. You also have the options to carry skis either diagonally or on the side of the pack, depending upon what you are used to or prefer.
The ice-tool carry is the best I’ve seen on a pack that’s not necessarily designed for mountaineering: It locks the axe in place with a sturdy buckle. The Kode also has a cloth helmet carry system that secures a helmet tightly to the top of the pack—and leaves me no excuse not to keep my head protected in the backcountry.
There are loads of other sweet pockets and features on the Kode as well. Worth mentioning is the mico-fleece lined goggle pocket, perfect for skiers who typically shove their goggles mindlessly into their pack when making quick backcountry laps, and are sick of finding them scratched at the end of the day.
But my favorite aspect of the pack is the hip belt; the wide straps are simultaneously comfortable and utilitarian. They wrap gently around my hipbones and lock the pack into place, keeping the weight where it should be: on my hips and not my shoulders.
Each strap also has a large and useful pocket. Cell phone, car keys, sunscreen, headlamp, chap stick, camera, multi-tool—all have called my hip-pockets home at one point or another.
My favorite feature produces one small gripe, however: the hip belt straps are way too long for me. The excess slack from the buckles dangles down near my knees once the belt is cinched tight around my waist. I’ve resorted to tying them in a bow when I ski, but have learned the hard way not to tie them too tight and then be unable to untie them before jumping on a lift….
Some people are naturally organized. I am not. So I need a backpack that makes staying organized effortless and intuitive, and the Kode does that pretty well. Simple features like the hip pockets, goggle pouch, and separate wet/dry main compartments make staying organized a no-brainer.
But if you need to stay even more organized, down to the last detail, the Kode gives you a couple other pouches that I, admittedly, will probably never use, but that don’t seem superfluous or unnecessary. (You’ll find an extra pocket inside the back panel, and on the top front, where the helmet carry is found).
How much gear I carry always varies depending on what I’m doing. On most occasions, the Kode has suited my needs completely, offering room for a few extra layers, a few liters of water, plenty of food, sunglasses, goggles, skins, beacon, shovel probe, etc. Once on a ski mountaineering trip, I pushed it past capacity, carrying an ice axe on the front, crampons placed awkwardly inside the front pocket, a liter or two of additional water, and a little bit of climbing gear, in addition to my usual gear. I couldn’t fit another item. At the time, I took that to be a dose of good luck because it got me out of additional gear and rope duty. I told my partners that while I could definitely have handled the weight, I was sorry I couldn’t take the rope too (wink, wink). The backpack just couldn’t handle any more.
If I get myself in that situation again, I may be guilted into keeping the Kode 30 at home and taking out a different pack. But I was impressed at its ability to handle that much gear.
With this pack, looks can deceive you—in a good way. In writing this review, carefully inspecting the ins and outs of the pack, rummaging through the pockets and fiddling with the straps, it seems endlessly roomy and detailed, and the fabric felt tough and sturdy. Basically, it’s got a lot going on.
Yet when I am throwing the pack on my back, hiking uphill, and skiing back down, it feels small, simple, and barely there. And that is the aspect of the pack that has me sold: I don’t think twice when I reach for it. I know wherever the day takes me, the pack on my back will be the last thing on my mind.
Go to Robin Abeles’ 2nd Look at the Osprey Kode 30
I recently had a ski with my friend’s Osprey Kode 32. I only ever go out on day trips and this pack looks to be a lot bigger than my current pack (I can’t remember what volume it is) which has always carried as much as I ever need. I’m 5’8″ and about 75kg and don’t like to carry a bigger pack then necessary. My friend, who is about my size, has the m/l size which is consistent with the Kode recommendation for my measurement (47/48cm) but it felt too big. I ducked into a shop and tried on the s and the chest strap was way to high on my chest so the m/l is probably right.
So, would the Kode 22 be big enough to hold tools, skins, bladder and food for a day in the bush? Or, is there another pack that is somewhere in between that is worth looking at?