Gregory Mountain Products Targhee 32 Backpack

Great Bag! Has all the best features needed in a ski pack. Loved the overall design (easy back-panel access), side pockets, insulated area for water reserve, plenty of space....etc. Perfect size for longer day tours!! I wanted to keep this bag so badly because I loved it; however, fit is the most important and despite being the appropriate torso length (I'm around 16 to 16.5 inches) it was still too big on my shoulders when weighted with my skis --> making it sit too high up. I am a petite female, so this has been the case with so many bags (unfortunately, so no big surprise)!! Bummer that this one still did not work, because I really wanted to keep it. I liked it more than most.

Beautiful pack, totally. I got the orange one. It's absolutely beautiful but I had to turn around and sell it. I currently live in Florida and it was too much pack for me.First, it may look like there are water bottle pockets at the sides of this pack but there are not. I am not a fan of the water bladder because of how difficult it is to clean it and the hose. With that in mind, Gregory certainly thought about it all. This is a backcountry ski pack. That's what it is at its core and if you do not intend to use it as such you have no business buying this pack. That's what happened to me. Anyway, the hose for your water bladder is routed through on of the shoulder straps and it's insulated so your water doesn't freeze in your hose.The pack also unzips from the back. I love this design, but I'm no backcountry skier/snowboarder. It has a compartment for your avalanche gear, completely organized so you've a place for your shovel, etc. And then it has all your gear straps. Oh, and an awesome webbing to stow your helmet. And all of this stuff is hidden, so you have a clean pack when you aren't on the slopes.All this brilliant pack design makes for a huskier pack. Again, I've never been skiing in my life so I could go without all of the accouterments and, thus, the added weight. After selling this pack, I went and bought an MHM Salute 34 which is a way more appropriate and lighter pack for day hikes or overnighters.Synopsis? This pack is built wonderfully. It should last you a decade on the slopes. It is decked out for all your slope accessories. It's beautiful. It's heavy and doesn't hold water bottles, specifically, so it isn't for you hiking types (like me). I took off one star because, while I hear previous iterations were heavier, I still find this a pretty heavy pack. Yes, I understand, backcountry skiing is rugged stuff so I'm sure you want a more overbuilt pack but if it weren't as heavy as it is, it would easily be dual purposed and I may have kept it. If you can afford Vail or Aspen, or you don't ski/snowboard, this is not your pack.