What kit will I be using this season?
20th Oct 2012
As the season approaches I'll be posting a few kit reviews on my tried and tested kit to give you some ideas of things to get for season 2012/13. Here is the first of them.
Haglöfs Powder Poetry Rucksack 18L
My rucksack is what a school bag is to a child and a briefcase is to a businessman. I use it every day; it comes everywhere with me. It needs to last and it’s no use if it falls apart in the middle of the week (or season) as I’ll struggle to find time to replace it.
Haglöfs Powder Poetry rucksack was ideal for day excursions skiing off-piste. In the main pocket I could fit a first-aid kit, my skins and ski crampons, my lunch, a spare layer and goggles. There is a special pocket inside the big pocket for your shovel blade. This keeps it out of the way of the other stuff but easy to get if you need it. There is a separate pocket at the back for your shovel handle and probe, and you can put an axe in here if needed. The back is reinforced adequately so that it’s comfy and you don’t feel the shovel handle when skiing. There is also a little pocket inside the main compartment for your sunscreen and other bits and pieces. The rucksack does come with 2 little pouches on the waist belt but I didn’t have a need for them but found they make very good purses!
There are 3 features that really make this rucksack work for me. Firstly it hugs your back so it stays still when you skiing; you barely notice you have it on. The ski attachments are hidden away so you don’t catch them on anything, but readily available to secure your skis diagonally across the back of the rucksack. Lastly, and my favourite feature is the elasticated waist straps. I’m not sure why no one came up with this year’s ago. No longer do you need to stop and tighten up the waist belt and then loosen it to get it done up again. And after over 100 days of use is still looks as good as new for season 12/13!
