A quick stop at the Mountain Hardwear booth yielded a shiny new discovery. Well, It’s not one of those “still under wraps” type of discovery, more of a “late to the party” discovery since I missed Winter Market in Feb 2007. I typically pass through some of the big boys booths to see if I can spy something new. And, tucked in the corner I found the new Mountain Hardwear Huckster backcountry ski pack.
A quick glance at the pack yielded a glimpse into the functionality of this new pack in the Mountain Hardwear line. Here’s a few things that caught my eye:
- Sturdy cross-carry system for those long bootpacks
- A suspended back panel to keep your back as dry as possible
- Seems to be the perfect volume for a few hours of touring–just right in my book
- A built-in bottle opener just for kicks
- The only potentially negative thing I saw was the straps as they seemed a bit thick compared to the low profile neoprene-esque ones on most packs of this type.
Hopefully we can get our hands on a Huckster and give it the beat down this winter. From the looks of it, I’m sure it will perform with the best packs in the business. Here’s a little more about the Mountain Hardwear Huckster pack from MountainHardwear.com:
- Quick-release side straps for A-frame carry
- Sturdy cross-carry straps
- Aluminum rod and padded trampoline back panel
- Snow safety gear pocket to stash your shovel, probe, inclinometer, etc.
- Axe-S quick-release ice axe loop
- 1200 cubic inches
- Available colors: green and red
- 2 lbs. 6 oz. weight
- MSRP: $100
- Visit www.mountainhardwear.com for details.
The Huckster has a big brother, the Glisse that has a 1700 cubic inch capacity for longer days in the backcountry.
The Mountain Hardwear Huckster is available now from Backcountry.com for $95 with free shipping.
1 Comment
I don’t know why pack makers put both zippers of a clam shell design under the compression straps. They must not get out much. I’ll wait to pass judgement after you beat this thing up this winter.