Gear Review: CiloGear 30z Field Review

This is an update to my previous review of the CiloGear 30z (see here) 

If you grew up playing with legos, tinkertoys, or k’nex, this is probably the pack for you. One could spend hours tinkering to arrange the perfect strap system on the pack. That said, the 30z is a simple pack, and it takes about two minutes to set up the pack with standard compression straps.

So far, I’ve carried my CiloGear 30z on Mt. Washington and Mt. Shasta. Total, I’ve had the pack on my back for around 20 hours, and I think I have a pretty good sense of the pack’s capabilites. On Mt. Washington a few weeks ago,  we had skis, boots, and all our mountaineering gear in and on our packs, which probably totaled out to close to 30 lbs. Before that, I brought the pack up Mt. Shasta to 12,300 feet. 

Fit:

I found the fit of the 30z to be pretty good. On a more lean frame than mine, the fit would be excellent.

Skiing with the 30z

As mentioned in my previous post, the shoulder straps on the pack are relatively short. I am not the most svelte skier out there (5’9, Chest 41-42”, Waist 33”, ~185 lbs) and for me the shoulder straps felt a little tight across the chest, and they seemed to be just a little short under the arms. In comparison, the M/L BD ski packs have perfect length shoulder straps for me. If you have a narrower torso you might find the strap length perfect. 

My ski partner David also tried on the pack. He is around 6’2” and an athletic 200-210 lbs. There was no way this pack would fit him, no matter the adjustments. The torso length appeared to be around 4-5 inches too short. I would guess that if you are over 5’10” (or have a torso length greater than 20") and don’t have a particularly narrow torso, you probably won’t fit the 30z.

All in all, the pack fits comfortably, the fit issues are minor, and would not affect everyone. If you’re having doubts as to whether the pack would fit you, call up CiloGear and Graham (the owner) will probably be able to help you out.

Suspension:

The bivy pad works as a serviceable frame sheet. Initially, I was concerned that the bivy pad would not provide enough support for a full load. I found that while skinning, the suspension was perfect. Even with skis on the pack, the bivy pad works just fine.However, when I had to carry skis and boots on my pack, I did wish the pack suspension was a little more supportive. I got back from Mt. Washington with some pretty sore shoulders. 

Speaking of carrying skis, the 30z is definitely most suited for carrying skis A-frame style. One can set up the pack for diagonal carry.  However, the top of the pack is slightly wider than the bottom, which causes the skis to angle outward, away from your shoulders, when you carry them diagonally. For short pitches, you probably wouldn’t notice. I carry my skis A-frame almost all the time, so this really isn’t an issue for me.

Features:

While the 30z may not fit everyone, anyone experienced at skiing the backcountry will appreciate the features on this pack.

First off, it is light. Like, seriously light compared to most other ski packs out there.

Second, the 30z is the perfect size for single day mountaineering trips where you're carrying your climbing gear along with your avy gear. I can easily fit all of my avy gear, layers, crampons, helmet, food, and water in the 30z with room to spare. The pack compresses well for the most part, so if you are left with extra room, you can take care of it with compression straps.

Third, the versatility of the D-clip system is fantastic. Using ski straps as both compression and ski attachments is great. It makes attaching and removing skis fast, secure, and quite durable. Plus, you can rearrange compression straps based on your needs for a particular load, or remove them entirely if you want to go ultra light. 

One negative about the 30z is that when carrying your skis in an A-frame, the contents of the pack are effectively unreachable. All the pockets are internal, and the skis limit the amount you can open the top zipper.

The 30z hip belt does have a pocket on it, which could theoretically relieve the inaccessibility problem. However, while the pocket is generously sized, I found the zipper was hard to use when I had the pack on. The zipper has two angles on it, so you can’t just pull it straight across the hipbelt. Negotiating the angles with a full pack was pretty frustrating. I think a less angular zipper on the waist pocket would make the pocket quite a bit more functional. That being said, it does work well for holding a camera, lip balm, sunscreen, or anything else you want immediately accessible

Another solution for dealing with the inaccessibility issue would be to use a diagonal carry system on the pack. Personally, I find A-frame carries much more comfortably, but to each his or her own.

As a commenter on Cascade Climbers noted, the pack does not have an insulated hydration tube slot. So far, I haven’t found that to be an issue for volcano season. Personally, I don’t use a bladder in the winter, so that’s not a huge issue for me.  I think an insulated hydration sleeve would go against the 30z’s clean cut, minimalist design. But, if you must have an insulated hydration tube, just know this pack doesn’t have one.

 General conclusions:

The CiloGear 30z is an excellent ski pack. While I was able to identify some negatives with the pack, particularly in the fit for tall or broad people,  they should not overshadow the fact that this is one of the best thought out ski packs on the market. It is light, simple, and user oriented. It carries weight well, and hopefully will last me many ski seasons. 

The 30z is available at: http://www.cilogear.com/30zskipack.html