The North Face Patrol 34 Pack is a great example of the benefits of ski touring specific packs. For the past few years I have been trying to get by with one pack that accommodates my winter backcountry skiing needs as well as my summer climbing needs. It kept things affordable and meant I had one less pack to store in the off season. This season the inadequacies in my 'one-pack-fits-all' approach have been exposed by The North Face Patrol 34 Pack. I have come to realise that I have been sacrificing heavily on design features that make backcountry skiing a whole lot more comfortable and efficient. Not to mention that the 'one pack' I have been using for everything is looking hagged, in hindsight two specialised packs have a longer life and therefore justify the expense and storage of two packs instead of one.

It didn't take just any ski touring specific pack to change my 'one-pack-fits-all' approach. I have been looking at ski touring packs for some time now. The North Face Patrol 34 Pack is packed with features and then some.

Read the rest of the review in our gear review section over here.