Updays 26

The Deuter Updays 26 is a light ski touring pack for skinning up, skiing down and doing it again. At 710 g it carries the avalanche kit, skins and a layer without slowing you on the climb, and the skis go on and off your back without the pack coming off.

Who it's for

Ski tourers who move fast: dawn laps on the Main Range from Guthega, a day tour up Mount Feathertop, or spring corn in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. Deuter rate it five out of five for ski touring, and the recommended 4-8 kg load is shovel, probe, skins, ski crampons, water, a warm layer and lunch.

Capacity, and what actually fits

26 litres puts a shovel blade and handle in the reinforced safety compartment, a probe and a down jacket in the main body, a 3 L bladder in its sleeve, and skins or crampons in the easy-access bottom compartment. A zipped front compartment holds goggles, a beanie and snacks. The pack measures 51 x 31 x 23 cm.

How it carries

The Lite back system keeps the pack close and light, with a soft foam back pad that you can remove to save more weight. Ventilated shoulder straps and breathable, padded hip fins stop you overheating on the skin track, and a 2-way adjustable sternum strap with a signal whistle holds the load still on the way down. The sternum strap comes off when you want it gone.

Fitting it

The Updays 26 comes in one size with a wide range: back lengths of 38-54 cm, for skiers around 158-195 cm tall. Fit it over your touring shell, set the hip fins on your hip bones, then snug the shoulder straps so the pack does not shift when you kick-turn.

Access and organisation

The quick-fix diagonal ski carry is the trick: drop the ski tails into the sliding loop, swing the tips over and hook the bungee to your shoulder strap, all without taking the pack off at a bootpack. The bottom compartment lets you pull out skins or crampons with the pack still on. An integrated helmet net stows a helmet on the outside and can be removed, and an ice axe attachment and key clip round it out.

• Quick-fix diagonal ski carry, detachable
• Reinforced safety compartment for shovel blade and handle
• Easy-access bottom compartment for skins and crampons
• Zipped front compartment
• Integrated, removable helmet net; ice axe attachment
• Hydration compatible, up to 3 L; signal whistle

Weight

710 g for 26 litres with an avalanche compartment and full ski carry. Take out the foam back pad and the sternum strap and it gets lighter still for race-pace days.

Looking after it

The body is 100D ripstop polyamide with a finish made without intentionally added PFAS. Deuter back it with a 2-year warranty.