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Designed with ski legend Cody Townsend, this 40L pack is meant to meet the demands of climbing, skiing, and the safe transition between the two in steep, technical terrain.
With a clever, zippered back panel entry to reduce the risk of lost gear on challenging pitches, this ski mountaineering pack prioritizes access to technical tools in high-exposure environments. Primary features include:
Average weight based on size medium
To maximize the performance of your Hyperlite Mountain Gear products and ensure that they live a long, reliable, and productive life, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with their Care Instructions.
CARE INSTRUCTIONS
THINK BIG, PLAY IT SAFE
Innovative storage designs accommodate a variety of whatever ice tools and avalanche safety equipment you need for the routes you want to tackle
RIGHT BACKATCHA
The smart back panel opening lets you set down your pack and easily reach water or gear you need without having to dig around for it on steep, sketchy inclines
WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH
It's what you signed up for. With the unparalleled durability of fully woven Dyneema®, the Crux 40 is ready to deal
I use it for climbing snowy mountains, and it's very easy to carry, and the back opens wide, so it's easy to take out your belongings. It's a sturdy backpack that won't break even with rough handling. If the capacity of the lid was a little larger, I'd have no complaints.
To be honest, I tend to buy a new ski bag every year. This one caught my eye because it seemed to check all the boxes, but man, was I wrong.
A bit of background: I’ve used this bag for one season, and it’s been through some serious terrain—from ice climbing in New Hampshire to skiing volcanoes in the Pacific Northwest... its been all over. My average day on skis usually involves 8,000 feet of vertical, breaking trail, and deep wilderness lines in Montana. The design of this bag is completely flawed for anyone who actually skis with purpose.
Stretch Mesh
Let’s start with the stretch mesh. For one, the placement is all wrong—especially for diagonal ski carry. The mesh is so close to my bindings that they end up ripping holes in it every time I use it. The situation gets worse with the shovel blade behind it, which caused my binding to puncture the Dyneema fabric of the main bag. This is a dealbreaker.
Top Closure
The top closure is ridiculously loose. Sure, it’s great for stuffing in a mid-layer or shell, but if you're skiing powder, you’ll be digging snow out of it every time you access the bag. After one season, I’m seriously considering cutting it off entirely.
Cross Carry
Next up, the cross carry system. The skis sit way too low on this bag, making it virtually impossible to carry unless you're on a steep, deep snow slope. On ridge lines or when scrambling on rocks, the skis constantly hit obstacles and get in the way. The A-frame carry is the only decent option here,…
Thank you for sharing these observations, Andrew. Your pack looks like something we could repair, so please feel free to submit a ticket on our website -- our Customer Support Team will be happy to work with you!
I’ve owned a Porter and Prism pack so I already knew I loved Hyperlite stuff. As a self proclaimed backpack nerd this is the closest thing to the perfect bag I have ever found. It has every feature that I would ever want. Plus even one I didn’t think that I wanted, but now can’t live without. The stretchy back pouch is the most useful thing ever. Great for skins, jackets, or just about anything you can think of that you want get rid of the way quickly.
But… There is one annoying issue. The back panel entrance (which was the thing I was most excited for) extends out when you put stuff instead. It makes for a much more thinner/ rounded contact with your back than their other bags. It also makes the zippers a little difficult to operate because they don’t lay flat. I was bummed because the other Hyperlite bags I’ve had are the best fitting and most comfortable bags I have ever worn.
Besides that it’s perfect.
This is actually my second Crux 40 backpack, only because some not so nice people stole all of my gear in Argentina a few days before a ski expedition to Antarctica. Soon after the robbery, I called up Hyperlite and they were able to overnight a new bag to a person I've never met before they went to the airport in Vermont to meet me on the other side of the world. The customer service team rushed to action to help save my expedition and I cannot express more gratitude to the Hyperlite team.
Now for the pack... This thing SLAPS! As a skier with a photography addiction, I often travel with a lot of camera gear. This pack allows me to carry everything I could possibly need in the backcountry, plus all my cameras and lenses. The pack has dedicated storage for avy tools and you can even room to put your ice axe and helmet inside the pack so you don't accidentally stab someone or pop a zodiac as you cruise through the ice in the Antarctic waters. The mesh pouch on the back is perfect to throw your skins in if you're doing hot laps and are too lazy to access the inside of your pack or to stash an extra layer for when you overdress on the skin track. The hip pocket has plenty of room for your snacks and sun screen while you're working hard on that sweet goggle tan. The removable brain is great too! For large days, I keep it on and stuff it full of my headlamp, extra batteries, ski straps, and backcountry repair kit. On short days where the inside of my back is pretty empty, I'll…
Kudos on this pack. I have a long torso, it’s been difficult to get a good fit for ski touring. I bought an XL, it’s fits great. The pack is comfortable and has well thought out features for ski touring. I like the mesh outer pocket for stuffing skins or my jacket for quick access. The zippered opening for easy internal access on transitions or while taking a break is appreciated. I also bought three packing pods with the pack to replace some 20+ year old stuff sacks, this dials in the pack and everything is super organized. See you in the mountains.
