It’s no secret that I’m a Whippa packs fanboy. These packs are super light, super tough, and super functional. They’re Aussie-made, too, up in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. So when Whippa came out with the claim that their Skimo Ultralight Mountaineering pack was, and I quote, “our best pack yet!” I sat up and took notice. That’s quite a claim!
The pack comes in 45L and 55L versions, but given the 45L one weighs 1,045g while the 55L one comes in at a scant 30g more (1,075g claimed; mine when weighed was ever so slightly more at 1,085g), it seemed crazy for me not to go for the versatility offered by the extra ten litres. Especially once you’ve added in the optional expedition lid (100g, as weighed); with its extra 8L capacity, you’ve now got something you can head out overnight with. The lid also helps with gear organisation too.
It’s hard to cover everything that’s awesome about this pack, but let’s start with the elements that are common to every other Whippa pack Wild’s reviewed: Highly abrasion-resistant U 800X UHMWPE on the base; a main body of 200X; a roll-top that allows easy control of the pack’s volume; and tape-sealed seams to ensure full weatherproofness. In short, as with every other Whippa pack, it pairs simplicity with excellent functionality, it’s superlight, and it’s bombproof.
Moving onto the specifics of the Skimo pack, the front pocket effortlessly accommodated all my avvy gear—shovel and probe—plus skins and ski crampons. The metal G-hooks on the side compression straps let me, even with gloves on, quickly and easily hook them over my skis for A-frame carrying. There are dual ice-axe holders. There’s a right-hand hip-belt pocket, and a left gear loop (personally I’d prefer two pockets, but I’m equally sure there are many who’d prefer the gear loop). There are also accessory loops that let you attach the optional helmet net so you can ditch the helmet on the climbs.
I found the pack skis well, even with a decent load. It kept the load close enough to my body to feel balanced, and the roll-top closure, good at any time, becomes particularly awesome when you’re ski touring because of the changes in volume requirements. With each climb and descent, you’re constantly losing or gaining layers—jackets, gloves, goggles and helmet on for the descents; all that stuff in the pack for the climbs. And speaking of constantly needing to access or stow gear, the back panel can be zipped open to offer oyster-shell access to the entire main compartment. Honestly, I love this feature, especially on a pack designed for winter-sports activities. BTW, the zip for the back-panel opening is water-resistant, as is the zip for the exterior avvy-gear pocket.
So does the Skimo stand up to Whippa’s big claim that it’s their best pack yet? If you’re into alpine pursuits, I’d find it hard to argue against. It does close to everything the other Whippa packs I’ve used do, and it’s just as awesome as they are for walking and other general outdoorsy pursuits; it’s just that the Skimo 45L and 55L packs have the added bonus of being excellent for mountaineering and ski-touring, too.
The Details:
INTENDED USE: Back-country skiing, ski mountaineering
MATERIALS: Main body – Ultra 200X; Base – Ultra 800X; front pocket and side mud guards – 400X
WEIGHT (as tested): 1,085g
RRP: $669
For more information whippa.com.au
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