Looking for pack suggestion
 

I don't really have anything in mind. Just need something with sideways board carry that has room for a layer, a bottle or two of water (beer), avalanche gear, and somewhere to hang snowshoes. Suggestions?

I have a Dakine Heli Pro pack. It has both vertical and horizontal board carry and more than enough room for the items you have listed. It's a good pack. Very durable and pretty waterproof. If you shop around you can pick one up for cheap as well.

Second the Dakine Heli Pack.:thumbsup:

The Dakine Heli is a solid pack. Good for quick access backcountry and sidecountry where you don't need to carry a lot. If you are hiking out for around an hour or more, you might want the next size up pack though. The Poacher by Dakine is also a great pack. I think there is one that is between the two you may look at. Osprey and BCA also make pretty decent packs that you can usually find for a good price.

I got the Dakine Blade pack about a month ago and used it once so far. It's a great pack, very versatile, it has cross and vertical snowboard carry. The Heli is available in lots of cool colors but I opted for the Blade in black because the size looked way better for a full day snowshoeing/riding. I compared all the Dakine features/prices/sizes for a while and this one had the most options for the price. REI had it for 70 bux, almost half off retail. I looked again and they've sold out on almost all of their Dakine bags. I added the compatible hydration bladder for about $15. Overall I think it was worth every penny.

DAKINE : BLADE

I second the Blade for it's additional size.

I guess I always forget that there are multiple versions of the Heli. I have the Heli Pro DLX 20L so it has plenty of space for any of my needs on a day trip. I can see where some of the other Heli packs might not be up to a full day out though. No matter what you get though, Dakine is not a bad choice. I know I only paid $32 for my pack last spring on Sierra or TruSnow or whatever the hell they are now.

Dakine, Ive been using my hyrdration system from them for nearly a decade.