A
T THE TOP of the slope, the snow
gave way to a ridge of barren rock.
There was no way around it: To
complete our backcountry ski tour in
Montana’s Bitterroot Mountains, we were
going to have to carry our skis.
The group’s two experts set to work,
buckling their skis on using their packs’
purpose-built straps. My friend, a novice
like me, looked skeptically at his mesh and
bungee-cord bag and laughed. “This is my
running pack,” he said.
I smiled as I buckled my skis neatly into
place. So is mine, when I need it to be.
Five years ago, in the midst of that
human rite of passage known as “finding
yourself,” I joined my college outdoors club
and discovered I loved everything: back-
packing, trail running, climbing, biking; if
it was outside, I was into it. But I couldn’t
afford a pack for every activity, so I began
searching for one that could do them all.
After weeks of research, I settled on a
pack that was top-loading, waterproof, andhad ice axe loops and beefy compression
straps: the Mountain Hardwear Scrambler- As the first piece of gear I’d ever bought
on my own, it was a badge of independence.
Since then, the Scrambler has become
my most reliable trip buddy. I’ve cinched
it down for trail runs. I’ve worn it while
climbing frozen waterfalls and 400-foot
rock faces. It’s been through rain, snow, and
whipping desert sand. Even when I could
finally afford to expand my pack quiver, I
stuck with the Scrambler.
When I first bought the pack, it was a
glossy charcoal with tiger-orange accents.
Now, the orange webbing has faded to
near-white, and the fabric is puckered and
ashy like the skin of a geriatric elephant—
and still just as strong. On that ridge in
Monta na , it ca rried my skis with no issue.
The Scrambler was my beginning. Now,
every abraded scar and sun-bleached seam
is proof that I stuck to my goal of becoming
the well-rounded outdoorswoman—and
MIKE CARINA person—I wa nted to be.
Not sure what kind of adventure lies ahead? Pick a pack that lets you do
anything. By Corey BuhayTHE RIGHT KIND OF BAGGAGE
MATERIAL LOVE
Field Test
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