Volume: 3100 in³ / 50.8 liters

• The moldable frame sheet has two adjustable aluminum stays.
• Shaped back panel and padded hip belt wings contour to your back and hips.
• Removable top lid
• Two quick-release side compression buckles with a Hypalon™ patch to support skis
• Front pocket that holds a shovel, handle, skins and probe
• Side compression straps that release and join to opposite sides to carry your winter gear.
• 3-Liter Hydration Compatible

I am a fan of any outdoor gear that is light and simple. The Pursuit pack is pretty streamlined. At first glance, I was hoping for something even more bare bones. All my previous backcountry snowboarding packs have been as minimalist as they come.

Luckily, I ignored my first impression and gave the Pursuit a chance. And it saved my ass.

It was a typical South Lake Tahoe day: 30 degree degrees in the morning but felt like 60 once I was half way up the 3500-foot climb. As the angle of the slope steepened and the snow softened, I began sliding backward in that heinous pace of two steps forward one step back. My split snowboard, a homemade job that had been cut in half with a Skill saw and lacked two crucial metal edges, was not cutting into the hillside. My friend Jeff pulled way in front of me. Two people walked past me on a boot pack trail. Things were not going my way.

I finally gave up trying to skin up the hill. I took the split board off and began trying to figure out how I would attached it to my pack and boot pack up the hill. This is where the Pursuit pack really saved my ass. The side straps on the side made quick and easy work of attaching my split snowboard (they would work equally as well with skis). Within minutes, I converted myself to boot packing mode and made much quicker work up the hill. The Pursuit was by the far the best pack I have used for attaching skis or a snowboard in a pinch.

Other than that, the pack has all the features I like:

• Those cool zippers that seal tight and keep water out
• Not too many extra straps or heavy suspension
• Carries stuff comfortably (although I never tested it with much weight)
• Integrates a hydration system (see caveat below)
• Zippers have plastic grips that are easy to use with gloves
• The only downsides to the pack were minor
• I felt as though the lid always took a lot of adjusting to sit right

While it had a little hole in the side for the hydration hose, it took me a while to figure out that there was a hidden pouch on the back plate for the bladder. Probably this is mentioned in the instructions but since I figure that most people are like myself and don't read instructions it would be cool if they distinguished where the hydration bladder goes on the inside.

I mentioned that I liked some of the extra straps, and overall I sort of expected that a brand named GoLite would make their packs a little more minimalist. I am probably alone on this one, but I like to nitpick on every little thing: "Do you really need little mesh pouches on the waist belt?" Who knows, maybe most people love that feature.

Overall, this pack is a winner. It’s the best one I have used in the backcountry so far.