A new concept for light and fast ski mountaineering, the CAMP Skin is a vest-style backpack that a trail runner might have thought was obvious. Light-yet-durable fabric is designed to hold close to your body and have lots of easy access storage in the front. Plenty of mesh and ventilation channels helps regulate body temperature as you move quickly through the mountains. Add in special skimo features such as a ski carry, skin sized pockets, side crampon access, ice ax holder, and a helmet carrying system, and the CAMP Skin just might be the perfect on-snow day pack.
- Trail vest inspired design is streamlined to help you feel balanced while climbing or skiing with all the essentials.
- Xpress Wire ski carrying system allows attachment and removal of skis without taking off the pack.
- Zippered side access crampon compartment can be used for extra water or clothing and connects with the main storage via an internal zipper.
- EZ OP buckles on the chest and waist belt have a pull tab mechanism that can be opened with one hand.
- Ice axe carrier (fits 2) and an external helmet attachment system keep the bulky items securely behind you.
- Mesh pockets on the front can hold skins and two zip pockets on the waist can hold food or gadgets.
- Intergrated water bottle holder on the left shoulder strap and a mesh gel/phone pocket on the right keep you hydrated and energized.
- Internal security pocket and bladder compatible inner storage area complete the lengthy checklist.
The CAMP Skin comes in two sizes. Small fits skiers under approximately 5' 9" in height, large will go up to about 6' 3". The tail loop fits skis up to about 145mm in width although the shoulder webbing is a bit short for skis that wide if the pack is full.
Update 2015/16: CAMP switched to light blue highlights from grey. Otherwise the pack is the same.
| Specifications | |
|
Weight |
484g [S] 501g [L] |
| Volume | 15L |
| Access | Top and side |
| Hydration | Bottle on shoulder strap or bladder compatible |
| Ski Carry | Wire Xpress |
| Shovel / Probe | Toss inside |
| Ice Axe | External carriers |
| Stash Pockets | 1 mesh and 2 nylon zips on shoulder straps |
| Security Pocket | Internal |
| Team Tether | No |
| Whistle | No |
| Specs Verified | Yes |
| Skimo Co Says | |
| Usage | Light and fast day tours |
| Notes | Crampon pocket can merge with main compartment to fit larger items |
| Bottom Line | Streamlined trail vest for ski mountaineering |
| Compare to other Backpacks | |
Questions & Reviews
10/19/2021
Oh nice! It's a little hard to tell in the pictures, does the course pack allow for ski carry without taking the pack off?
10/19/2021
Hey Dennis, yes the Skin Pack has CAMPs Wire Xpress ski carry which would just wrap around the ski and then re-attach to the pack. Very reminiscent of the typical skimo race carry but with a bit of added security with the plastic attachment. Let us know if you have any more questions!
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10/17/2021
I stumbled across this discontinued model while looking for a racey pack with a skin pocket. Happen to know if there’s anything newer that offers this same feature? Thanks!
10/18/2021
Hi Dennis, many of us were upset at this discontinuation! We brought in the La Sportiva Course pack as the closest replacement.
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12/10/2020
I’m 5’3” and 110 lbs. I’m looking for a touring vest with a bit shorter back than the the new UD Skimo 20, which sits too low on my back and doesn’t fit well in general.
Any ideas if this would work or of another that might?
I love my UD adventure vesta, but it isn’t a ski pack. My BD convert is way too big and sloshes around too much plus it doesn’t have the vest pockets up front.
Thanks!
Any ideas if this would work or of another that might?
I love my UD adventure vesta, but it isn’t a ski pack. My BD convert is way too big and sloshes around too much plus it doesn’t have the vest pockets up front.
Thanks!
12/10/2020
Hey Niko, the Skin Pack does measure slightly shorter than the UD Skimo 20 pack. Probably wouldn't be a bad option to see if it fits!
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10/27/2019
Max
(used product regularly)
Disclaimer: I use this as a back country running/hiking vest and cut off anything to do with carrying skis.
This pack is a design relic from before the days of UD's vests, as this pack feels like a typical backpack with vest-like shoulder straps.
cons:
- There is so much bounce I cut off the side suspension ropes and stitched the bottom of the shoulder straps directly to the back 'wings'. I am 5'8" and I feel that size small is too big for me, so I stitched folds into the shoulder straps the shorten the effective back length by ~2"..
- The zippered fast access pocket requires two handed operation to close. This is annoying in the summer, and I imagine will be a serious frustration with ski poles in the equation.
- This pack is TINY. I can't imagine carrying so little gear for any real distance away from the truck.
+ Unlike the UD low volume vests, this model fully supports hydration bladders.
+ The not-so contoured shoulder straps work well with a .357 bear spray chest rig.
+ That same smaller than usual crampon pocket fits 2 compact dog leashes very well, which is all I use it for.
This pack is a design relic from before the days of UD's vests, as this pack feels like a typical backpack with vest-like shoulder straps.
cons:
- There is so much bounce I cut off the side suspension ropes and stitched the bottom of the shoulder straps directly to the back 'wings'. I am 5'8" and I feel that size small is too big for me, so I stitched folds into the shoulder straps the shorten the effective back length by ~2"..
- The zippered fast access pocket requires two handed operation to close. This is annoying in the summer, and I imagine will be a serious frustration with ski poles in the equation.
- This pack is TINY. I can't imagine carrying so little gear for any real distance away from the truck.
+ Unlike the UD low volume vests, this model fully supports hydration bladders.
+ The not-so contoured shoulder straps work well with a .357 bear spray chest rig.
+ That same smaller than usual crampon pocket fits 2 compact dog leashes very well, which is all I use it for.
10/27/2019
Hey Max, thanks for your review, and for those grizzly-country-specific details! Glad the Skin Pack worked out alright as a running pack, though we agree that the Ultimate Direction designs are superior for those high-cadence, ski-boot-less days. For ski-carrying winter and spring use, however, many folks feel that the Skin Pack style is superior to a vest because it sits lower on the back, so the design still has its advantages.
12/3/2020
I've been using this pack for two seasons and adore it. Each time I think I might want a new pack, I look at options and can't find anything that I like even half as much. While I don't think I'd ever use it for trail running (that's what my Salomon ADV SKIN 12 is for ;-), it's near perfect for backcountry touring. No, it won't hold a puffy, but it's not really designed for the more casual backcountry crowd (i.e. if you're just going up to ski Patsey Marley (which is fine!), this isn't for you).
I carry my safety gear (shovel, probe), a hardshell jacket, and spare gloves in it. I've used the side pouches for extra water, and the bottom pouch is perfect for tools/boot crampons - you don't have to remove the pack to reach them. I sometimes attach Verts to the exterior (it's my one complaint - that it's not big enough to pack them inside but if it were...it wouldn't be the right pack for everything else), and carry food in the waist/chest compartments. Also super easy to attach/detach skis without removing the pack.
I really don't think there's a better touring pack, but that depends on what you're skiing. It's not enough for the more casual touring crowd, but is just right if you want a pack that vanishes when you put it on.
I carry my safety gear (shovel, probe), a hardshell jacket, and spare gloves in it. I've used the side pouches for extra water, and the bottom pouch is perfect for tools/boot crampons - you don't have to remove the pack to reach them. I sometimes attach Verts to the exterior (it's my one complaint - that it's not big enough to pack them inside but if it were...it wouldn't be the right pack for everything else), and carry food in the waist/chest compartments. Also super easy to attach/detach skis without removing the pack.
I really don't think there's a better touring pack, but that depends on what you're skiing. It's not enough for the more casual touring crowd, but is just right if you want a pack that vanishes when you put it on.
Comment on this review:
One of my favorite Camp packs (along with the veloce). Only major downside is the size small is a little too small to easily fit the Arva Plume shovel, but it may fit smaller ones ok.
I really enjoy the vest-like fit for other sports like riding and speed hiking, and appreciate the small details like a zipper pocket inside, zippers rather than velcro for the crampon pocket, etc.
I really enjoy the vest-like fit for other sports like riding and speed hiking, and appreciate the small details like a zipper pocket inside, zippers rather than velcro for the crampon pocket, etc.
Comment on this review:
3/25/2018
I am 5'9", should I get the small or large?
3/25/2018
Hi Jason, the small should do just fine for you.
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10/9/2016
how is a helmet secured?
10/9/2016
Hi Ronald, there are two retainers on bungee cords right above the mesh pockets. They are designed to slip through ventilation holes and then placed flat against the helmet surface.
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So far I have used this pack twice.
Once at an informal weeknight race. I used a 1.5 liter bladder in the hydration sleeve, where there are 2 velcro loops that hold the bladder securely. You can run the tube out of either shoulder, but doing it on the right might get it tangled up with the ski attachment loop, so I went with the left shoulder. I put my glasses in the water bottle holder on the shoulder strap in case I needed them, since I didn't have a bottle in it. You could also fit a pair of very light gloves in there. Other than that just my phone/keys and a puffy jacket and gloves were in the pack. There was a booter and I was able to attach my skis pretty quickly as I had practiced at home.
It's worth noting that the skis may be harder to attach when the pack is full. I am a big guy, 41 inch chest (bought the Large), and when I have the pack full the skis will not easily lay diagonally across the center of the pack. They end up sitting mostly on the left side of the pack and I can just barely attach the shoulder loop on the right shoulder with it extended to maximum length. It works fine, I can still attach the skis, the only downside is that the weight is not distributed evenly and the skis and particularly the bindings dug into my back a bit. I paused partway up the booter to adjust them for a little more comfort. All that said, I am using skis with an 80mm waist, so using race skis probably makes this less of an issue.
The second time I took the pack out on some XC trails on a very cold day with high winds, with tentative plans to head into the backcountry, but we ended up bailing due to nasty ice crust. I took all of this in the pack:
- BD Transfer 3 shovel (blade BARELY fits in the hydration sleeve. Transfer 7 blade does not fit.)
- BD Guide probe
- Arcteryx Atom SV jacket large
- OR Helium jacket large
- OR Stormtracker gloves
- OR lightweight hat
- Glasses
- Hammer gel tube
- Snacks
- Two ~700ml bottles (instead of a bladder, because the avy stuff fills up the hydration sleeve)
- Small first aid kit, UL emergency bivy sack, personal locator beacon, head lamp
It took some experimenting to make everything fit but it worked and you could probably fit a little more. It was comfortable except that the part of the shovel blade where the handle attaches poked me in the back because the pack has no padding down the very center. I stuffed part of a jacket in between to make it more comfortable. I stowed my 2nd bottle in the lower crampon compartment with some other stuff and I was able to swap it for the empty one with a little fussing without taking the pack off.
On the final downhill back to the car I stowed my skins in the outer mesh pockets. They fit alright despite being a bit bigger than race skins.
The pull-tab openers for the chest buckles seem gimmicky and I don't find them to work well or be any easier to use than a normal buckle, so I will probably snip them off.
The helmet attachment system, as designed, will pretty much only work on the CAMP Speed I think, as the plastic pieces are meant to slip between the ventilation slits. I found a few other reasonable ways of attaching my CAMP Pulse though, without it flailing around too bad.
The ice axe attachment system works fine. The only bummer is that removing the axe with 1 hand would not be easy due to the axe being slipped through a loop at the bottom rather than having a buckle like some other packs.
The construction of the pack is fairly light weight but not paper thin. Should stand up to plenty of use.
Overall I love the pack and I will be using it for any races I do. Depending on the weather and your preferred margin of safety, it may be a bit small for backcountry use. I will continue trying to use it in the backcountry whenever I can though, particularly in the spring. It's a great pack that accommodates efficient travel on skis.
Once at an informal weeknight race. I used a 1.5 liter bladder in the hydration sleeve, where there are 2 velcro loops that hold the bladder securely. You can run the tube out of either shoulder, but doing it on the right might get it tangled up with the ski attachment loop, so I went with the left shoulder. I put my glasses in the water bottle holder on the shoulder strap in case I needed them, since I didn't have a bottle in it. You could also fit a pair of very light gloves in there. Other than that just my phone/keys and a puffy jacket and gloves were in the pack. There was a booter and I was able to attach my skis pretty quickly as I had practiced at home.
It's worth noting that the skis may be harder to attach when the pack is full. I am a big guy, 41 inch chest (bought the Large), and when I have the pack full the skis will not easily lay diagonally across the center of the pack. They end up sitting mostly on the left side of the pack and I can just barely attach the shoulder loop on the right shoulder with it extended to maximum length. It works fine, I can still attach the skis, the only downside is that the weight is not distributed evenly and the skis and particularly the bindings dug into my back a bit. I paused partway up the booter to adjust them for a little more comfort. All that said, I am using skis with an 80mm waist, so using race skis probably makes this less of an issue.
The second time I took the pack out on some XC trails on a very cold day with high winds, with tentative plans to head into the backcountry, but we ended up bailing due to nasty ice crust. I took all of this in the pack:
- BD Transfer 3 shovel (blade BARELY fits in the hydration sleeve. Transfer 7 blade does not fit.)
- BD Guide probe
- Arcteryx Atom SV jacket large
- OR Helium jacket large
- OR Stormtracker gloves
- OR lightweight hat
- Glasses
- Hammer gel tube
- Snacks
- Two ~700ml bottles (instead of a bladder, because the avy stuff fills up the hydration sleeve)
- Small first aid kit, UL emergency bivy sack, personal locator beacon, head lamp
It took some experimenting to make everything fit but it worked and you could probably fit a little more. It was comfortable except that the part of the shovel blade where the handle attaches poked me in the back because the pack has no padding down the very center. I stuffed part of a jacket in between to make it more comfortable. I stowed my 2nd bottle in the lower crampon compartment with some other stuff and I was able to swap it for the empty one with a little fussing without taking the pack off.
On the final downhill back to the car I stowed my skins in the outer mesh pockets. They fit alright despite being a bit bigger than race skins.
The pull-tab openers for the chest buckles seem gimmicky and I don't find them to work well or be any easier to use than a normal buckle, so I will probably snip them off.
The helmet attachment system, as designed, will pretty much only work on the CAMP Speed I think, as the plastic pieces are meant to slip between the ventilation slits. I found a few other reasonable ways of attaching my CAMP Pulse though, without it flailing around too bad.
The ice axe attachment system works fine. The only bummer is that removing the axe with 1 hand would not be easy due to the axe being slipped through a loop at the bottom rather than having a buckle like some other packs.
The construction of the pack is fairly light weight but not paper thin. Should stand up to plenty of use.
Overall I love the pack and I will be using it for any races I do. Depending on the weather and your preferred margin of safety, it may be a bit small for backcountry use. I will continue trying to use it in the backcountry whenever I can though, particularly in the spring. It's a great pack that accommodates efficient travel on skis.
Comment on this review:
In the past few years I have become a convert to the vest-style packs coming out on the market - I love the close to the body supportive feel and freedom of movement. Last winter I was even using one of my trail vests ghetto-rigged for ski season. The CAMP Skin pack hits the sweet spot for me - fully decked with skimo features found on other larger packs (ski carry, crampon pocked, numerous shoulder /front pockets), but still the low-profile fit that distributes weight over your back/ chest well and feels much less restrictive than a larger pack with a waist belt - especially when you are pushing hard in the skintrack and sucking air with your gut like a bagpipe. The vest / pack is small enough that I have used it in a few races and never felt like I was toting around more than I needed, but large enough that i can carry everything could need for a fast and light day in the hills (including crampons, two ice axes, a bit of hardware and a 30m rope if I pull out my Tetris packing skills). Basically this has quickly become my go to pack for most days on skis - from racing to long days in the hills. If you are already smitten with trail vests, this will not disappoint.
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2/17/2014
After you answered my questions I see that the Large is no longer in stock. Any plans to have it in again soon? Thanks!
2/17/2014
Hah, sorry, yes we expect more tomorrow!
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2/17/2014
Oops, one more thing: will the skin pockets fit skins much bigger than race ski size? The opening looks kinda small.
2/17/2014
Smaller ones work better of course but the mesh pockets stretch enough to get some Hi5 skins in at 120mm in width. I actually just use those for backup gloves and throw my skins in the jacket to keep 'em warm on the descents.
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2/17/2014
Any idea how big of a chest this will fit when full? I purchased a running vest in the past, and although my chest size was within the range specified by the manufacturer, I could barely get it on once I had it stuffed with gear.
2/17/2014
Hi Jake, I'm pretty scrawny (6'1", 38" chest if i breathe in) but when I ski with the Large fully loaded (which is relative, it's only a 15 liter pack after all) I have to cinch the straps most of the way to get it snug. Seems like it's got some room to grow, I'd guess another half dozen inches.
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11/11/2013
Hey
i'm curious as to what width the wire ski carry system will carry. I am a splitboarder looking to get into a lighter weight pack and some other packs i've tried i.e. dynafit didn't have a wide enough loop to accommodate the 140mm width I need to fit my board halves. thanks for any insight!
i'm curious as to what width the wire ski carry system will carry. I am a splitboarder looking to get into a lighter weight pack and some other packs i've tried i.e. dynafit didn't have a wide enough loop to accommodate the 140mm width I need to fit my board halves. thanks for any insight!
11/12/2013
Hi Dan. We are posting the maximum size of the ski loops as we get them in and measure. The Skin pack is new this year so we don't have one to check but expect them by the end of the week. So far I haven't seen one that goes up to 140mm unfortunately. The X3 600 from last year only went to ~125mm.
11/13/2013
Dan, check out the Dynafit Broad Peak 28 which we just got in. It has an adjustable tail loop that will accommodate your rig.
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