Dakine Heli Pack: Review
Friday, September 14, 2007
The Dakine Heli Pack is one of the first bits of snowboarding equipment that I bought, way back in 2003. At the time I was just looking for a bag to carry things in on the hill. The bag's still going strong now, but my requirements have changed a little. Here's the review.
Features
The Heli Pack is slim design back pack, with 11L capacity (as per the website) and some handy features:
The vertical snowboard carry works pretty well - I've used it quite a few times. It's dead easy: you put the two straps either side of your bottom binding, one above and one below. Once tight, the board is pretty secure. There's definitely no problem walking around with the board in this position - it works. It's worth noting I haven't had the fortune of trying this feature out in really deep snow - and you can't use the back pack to carry your board horizontally.
The pack also caters for ski carry - but I don't know anything about that!
The expandable helmet carry. Helmets do fit within the external flap, which keeps the helmet in place. However I've got to say that I've never used this feature for real on the hill. Most of the time I've got my helmet on. At the few times that I've been riding and carrying the helmet - I've just clipped it to the bag, rather than using the helmet carry. You see, if the bag's quite full, using the helmet carry can be a bit tight, and clipping it on is real fast. That said, from the pictures on Dakine's sight it looks like the newer models have slightly longer straps for this feature, which should help. If you think you might make use of it, you can always check it out in the shop!
Hydration. There's an internal sleeve to hold your hydration pack and a hole at the top for the tube to extend through. Then, one of the straps has clips on it to carry the tube over your shoulder whilst keeping it in place. The newer design has an insulated external sleeve, which is one better and will help to stop things freezing up when it's cold!
Apart from the main compartment, there's a small pocket at the top and another on the helmet flap. The pocket at the top is pretty handy for stuff like a small camera: it's easy to access and it's a relatively safe-none-squash place.
What can you fit in it?
The pack will take a two piece shovel no problem. On a back-country day I've had my shovel, my video camera bag, a small still camera, a small bottle of water plus small snack, an extra layer and some warmer gloves. That's quite a bit of gear and it fits... but it is tight. If this is the extent of what you want to put in it, or you envisage taking less, then you're set.
My only problem with the bag is that it's not quite big enough for what I need now. The gear in the above example did fit, but getting things out was a hassle because the pack was right at it's limit. But this is not a criticism of the pack itself: it's designed to be small and Dakine have larger packs in their range. I just need a bigger option.
Overall
The Heli Pack is a great low profile pack. It's certainly durable. Mine is still going strong after extended use on the hill, use as carry on luggage through airports and day-to-day use for work. It's even survived a pavement crash or two from my skateboard. The straps are good, there are two that come around to the front and the shape of the pack fits the back well. If you're looking for a small pack on the hill, this fits the bill. Great.
Ride DH vs. Nitro T2: Quick Comparison
Friday, March 30, 2007
I consider the Ride DH and the Nitro T2 to be of similar designs. Both are freestyle boards, both have a twin shape, good in the park, yet offering a wider scope than a pure jib board...
Earlier this year in Laax, I was riding the '05/'06 T2 with MLB bindings, and Martin was riding the '05/'06 DH with Burton Missions. Both 155cm. We decided to switch setups and then compare notes. After one, long run, this is what we thought:
- The T2 is lighter than the DH
- The T2 has a much lower nose and tail, although this may have changed with newer models
- The sidecut on the T2 is more aggressive than the DH. The DH therefore has a wider waist
- The T2 is a little more stable at speeds
- The DH has a smoother feel, a nicer flex
- The DH has more pop, or at least, it's easier to pop with the DH. In just one run I noticed some much nicer ollies...
- Both have good sintered bases
Both really nice boards, I'm not sure which one I prefer more.
Labels: equipment, nitro t2, review, ride dh, snowboards
Nitro T2 Snowboard Review
Thursday, March 29, 2007
The Nitro T2 is a great board. I was looking for a true twin that I could ride both inside and outside of the park. All-mountain freestyle. A single board. The T2 delivered.
I've got the 155 Nitro T2 from the 2005/2006 season. I've ridden it for three complete weeks on a variety of terrain: park boxes and kickers, slushy slopes and icy pistes, fresh corduroy and some powder. It's difficult for a board to excell in every category when used across the whole mountain. Floating effortlessly in powder is pretty much guaranteed to come at the expense of short, twin, flexy rail action. But the T2 ticks a lot of boxes and I'm confident with it being the only board in my bag.
So who is going to benefit from the this review? Well, if you're looking for a pure jib-stick, I don't think the T2 is for you. Likewise if you're mainly interested in freeriding, the T2 is likely to fall short. But if you're in one of the following categories, as I was, read on:
- You like jibbing and riding in the park, but you'd like to try something a little stiffer and slightly longer to be more rounded.
- You're in the market for an all-mountain board, but you'd like it orientated towards freestyle.
Jibbing & The Park I found the T2 quite nice for jibbing around the piste. Sure it's not as soft and playful as a jib board, but it's definitely light, with a snappy feel, which makes it agile. You've got to put a little more into ollies than with something like a Ride Kink or a Ride DH, but when you get it right, the T2 has great pop. It's not too stiff. It felt nice on kickers.
If you follow the weight ranges, the T2 is also a little longer than a jib board. For me, a jib board is in the range 150cm - 153cm, but the T2 I ride is 155cm. For some, this might feel long, but I didn't really notice it. Maybe the lightness helps here? While the little bit of extra length may make the board feel more cumbersome on rails and boxes, it comes in handy around the rest of the hill.
When it comes to rails and boxes, I'd say you can tell the difference between the T2 and a pure-jib board, but it didn't stop me hitting them. The T2 has a nice twin shape, with good stance options, 23.5" being the widest. It still felt like a good setup on the boxes, no real hang ups. And besides, the T2 is Eero's choice for rails after all...
Although I've hardly ridden any pipe with the T2, I'd say that the little extra lenght and good edge hold will help with the transitions.
Riding the piste The T2 performs well. Whilst it's not a freeride board, it does have a pretty aggressive sidecut on it compared with something like the Ride DH. And although it's lack of directional-shape may hinder its out-right performance on the piste, to me this is a design benefit. I like to ride switch as much as I do regular, so the twin shape is perfect. The result is good edge hold going in both directions.
I also think the T2 has a pretty fast base, that seemed to maintain wax quite well. It certainly stacked up well against the other riders in our group. The additional length and stiffer flex over a pure jib board adds to the stability, especially at higher speeds. It's a confident and solid ride, encouraging you to rip up the piste.
Powder Not really the T2's domain, but it did ok. The '05/'06 model has a fairly flat nose and tail which didn't help one bit (I think they changed this with the '06/'07 model). Cruising flat bits at slow speed or traversing at slow speed was a little tricky, with the nose having a tendancy to dig in. This caught me out quite a few times. But once your gliding, or even better, riding some steep stuff, it's fine. The T2 felt nimble in the powder.
A friend in the group was riding around on a Burton Fish, which is a different story altogether. But hey, the T2's a twin tip and I was riding it with an even stance, 23.5" apart, it's not going to float like a Fish. What's important is that I didn't really feel held back by the board, I didn't have the urge to try something longer for a run or two to test the difference. I didn't even bother setting my front foot back. It was still fun riding.
Overall So is the T2 a compramise or just the right mix for a board?
I'm towards the great mix end, I think this is a really good board. I wanted to try something more versatile than a pure jib board, but not going as far as an all-mountain board. A little bit longer, a little bit stiffer, but still freestyle. Still twin. I know that I could easily enjoy something with a similar design aim but a little softer - like the Agent or the DH - but the T2 has a little more bite, and I like that too.
Labels: equipment, nitro t2, review, snowboards
Burton's Tool Free Lenght-Adjustable Binding Straps
Monday, March 26, 2007
Mini Review
Fairly recently I bought a new set of Burton bindings (not for myself). I was intruiged by the "tool free" adjustable straps so thought a few words here might be useful...
I'll be honest and say that the first time I looked at the straps I didn't see how the mechanism worked. To me it just appeared to be a plastic cover over the screw that is used to adjust the binding strap length: there was still a screw that required a screw driver of some kind. As the bindings weren't mine, I gave it no further thought at that point...
It wasn't until I was on the hill in Flims that I, or we I should say, put the tool-free adjustment to good use.
A friend (with some new Burton Missions) and I decided to swap setups for a run to see what the other's board was like. When I strapped into his setup I couldn't get the straps tight as they were too long. Half way down we stopped to take a look at them. You're supposed to be able to set these without a tool aren't you?...
It's actually very simple. You just flick the cap up and then use the cap itself to tighten/loosen the screw. Bingo. The screw stays within the cap which makes it real easy to take the screw out, change the length and then get the screw back in again without losing it. In no time at all I was securely strapped in and getting a good test of a different board.
For sure it's nothing ground breaking, and you can achieve the same thing with a binding tool, which most people are going to have anyway. It's probably not a feature that's gonna sway your decision when choosing new bindings... However, I'd say it provides a less-fiddly and marginally faster way to adjust your straps. It's really handy - a sweet litlte bonus!
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Burton Wheelie Locker Review
Friday, June 02, 2006
Ok, so I've booked flights with KLM and I've never flown with them before. This got me thinking about the airline's rules for baggage allowance; how much is it going to cost me to take my snowboard? Now, I've got one of those swanky Burton Wheelie Lockers and I think a review of which will be of use to some people. Here goes...
First things first
I'm gonna start this review by saying that I love my Wheelie Locker. Remember that when you get to the end of the review. Here's why:
- It's huge. You can get so much stuff in there. I've packed three snowboards, my gear and half of my girlfriend's gear into the thing. Everything kept in one place!
- It's tough. The spiel on Burton's website is true. It's built to last and Burton back it up with their support (I've had a new replacement)
- The design is great. Separate sleave for the boards. Separate compartment for clothers. Tough external pocket for handy access. A removable bag for your boots and another for your bindings... If you're a tidy freak it makes it easy to pack; if you just want to chuck stuff in, there's loads of space. See the website and my photos for more on the features
But is it practical?
Unfortunately I think you have to ask this question. I love the idea and I really like the design of the bag - but is it practical for lugging around airports? I'd have to say the answer is no. Read on.
Maximum weight allowance
I've found that most airlines (well, the ones that I have used) operate with a maximum weight allowance of around 32kg, for a single bag. That is, each item of luggage must weigh less than 32kg. I know this to be true as I was called to the front of the line on an Easyjet flight and asked to take stuff out of my wheelie locker. I ended up removing my boots (with their own dedicated bag, sick) which the stewardess insisted would be sent separately. You can imagine my frustration when waiting in Geneva airport, all of our bags collected except the boots...
So, the fact that the wheelie locker allows you to pack so much stuff becomes a little irrelavant as you're constrained by 32kg.
What are you talking about? 32kg? That's madness, you don't need that much stuff!You're probably right. So why have a bag that's that big? Also, don't forget that when you start adding your mates board to save on costs, the extra jacket, the waxing iron - things start to add up. To me, that's the point of the wheelie locker - there's loads of space.
Note also that you don't save on the fact that you're only taking one bag. Explanation. Your friend has his regular suitcase with an allowance of 20kg and he's paid a flat fee to take a snowboard in a separate bag. They weigh this bag to make sure it's not super heavy, but they don't seem that bothered about its exact weight. You on the other hand have you single wheelie locker. Let's say that you're travelling light and the total weight is less than 20 kg. Do they offer you a discount? No. You pay the same.
Forget the airline's weight allowance, the damn thing is heavy!
I'm not the strongest person in the world but I'm not the weakest either. When the wheelie locker is rammed full it is heavy. Simple as that.
So you've flown to Geneva and as usual it takes the board bags ages to arrive. It's getting tight for the last train. Your wheelie locker finally arrives and now you've got to run to the train station...
It's not easy! Dragging 30-odd kg while running is hard work! I'm not being sexist here: Ciara can't lift the wheelie locker when it's full. It's heavy.
It's not just the airport though. Not all apartment blocks have lifts. My first trip to Tignes, we were on the top floor. Having all of your gear in one bag no longer seems like a good idea when you've got to carry it up 3 or 4 flights of stairs. The length then also becomes a problem. Stairwells aren't always wide. At 1.8 meters or so it can be hard to get the wheelie locker around narrow corners.
It's worth adding though that the wheelie locker does have good quality hand holds on the top of the bag, and a shoulder strap.
Other points
- If you take the board out of the bag and leave the rest of the gear in (for whatever reason), pulling the bag on its wheels becomes a problem
- I've found that I don't use the bag on road trips - it's too big for the roof rack
- You can't really use the wheelie locker in other situations, e.g. other holidays
Burton Wheelie Locker vs. Burton Wheelie Double Deck
...And you can fit a lot of gear in this thing too! I'm certain that using a decent travel bag along with a board bag is a more comfortable, easy to operate solution. Also, overall you can probably take more gear (if you feel the need) as you're not limited to 33kg. It doesn't have to be the Double Deck, I've seen the Dakine Split Roller and that seems really good too. However my experience is with the Burton travel gear and I know that it 'feels' really good - that quality comes through.
Summary - So what am I using for the Deux Alpes trip?
I hate the thought of leaving my Wheelie Locker behind, but I'm gonna use the Wheelie Double Deck travel bag, and take my board separately. In comparison, the Wheelie Locker just seems to much of a struggle to move around. I guess I'll let you know the final verdict when I get back.
Still hungry for more? Check out the archives.
