SCOTT ALPRIDE 24 ABS PACK REVIEW
SCOTT ALPRIDE 24 ABS PACK £620 www.scott-sports.com
Yes, at over six hundred smackers the Scott Alpride is a costly backpack, but how much is your life worth, because the integrated ABS system may well save it?
The 24-litre capacity pack is one of the lightest ABS bags on the market at 1240g, and is a good size for daytrips although you’ll struggle to get all the gear you’ll need for an overnight stay in it.
The trigger handle is height-adjustable and glove-friendly and has multiple grabbing options – when pulled it will inflate the 150-litre airbag in just three seconds. Scott claim that the system is maintenance free; it uses two cartridges containing a mix of compressed argon and liquified CO2, based on the same technology as lifejacket cartridges used on planes, which means you can fly with them. Should you need to replace a cartridge they cost around £40.
When inflated the airbag’s shape protects your back and head and its round form offers optimal floatation should the worst happen; and whilst it’s pretty easy to repack the bag once deployed, should you simply want to get off the mountain as fast as possible you can actually ski with the bag open as it still allows for a complete field of vision.
The build quality of the Alpride is good and it also looks good. Aluminium safety buckles on the chest and waist in combination with a leg loop keep the pack attached to you should the worst happen, and it feels well-balanced and comfortable in use.
The main pocket will hold spare clothes etc. along with the gas cartridges and inflating mechanism, although this latter does take up quite a bit of space and impacts on just how much bulky gear you can get in the Alpride (not much, should you ask).
There’s an integrated back protector, a dedicated shovel and probe pocket and an additional zipped inner pocket and a large zipped goggles pocket, plus removable helmet attachment, and the ABS system can be removed so in effect you can use the pack year-round. There’s no hydration sleeve, however, which is a bit of an oversight in an otherwise excellent ABS pack.
