Black Diamond Covert Avalung Winter Pack - 1343-1953cu in

Liked everything about the pack until I tried to fit my avalanche safety gear into it. This is a BD bag but my BD Deploy 3 shovel and BCA Probe wouldn't fit into the pocket specifically designed to hold avy gear. I even tried taking the handle out of the shovel and still couldn't get the pocket to zip shut. I definitely wanted an Avalung on my pack since the backcountry has been so sketchy this year, but this bag is going back.

anytime i buy BD i am never let down. their gear is deffinetly minimalist design but with everything run through the ringer so many times you never have a piece of the pack fail. the back does not have a ton of support as it is a smaller pack but the availing feature is great for one thing .....obv if you get stuck in an avalanche....but another use is when you are skiing super deep powder where you have a hard time getting a breach because you just get mouth fills of snow. you can put the mouthpiece in and ski in those powder situations and it makes breathing much easier so i have used this tool a bunch of times.....great company and products

I used this pack all last year. Its a great pack, and does a great job carrying stuff, but after getting in a big slide in Alaska last year I realized that its very unlikley you'll be able to keep the snorkle in your mouth if you are caught in a slide. I am looking forward to buying an airbag backpack this season. It's worth the $$$$ if it saves you life.

Nice pack. The integrated avalung is handy; don't have to worry about it. Wish they could find a better routing scheme than having the rigid box on the shoulder. Depending on your anatomy, it can bite into your shoulder with a heavy pack.

Pack seems well made and the organization is good.

This pack I enjoy very much, it is not too big nor too small, just the right size. It is ideal for the bc riding do, having an Avalung for when times go bad you up to an hour of oxygen vs. 15-25 minutes without it. I view the Avalung pack as important as my probe, shovel, beacon & bc partners.

If you do want a smaller pack for mainly slackcountry I would check out the BD Bandit, my old pack last year until I upgraded to this size.

I really like the features of this pack and the ability to either diagonal carry for a quick bootcamp or A-frame it for extended jaunts on your feet. The Avalung is easy to use and provides a sense of security. My only concern with the pack is the use of somewhat smaller and weak zippers which are prone to snagging, freezing, and bulging under pressure of a full load.

I have purchased this pack, and it is very good. It keeps the stuff dry, and sits well on your back. I really love this pack.

not a bad pack, but the avy pocket is to small, i could not fit my small deploy 3 shovel and probe in the pocket. just seems like a poor design. other than that this would be a great pack.

This pack keeps things organized, and is a good size for day trips. I do wish that it had one smaller compartment besides the soft lined pocket intended for goggles. It's nice to keep a little point and shoot camera, chapstick, and a bit of food handy in a smaller pocket. Other than that I'm pleased with the construction and organization, and the helmet carrier is pretty nifty. This is a great choice if you want an Avalung pack for day trips touring or some slackcountry runs.

This is my second year with this bag. It is holding up very well. minor scuff and 1 small tear. Holds lots of gear. or only bare minimum. The nice thing is the compression straps if needed to tighten it up a bit. Not a fan of the older style ski carry. the new ones are better. My only other gripe is the main pocket only has 1 small pocket. it works well for sunglasses and snacks, but needs more organization pockets. otherwise its a 5 star

This pack is just big enough to hold all the stuff I bring on a day tour, but no bigger. It carries well and the dedicated avalanche gear pocket feels nice and organized. However, my large Voile shovel has to be broken down into three pieces in order to fit inside that compartment. I am 6'5", 32" waist and the M/L size is just long enough for my back.

Great daytrip pack. This is a huge improvement over the old BD backpacks which were for lack of a better word.... Junk. It's comfy and easy to access everything. I wish there was an external quick release shovel mount but it is very comfortable and having an avalung just in case is a definite nice to have.

Great fit, perfect size - nice organization. One of the few packs that I wouldn't change much on. Not sure if I agree with the review below - both avalungs and airbags have their advantages and disadvantages. The problem with airbags is that they are VERY expensive, and won't protect you in the event of a secondary slide.

This pack it built well and fits all necessary gear for a good long day in your favorite backcountry zone. With the Avalung the straps might feel a little uncomfortable on your shoulders but with a few sessions it should break in nicely. Another great thing about this pack is the stow-away helmet pouch. Everyone should be wearing a helmet while skiing so a pack with a place to strap your helmet on for those grueling climbs is definitely a plus. If you are looking for a pack with a little more room check out the anarchist avalung. But for the avid day tripper this pack should be perfect.

I own this pack but unfortunately I find it to be a bit small for longer tours or for tours where I'm really moving and want to carry a couple layers in my pack. That being said, for resort days it makes a nice pack for some lunch and an extra single layer - but then you're wearing an avalung inbounds which is a bit overkill. In hindsight I would have gone for the avalung on a large pack and snagged this one in the non-avalung version. Construction is solid and the ski carry works great in all configurations.

While I think BD makes a good product this was not the right bag for me. I ordered it in a size small/medium and the front gear pocket didn't fit my avalanche gear. The pocket was too short to house my probe and saw and it barely fit my shovel handle. To me this really reduces the utility of the pack.

I own a 32L, had to change from size M to size L (6.0', 170#).
This pack is good for a day trip, but I found it to be quite a pain to carry avy tools, gear and enough layers for variable conditions, plus a camelback 2.0L bladder. plus, the small internal pocket is way too small, it barely fits my log book with pencil, slopemeter. I have a large BD shovel, which has to be broken down into 3 pieces to fit. carrying a probe? it barely fits in the outside pocket. The internal pocket is large, but when you carry first-aid, liners, extra top layer, gloves and a thin thermos for those cold days, it gets tight very quickly.

I feel this pack is a great idea, but needs work to be a great pack, mostly in the realm of organization and space. I would not consider using this pack for multi-day tours...there simply isn't enough room.

Pros:
Avalung integrated
hydration integrate (separate buy for the bladder though)
light
bombproof, somewhat water proof
large main pocket
fully loaded? fits like a glove

Cons:
day pack only, too small for multi-day tours
sizes smaller than you think
outside pocket not large/deep enough for your quick-grab tools
internal pocket too small, needs another pocket for organization, study and small tool storage

Not knocking this pack, but could always use an upgrade in redesign.