What is the Alpha SK?
Presenting, after years of hard work, Arcteryx's Alpha SK! Adaptable, cleverly put-together, weather-resistant, versatile, gnarly and damn sexy, the Alpha SK is something we're very excited about indeed. Originally aimed at the ski tourers amongst us, it soon became clear that with its incredible ability to adapt to be able to carry any sort of load. The Alpha SK is far more versatile than anything we've seen before.
What is it made of?
Starting with the outer material, Arcteryx uses an N400-AC² nylon 6 ripstop fabric which is not only incredibly tough and highly abrasion resistant but is also weatherproof. The AC² construction is laminated, lightweight and has taped seams to make it highly waterproof.
What is the backsystem?
The pack is also incredibly comfortable to carry - the high-density padded back panel with internally laminated HD80 foam frame sheet ensures that the load is carried as close to your body as possible without compromising on comfort - no matter what you have in your pack, you won't feel any discomfort.
What are the features?
The first thing you'll notice when picking it up is that it's incredibly light for its size - at a 'generous' 32 litres, the pack comes in at bang on 1kg. The second thing you'll notice is just how simple and well thought out the storage space is. The storage space in the pack consists of:
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The main compartment, which has a large side zipper for easy access and will comfortably carry all of your bits for a day out
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One large AC² waterproof front pocket, which has space to store a shovel, saw and probe with space for skins
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A generous top pocket in the lid, which (due to the highly adjustable rear clips) also doubles up as a space to carry a helmet or a rope under the lid
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A small exterior pocket with a key clip
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Two 50cm long Alpha SK straps (included) for attaching skis or ice axes to the exterior
These straps are one of the things that got us so excited about this pack; they are incredibly clever. If you look closer at the pack you'll see that there are several places that these straps can be moved/attached to, meaning you can totally customise the layout of the exterior load you wish to carry (for example, skis can be carried diagonally or in an A-frame by adding 3 more straps, or snowboards vertically with longer 65cm straps - all sold separately). To further add to the stability of the pack, the Alpha SK features a low-profile, forward pull waistbelt that is easy to adjust when you're wearing gloves, and a fully adjustable sternum strap
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Highly weather resistant
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'Generous' 32L capacity
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Durable
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Versatile
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Hard-wearing
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N400-AC² nylon 6 ripstop fabric
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Helmet-compatible lid
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Large side zipper for easy access to the main compartment
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One large AC² waterproof front pocket
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A generous top pocket in the li
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A small exterior pocket with a key clip
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Two 50cm long Alpha SK straps
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High-density padded back panel with internally laminated HD80 foam frame sheet
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Forward pull waistbelt
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Adjustable sternum strap