Gear Review - Ortovox Powder Rider 28 Backpack
- Henry
- May 15
- 4 min read
Updated: May 27
I love Ortovox backpacks. By far and away they are the most well thought out ski packs on the market. So how would I get on with the new Powder Rider 28?
The Ortovox brand will be recognised by any serious off piste and backcountry skier. They have been pioneers of backcountry ski gear for the last decade, their ski jackets quietly becoming some of the best on the market and their backpacks being really, really difficult to beat.
There's reasons for this, which I will come on to later. But the thought that goes into the design makes the Powder Rider - and other Ortovox packs - some of the best on the market.
This is Skiing Unlocked's review of the Ortovox Powder Rider 28 litre backpack.
The Brand
Ortovox are a Swiss brand that have been quietly making a name for themselves in the backcountry and off piste niches over the past few years.
Their Guardian 3L GoreTex jacket is, quite simply, one of the best ski jackets on the market. And they do things with merino wool that would make a sheep blush, lining their jackets and creating a brand new range of wool midlayers that are unbeatable.
They are well known for their sustainability measures, too. Their jackets are made from recycled plastic, and they pick wool from local Swiss suppliers, rather than importing Merino from New Zealand as most brands do.
So what of their backpacks? Pretty much unbeatable, in my opinion, for much of the past little while. There's two key reasons for this, both of which are evident in the Powder Rider; the slimline profile, and exceedingly well thought out avalanche gear space.
The design of the bag is simple but effective. A heavy duty ripstop fabric forms the outer, and this is really rugged material, trust me. The usual features are there, in particular a padded hip strap - seemingly unique to Ortovox but appreciated nonetheless - and its simple approach to space, namely one main pocket for everything, a small exterior pocket, alongside a stash pocket in the interior.
The roll-down top is a really nice feature on this piece. It allows you to really easily stuff your jacket or skins in the top of the pack, rather than trying to fit them in with everything else, maintaining the slim profile of the pack along the way.
And what a slim profile it is. This is a common theme across all Ortovox packs, but it is really noticeable here. 28 litres is bordering on the cusp of being big and bulky - I've skied with other packs that really poorly hide the space. But here it looks and feels like I'm skiing with my normal 18l pack. It is really well shaped and sized to give you maximum space, but without feeling cumbersome.
That space is really well used, too. Thick padding on the straps means even when you are using the easy-to-use ski carry system - either A-Frame or crossways - the extra weight isn't really a burden, and there's space inside for a hydration system, not something seen on all other packs.
Secondly, it features Ortovox's headline access system to get at your avi gear in an emergency.
If you have read other backpack reviews on here, you will know the weight I put on this element of the design. Partly because it is important, but partly, too, because Ortovox have perfected it and have yet to be beat.
In an emergency, you literally rip the back of the backpack off. That's it. That's the genius. Two zippers zip all the way down the back panel, allowing you rip open the pack at a second's notice. The probe and shovel handle sleeves are stitched to the back panel too, meaning they come with you when you rip it open, making it even easier to grab what you need. There is also a dedicated space for your shovel head, as far as I can tell unique to Ortovox.
That's it. Access to your avi gear is instant and simple, no levering shovel handles out of tight pockets or wrenching shovel heads from deep inside your pack.
Are you listening, every other brand?! That's how you bloody well do avalanche safety.
Drawbacks
There are, however, a couple of drawbacks, however minor. The bag felt heavy to the touch, something you don't get with other packs. There perhaps is such a thing as too heavier a fabric, with the ripstop fabric used here I think a touch overkill.
Similarly, the colour of the pack was pretty ... not great. That dull kharki/olive colour is becoming more common in ski gear, but my god is it dull, ugly and uninspiring. Be better Ortovox.
Final Thoughts
All that being said, the Powder Rider 28 remains one of the best designed backpacks on the market. It is well worth considering if looking for a pack, even if you look for a different colour ...
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