One of the best things about living in a ski town is that having fun in the mountains doesn’t end with the ski season. Most mountain communities are year-round adventure playgrounds and North Lake Tahoe, where I live, is no exception. I moved here for the skiing and stayed for the endless outdoor recreation. Living in Tahoe has been a dream come true. All winter I’m minutes from world class skiing, and come summer I have hundreds of miles of singletrack trails accessible from my front door.
Every spring as the snows recedes in a predictable fashion we reluctantly give into summer, while we still chase snow for as long as possible, we eventually trade skin tracks for singletracks. Mountain biking softens the otherwise abrupt and depressing transition from winter to summer. The locations and outfits change, but the goal remains the same. The combination of exercise, adrenalin, smiles, and high-fives are all we really need to have fun regardless of the season.
Fortunately, for skiers who mountain bike, and vice versa, Deuter makes packs for both sports. Making the transition from winter to summer is even easier when you can simply switch from one thoughtfully designed and well supported pack to another.
When I ride I wear the Deuter Compact Air EXP 10, the perfect pack for a quick hour lap to an all day epic in the Sierra. The Deuter Streamer water bladder opens easily and super wide making it easy to clean or add ice on hot days, and the nozzle never leaks or drips on my leg like other brands that I’ve used. The pack’s pockets are thoughtfully laid out to hold everything I need for long trail rides. In the fall and spring I easily carry extra layers for cooler temps in the expandable panel of the pack.
The Aircomfort back system supports the entire load an inch or so off your back on a tight mesh panel allowing for the best air-flow and breathe-ability you could ever ask for. Couple that with mesh shoulder straps and stash pockets on the waist straps and you just might forget you’re even wearing it, making it even easier to enjoy the ride…