Hyperlite Mountain Gear Crux 40 Ski Backpack Review

The boom in backcountry skiing in the past decade, particularly since COVID, has led to an insurgence of new backcountry skiers and riders. This has resulted in an explosion of offerings for backcountry ski packs: from day touring bags to highly technical ski mountaineering options. We tested the technical Hyperlite Mountain Gear Crux 40 due to the brands performance in other arenas, such as their Ice Pack 55 and Southwest 40. Designed for ski mountaineering, we took the Crux 40 on over 50 days of backcountry skiing in Argentine Patagonia, from casual day missions to week-plus overnight traverses. Below, we dig into our experiences with the Crux 40. To see how it compares to the competition, check out our article on the best ski backpacks. 
 

Table of Contents

• Intended Uses
• Avalanche Tool Pocket
• Carrying Comfort
• Features and Organization
• Weight
• Build Quality and Durability
• Fit and Sizing
• What We Like/What We Don't
• Comparison Table
• The Competition

Intended Uses

The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Crux 40 has the components to be one of the leading ski mountaineering packs on the market, but it isn't quite there yet to win our top pick. The brainchild of HMG designers and professional freeskier-turned-ski-mountaineer Cody Townsend, you can tell in the pack's features that it's designed for big days in technical terrain.
 

If you're looking for your first ski touring backpack for some mellow meadow wiggles or are even just starting to get into steep terrain out-of-bounds, the large 40-liter capacity and technical features (like front and rear haul loops) of the Crux will be cumbersome for your needs—all at a high price tag of $499. In this case, a less technical pack, like HMG's Aspect 32 or the Ortovox Haute Route will be a better fit.  However, if you're an experienced ski mountaineer looking to get farther into the backcountry and shave every gram, you may find the Crux 40 a great potential companion. Heading on a nearly four-month ski mountaineering trip to Patagonia, I decided to put the Crux to the test in the terrain it's designed for.
 

Just in case you're newer to the sport, "ski mountaineering terrain" has some definitive characteristics. It often is steeper in nature (40+ degrees) and sustained. Often, ascending terrain like this requires at least one, if not two, ice axes, crampons, and potentially a rope—which the Crux is designed to carry and access quickly. There may be pitches of ice and/or rock climbing, glacier travel, and rappels on the descent of ski lines. This terrain can be exposed, with more consequences if a skier were to take a fall or get caught in an avalanche. While having a pack that carries this technical equipment is important, the knowledge and experience to properly use this gear is absolutely vital. We suggest hiring a guide, taking a course, and getting educated before undertaking the additional risk of ski mountaineering.
 

Avalanche Tool Pocket

Any backcountry ski pack should have a dedicated avalanche tool pocket. While your beacon will always be in a chest harness or tethered inside your pant pocket, your shovel and your probe should have an easy-access home in your backpack, separate from any other belongings. This is so, in the case of an avalanche, you can easily access your rescue equipment without having to dig through your backpack. This crucial feature can lower your overall rescue time in scenarios where every second matters. 
 

The Crux 40's avalanche tool pockets are located inside the main compartment, with three pouches split between the front and both sides of the compartment. Most skiers don't practice avalanche rescue enough, so some may not find this feature as obviously important. However, as someone who teaches avalanche rescue as part of my living, the Crux's design was not completely off-base but could use some improvement. While separate and dedicated for avalanche rescue gear, to access this pocket, you have to open the brain of the pack along with two drawstrings before reaching the main compartment. If the bag is on the emptier side, then access is decent. However, if you have a full glacier kit, food, and multiple layers in the bag, it can be a bit tight to access the tools. Not a bad design, but when compared with access times to a separate, zippered compartment like on the Black Diamond Cirque 50, the Crux falls behind. 

Carrying Comfort

In terms of carrying comfort, HMG packs have always been a favorite of mine. At 5'2", it's typically hard to find small-framed packs that are actually sized to fit smaller people—and my HMG Ice Pack 55 and Porter bags carry heavy loads on my small frame quite nicely. The Crux 40 performed similarly, even weighted down with glacier and rock hardware. The 1/8- and 1/4-inch closed-cell foam lining the hip belt and the plush but lightweight 3/8-inch closed-cell foam on the shoulder straps are well-appointed and appreciated. 
 

Features and Organization

Access

Primary access to the main compartment of the Crux is through two drawstring closures, with the second closure expanding to add up to 15 liters of additional storage without the removable brain. I enjoyed the additional storage option and found this drawstring system water-resistant, though not waterproof—something I discovered in a low-elevation rainstorm while bushwhacking.
 

Any experienced backcountry skier will tell you an additional access point to a ski bag's main compartment is crucial, especially once skis are on the bag. This typically takes one of two forms: a side-zip, as seen on the Patagonia Descensionist, or a back-panel/"clamshell" style opening like on the Crux 40. Both of these have their strengths, so it comes down to skier preference. I tend to slightly prefer clamshell access for the sake of never needing to manage any gear (skis, rope, ski crampons, etc.) that may be strapped to the sides of my bag. I loved the thoughtful backpanel access on the Crux, which surprisingly proved waterproof through several rain events. As is the theme with the so-close-but-not-quite-perfect bag, I did wish the long and narrow backpanel was a bit wider, like on the Ortovox Haute Route, to provide easier access—I had to dig a bit to find what I needed at times.
 

Removable Brain

The removable brain of the Crux was my least favorite feature. It would frequently fall off its clip-on buckles if it wasn't always perfectly under tension—not a great trait when you're navigating steep terrain. I also found the brain too small to stow more than maybe a knife and a buff. I love that it's removable, as the pack performs much better without utilizing it. The lid does, however, add some additional moisture protection to the pack when on. 
 

Ski Carry

The Crux comes with a few ski carry options: the A-frame, side carry, and diagonal carry. While the A-frame is standard to most ski packs (and you can do a single-side carry on any pack that offers an A-frame), diagonal carry systems are usually what sets packs apart. Diagonal carries are a favorite in more technical terrain, where the low-profile nature of your skis may affect your ability to climb. While the Crux 40 has an effective, low-profile diagonal carry system, I was disappointed with the brand's decision to sell a separate "diagonal carry kit"—essentially a 1/2-inch webbing loop and ski strap—for an additional $25 when this pack is already $499 pack. Selling gear separately that is both essential to the full function of the pack and easy to make in your garage with a good water knot is not a choice, in my opinion.
 

Front Mesh Pocket

The front of the Crux 40 has a generously sized Dyneema Stretch Mesh UL pocket, which, in theory, sounds like a great place to maximize storage. However, this pocket is rendered all but useless when utilizing a diagonal ski carry. The Crux is intended for technical terrain where a diagonal carry is likely to be used, and this less-than-durable pocket leaves something to be desired. This being said, I did find the front pouch an okay place to quickly stash skins on a more casual tour—that is, as long as it's not snowing and you haven't stretched out the material already. This is the only component of the bag that I had any durability issues with—I poked holes in it throughout my trip in Argentina.
 

Other Features: Ice Axe Attachment, Haul Loops, and More

In addition to the features I dove into above, the Crux 40 does boast a handful of other thoughtful design choices. The ice axe attachment, with a tightening bungee on the shaft and a plastic buckle at the head of the axe, is easy to reach without taking off the pack. This makes it within reach as soon as sharps are needed in steep terrain, which I love. Along this same steep-terrain vein, I love the two front and rear beefy haul loops that make it easy to both anchor and haul the bag in technical terrain without worry. An HMG classic, the zippered hip belt pocket on one side is perfect for a headlamp or your favorite snacks, while a gear loop on the other hip serves as an easy place to stash gear without trying to access your harness loops on the go. All in all, the thoughtful design of the Crux shows it was developed for steep terrain.
 

Weight

At 2 pounds 12.1 ounces for the medium-frame bag, the Crux 40 is competitive for the lightweight ski mountaineering market. It's the second-lightest pack of its capacity and category on our ski backpack roundup, right behind the Raide LF 40 (2 lb. 8.6 oz.). However, unlike the Raide, you can drop additional weight from the Crux by removing the clip-on brain of the pack, which I found to be a better design anyway. The HMG Headwall 55, which has 15 liters of additional storage built in, is notably 2.7 ounces lighter than the Crux. The backpanel, plastic clips on the front for ski straps, and mesh pocket (which absorbs water weight) are responsible for the Crux's additional weight. With some creative modification, I think the crafty ski mountaineer could bring this pack down considerably in weight.
 

Build Quality and Durability

I personally love Hyperlite Mountain Gear as they often build some of the lightest weight packs with resounding resiliency—and the Crux 40 is no exception. While lightweight materials can sometimes lead to durability issues, this was generally not my experience with the Crux. It does a good job balancing the 100-denier Gridstop with Dyneema and 210D nylon, so there is more durable material where it's needed, and weight can be saved where those burlier materials aren't necessary. While the mesh pocket on the front of the pack (which I didn't love) didn't hold up as well, I was impressed with the Crux's main body durability even on adventurous (e.g., culeou, or dense bamboo, bushwhacking) approaches in Patagonia.
 

Fit and Sizing

Even with the nicest features, fit will make or break your experience with any ski pack during long days in the backcountry. HMG does a good job using universal sizing across their packs, which generally fits quite nicely in my experience. However, while the design of the Crux 40 is almost there, I found the size of the frame to sit generally taller (even without the brain attached) than other Hyperlite packs. The design of the Crux felt narrower than it needed to be, creating a longer shape. While it's decently comfortable, if the pack was a bit wider and shorter, I think it would carry more nicely. This all being said, with the adaptive adjustment system on the pack, a 6'2" tester was able to make a small frame pack work in a pinch for a 5-day trip. The result? No complaints.
 

Other Hyperlite Mountain Gear Ski Backpacks 

The Crux 40 is not Hyperlite Mountain Gear's first foray into ski backpacks, and I'm excited to see that they continue to churn out competitive, lightweight models meant for different types of backcountry adventures. The Headwall 55, HMG's first ski backpack, is designed for multi-day ski touring while making easy access to avalanche tools the premiere feature of the bag. I love the simplicity of the Headwall, its safety-focused design, and its capacity for bigger days in the mountains. While it doesn't have all the technical features of the Crux, it does a great job picking what's necessary and leaving out what isn't.
 

The Aspect 32 is HMG's most recent addition to their backcountry skiing lineup. The pack is on the smaller side at 32 liters and is advertised as a day touring pack rather than a ski mountaineering or overnight pack. While I'm still putting my Aspect through its paces for thorough testing, I've found it ideal for what it's designed for: shorter recreational days, with less equipment, in less technical terrain. On days when I want to bring more gear—like a snow saw or snow study kit for a field day as a forecaster—I find myself wishing the well-designed pack was just a bit larger. While HMG is relatively new to the ski backpack market, they are consistently putting out intentionally designed packs that perform in the realms they're designed for. HMG will continue to be a brand to keep an eye on as they push forward with lightweight pack designs.
 

What We Like

• Lightweight and durable design.
• Hyperlite's extended sizing spectrum makes this an option for a larger amount of skiers. 
• Technical components of the pack (haul loops, ski carry, axe stow) are sound, trustworthy, and easy to access.
• The expandable 15-liter double drawstring top access provides more storage with minimal hassle.

What We Don’t

• Avalanche tool pockets are dedicated but still not as easy to access when compared to other similar packs.
• The removable brain is liable to fall off the pack and does not offer adequate storage for the hassle.
• At $499, the Crux is pricey—especially when HMG makes essential pieces like a diagonal carry system an add-on for $25.
• The backpanel is decent but still leaves us wishing it was larger for easier access.
   

Comparison Table

The Competition

Hyperlite Mountain Gear's Crux 40 definitely deserves consideration when selecting a lightweight, premium ski mountaineering pack, but it doesn't quite take home our pick as the best on the market. With its $499 price tag (plus a $25 additional diagonal ski carry system), the design of the pack is not quite there yet, though it makes a great, lightweight pack that will be a good companion deep in the mountains. Our top overall pick for a ski mountaineering pack is the Black Diamond Cirque 50 for its balance of performance, durability, and affordability. While the Cirque 50 is quite a bit (3.9 oz.) heavier than the Crux 40, the $260 price, along with the feature-rich design, put it ahead for ski mountaineers who aren't as focused on lightweight designs.
 

The Raide LF 40 (2 lbs. 8.6 oz.) also takes aim at the same lightweight, technical ski mountaineering market, and does quite well for $70 less than the Crux. While we still have the Raide LF in testing, we have our likes and dislikes. For one, the avalanche tool compartment is leagues ahead of the Crux 40, being able to access both the probe and shovel without taking the pack off. That said, we also feel the Raide pack suffers from a bit of "feature-itis": being too rich in features and a bit too complicated for its own good. The Crux 40, as is characteristic of HMG, shines here by keeping things relatively simple. 

Speaking of simple, the Patagonia Descensionist 37L has had small tweaks to its design over the years, but overall has maintained its master of simplicity status. Many mountain guides, forecasters, and experienced ski mountaineers tout the durability and ease of use of the Descensionist, and its price won't break the bank at $195. This lower price tag comes with a slight sacrifice in weight, with the Descensionist weighing in at 3 pounds 3.5 ounces—the heaviest ski mountaineering pack we mention in this article. 
 

All in all, the Hyperlite Crux 40 is a decent option for the weight-conscious ski mountaineer who frequently enters technical terrain. While there are still design improvements to be made, the pack's performance is competitive with other offerings. It's up to you to decide where you want to sacrifice affordability, durability, weight, or performance.