BCA Stash 30 ski backpack review: built to last with a style that won’t age

A workhorse pack with loads of space, the BCA Stash 30 has plenty of ways to access contents

By Berne Broudy
published
BCA Stash 30
(Image: © BCA)

Advnture Verdict

Well featured, highly practical, unpretentious and reasonably priced, the Backcountry Access Stash 30 – BCA Stash 30 to its friends – is an excellent daypack, no matter what kind of skiing you’re doing.

Pros

  • +

    Big, open spaces for gear

  • +

    Hydration-reservoir ready with an insulated shoulder strap

  • +

    Many ways to access gear – front, back and top zips

Cons

  • -

    Heavier than similar-sized packs

  • -

    Fabrics aren’t as fancy

  • -

    Less streamlined than other packs

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BCA Stash 30: first impressions

Looking for a ski backpack that’ll last for the rest of this decade? Say hello to the BCA Stash 30. Practical and spacious, the Backcountry Access Stash 30 has a highly tunable fit and ageless style. Spacious pockets and divided storage help with organization, and thanks to dual insulated shoulder straps I found I could run a radio and a hydration reservoir at the same time.

Specifications

• List price: $179.95 (US) / £145 (UK)
• Fabric: 210-denier rip-stop nylon + 420 denier Oxford nylon
• Sizes: One size only
• Volume: 30L / 1,830 cu in
• Weight: 1,490g / 3.3lb
• Airbag Compatible: No
• Colors: Black / Crimson

I like to be able to eat, apply sunscreen and check my GPS tracker without stopping, and the BCA Stash 30’s oversized dual hip pockets keep everything I need close at hand. Thanks to its back panel entry, I can grab my puffy and anything else from the main compartment without taking the skis off my pack. I can also access the main compartment through a top zip. 

The snow safety pocket has a zippered mesh pocket for smaller tools. The ski goggles pocket is big enough to carry a full lunch when my goggles are on my helmet or stored elsewhere. The helmet sling tucks inside a front panel flap for descents.

BCA Stash 30: on the slopes

BCA Stash 30

The BCA Stash 30’s pack straps tuck away so there’s nothing to get snagged (Image credit: BCA)

I loved the BCA Stash 30’s understated vibe. It does everything well, feels good on my back and it has all the technical features I need for a winter of backcountry outings across the US. in all types of weather, whether I’m doing lunch laps or all-day exploring. 

The waist belt supports whatever I load in, and the back panel helps manage sweat. The pack straps tuck away so there’s nothing to get snagged. The tone-on-tone bag is low-key for those who prefer to fly under the radar. 

The Stash 30 is practical and built to get the job done without needing to be the center of attention. And despite its size, it’s one of the most affordable packs out there designed for avid skiers and riders.

BCA Stash 30

The BCA Stash 30 offers plenty of space inside (Image credit: BCA)
Berne Broudy
Berne Broudy

Vermont-based writer, photographer and adventurer, Berne reports on hiking, biking, skiing, overlanding, travel, climbing and kayaking for category-leading publications in the U.S., Europe and beyond. In the field, she’s been asked to deliver a herd of llamas to a Bolivian mountaintop corral, had first fat-biking descents in Alaska, helped establish East Greenland’s first sport climbing and biked the length of Jordan. She’s worked to help brands clean up their materials and manufacturing, and has had guns pulled on her in at least three continents.