Mystery Ranch Gallatin Peak 40 Backpack – Bona Fide Backcountry Touring Backpack

Mystery Ranch Gallatin Peak 40 Backpack is built for serious use in the mountains. This is an ideal backpack for serious backcountry skiers and splitboarders. With the overbuilt and overengineered awareness that Mystery Ranch is known for, this backpack can handle your adventures in the alpine.


Gallatin Peak 40 Pack | MYSTERY RANCH Backpacks

Mystery Ranch Gallatin Peak 40 Backpack – Built for the mountains

If you know anything about Mystery Ranch, you know that they build some of the best backpacks out there.  For a good reason.  Most of their users are actually not recreational users.  Meaning, they are men and women in the military, fire, police, medical and rescue.  People who do not have time for gear to fail or let them down. Mystery Ranch over engineers and overbuilds their kit and it shows!

The other segment of users that rely on Mystery Ranch is hunters.  As a fitness professional, I have worked with several bow hunters and many of them swear by MR backpacks.  And I have benefited on several occasions from their use of the Mystery Ranch hunting backpacks.  Our deep freezer is full of hard work in the mountains!

The bow hunters I worked with appreciated the incredible capacity to haul heavy loads with their MR packs.  This is one of the things that MR is known for.

How do that affect backcountry ski and splitboard users? I am getting there… trust me 🙂

One of my favorite features of most Mystery Ranch backpacks is the suspension system.  The Gallatin Peak 40 features a very functional frame sheet and dual composite stays.  The create a flexible and yet sturdy suspension system to effectively carry more than usual amounts of weight.  With ease.

That is the best part.  You don’t feel like you are carrying a heavy backpack. Mystery Ranch designs the system to play nicely and allows for a limitless range of motion.  It does not get in the way of touring, bushwacking and shredding back down the mountain.

Over-engineered, in a good way

One of the things that people notice right away with Mystery Ranch backpacks, is all the attention to detail. And then attention to detail that I did not even know existed.  LOL.  Like the oversized zippers waterproof zipper tracks.  Other companies might save weight and money by going with smaller zippers, but it is refreshing that MR goes with burly zippers that you can manage with leather gloves on.


Gallatin Peak 40 Pack | MYSTERY RANCH Backpacks

Pockets. Pockets. Pockets.

As this is a backcountry ski and splitboard focused backpack, you can expect it to have the usual features needed for these activities.  Dedicated snow safety pocket.  Check.  Heck, they even make the zippers stand out with contrasting colors. Soft material pocket for optics (sunglasses, goggles, specs). Check.  Extra pocket for maps (check out Beacon Guide Books!) and comms on top. Helmet carry system that can be stowed when not in use.

But… no hip belt pockets.  That one goes over my head.  Not sure the reasoning on that.  I like hip belt pockets for tools, knife, and inclinometer.  Maybe there is something I am missing on the reasoning?

Quick Back Access Panel

This is a neat feature.  Many ski and snowboard packs have U shaped panels to access the backpack when skis or snowboards are attached.  Mystery Ranch one-ups that with the quick access feature.  Watch the video to see it in action! It works well and allows complete access in seconds.


Gallatin Peak 40 Pack | MYSTERY RANCH Backpacks

Adjustable torso

One of the best features of these packs is the ability to dial in the fit for each user.  More so than most any other backpack I have seen.  Take some time and really dial in the fit for yourself before your first outing with the Gallatin Peak, and it will treat you well.

Review of the Mystery Ranch Gallatin Peak 40 Backpack

This is my kind of backcountry backpack.  It is made of very durable materials.  The pack can adjust to fit a wide variety of users and conditions.  Comfort on the skin track is great.  The pack does not get in the way on the ride down.  I can overload the pack (which is pretty typical for me LOL) and it does not complain.

If you are a guide, leader, over-packer, crazy person like myself and our friends, this is your backpack.  Hut trips? Sure! Long, long days in the mountains, yep!