First Look: BD’s Cirque Ultra 25 Ski Pack.

Let’s begin this BD Cirque Ultra 25 with some basic facts, disclaimers, and a confessional. The Cirque Ultra 25 is what I’d call a touring vest with the functionality of a mid-volume touring pack for skiers—as far as I can tell, you’ll have to custom rig it to carry a splitboard. By vest, I mean the shoulder straps are a close relative to what you might find on a running vest. The idea is that you have access to water, food, a phone pocket (remember that EMI), and more, right on your shoulder straps—there’s less need to remove the pack to grab those often small, but necessary, items. 

The Cirque Ultra 25 uses Challenge Sailcloth UltraWeave™ 200d and 400d fabric, so you’ll be paying a premium for the pack. These UL fabrics are a UHMWPE/polyester blend, which should gain you marginal weight savings (maybe), some durability, and weatherproofing. On the Cirque Ultra 25, the pack bottom is covered in 400D fabric, while the remaining face fabric is 200D.

The other fact is that anything made from these fabrics is expensive. For example, the Cirque Ultra 25 costs (retail) roughly $400. Yikes! BD makes a near identical pack in a more conventional 210D nylon fabric with a Dynex (UHMWPE-reinforcing) grid for durability (retail price is $220). That ski vest, unlike the updated Ultra version I’ll be donning, has a single sternum strap; the Ultra has two, which equates to better fit and carrying comfort when the loads are a bit higher. You can find both packs on sale with a bit of perusing. Them there are the basic facts. 

The confession is that I have a weakness for UHMWPE packs. My primary daily driver pack is an Apocalypse Equipment ski pack. This will be my third full season with it; I used an older model for a few seasons before that. Damn if I don’t love the looks and function of the pack Gavin (yup, that Gavin, there’s the disclaimer) crafted. But if the pack didn’t fit and work, we’d still be friends, but I’d use a different pack. It has the features I want, and is not overburdened with features and doodads I don’t. I like a generous roll top. I like full side-zip access. There are a few extra pockets and a sleek back-panel safety-tool pocket where I can also store axes. I don’t need more. I’m not a fan of busy packs.  

Along those lines, for smaller missions, I’ve used a BD Cirque 22 Ski Vest since 2020. Then, one day, I accidentally left a few bars in the vest pocket, and my dog Maddie shredded the pockets and made away with some Clif Bars.

Although that ski vest was a benchmark at the time, I always wished it had a roll-top and full side-zip access; it was a bit cumbersome to dig through the pack for items. Lastly, the internal plastic sheet frame was a bit wide for my torso. Minor things, for sure. Otherwise, the vest concept was well executed. That vest, with a claimed 22L capacity, weighed 650g in a medium; the Cirque Ultra 25 (25L capacity) has a claimed weight of 850g (sorry folks, my scale malfunctioned this weekend, so no real-time weight measurement). The Ultra has three zip pockets for storing small items, the ability to carry two axes, and a stowable helmet carry.

Although I never made any public or private comments to BD about progressing the ski vest, this Ultra iteration of the Cirque 25 seems to hit a sweet-spot feature set for a smaller-volume pack. The back panel/frame sheet is reduced in size and seems more plush; the skimo-style ski carry is basic and stashable; the helmet carry is stashable; and it features a minimalist, removable waist belt, something the original ski vest (circa 2020 design) did not. The safety tool pocket is positioned on the pack front, rather than on the inside, which was also a 2020 feature.  

I had a medium in the Cirque 22 Vest (they offered S, M, and L), while the Ultra iteration comes in S/M and M/L; both are unisex. I’m 5’10 and down to about 155 pounds; the S/M fits nicely, even over a down coat. The adjustable side cord compression system, similar to the system featured on BD’s Distance running packs, works great for fit adjustments. I do want to mention that Mammut produces a solid ski vest, reviewed here: the Aenergy ST 20-25, also with a roll-top and full side-zip access.

Over the years, I’ve tried a few functional skimo-style packs, which can be considered a ski vest type pack: they feature shoulder straps with ample quick-access pockets for storage. I found that with skis larger than skimo sticks (65mm underfoot and short and light), they just weren’t comfortable. And that is understandable; they were not designed for a use case with heavier loads. My old BD ski vest was fine (as in tolerable) hauling larger skis like a 184cm Backland 107, but it, too, wasn’t the most stable or comfortable. But with lighter skis, think Blizzard ZG 95 or a Black Crows Mentis, that ski vest, and its basic suspension were sufficient. This is to say that the BD ski vests offer a bit more range regarding ski-carrying capacity and overall volume, which, for me, is desirable, than a race-oriented skimo pack. I am also aware that these types of more robust ski vests bump up against a carrying capacity limit in cold-weather situations. If I plan on a bulky puffy, a thermos, multiple pairs of gloves (I often carry two backups), possibly carrying big powder skis, etc., I’m opting for my larger daily driver pack.

I’m psyched to test the functionality, fit, and durability of this slick-looking ski vest (call it a pack) this season. We’ll include more specs with the in-depth review.