Jones Technical Snow Backpacks F/W 2026/27 Preview

Retail Buyers Guide: Technical Snow Backpacks F/W 2026/27 Retail Buyer’s Guide
Brand: JONES
Interviewee: Jones Marketing

Which technical snow backpacks sold best in the winter 2024/25 and why?
Our bestselling pack was the Further 25L. It’s positioned between our 19L Deeper pack, and our more substantial Higher 32L pack. The Further 25L pack offers a complete feature set for a full-day tour but it’s small enough to also use as a resort sidecountry pack.

Which of your 2025/2026 snow backpacks do you expect to perform best at retail and why?
The Further 25L pack. Based on its popularity over past seasons, we expect it will remain our bestseller. It fits the needs of the most riders – big enough for an all-day tour but compact enough to wear at the resort without it feeling overkill.

Are there any observable trends in the practice of snowboarding that impact product demand and development?
We’re seeing more mixed use – lift-served laps, short tours, and sidecountry – where riders carry less volume but still demand performance and function. Our packs are designed so that size isn’t the proxy for technicality. Of course, compared with the Deeper 19L, the Higher 32L naturally adds capacity and extras (dual hip-belt pockets, an additional ice-axe loop, external water-bottle stow, more organization, etc.), but across the line you’ll find a 600D Recycled ripstop shell, thermo-molded back panel, and vertical + side carry for your snowboard or splitboard. Shorter days aren’t necessarily less technical. Even with a smaller kit, packs still need to deliver all-day comfort, user-friendly access, and a fit that works on the way up and down. You’ll find those shared traits across all three of our packs.

What are the technical highlights in construction and materials of your 2026/27 collection?
The technical highlights of our packs include thermo-molded back panels and shoulder straps for supreme comfort, a stowable helmet holder that attaches on the front or the top of pack, fleece lined top pocket for keeping your goggles safe on the way up, ice axe loops for technical objectives and vertical board carry or side ski carry straps. The Higher 32L also has an external water bottle holder and a zippered back panel. All Jones packs are made with 100% recycled PVC-Free 600D Ripstop polyester, 100% recycled ballistic nylon bottom fabric with a PFC-Free DWR and a 100% recycled polyester liner fabric. All three Jones packs are 100% carryover for 26/27 after a complete redesign of the line in 24/25.

What color palettes, prints or patterns are you featuring in your 2026/27 collection?
All our packs are black which is the most commonly requested and bestselling pack colorway.

Which technical snowpacks do you expect the most growth from in 2026/2027 and why?
We anticipate the strongest growth from the Higher 32L pack in 26/27. With splitboard participation at an all-time high and sales trending up as the post-COVID surplus clears, we expect that momentum to translate into demand for more technical packs and split-specific features built for bigger days in the backcountry.

How are you implementing sustainability in your products and production processes?
We build our packs responsibly using 100% recycled fabrics and we work with our factory partner to assure the people who make our packs are treated fairly and have safe working conditions.

What are your marketing stories for 2026/27?
We will continue to promote our pack line as the ultimate backcountry and technical snowboarding packs that offer responsibly made high-performance for riders looking for everything from a compact sidecountry pack to an all-day tour pack that can carry a full load of alpine climbing gear. As a side note, we’re rolling out a major outerwear rebranding in 26/27: the former Shralpinist pieces have been updated and expanded into a premium three-part offering, which we’re calling Deeper, Further, and Higher. The names mirror our pack line, making it easy to build a mountain-ready kit. And like our pack line, all three deliver top-tier performance and features while tuning the details for distinct rider profiles, styles, and mountain objectives, without pigeonholing anyone into a fixed bracket.

How are you helping retailers to sell this category?
Retailers are our main focus. We seem them as long-term partners and we’re fully committed to supporting their success, season after season. That starts with a responsible sell-in model: no overproduction, clean inventory, and strong margins. We prioritize early deliveries to give shops the best full-price window, and we support them with detailed product training, and compelling storytelling around our sustainability and innovation. Our sales teams stay close to each retailer to offer tailored support, from clinic hosting to assortment planning. Partner results drive a healthier snowboard market and snowboard scene. That’s our shared focus and goal. In terms of the backpack specific market, we are adopting a carryover-first approach: keeping proven models and colorways consistent so shops can buy with confidence, sell longer at full price, and avoid annual refreshes that drive markdowns and surplus. When we do updates, it’s for real rider benefit, not cosmetic churn. It’s a long-term stance our retail partners have welcomed.

Key Products:

Higher 32L:
The Higher 32L is designed for long tours and technical objectives that demand you carry the full kit. It features a dedicated avy tool pocket, a helmet holder, an external water bottle holder, dual hip pockets and a streamlined shape that evenly distributes weight and volume over the center of your torso.

Bag-Higher-32L

Further 25L:
The Further 25L is a mid-size touring pack that’s designed to hold everything you need for a basic backcountry mission. The pack has a dedicated avy tool pocket, helmet holder, dual hip pockets and a contoured profile that’s purposefully designed for ascent/descent performance.

Bag-Further-25L

Deeper 19L:
The Deeper 19L pack is a sleek sidecountry and quick tour pack that’s the perfect size for the bare essentials – avy tools, water, snacks and a layer. The pack’s compact profile is designed to keep your center of gravity tight on the way down and your board locked to your back when you hit the bootpack.

Bag-Deeper-19L