UBIC 40L

Not really, thanks to the compression. The side compression straps cinch a half-full UBIC 40L down close to day-pack size and stop the load shifting, so the same pack works for a big single day and a two-day trip. That said, if the large majority of your outings are short days with light loads, the UBIC 30L is lighter and tidier for that use - the 40L earns its volume when you regularly stay out overnight.

Skis ride on the sides of the pack rather than in an A-frame - balanced, and friendly to wider freeride skis - while a board straps to the back using the two removable alpine compression straps. At 40 litres the overnight kit still fits inside while the skis or board travel outside, which is what makes it a genuine multi-day ski touring and splitboard pack rather than a day sack pushed past its size.

Yes - that's exactly what it's sized for. 40 litres takes a sleeping bag liner, spare layers, refuge clothes, food, safety kit and a 1.5-2 L bladder, with skis, a board or a rope carried outside. The suitcase-style opening makes packing the night before easy, and the compression keeps it stable once you're moving. For longer self-supported trips with a full sleeping system and stove, you'll want a larger expedition pack.

Like the rest of the range it sheds weather rather than sealing against it: a 1,000 mm rating and PFC-free DWR handle snow and passing showers, and the integrated rain cover covers the real thing. On an overnight that matters more - your dry layers and sleeping kit are what you can't let get wet, so deploy the cover early and keep them packed deep. The seams aren't taped, so in a sustained downpour it's the cover, not the fabric, that keeps the inside dry.

Both share the UBIC build - eco-dyed recycled fabrics, rain cover, ski and snowboard carry, suitcase opening. The UBIC 40L earns its size when you actually pack it out - overnight layers, refuge kit, a fuller winter load - with the compression to cinch it down on lighter days. If you mostly head out for a single day, the UBIC 30L handles tighter and weighs less; choose the 40L when you regularly sleep out or carry more.

Yes, thanks to the compression. Run it part-empty for a long day and the side compression straps and the floating two-buckle flap pull the load down onto your back so it doesn't sway or ride tall. It carries best with a real load in it - that's what 40 litres is for - but it won't punish you on the days you don't fill it. A hydration sleeve sits inside for either kind of day.

A 40-litre pack that lives out of huts and car boots collects more grime than a day sack, so air it dry fully before storing and clear the pockets of damp gloves and skins. Hand wash at no more than 40 °C with a mild soap, brush off the worst rather than soaking it, and keep it clear of the tumble dryer, bleach, iron and dry cleaning that wreck the DWR. Re-proof with a PFC-free spray once water stops beading, and if a strap or zip wears out down the line, Millet repairs it in its own workshop rather than replacing the whole pack.