Lange Racer Bag Small

The Lange Racer Bag Small carries the same kit as the full-size Racer Bag in a body that is 5 liters smaller and 600 grams lighter. Lange documents it with the identical feature set — zippered internal side boot compartments, a helmet pouch and a fleece-lined goggle pocket — so if those are what you are buying, this is the cheaper way to get them.

The build is the same rugged 600D polyester and PVC as the big bag. Lange’s own line on it is that there is “still enough volume to fit your boots, helmet and gear,” and the numbers back that up: 75 liters, 360 x 380 x 600 mm, 1.3 kg empty.

Where it differs from the 80-liter Racer Bag is shape as much as size. The Small is squarer — 360 x 380 across the base against the Racer Bag’s 490 x 280 — and it does not carry the big bag’s top, front and back access, or the padded sternum and waist straps. What it does carry is 600 grams less on your back, every walk from the parking lot to the lodge, all season.

It suits a racer or a coach who wants boots, helmet, goggles and a day’s kit in one bag and does not want to haul a duffel to do it. It is the wrong bag if you are packing for a trip rather than a day — the extra 5 liters and the three-way access on the Racer Bag earn their keep once you are living out of it. And if you only need a boot carrier, the 35-liter Compact Boot Bag is the smaller, simpler option.