Why should I buy a pack from illumination equipment?

Simply put, because you want one. You may like the features or minimalist aesthetic, or the fact that illumination equipment is hand made in the USA with the highest quality fabrics available. You may believe that quality gear is an investment and want the option to have you gear repaired when needed. There are a lot of great packs out there. If a pack from illumination equipment speaks to you, buy it! If it doesn’t, find one that does.

What size should I buy?

Check out our Sizing and Fit page!

If you have more specific questions about sizing and fit, contact us and we’ll be happy to help.

All the packs are Out of Stock. When will they be restocked?

Each of our packs is made by hand. We strive to drop runs of each model during the North American fall. We’ll occasionally update stock on specific sizes and models throughout the winter. Sign up for stock alerts and our email list if you want to be the first to know when a pack will become available. Or if you’re chomping at the bit, contact us and we’ll give you an update.

When will my pack ship?

If a pack is in stock, that means a physical pack is ready to ship. We ship on Fridays, so it may be a few days after you place the order before the pack is dropped off to the shipper. If you require expedited shipping, contact us and we can see about getting your pack out to you sooner.

Do you offer international shipping?

Yes! For customers in the US and British Columbia, you can place an order through the website and the shipping will populated automatically. For customers outside that area, please shoot us an email with your shipping address. We’ll provide a shipping quote. If the quote is acceptable, we’ll provide instructions for completing the order. Please note: sometimes packs sell out quickly. illumination equipment cannot guarantee a specific size, color, or model will be available until the order is completed. Any incomplete orders will no be charged or immediately refunded.

Are illumination packs compatible with all avy gear?

Avalanche gear, and especially shovels, come in many shapes and sizes. Most of them will work with illumination equipment packs. However, some particularly large shovels, or those with integrated shafts (e.g. Black Diamond Deploy), may not work optimally. Also, shovels with long collars may not fit as neatly into the avy pockets. Generally shovel blades 10”x10” and smaller will fit well in our packs. The zipper opening for the shovel pocket is about 12.5” wide. Here are a list of shovels we can confirm work with illumination equipment packs. We’ll continue to expand this list as we get more info:

• BCA B-1 EXT

• BCA Dozer 2T

• Mammut Allugator Light

• Black Diamond Deploy 7 technically fits, but the fit far from optimal and this combination is not recommended. Black Diamond Deploy 9 does not fit.

Do illumination packs have a weight limit?

The short answer is no. The longer answer is, these are light and ultra light packs and they are designed to be used with ultralight gear. To get the best out of an illumination equipment pack, you want to have already invested in light weight skiing and mountaineering gear. Generally, a pack itself is the last place to shave weight. Putting a bunch of heavy gear in a light pack will usually feel worse than putting a bunch of light gear in a heavy pack. In addition, repeatedly overfilling any pack and straining the stitching will shorten its lifespan.

Do you offer discounts or pro deals?

illumination equipment generally does not offer sales or discounts. On occasion, we may offer discounts on prototypes or seconds. Similarly, since we’re a very small company, we do not generally offer pro deals. However, if you are an athlete with ambitions and want to use our packs, contact us. Please include a link to your social media, personal website, or any relevant publications. As we grow as a company, we look forward to partnering with like-minded athletes.