BootsnAll Travel Community

do you cut them off?
are they useless features?
Have you ever bought a pack because...oh my...ice axe loops! gotta have it!
have you ever used them?
WHY does every pack have them?
I have a 25 year old pack that has TWO....never (ever) needed 'em.
give me your opinion.
pls.

Mostly they are put on packs to make yuppies look like badasses. Of course climbers use the loops for ice axes but there are alot of packs out there unsuitable for climbing that still sport ridiculous amounts of loops.

That said I use the loops to tie things to or to tie my bag to something else. Most frequently to tie dog poo bags so I can pack it out without having poo in my pack. Stinky, but true.

Edit: So yes, I generally like a loop or maybe two on a bag but its definitely not the more, the merrier.

I use the ice axe loops (on my multiple backpacks) all the time. Where else am I going to put my ice axe? Now, if I didn't want ice axe loops I'd buy a travel pack. Which I did...

i've used the loops on my pack on a number of occasions. i've pulled elastc cord through them to other contact points to help reinforce the structural integrity of the pack (had too much crap packed inside and outside pockets). i've also used them to hold collapseable hiking poles, bandanas, hats, umbrellas, etc...

i think they are particularly useful if you have a fairly minimal pack at onset and 'need' a couple of strategically placed loops to hold everything together. but if they offend you, cut them off. as well, you can trim the excess lengths of the billion straps hanging off a typical full-featured backpack, saving you a couple of ounces of weight and perhaps making one appear a bit more orderly to boot.

the obvious pertinent question here is, why do you hate ice axe loops?

I use mine all the time. Various reasons, just depends on the trip.

never used them. Never even used an ice axe. I just use my backpack for travelling around, not for climbing

I HAVE been geting curious stares from everyone in Amsterdam's Centraal station admiring my twin ice axes bashing me in the butt.
DON'T get me started with the TSA (But SIR...I have ice axe loops on my pack and I NEED to use them! Please take these cuffs off...)
I trim my excess straps. Just because I'm a neat freak and hate getting tangled up in stuff.

I've never cut straps from my packs, but my last pack had removeable gear loops for everything so that I could put them back on when I needed them. My current pack does have a snowboard strap that I may slice off, but I have to see if it aids in holding a tripod before doing that.