YETI launches the Skala hiking pack, combining durable design and advanced organization
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YETI has built its reputation on containers that refuse to quit. Now, your favorite Austin-based cooler (and insulated bottle and beach chair) company has leveraged that heritage and a strategic acquisition to build its first hiking bag. Meet the Skala: a transport vehicle that withstands day hikes to the peaks.
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We got an exclusive look at the Skala in September 2025, when a group took it along the switchbacks of the Wildflower Trail to Teton Village in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. [shown at the top of the page]. The first thing we noticed was the sturdy RipZip opening – an easy-to-see, Y-shaped, three-zip access point that lets you simply pull and peel to swap a diaper or grab a protein bar without digging through your entire kit. Why dig when you can reveal? It’s an innovation we’ve already praised on the YETI Ranchero Everyday Backpack, and it’s undoubtedly exceptional outdoor-oriented engineering, inherited from YETI’s acquisition of mission bag designers Mystery Ranch in 2024. (We’ve already dragged the Mystery Ranch bags through Europe and Iceland for over two weeks in the fall, so we know they hold up to sidewalks uneven terrain, cobblestones and weather conditions.)
The Skala’s durable chassis includes other backcountry checklist highlights: lightweight, weather-resistant Guardcore nylon; a ventilated back panel with urethane foam and an airflow channel (no one wants a shirt that feels like a sponge); plus a lightweight AlumaLite frame paired with micro-adjustable load risers and a harness offering eight inches of torso adjustment. Choose from four capacities: 32L and 40L for large day/overnight excursions, 50L and 60L for multi-day expeditions. Available in men’s and women’s versions with multiple frame sizes and gender-specific padding/contouring for a perfect fit and well-distributed load, so the pack stays balanced even if the scree stops being polished.
In terms of organization, the Skala shows the cooler YETI mindset. There are multiple internal and external pockets to store items with intention, prevent them from migrating, and ensure they’re protected when the weather turns sideways. From sunglasses and headlamps to first aid kits and toiletries, there’s a place in the bag (or on the belt) for everything and everything in its place. The 50L/60L sizes add an externally accessible sleeping bag compartment under the main cavity. And the stretchy woven hydration cases fit tightly, so water (surely a YETI Rambler) stays within reach but out of the swing zone.
The Skala Backpack is available now and prices are $300 (32L), $325 (40L), ($375L), and $400 (60L). Ridgeline (grayish white) and Classic Navy [featured above] are main colors, while Venom (green) for men and Desert Bloom (pink) for women [shown below] are seasonal drops at launch…limited-run candy for the gear-obsessed crowd who loves fluorescent gear.
While we’re talking adventure-ready gear, YETI’s RipZip isn’t the only closure we’ll be celebrating. Arcade Belts has just released a brand new belt combining Performance Stretch Pro webbing and a magnetic buckle. Recycled yarn and REPREVE rubber fabric allows for a higher denier that balances increased abrasion resistance with proven comfort as you move. And the lightweight SwiftLock buckle snaps into place quickly and easily, designed for one-handed use (because sometimes you’re holding a flashlight and just need to get the job done…so always dig a hole before it gets dark). We’re fans of the hole-free yet adjustable construction of the $49.95 Adventure Mag belt. You can wear it at the waist or on the hips, and it’s stretchy but not too stretchy. It’s TSA compliant, but also rolls up nicely for packing, and it wears comfortably on a plane or while constantly gaining altitude. Having a new, perfectly fitting backpack is no good if your pants fall off, amirite? The new Arcade belt is now available in five colors [Polar Black Vio shown below].
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