3 Ways to Attach an Ice Axe to Your Pack

Three ways to attach an ice axe to your pack

Sometimes it doesn't make sense to carry your ice axe in hand. Knowing how to carry or attach an ice axe to your backpack is important. By attaching the axe correctly to your pack, you will prevent further injuries during falls and protect other team members during sudden movements.

There are two basic ways you can carry the axe on your pack. Further down I break the strap approach into three practical setups, but these two are the foundation:

1. The first way is by using the loops and traps that are on a lot of winter and overnight backpacks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leRgGYWEL-c

When attaching the axe to your pack using the straps, it's important to keep the pick facing downward and pointing to the center of the pack. It's also best to keep the rubber or leather guards on for further safety. Those guards matter more than they look. They cover the sharp parts of the head and spike, so a shifting axe scratches nothing and nobody, and they are cheap insurance against a torn pack or a cut hand when you reach back in a hurry.

2. The second way of carrying the axe is to carry the axe between your back and the pack so that the spike faces downward. Carrying the axe this way should be temporary and done on short stretches when you want your hands free. With this carrying method, you will be able to access the axe when you need it. When you are about to take off your pack, remember to first remove the axe, so it doesn't fall.

I'd treat the back carry as a stopgap and nothing more. It is quick, but it depends on friction and body position rather than a proper attachment point, which is exactly why it only suits short stretches.

We also wrote guides on how to attach a bungee cord and sleeping pad to your backpack. If you want the background on the tool itself, the Wikipedia entry on the ice axe covers the parts and their names.

Other articles that might interest you:

• Hiking Without a Backpack: 3-Pack Alternatives
• Complete Guide to Backpacking Snow Shovels
• How to Pick the Right Snowshoes

Why where you carry the axe actually matters

This isn't just a style choice. Bad ice-axe attachment gets people hurt in three specific ways:

• Accidental deployment. A loose axe flops forward on a bend and stabs your thigh or calf. This is the most common injury in guided mountaineering courses.
• Slow access in an emergency. If you're sliding on an icy slope and need to self-arrest, you have 2–3 seconds. An axe buried under three stuff sacks is useless.
• Shifting load. An axe that flops around changes the pack's centre of gravity, which accelerates fatigue and makes you more likely to fall.

The right attachment method balances access speed, security, and terrain. Different objectives need different answers.

Think of it as a trade. The more secure an axe is, the more steps it takes to get it into your hand. The faster it comes free, the more you rely on good technique to keep it from moving. No method wins on both counts, so the skill is matching the carry to the section of route in front of you. A flat approach through forest asks for security. An exposed slope asks for speed.

Method 1: classic ice axe loop and upper strap

The standard method every pack manufacturer designs for:

• Shaft inserts into the axe loop at the bottom of the pack. Head down, pick pointing away from the body.
• Flip the axe upward 180°. Head now points up, spike points down.
• Secure the shaft with the upper bungee or elastic keeper. Most 40L+ packs have a dedicated strap for this.

Access time from pack to in-hand: about 15 seconds. Security: excellent. Used on any approach where you're not expecting to need the axe on that section.

A few details make this method work. The lower loop holds the spike end, so it takes the weight, while the upper keeper only stops the shaft from swinging out. Pull the keeper snug but not so tight that you cannot free it with a gloved hand. If you can't release it while wearing mitts, you will end up taking the pack off, and that defeats the point of a quick carry. The same applies to the guards mentioned earlier: leave them on until you actually need the axe.

Method 2: trekking pole attachment, side by side

Useful when you're alternating between axe and trekking poles on mixed terrain:

• Slide the axe into the pack's side compression strap, pick inward.
• Bundle with a single trekking pole on the same side.
• Cinch the side compression strap tight.

Lets you grab the axe without removing the pack. Slightly less secure than Method 1, so not ideal for technical scrambling where bodies and packs twist.

Mixed terrain is where this setup earns its keep. You might be on dry trail with poles out, then cross a snow patch where the axe is the better tool, then drop back to dirt. Keeping both on one side means you can swap without unpacking anything. The weak point is the strap itself. Side compression straps are built to squeeze a load, not to pin a long metal tool, so check the buckle after every few minutes of rough going and re-cinch if it has crept loose.

Method 3: shoulder-strap carry for fast access

When you're on a route where self-arrest could happen any minute:

• Slide the axe shaft through the gear loop on the pack's front shoulder strap.
• Hook the pick or adze over the shoulder strap for a second attachment point.
• Wrap the leash around the shoulder strap webbing so the axe stays oriented.

Access time: 2 seconds. Used on exposed traverses, couloir approaches, and any terrain above 30° slope angle. Downside: the head is near your face during falls, so it requires practice.

Honestly, this is the method most casual snow hikers should leave alone until they have rehearsed it. It is fast, but a sharp head sitting beside your jaw is unforgiving if you tumble. If you aren't confident you will need the axe within seconds, Method 1 is the safer default. When you do move to a shoulder carry, add layers and a proper winter kit, which our winter camping packing list covers.

Head orientation and what to avoid

Head up or head down is the single most argued point in how to carry an axe. The consensus rules:

• Head up is the default for pack attachment. Visible to others, balanced on the pack, pick away from the body.
• Head down is the default for hand-carry on ascent. Shaft angles forward, head ready for immediate self-arrest.
• Head down on the pack is specific to certain pack designs (Osprey Mutant, BD Speed series). Check the manufacturer's instructions.
• Pick facing in or out: always pick-in against the pack body. Pick-out snags on branches and gear.

You will notice this conflicts a little with the strap advice near the top of the page, where the pick points toward the centre of the pack. The common thread is that the pick should never face outward or toward your back, and the pack maker's own instructions settle anything else.

The mistakes below show up again and again:

• Loose bungee straps as the primary attachment. They stretch; a bounced axe can work loose over miles.
• Axe strapped to the top of the pack. Catches on branches, high centre of gravity, hard to reach.
• Pick facing your back. In a fall onto the pack, you can be stabbed by your own gear.
• Mixing axe + crampons on the same external carry. Crampons puncture axe sheaths.
• Carrying without a sheath. Even the best attachment eventually shifts. A sheath prevents cuts to you, your pack, and anyone near you.

Ice axe attachment FAQ

Should the pick face up or down on my pack?

Head up is the standard for external pack carry. Pick should face inward (toward the pack) so it doesn't catch branches or stab anyone behind you.

Is it legal to carry an ice axe in checked baggage?

Yes for checked luggage in the US and most countries; sheathed, wrapped in clothing. Not in carry-on, as TSA classifies it as a weapon. The Transportation Security Administration site is the place to confirm current screening rules before you fly.

Do I need a leash on my ice axe?

For technical climbing, yes. For general mountaineering and snow travel, leashes are optional. Many guides now teach without them because a dropped axe during self-arrest is usually preferable to being tangled in the leash during a fall.

Can I use a trekking pole instead of an ice axe?

For flat snow travel, yes. For any slope steep enough to require self-arrest, no. Trekking poles don't have a pick and won't stop a slide.

What length ice axe should I get?

Stand upright, hold the axe head with arm at your side. The spike should reach your ankle bone. For general mountaineering, 60–70cm fits most people 5'6"–6'0".

Before you rely on your attachment

No matter which method you choose, do the bounce test before setting off. Put the pack on, cinch the hipbelt, and jump up and down five times. Then shake your torso side to side. If the axe shifts at all, re-attach. The bounce test has saved more stabbed thighs than any single written guide.

Also practise un-racking the axe at a trailhead where the consequences of dropping it are zero. On an icy slope at dawn, fumbling the attachment for 30 seconds is exactly the moment you would have needed two hands on the axe. Muscle memory matters. Repeat it with gloves on, because that is how you will be using it.

For a matched gear setup (axe, spikes and layers), see our winter hiking safety tips and Kahtoola MICROspikes writeups. One single tool rarely handles every surface a winter hike throws at you. Cold also affects the rest of your kit, so it is worth reading how to prevent a hydration pack freezing before a snowy outing.

One more tip most packs miss: carry your axe with the spike pointing down when on the approach, and the head up when you are moving through tighter terrain. The spike catches less on pack fabric and branches that way. Switch when the terrain changes. Ten seconds to re-orient is much cheaper than a torn pack 5 miles in.

Finally, never loan your ice axe attachment bungee out for trekking-pole duty. That little piece of shockcord was designed for one job and has a short shelf life if stretched for anything else. Carry a spare 18-inch length of 2mm cord in your pack. It costs nothing, weighs nothing, and handles every improvised axe attachment you are ever going to need.