Pushing the Boundaries of Powder Skiing Check out Sammy Carlson’s latest ski video. From Japan to BC to Alaska, Carlson and his ski partners send it again and again. Sammy Carlson: KAMASE Ski video
Preseason Backcountry Skiing Checklist – Dial in Your Gear
Skis, boots, skins, poles, goggles, beacon, pack, shovel . . . It’s time to scour your garage, search the basement and rummage through the closet. Winter has returned, so wherever you stash your ski gear for the off-season, it’s time to dig through the boxes and round up your backcountry kit.But is your backcountry ski gear ready to roll? Check… Read More
Skier Gift Guide
Gift ideas for the skiers on your holiday list ‘Tis the season. We’ve compiled some of our favorite skier gift ideas to help seed your holiday shopping plan with fresh ideas. Black Hole Gear Tote Bag – $69+ A tote bag, you say? Don’t laugh; totes are awesome for hauling gear to and from the car on day trips. The… Read More
Warm Ski Gloves for the Backountry
Backcountry Ski Gloves Backcountry skiing is a lesson in temperature regulation. You must dress lightly enough to climb uphill without overheating and heavily enough to descend without getting cold. It’s all about layering and de-layering to match your effort. And your hands are no exception. It’s the rare day that you can wear the same gloves to climb up and… Read More
Old School Powder Skiing
Long Skis. Deep Snow Old school powder skiing circa 1992 from Red Mountain British Columbia . . . courtesy of the WorldWidetimeWaster. Oh, to have been in Rossland in the 90s. Houses for $30k and plenty of powder skiing. Look at those skis; these guys and gals were ripping it up!
The OR Deviator Hoodie – A Versatile Midlayer for Backcountry Skiing
Go-To Midlayer for Backcountry Skiing Five or six years ago, Outdoor Research made a lightweight fleece midlayer called the Deviator Hoodie. They only made it for a couple of seasons. If you were lucky enough to own the original Deviator Hoodie, you know how great it was as a ski touring midlayer. For those unfamiliar, it was essentially a fleece… Read More
Ski Boot Fitting 101 – 10 Tips for the Best Ski Boot Fit
Measure twice. Buy once. Ski Boot Fitting Tips Whether you’re shopping for ski boots at your local ski shop or buying them online, knowing how to measure and size your foot plus understanding how a boot should feel are the first steps to getting the best boot fit. Buy boots that are too small, and you’re guaranteed cramped, sore feet…. Read More
2023 Ski Movie Trailers
It’s that time of year. The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting cooler and the ski movie trailers are dropping like leaves. That’s right, it’s officially ski movie trailer season. Here’s a collection of our favorites ski movie trailers for 2023 . . . Land of Giants Ski Movie Legend Has It Ski Movie Fortune Hunters Ski Movie… Read More
Mountain Bike Helmet Tech – Smith Engage Helmet Hits the Sweetspot
How much should you spend on a mountain bike helmet? $100, $200 or even $300? No one wants to put a price on their head. But price still plays a role for most of us when shopping for a bike helmet. So, what’s the difference between a $100 mountain bike helmet and a $250 one? Aside from obvious design features… Read More
Ultralight Bikepacking Tents – MSR FreeLight, Marmot Superalloy
How Light is Right for a Bikepacking Tent? My first bikepacking tent was an REI Half Dome—a roomy two-person tent with two doors and a bomber build that handles rainy nights and gusty thunderstorms with ease. But at 4.75 pounds, it’s not exactly ultralight. Nonetheless, I packed it for several multi-day bikepacking trips, including the Oregon Outback, and always appreciated… Read More
Gravel Bike Tires – How Wide Should You Go?
As the adventure cycling category grows, gravel bikes continue to evolve. One of the best evolutions in gravel bikes is improved tire clearance. Tire clearance is important for a variety of reasons. Clearance translates to versatility, making a gravel bike a quiver-of-one bike. Run 30mm tires for all-purpose road rides. Run 40mm for all-purpose gravel riding. And run 50mm for… Read More
MADE – Handmade Bike Show in Portland, Oregon
Whether you’re in the market for a new ride or just love the culture that surrounds the craft bike world, you should put MADE — a handmade bike show — on your radar. It’s coming to Portland, Oregon August 25-27, 2023. MADE is a multi-day trade event dedicated to spotlighting custom and boutique frame builders and domestic bike production. Celebrate… Read More
Compact, Easy to Use – Platypus QuickDraw Portable Water Filter Review
A Light, Portable Water Filter for Bikepacking and Adventure Riding Water is a necessity on any ride. Whether you’re on a multi-day bikepacking trip or an epic one-day ride, carrying a small water filter means you are always ready to fill your bottles when there is water nearby. Lightweight, portable water filters are lighter and simpler than ever. This year,… Read More
Can Freeze Dried Meals Actually Taste Good – Backpacker’s Pantry Steps it Up
I’ve long avoided freeze-dried meals in favor of creating simple camping meals like pasta with pesto. But bikepacking offers limited storage space. There are many tricks to packing light, and one of the most effective is using freeze-dried camping meals. But how do they taste? Dehydrated Versus Freeze-Dried A question that came up while researching lightweight camping meals was, what’s… Read More
Tifosi Rail XC — Affordable Cycling Sunglasses
Performance sunglasses can easily cost more than $200. And I’ll admit to being a bit of a sunglasses snob who likes quality optics. But do you really need to spend that kind of money to get great cycling and skiing sunglasses? Thanks to Tifosi Optics, the answer is no; you don’t need to spend $200. You don’t even need to… Read More
