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patagonia mountain biking

Fire Lines | Patagonia Films

As mountain bike season and summer trail days wind down, it's easy to put fire season in the rearview mirror, but for those of us who live in the West, the impact of wildfire is omnipresent. In northern California, climate change and 150 years of forest mismanagement have led to some of the most catastrophic wildfires in the state’s history—including the Dixie Fire, which in 2021 devastated the Lost Sierra’s already struggling communities. In the face of that destruction, one group turned to trails for hope and to the past for a better future. Do yourself a favor and set aside an hour to watch Fire Lines, a Patagonia film about fire, trails and how the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship program is working to create…

Gear

rocky talkie radio

Rocky Talkie 5-Watt Radios – Pro-Grade Backcountry Communication

Raise the Bar on Backcountry Communication with Rocky Talkie 5-Watt Radios Good communication makes for a good day and safe travel protocol in the backcountry. On the most basic level, good communication is about staying in touch with your ski partner(s) while climbing and skiing. When the terrain splits your group or different paces cause separation, two-way radios let you… Read More

smith photochromic mountain bike sunglasses

The Only MTB Sunglasses You Need – Smith Ruckus Photochromic

Immersing yourself in the rhythm of flowy forested singletrack on a mountain bike takes confidence, faith in your tires and a crisp view of the terrain ahead. Confidence comes with practice. Faith in your tires comes with experience. And a crisp view of the terrain comes with good mountain bike sunglasses. When choosing MTB sunglasses, you need to consider the… Read More

Ortlieb fork packs

Ortlieb Fork Packs – Essential Bikepacking Gear

Ortlieb Fork Packs – Convenient Mini Panniers Packing your gear and loading up your bike for an adventure requires a mix of experience, restraint and experimentation. It also takes the right combination of bikepacking bags. I consider a set of fork-mounted bikepacking bags like the Ortlieb Fork Packs to be essential equipment for any multi-day bikepacking trip. Fork-mounted bags are… Read More

Features

image courtesy climate.org

2024-25 Ski Season – La Niña Watch

Winter 2024-25 It’s never too early to start obsessing about winter weather forecasts and thinking about ski season. While tracking squirrel eating habits and noting the height of the Beargrass in your local ski stash may well be time-tested winter weather indicators, the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), commonly known by its two opposing influences, El Niño and La Niña,… Read More

different types of climbing skins

How to Choose the Best Climbing Skins

Climbing skins are required equipment for backcountry skiing cause you gotta get up to get down. While all climbing skins work on the same principle, skins vary by material (plush) type, tip and tail connection systems and also the depth or thickness of the plush. Choosing the best climbing skins for your ski touring needs depends on snow conditions, type… Read More

Adventure Wagon DIY Van Conversion

Van Life – Adventure Wagon Style

It’s summer in the Pacific Northwest, and the Van Life crowd is everywhere. From bike races to remote trailheads and grocery store parking lots, you can’t escape them. And I’ll admit it. I suffer from van envy. Half of me wonders how so many people can afford $100,000+ vans, and my other half covets one.  I’ve owned multiple vans over… Read More

Bikepacking meal tips

Bikepacking Meal Tips

Make Dinner a Priority Part of the fun and challenge of a multi-day bikepacking trip is planning the meals. Some routes let you indulge in small-town food stops where you can resupply or simply eat at a restaurant every few days. But what about more remote routes and the days when you need to be self-sufficient with your food? Packing… Read More

Adventure Ride Essentials

bike-multi-tools

Multi-Tools for Bikepacking and Adventure Rides

Pack Light, But Not Too Light Carrying a compact multi-tool or a limited collection of bike tools is essential on extended bikepacking trips and remote gravel rides, but the minimalist in me is always looking for ways to carry less.  Roadside repairs fit into two categories: bike adjustments/fixes and flat tire repairs. Few tools cover both scenarios, though there are… Read More

Ortlieb fork packs

Ortlieb Fork Packs – Essential Bikepacking Gear

Ortlieb Fork Packs – Convenient Mini Panniers Packing your gear and loading up your bike for an adventure requires a mix of experience, restraint and experimentation. It also takes the right combination of bikepacking bags. I consider a set of fork-mounted bikepacking bags like the Ortlieb Fork Packs to be essential equipment for any multi-day bikepacking trip. Fork-mounted bags are… Read More

Thule roundtrip bike duffel bag

Thule RoundTrip Bike Duffel — Get Organized

With bike road trip season rapidly approaching, we take a look at the Thule RoundTrip Bike Duffel. The RoundTrip is a purpose-built bike gear travel bag. It’s designed to keep your gear organized and easy to find whether you’re headed for your local trailhead or on a multi-day road trip. Get Organized with the RoundTrip Bike Duffel Like most people,… Read More

Industry News

AAC-Grants

Blown-In 4 — The Latest Outdoor Industry News and Bits from the Interweb

Ski and Outdoor Industry News Blown-In — A semi-regular look at the latest ski, outdoor and sometimes bike industry news bits is a collection of press releases, new products, and interesting stuff circulating on the interweb that catches our attention. This week’s edition of Blown-In features AAC grants, Fjällräven, Peak Performance, La Niña, POW, Arc’teryx and leaf skiing. Fall 2024… Read More

Voile Equipment Factory Tour – Made in the USA

Voile – Made in the USA Voile has been quietly designing and manufacturing backcountry ski and snowboard gear in Utah since 1980. That’s 44 years of hands-on backcountry know-how. Their product line is extensive and functional. From the humble but oh-so-useful Voile strap and bomber avalanche shovels to bindings, boards, skis and skins, they make a lot of products. More… Read More

Oregon Timber Trail Gravel Map

Blown-In 3 The Latest Industry News and Bits from the Interweb

Ski and Bike Industry News Blown-In — A semi-regular look at the latest ski and bike industry news bits — is a collection of press releases, new products, and interesting stuff circulating on the interweb that catches our attention. This week’s edition of Blown-In features EXPLORE Act status, a new multi-day bikepacking route in Oregon, plus new bike-specific gear from Outdoor… Read More

PIEPS Pro IPS beacon

Blown-In 2 – The Latest Industry News and Bits from the Interweb

Ski Industry News Blown-In — A semi-regular look at the latest ski industry news bits — is a collection of press releases, new products, and interesting stuff circulating on the interweb that catches our attention. This week’s edition of Blown-In features a new avalanche beacon from Pieps, a new teleark ski boot from Scarpa, how to become a sponsored adventurer and… Read More

Avalanche Safety

to-the-hills-and-back-2

Must Watch – To the Hills & Back

To the Hills & Back is not your typical ski movie. It’s a story of risk and consequence. What is risk? Risk is the likelihood of something bad happening and understanding the consequences. The new Sherpas Cinema film explores the consequences. It’s a story of loss, humility and resilience. No one heads to the mountains thinking about the worst that… Read More

avalanche safety video

Avalanche Safety Basics – Five Red Flags

New to backcountry skiing? Looking for basic avalanche safety tips? Short of identifying and avoiding avalanche terrain, staying safe while backcountry skiing begins with understanding hazard basics. Backcountry Access (BCA) has a series of no-frills avalanche safety tips geared toward backcountry skiers of all levels. BCA’s latest avalanche safety video offers five red flags to keep an eye out for… Read More

Avalanche beacons search image

Updated Avalanche Transceiver Interference Guidelines

If you’ve ever taken an avalanche safety course, you’ve probably heard about electronic interference and avalanche transceivers. Electronics like cell phones, heated gloves, smart watches, two-way radios and even snowmobiles can create electromagnetic interference (EMI) that will disrupt an avalanche transceiver search. Basically, some electronics emit EMI that can alter avalanche transceiver behavior. The good news is that you can… Read More

ortovox diract voice beacon

Ortovox Diract Voice – Voice-Guided Avalanche Beacon

Ortovox Adds Voice Direction to the Beacon Search Equation The advent of digital signal processing was a game changer for avalanche beacon technology. Directional arrows and distance readouts are standard fare. There are a few more pieces to the puzzle — like multiple antennas — but the point is that technology has made using avalanche beacons faster, easier and more… Read More

Movies

patagonia mountain biking

Fire Lines | Patagonia Films

As mountain bike season and summer trail days wind down, it’s easy to put fire season in the rearview mirror, but for those of us who live in the West, the impact of wildfire is omnipresent. In northern California, climate change and 150 years of forest mismanagement have led to some of the most catastrophic wildfires in the state’s history—including… Read More

2024 ski movie trailers

2024 Ski Movie Trailer Season Kicks Off

2024 Ski Movie Trailers Here’s your one-stop page for tracking all of the 2024 ski movie trailers. Matchstick Productions: Calm Beneath Castles Matchstick Productions hits the interweb with their 2024 ski movie trailer, Calm Beneath Castles Straight from MSP: Calm Beneath Castles is an awe-inspiring ski movie that delves into the heart, soul, and mind of skiers driven by an… Read More

to-the-hills-and-back-2

Must Watch – To the Hills & Back

To the Hills & Back is not your typical ski movie. It’s a story of risk and consequence. What is risk? Risk is the likelihood of something bad happening and understanding the consequences. The new Sherpas Cinema film explores the consequences. It’s a story of loss, humility and resilience. No one heads to the mountains thinking about the worst that… Read More

Matchstick Productions Land of Giants clip

The Land of Giants – Matchstick Ski Movie

The latest Matchstick Productions ski movie, Land of Giants, features some incredible footage of skiing the Chilkotan Range near Haines, Alaska. This teaser clip of the Haines footage should whet your appetite for skiing . . . or watch the full-length Land of Giants on Red Bull TV

The Vault

avalanche accident

Avalanche Accident – A Perfect Storm

A Perfect Storm – Reflecting on an Avalanche Accident Never have I fought so 
hard to suppress the 
overwhelming urge to panic. Before I realized what I was doing, I 
heard my own muffled screaming. I told 
myself to calm down. Again, I realized I was
 screaming. A few deep breaths later, I gained a small measure of composure. I… Read More

communication

The Art of the Uptrack

Larry Goldie – Owner, Lead Guide at North Cascade Mountain Guides First, there was the epiphany. It was a deep day, sixteen inches of new and still snowing. The hookup began as many do, spontaneously meeting at the trailhead with the same objective in mind. I was with my two most regular ski partners. Our spontaneous partner was a local… Read More

Off-Piste Mag - offpistemag.com is created by skiers, for skiers. We offer a soulful and informative perspective on backcountry skiing, backcountry ski gear plus related mountain and ski culture. Offpistemag.com is your source for independent and authentic backcountry ski gear reviews, avalanche safety information, backcountry skills, feature stories, mountain culture, ski films, adventure cycling gear and more!

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