Latest
Setting Up a Backcountry Repair Kit
Backcountry Repair Kit - Pack Light or Go Big? Have you ever had a gear failure in the field? Fortunately, modern backcountry ski gear is pretty robust stuff. I can count the number of significant gear failures I've experienced or witnessed on one hand – and most of those were back in my dedicated telemark ski days. Nonetheless, a basic backountry repair kit should make your packing list. Gear failure might not happen often, but it does happen – be it due to abuse, accident or simple wear and tear. A basic repair kit is lightweight and easy to assemble. An Ounce of Prevention Before putting together an extensive backcountry repair kit with one of everything in it, consider that a little prevention goes a long…
Gear
La Sportiva Vega Ski Boots – Lightweight, Walk-Friendly, Four-Buckle Power
Uphill Ease, Downhill Power – La Sportiva Vega We ask a lot of our ski boots when backcountry skiing. They need to be light and flexible enough for easy uphill travel, stiff and responsive enough to drive skis in a wide range of conditions, and comfortable enough to wear all day long. The new La Sportiva Vega ski boots do it… Read More
Ogso Couturier Ski – Tip Rise Meets Camber and Control
Tip Rise Meets Camber and Control If you’re not familiar with Ogso skis, it’s time to get acquainted. Based in Chamonix, France, Ogso Mountain Essentials is a rising new ski brand that makes a range of very fun and versatile touring skis – read more about Ogso and our review of the Ogso Schwarztor ski, which we awarded a qiver-of-one label…. Read More
Outdoor Research Skyward II Jacket and Pants – Do-it-All Shell Jacket and Pants
Breathability vs Weather Protection When evaluating waterproof, breathable outerwear, the question is rarely how waterproof a jacket is, rather it’s whether the jacket is actually breathable enough to keep you comfortable while working hard on the skin track. Breathability, however, is a somewhat relative term. We all heat up and sweat at different rates, and some breathable membranes are simply… Read More
Leather Ski Gloves
Leather Ski Gloves Put your skins on. Take your skins off. Buckle your boots. Loosen your boots. Fuss with your bindings. Open your pack. Eat a snack. Take a photo. A typical day in the backcountry asks a lot of our gloved hands – far more than a day at the resort. Good gloves for backcountry skiing need to be… Read More
Ultralight Puffy Jacket – Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody
Ultralight Synthetic Insulation Down vs Synthetic A puffy or insulated jacket is essential gear for backcountry skiing. Ask a skier if they prefer down or synthetic, and you’ll find less consensus. While synthetic insulation is more durable, stays warm when wet and is better suited to the repeated stuffing and re-stuffing that a puffy experiences in the life of a… Read More
Osprey Soelden 32 Snow Pack – A Dedicated Backcountry Ski Pack
Osprey Soelden 32 Backcountry Ski Pack Skins. Shovel. Probe. Layers. Goggles. Food. Water. Check. Packing for a ski tour isn’t rocket science, but dialing in your ski pack for easy access to the gear you want when you want it takes practice and a pack with thoughtful organization. The Osprey Soelden 32 backcountry ski pack balances a quick-access main body… Read More
Features
Setting Up a Backcountry Repair Kit
Backcountry Repair Kit – Pack Light or Go Big? Have you ever had a gear failure in the field? Fortunately, modern backcountry ski gear is pretty robust stuff. I can count the number of significant gear failures I’ve experienced or witnessed on one hand – and most of those were back in my dedicated telemark ski days. Nonetheless, a basic… Read More
Backcountry Skier Personalities – The Jaded Local
Backcountry Skier Personalities – The Jaded Local Continuing our sarcastic look at backcountry skier personalities, we profile the typically grumpy and often misanthropic Jaded Local. Stay tuned for the still to come Luddite, Bro Brah, Rando Racer and Newby. And be sure to read the Gearhead The Jaded Local The Jaded Local is an anti-social creature. Unless you happen to… Read More
Backcountry Skier Personalities – The Gearhead
Backcountry Skier Personalities Backcountry skiers can be a curious bunch. We come in a variety of flavors and there are several easy stereotypes to poke fun at. Of course, we all hold traits from a mix of stereotypes, but in the spirit of making fun of ourselves, we broke backcountry skier personalities into six classic stereotypes – Gearhead, Jaded Local, Luddite,… Read More
Skier Gifts
Skier Gifts Holiday gift ideas for the skiers on your Christmas list We’ve put together a few of our favorite gifts for skiers to help seed your holiday shopping with fresh ideas – all for under $100. Thermos $20-40 Ok, we’re supposed to call it a vacuum bottle, but we call it a thermos anyway. Bottomline, skiing without a thermos… Read More
Adventure Ride Essentials
GORE SHAKEDRY™ – 7Mesh Oro Jacket
GORE SHAKEDRY GORE set the standard to which waterproof, breathable outerwear is measured, and their latest innovation, GORE SHAKEDRY™, takes everything GORE-TEX is known for to a higher level of performance – waterproofness, breathability and lightweight construction. SHAKEDRY’s distinct design uses a 100% GORE-TEX membrane as the face fabric and a 100% polyamide fabric as a backer. What does that… Read More
Outdoor Research Helium Jacket – Ultralight, Packable Rain Jacket
Outdoor Research Helium Jacket – Ultralight, Packable Rain Jacket The wet weather has arrived. It’s not quite ski season, so full-on GORE-TEX ski wear is not really necessary. But if you want to head for the hills during shoulder season, you need some sort of waterproof jacket. The Outdoor Research Helium jacket sets a high standard for ultralight rain… Read More
Adventure Ride Essentials – Gravel Tires
Adventure Bike Gravel Tires Reviewed So many choices, so little time. Choosing the best gravel tire is a bit like picking the right shoes for the day. It’s all about the terrain and surfaces that are on the agenda. And when adventure riding is on the table, maximum volume/width is key. Tread is important too. But volume is directly related to overall… Read More
Adventure Ride Essentials – Camelbak Chase Review
Camelbak Chase Bike Vest Review One of the big limiting factors when setting out on an extended adventure ride is water carrying capacity. It takes a lot of water to stay hydrated on a 100+ mile ride. The obvious solution is a hydration pack. But when traveling light is your goal, most hydration packs are overkill. The Camelbak Chase bike… Read More
Avalanche Safety
Avalanche Rescue Shovel Technique
Avalanche Rescue Shovel Technique Avalanche rescue has several stages. The longest and most strenuous aspect of avalanche rescue is the shoveling phase. Proficient shoveling saves vaulable minutes. From where you start digging relative to your probe strike to efficiently moving snow, there are several shoveling techniques that help make for fast, efficient recovery of an avalanche victim. Backcountry Access (BCA)… Read More
Avalanche Canada Webinar – Recognizing Avalanche Terrain
Recognizing Avalanche Terrain Avalanche Canada has a webinar series this season covering a variety of avalanche safety topics. Recognizing Avalanche Terrain and Trip Preparedness provides a good introduction to or refresher on avalance hazards. It includes info specific to Avalanche Canada’s website, but more it’s a solid overview for anyone looking to broaden their backcountry knowledge.
Movies
Follow the Forecast
Wow, Folllow the Forecast has some great deep snow footage. These guys really get the goods. Big Lines. Pillow lines. Deep Lines. Sit back and enjoy. Follow the Forecast
Salomon Freeski Collective Ski Movie Trailer
Salomon TV Freeski Collective 2020 Movie Trailer Each day is one day closer to getting on snow and skiing . . . Get ready to make the most of it when it gets here. Salomon TV has some motivation for you with their fall/winter 2020 Freeski Collective Movie Trailer
The Vault
Backcountry Skier Personalities – The Gearhead
Backcountry Skier Personalities Backcountry skiers can be a curious bunch. We come in a variety of flavors and there are several easy stereotypes to poke fun at. Of course, we all hold traits from a mix of stereotypes, but in the spirit of making fun of ourselves, we broke backcountry skier personalities into six classic stereotypes – Gearhead, Jaded Local, Luddite,… Read More
ENSO – La Niña, El Niño and Your 2020-21 Ski Season
La Niña is in the Air You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows, but it’s the season to prognosticate about winter weather and snow. From the height of the beargrass and the plumpness of the squirrels to the study of analogous years and the science of large scale climatic forces, there are plenty of theories… Read More
