Latest
BCA RS EXT Avalanche Shovel – We Dig It
Avalanche Rescue and Snow Pits - The BCA RCS EXT Shovel Does It All Avalanche shovels are the kind of gear we hope to never really use for their intended purpose of recovering a buried ski partner. But the shovels we all carry have many other uses, primary being to dig snow pits in search of weak layers and to perform snowpack stability tests. The Backcountry Acces RS EXT avalanche shovel has the durability to handle rescue digging and is well designed for clean snow pit excavation. Once you try this shovel, there's no reason to use any other. Durable Most importantly, the BCA RS EXT shovel is durable. It's made of T6 heat treated aluminum. I've had one in use for multiple seasons, and…
Gear
Ogso Corbets Ski – Nimble and Surfy
Surf, Slash, Slarve The latest board in the backcountry ski test quiver to get most-favored status is the Ogso Corbets. Named after the famed Corbet’s Couloir that’s accessible from the Jackson Hole Ski Resort, it measures in at 110mm underfoot. It’s a dedicated backcountry powder ski with a nimble, surfy feel and even-tempered personality that makes for effortless powder skiing…. Read More
Headlamps – Bright, Brighter, Brightest
Headlamps for Backcountry Skiing Have you ever tried to finish a ski tour in the dark or found yourself chasing daylight through the woods? Darkness takes on new meaning in the forest far from trailhead or home without a headlamp to light the way. Ounce for ounce, few pieces of gear can get you out of jam with a better… Read More
Voile HyperDrifter Skis
Voile HyperDrifter – Modern Powder Slashing for the Traditionalist Voile has long focused on wide powder ski designs. As a dedicated backcountry brand with the famed deep snow of the Wasatch as their testing grounds, it only makes sense. From the early Mountain Surf to the more contemporary Drifter and Charger models, they have been building skis that set the… Read More
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
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
Features
GORE-TEX GUIDE – Everything You Need to Know
GORE-TEX 101 GORE-TEX is synonymous with reliable storm protection. GORE literally pioneered the waterproof, breathable membrane technology that dominates the outerwear we all use, but understanding all of the GORE options takes some research. How much do you know about all the variations of GORE-TEX? Read on to learn the details about the GORE variations as well as the latest on… Read More
Backcountry Radio Channels – Group-to-Group Communication
Designated Radio Channels for Popular Backcountry Zones It’s commonly understood that avalanche safety often hinges on human driven factors. Ideas like familiarity with terrain, the expert halo and group communication (or lack thereof) rise to the top of the list as contributors to avalanche accidents. Broadly speaking, group communication is at the root of many mistakes. Communication alone will not… Read More
Backcountry Repair Kits
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. Also check out Gearhead, Luddite, Bro Brah, Rando Racer and Newby profiles. The Jaded Local The Jaded Local is generally an anti-social creature. Unless you happen to be part of his inner circle or, perhaps,… 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 GORE-TEX membrane as the face fabric and a 100% polyamide fabric as a backer. What does that mean?… 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 jackets,… 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
Backcountry Radio Channels – Group-to-Group Communication
Designated Radio Channels for Popular Backcountry Zones It’s commonly understood that avalanche safety often hinges on human driven factors. Ideas like familiarity with terrain, the expert halo and group communication (or lack thereof) rise to the top of the list as contributors to avalanche accidents. Broadly speaking, group communication is at the root of many mistakes. Communication alone will not… Read More
Common Snowpack Stability Tests
Know Your Snowpack Stability Tests With the growing complexity of snowpacks around the country, it’s a great time to brush up on your snowpack knowledge, specifically common snowpack stability tests. The following video presentation of snowpack stability tests by Bruce Jamieson and Mike Conlan from the Applied Snow and Avalanche Research Center at the University of Calgary in Alberta offers a lot of… Read More
Movies
Backcountry Film Festival – Stream It at Home!
Stream the 2020-21 Backcountry Film Fest Well, heading to your fave local theatre or pub to see this year’s Backcountry Film Festival may not be an option. But you can still support the groups that rely on the film fest for raising revenue and awareness. Just choose the organization you want to support from the list of Backcountry Film Fest… Read More
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
The Vault
Backcountry Skier Personalities – Rando Racer
Backcountry Skier Personalities One could argue that a Rando Racer is not really a backcountry skier, and that the easiest way to take the fun out of backcountry skiing is to time it. But there’s been some bleed over between the rando race scene and the lightweight touring world, so here is the Rando Racer backcountry skier profile. Stay tuned… Read More
Backcountry Skier Personalities – The Bro Brah
Backcountry Skier Personalities We all know a Bro or two. A classic ski bum stereotype, the Bro Brah is found all over the world. Stay tuned for the still to come Rando Racer and Newbie profiles. The Bro Brah Few skiers are as easy to identify as the quintessential Bro Brah. The Bro Brah is part ski bum and part… Read More
