Hut Trip Packing List Eat. Sleep. Ski. Repeat. Few experiences capture this mantra, like a week-long backcountry hut trip. Waking up with the first climb just steps away from the front door is good living. And few places serve up the experience better than one of the many huts and lodges that make up the Backcountry Lodges of British Columbia… Read More
Patagonia Descensionist 32L Ski Pack A good ski pack keeps a low profile. It needs to store avalanche safety gear and essential day trip supplies. But its presence should be subtle and fade away as we skin our way up or turn our way down the hill. The ideal ski pack size varies for everyone, but generally speaking, 30-40 liters… Read More
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Ice Pack Summer is in full swing here in Hood River, and that means packing as many adventures into the week (or day) as possible. I have been testing the Hyperlite Mountain Gear 2400 Ice Pack for the past couple of months and have attempted to put it through the full gamut of mountain adventures from day… Read More
This winter, we took 10 backcountry ski packs for an extended spin. The line-up included ski packs from Arcteryx, Black Diamond, Cilo Gear, Deuter, Exped, Gregory, Jones and Mammut, Ortovox and Osprey. Here are excerpts from the reviews and a link to the full backcountry ski pack review – pdf. Arc’teryx Khamski 38; $299 Weight: 3lb The newly revamped Khamski… Read More
Outdoor Research Elevator Pack – A Technical Daypack for Mountain Scrambling For me, summer is a time to travel light in the mountains, a time to enjoy the simplicity of the warm weather and summit views. There is something very freeing about hiking and scrambling without the burden of skis or technical climbing gear. The Outdoor Research Elevator Pack is… Read More
Ski Pack Testing Testing new packs often tests my patience for locating my gear, as every pack has a different pocket scheme and loading style. Some speak to me, some don’t. In general, I like a simple and pretty traditional top-loading design. Other design characteristics that top my list include a dedicated avalanche safety tools zone, easy access pockets for… Read More
When avalanche airbag packs first began hitting the North American market, they were expensive, heavy and somewhat awkward in design compared to non-airbag packs. Airbag pack design, however, has evolved quickly the past couple of seasons and, though they are still spendy compared to a traditional ski pack, fit, design and pack options have come a long way. As evidenced… Read More
It’s not always easy to let a favorite piece of old gear go in favor of a replacement, but strapping on the Black Diamond Alias ski pack has been an easy transition this season. Redesigned for 2014, the Black Diamond Alias Ski Pack offers a clean, simple interface reflective of BD’s alpine climbing packs but with key added ski features…. Read More
Continuing with our side project to visit and highlight local and regional ski related businesses, I recently made a trip to backpack maker, CiloGear, located in Portland, Oregon. The small, independent pack company is named after the Cilo Mountains, a remote range in southeast Turkey where Graham Williams, owner and founder, actually spent time climbing while living and working in… Read More
I first took notice of Jeremy Jones when I saw the TGR film Deeper. Jones takes his passion for riding and applies it to the backcountry with the approach of a professional. His 2012 TGR film, Further, is also an example of quality earn-your-turns footage with a good perspective, not simply the normal go-big TGR attitude. Of course, Jones and… Read More
Deuter Fox 30 backpack for kids My kids are reaching the age where backcountry adventure is evolving from a tag-along activity to where they share the enthusiasm. They have reached the critical stage of needing functional backpacks as opposed to a glorified book bag. Enter the Deuter Fox 30 backpack for kids. The Fox 30 is a scaled down version of Deuter’s… Read More
How to Store Climbing Skins, Skis and Avalanche Beacon for the Summer As the main ski season comes to a close, it’s worth giving some thought to storing your climbing skins and ski gear for the summer. A few easy steps will make sure your backcountry equipment is ready to roll and easy to find when the snow flies in… Read More
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
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
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
