Backcountry Ski Packing List What’s in your ski pack? It’s a good question, and it’s one that I occasionally ask myself as I heft the weight of my pack to my shoulder in the morning. There’s no sense in carrying more up the hill than you need to, but there are essential items that you should always carry on a… Read More
2021 Skier Gift Guide What are you going to get that hard-to-shop-for skier on your list? We’ve got you covered with skier gifts large, small and literary. Happy Norwegian – Mr. Grippy – $119 Waxing your skis is easy when you have a good setup. If your favorite skier likes to wax and tune (or aspires to), Mr. Grippy is… Read More
Give’r Leather Ski Gloves A typical day of backcountry skiing requires a lot of our gloved hands: open your pack, close your pack, put your skins on, take your skins off, buckle your boots, switch your bindings, take a photo, assemble your shovel. The list goes on. Good backcountry ski gloves need to be weatherproof, dexterous, durable and reasonably warm —… Read More
DPS PHANTOM I’ve always enjoyed the ritual of waxing skis. In the fall, it marks the approaching ski season. During the season, it harkens to the call of a powder day or the anticipation of an extended trip deserving of fresh glide. Ski waxing can be a social event or a good reason to disappear into your workshop. So when… Read More
Backcountry Ski 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 the one hand – and most of those were back in my dedicated telemark ski days. Nonetheless,… Read More
Skins Maintenance and Glue Refresh Tips Climbing skin glue doesn’t last forever. It gets dirty, becomes patchy and turns gooey. Skin glue problems can wreck an otherwise excellent day of skiing. But there are some climbing skin maintenance tips and tricks to help you avoid the full (dreaded) reglue project. Refresh Climbing Skin Glue – Iron Your Skins Retouching skin… Read More
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
Climbing Skin Tips and Tricks Dysfunctional climbing skins are frustrating at best and will put an early end to a day of backcountry skiing at worst. Fortunately, most climbing skin problems can be overcome in the field or, better yet, avoided through proper care and use. The following climbing skin tips and tricks will help keep your skins doing what… Read More
Roof Box Modification Rooftop cargo boxes are a great way to haul skis and keep your gear out of your vehicle. I have a Yakima Rocketbox, and I use it all winter long. I’ve noticed that my ski edges often rust when I leave my skis in the box for multiple days. Basically, snowmelt from the skis pools in the… Read More
Rain-X For Ski Top Sheets Snow build-up on your top sheets is part of backcountry skiing, and spring is the worst season for sticking snow. Warmer temperatures mean heavier snow, meaning you’re dragging more weight up the hill than necessary. K2 tried to address top sheet snow buildup with a p-tex top sheet material on their backside ski line a… Read More
Spring ski testing is behind us! We tested and compared over 30 new backcountry skis in April. Everyone rolls their eyes when they hear how much work is involved with ski testing – kind of like saying, “. . . and then we had to try another beer to compare flavors . . .” Anyway, it is a fair bit of… Read More
