Check out Off-Piste Magazine’s expert ski gear reviews including backcountry skis, tech bindings, avalanche beacons, avalanche safety gear, avalanche shovels, ski jackets, backcountry ski pants, ski packs, headlamps, AT ski boots, crampons, climbing skins and more. We use the gear we write up, and the reviews here represent the best of the gear we have tested.
Outdoor Research Trailbreaker Ski Pants Review As the song goes, “You gotta get up to get down,” and skinning uphill tests more than just your legs. It tests your outerwear, too. Unlike a jacket that you can change as needed for the up and down, you’re gonna wear the same pants all day. As a result, backcountry ski pants need to… Read More
Happy Norwegian Ski Waxing and Tuning Stand If you don’t wax your own skis, it’s time to start. Thanks to the creative folks at Happy Norwegian, Mr. Grippy makes setting up a home ski tuning stand easier than ever. Mr Grippy is a portable ski waxing and tuning stand designed for home and travel use. It works almost anywhere. Works For… Read More
DIY Ski Waxing with mountainFLOW eco-wax If you’re new to ski waxing at home, having freshly waxed skis is easier than you might think. And if you’re a seasoned wax pro, you’ll apprciate the sustainable, plant-based approach that mountainFLOW brings to their eco ski wax products. MountainFLOW launched in 2016 with a focus on creating plant-based alternatives to traditional petroleum-based ski… Read More
Minimalist Multi-Tool Most backcountry skiers (and bike packers, hikers, etc) will agree that a multi-tool is an essential part of any backcountry repair kit. The multi-tool category is packed with a range of useful, if a little heavy, options for backcountry use. Read our review of the best multi-tools for skiers. But the true minimalist looking to pack as light… Read More
A Lightweight Softshell Jacket for the Uptrack You gotta get up to get down when backcountry skiing. And as much as we all love the down, it’s the up that requires good layering to regulate your body temperature over the course of a full day in the mountains. Every day is a little different, and every skier has their own… Read More
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 check all… Read More
Light-is-Right or Fully-Featured There are enough tech binding options available these days that choosing a binding requires some real homework. Generally, the first step in narrowing down tech binding options is to decide whether you want a fully-featured model or a light-is-right model. Typically, fully-featured tech bindings have brakes, heel elasticity, a wide release setting range, multiple heel lift options… Read More
A Lightweight Ski Helmet for the Backcountry While helmets are the norm for resort skiing, their use in the backcoutry is still mixed. There’s no doubt that a ski helmet has the potential to save your life, and the excuse that a helmet is too heavy for backcountry skiing is no longer a valid argument against wearing one. Today’s ski… Read More
Avalanche Rescue and Snow Pits – The BCA Dozer 2H 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… Read More
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 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
DPS PHANTOM I’ve always enjoyed the ritual of waxing of skis. In the fall, it marks the approaching ski season. During the season, it harkens 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, too. So… Read More
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
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. When talking adventure riding, maximum volume and width is a key consideration. Tread is important too. But volume is directly related to overall… Read More
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
