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.
G3 Minimist Climbing Skins I’m a minimalist by nature. Less is more has proven to be a solid motto for most things backcountry skiing. Well, maybe not when it comes to the width of my skis, but today’s wide skis help fuel the less is more mantra, because if you’re gonna slide around on 110-130mm underfoot, you better lighten your… 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 dissappear into your workshop. So when… Read More
The Ogso Schwarztor – A Quiver of One – 135-104-120 Choosing one pair of skis to do it all in the backcountry is a big ask. There’s no shortage of good skis. It’s finding the one ski that blends playful powder skiing with confident control while keeping it light underfoot that’s the hard part. I typically spend my winter on… Read More
The Best Ski Socks Ski socks may be low on on the gear glamour scale, but a fresh pair of good quality ski socks feels mighty nice sliding into a pair of boots. And high-quality socks can actually mean the difference between a good day and a bad day of ski touring. From comfort to durability, high-quality socks outperform cheap… Read More
Marker Alpinist 12 Tech Binding Dynafit set the tech binding standard and many have followed. One of the more recent alpine touring tech bindings to turn our heads is the Marker Alpinist 12. Marker is, of course, well established in the alpine binding world and first stepped into tech binding design with the Kingpin. Blending the security of an alpine… Read More
Backcountry Ski Pants Patagonia Snow Guide and Arc’teryx Rush FL Softshell Ski Pants You gotta get up to get down, and skinning uphill requires breathability in your outerwear. It’s easy enough to shed your ski shell when breaking trail, but your ski pants are a different story. As a result, backcountry ski pants need to vent, or better yet, be… Read More
Layering for Backcountry Skiing – Baselayers and Midlayers Dressing for a full day of backcountry skiing requires a balance of breathability and weather protection. And the only way to really achieve the balance is through layering. It’s not rocket science, but it is easy to overdress for ski touring. It’s an aerobic activity, and you need to be prepared to… Read More
Outdoor Research San Juan Jacket When is the last time you skied in the rain? Hopefully, it’s been long enough that you can’t recall. I ask because many skiers are too concerned with full waterproof protection when choosing a jacket for backcountry skiing. The reality is that the number of days we spend ski touring in truly wet conditions is limited…. Read More
Multi-Tools for Skiers Three Leatherman Multi-Tools with Bit Drivers My backcountry repair kit is on the thin side when compared to many skiers, but I do always carry a multi-tool in my pack. In my experience, the highest use tools for addressing boot, binding and unforeseen backcountry issues are a scewdriver of one sort or another, pliers and a good… Read More
Ogso Skis There’s a rising new ski brand making its way into North America, Ogso Skis. Based in Chamonix, France, Ogso offers a variety of skis ranging from modestly-waisted mountaineering boards to wider freeride designs. Ogso makes lightweight uphill-friendly models and heavier descent-oriented boards. Ogos founder and ski mountaineer, Tom Seidensticker, describes Ogso skis this way, “The skis are balanced… Read More
Ultralight Boot Crampons – TechCrampon 250 The slogan, “If I can’t climb it, I won’t ski it,” helps keep me out of trouble. However, come spring, there are situations when a steep slope may be too firm to climb, but in time will soften into good skiing. Climbing steep firm slopes requires the right tools, namely boot crampons. But, for… Read More
Roller Ski Bag – The Only Way to Travel A minimalist at heart, I travelled for many years with the most basic of ski bags for air travel; a single zip bag with a shoulder strap. I’ve looked on with envy at those with roller ski bags as they effortlessly negotiate the airport and car rental counters but have have… Read More
Rocker Ski Racks Skis have a way of cluttering your garage, hallway, closet or wherever it is you happen to store them. We all know what happens when you simply lean your skis against the nearest available wall – if they don’t fall over right away, they will fall over eventually – often taking a few other choice items with them on… Read More
BCA Shaxe The latest backcountry shovel innovation to come through the office is the BCA Shaxe. Shovel meets ice axe. Backcountry skiers need to carry shovels but never really want to deploy them for their intended companion rescue purpose. Fortunately, shovels are also handy for digging out your car, truck or snowmobile. Several manufacturers have worked to combine snow saws and… Read More
Portable Chargers for the Backcountry Electronics in the backcountry are part of life. Apps like Gaia (GPS), Strava, Avenza and Ride turn our phones into worthy gps and map tracking tools for adventure in any season. However, keeping electronics fully charged and ready to go on a multi-day backcountry trip requires back-up power. There are many portable storage batteries on the… Read More
