Check out Off-Piste Magazine’s expert ski gear reviews, including backcountry skis, AT ski boots, tech bindings, avalanche beacons, 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’ve tested.
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Rocker Ski Racks Skis have a way of cluttering your garage, hallway, closet or wherever it is that 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
Fork Mount Bikepacking Storage – Salsa EXP Anything Cage HD Options. That’s what the Salsa Anything Cage is all about. As the name suggests, these fork-mounted bikepacking cages let you carry just about anything. They expand your carrying capacity on the bike while maintaining a low profile and secure attachment for handling rough off-road travel. The Salsa Anything Cage has… Read More
GoSun 10 Watt Portable Solar Panel Phone, GPS, head unit, camera gear, headlamp, the list goes on. Carrying electronics in the backcountry is the norm these days. Keeping them charged over the course of a multi-day backcountry trip, however, is a project of its own. Portable batteries are an obvious solution and are great for a single device for a… Read More
What Makes A Great Bike Helmet? A bike helmet review is a funny thing ’cause we can’t actually evaluate its impact protection. It’s more about comfort and the types of safety tech and features it offers. The bottom line is that a great bike helmet should be the kind of thing you don’t really notice until you need it. It… Read More
Low Rolling Resistance. All-Around Grip For most of the gravel riding in the Pacific Northwest, traction and volume are the primary concerns when choosing tires. But you should never discount rolling resistance on a long day or when there’s a good percentage of paved road miles on deck. Our latest gravel tire review is the Kenda Alluvium Pro. It’s a… Read More
Better AeroPress Coffee with Fellow Prismo Filter The AeroPress is hands down the best portable coffee maker. Heck, I even use it at home on the regular. This winter, I stumbled across the Fellow Prismo AeroPress filter, an aftermarket filter that makes the AeroPress even better. The Fellow Prismo filter replaces the stock AeroPress filter basket. It features a reusable… Read More
Whether you set out for a ride in the rain or get caught by a surprise shower, cold, wet feet are part of winter cycling. Overboots and waterproof winter cycling shoes are a big help. Fenders are important, too, but inevitably the rain or road spray will seep into your cycling shoes — usually as it drips down your leg…. Read More
Carve or Slarve – The Volkl Blaze 106 is Right at Home By the numbers, the Volkl Blaze 106 is an interesting ski. It has a unique blend of new school and traditional design elements. It specs out with a 146mm tip, a 106mm waist and a 128mm tail for all lengths. Its wide shovel and strong sidecut are the… Read More
Lightweight Layering for the Uptrack and More So compact and light, there’s no reason to leave it behind; the Arc’teryx Atom SL Hoody is a superlight shell for ski touring and high-output days in the mountains. It’s also the lightest weight model in the Arc’teryx Atom jacket lineup – a collection of synthetic-insulated shells designed for moving in the mountains.At… Read More
Merino Wool — Breathable. Lightweight. Warm Wool has been part of the adventurer’s layering kit for a very long time. So long, in fact, it’s sometimes associated with an old-school vibe. It turns out that wool’s natural temperature-regulating, sweat-wicking, and odor-fighting qualities are difficult to match by modern synthetics. Add the naturally soft and resilient nature of merino, and you’ve… 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, a few pieces of gear can get you out of a jam with… Read More
Ortovox Adds Voice Direction to the Beacon Search Equation The advent of digital signal processing was a game changer for avalanche beacon technology. Directional arrows and distance readouts are standard fare. There are a few more pieces to the puzzle — like multiple antennas — but the point is that technology has made using avalanche beacons faster, easier and more… Read More
Made for Big Days Traditional backcountry ski packs get less attention in this age of avalanche airbag packs. Airbags certainly have their place, but so do regular ski packs. For example, the Gregory Targhee FT 35. It’s a ski pack that’s ready for big loads, overnight trips and technical objectives. Targhee Pack Design The Targhee FT 35 is a traditional top… Read More
Lightweight and Powerful with an Excellent Walk Mode Alpine touring ski boots must balance weight, power and durability with walkability, flex and comfort. Generally speaking, the more downhill-focused the boot, the less walk-friendly and heavier the design. The new La Sportiva Vanguard ski boots break that trend by being lighter and more powerful than similar boots while setting a new… Read More
Light, Playful Powder Touring Ski – The DPS Pagoda Tour 112 RP In the words of DPS, “The best untracked snow is worth walking for.” And that’s the motivation behind the new DPS Pagoda Tour skis, including the Pagoda Tour 112 RP. Following in the playful powder tracks of their lightweight Tour 1 skis, the design wizards at DPS bring… Read More
