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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Essential Backcountry Equipment — Climbing Skins Climbing skins don’t get nearly as much attention as skis, boots and bindings when building out a backcountry ski kit. Nonetheless, skins are essential equipment for backcountry skiing and deserve some real consideration. The big questions when looking for skins are: What’s the best plush — nylon, mohair or a blend? What’s the glue reputation?… Read More
Leather Ski Gloves Can Do It All Put your skins on. Take your skins off. Buckle your boots. Loosen your boots. Adjust your bindings. Open your pack. Eat a snack. Take a photo. A typical day in the backcountry asks a lot of our gloved hands – far more than a day at the resort. Backcountry ski gloves must be… Read More
Featherweight Tech Binding DPS adds to their touring binding lineup this season with the DPS R10 tech binding. It’s a lightweight yet descent-minded AT binding that weighs in at a featherweight 260 grams (9 ounces) each. It’s a binding for all-day tours and quick skin track laps alike. The R10’s weight and appearance might lead you to assume it’s another… Read More
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
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… Read More
Made in Utah – The New DPS Pagoda Tour DPS Skis set a high bar for dedicated backcountry ski performance when they launched their Tour 1 ski construction in 2015. The Tour 1 skis married their proven profiles to a lightweight paulownia-wood-and-carbon-laminated core. The result is some of the lightest skis in their width class. They performed well across conditions,… Read More
The Art of Layering – How To Layer For Backcountry Skiing 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’s easy to overdress for ski touring. Touring is an aerobic activity, and you need to… 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 appreciate 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… Read More
The boom in gravel riding and adventure cycling has brought a fresh take on cycling clothing — jerseys and shorts that offer all the performance of technical cycling kit, with a clean, simple look and feel. You no longer have to settle for the race team or over-stylized cycling jersey that has dominated riding apparel for decades. Finally, you can… Read More
Showers Pass Cloudburst Rain Jacket Review We’ve all heard the phrase, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.” Well, few activities highlight bad clothing as quickly as cycling in the rain. Riding a bike with any real effort puts waterproof, breathable claims to a serious test. It’s one thing to throw on a lightweight rain shell to… Read More
Showers Pass Apex Mountain Bike Shorts All the Mobility and Pockets You Need There’s no better way to declare your bike nerd factor than to show up for a ride clad from head to toe in tight-fitting Lycra shorts and a jersey. I wear my fair share of Lycra — it’s incredibly good for mobility and comfort on the bike…. 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
Castelli Entrata Cycling Vest – Windproof Front, Breathable Back Cycling vests are essential gear for shoulder season rides – or any cool weather riding, really. A good vest balances breathability and wind resistance. It lets you control your temp on climbs and blocks cold wind on descents. With GORE Windstopper® across the front and stretch breathable material across the back, the Castelli… 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, and… Read More
A Lightweight Ski Helmet for the Backcountry While helmets are the norm for resort skiing, their use in the backcountry 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
