Finding the right climbing skins can make or break your backcountry day. I have spent countless hours skinning up ridgelines in conditions ranging from blower powder to literal ice, and I can tell you firsthand that the wrong skins will have you sliding backward, fighting glop, or questioning your life choices on steep switchbacks. That … Read more
There is nothing worse than watching your climbing skins peel off your splitboard halfway up a skin track in deep powder. I have been there, and it ruins the entire tour. The fix usually comes down to one thing: replacing the adhesive on your skins with a quality glue that actually holds up in cold, … Read more
When you are grinding up a 3,000-foot bootpack in the dark, with frozen fingers fumbling for a gel packet, the last thing you want is a heavy, floppy pack throwing off your balance. I learned this the hard way during my first skimo race in the Wasatch, wearing a borrowed pack that bounced with every … Read more
If you have ever skinning up a steep switchback and found yourself choking down on your pole shaft because the standard grip just was not cutting it, you already know why shovel grips exist. Ski touring poles with shovel grips give you an extended handle zone below the main grip, letting you plant your hand … Read more
When you are heading into avalanche terrain, your safety depends on three things: a beacon that finds signals fast, a probe that pinpoints the buried person, and a shovel that moves snow quickly. That is the avalanche safety triad, and every backcountry traveler needs to carry all three. I have spent months evaluating the best … Read more
If you spend any time in the backcountry during winter, you already know that avalanche safety is not optional. A solid snow saw is one of those tools you hope you never need in a rescue scenario, but absolutely cannot go without. Whether you are digging snow pits for stability testing, cutting columns for ECT … Read more
When you are heading into the backcountry, your avalanche probe is one of those pieces of gear you hope you never have to use but absolutely cannot skimp on. I have spent the past several seasons testing avalanche probes across the Cascades, the Wasatch, and the European Alps, and I have come to one firm … Read more
If you spend time in avalanche terrain, whether as a ski guide, snow safety professional, or serious backcountry traveler, having the right snow study tools can mean the difference between a safe day and a dangerous one. The best professional avalanche snow study kits give you the instruments needed to analyze snowpack conditions, identify weak … Read more
When you are standing at 14,000 feet with wind howling and clouds rolling in fast, knowing your exact elevation is not a luxury. It is survival. I have spent years climbing peaks across North America and Europe, and I have relied on altimeter watches in conditions where a phone would have died in minutes. Finding … Read more
If you have ever waxed your skis at home and felt like something was missing from the finish, you are not alone. I spent two seasons skipping the brushing step entirely, thinking my wax scraper did all the work. Then a veteran ski tech at a local shop showed me what a properly brushed base … Read more