Splitting the difference at the 2020 Gear Test Week
Last year’s 2019 Gear Test Week was the first at which skiers and splitboarders shared slopes and brews while reviewing the upcoming season’s standout hard and softgoods. And it was such a success that once again, Powder Mountain, Utah is host to both one-plankers and two, seamlessly coming together like the splitboards that are gracing GTW 2020.
Fat skis at the 2020 Gear Test Week lighten the load
Tester Betsy Manero tests out her ski's flotation on Day Two of the 2020 Gear Test Week. [Photo] Matt Kiedaisch Adding weight in the gym may be a point of pride, but on the skintrack every gram … [Read More...]
The ties that bind
Tester Marla Bailey leans in to the latest binding tech. [Photo] Tyler Cohen There is one piece of gear that is the foundation of all AT setups, since Dynafit’s 1986 Low Tech model: the binding. … [Read More...]
Gear Test Week 2020: With boots, is less more?
In recent years, AT boots have sported all manner of buckle systems, from the Boa cinch to the traditional four-buckle lock-down. Each method is geared toward a particular use; the Scarpa Alien RS’s … [Read More...]
The Battles for Bear Creek
Four years ago, when I dropped into the San Joaquin Couloir beyond Telluride Ski Resort in the upper Bear Creek drainage, the greatest challenge before me lay the firm, moguled surface of the … [Read More...]
Betsy Armstrong reflects on deep research and deeper turns
From Washington’s Mt. Olympus to the Himalaya, Betsy Armstrong has centered her life around research—whether on avalanches, snow safety or publishing. After an early start in glacier research with … [Read More...]
Higher Learning: The nuances of how, when, where and why to take a course
Two Marches back, as I stood on the edge of the frozen Bell Lake in Montana’s Tobacco Root Mountains, I knew I was exactly where I needed to be. Together with a half dozen no-longer-strangers, I … [Read More...]
Quick Pits Part II: How pits help with in-the-field decision-making
In Sarah Carpenter’s article, The Dos and Don’ts of Quick Pits, released last month, she explains the benefits of a quick pit as a tool to gain a “focused assessment of snowpack in [a] particular … [Read More...]
2019 Editors’ Choice Awards: All-Mountain Skis
This year’s best skis are focused on transcending boundaries. From light skintrack slayers that can muscle through crud to fat powder boats that charge edge to edge, 2019’s Editors’ Choice lineup … [Read More...]
2019 Editors’ Choice Awards: Freeride Skis
This year's best skis are focused on transcending boundaries. From light skintrack slayers that can muscle through crud to fat powder boats that charge edge to edge, 2019's Editors' Choice lineup … [Read More...]
2019 Editors’ Choice Awards: Powder Touring Skis
This year’s best skis are focused on transcending boundaries. From light skintrack slayers that can muscle through crud to fat powder boats that charge edge to edge, 2019’s Editors’ Choice lineup … [Read More...]
2019 BACKCOUNTRY EDITORS’ CHOICE AWARDS
The 2019 Gear Guide's story is one of transcending boundaries, from the unification of our ski and splitboard tests at Powder Mountain, Utah to the gear itself. This year’s best products excel beyond … [Read More...]
2019 Editors’ Choice Awards: Bindings
In the race to the top, it’s all about balancing weight and security, and this year’s Editors’ Choice bindings showcase durable construction paired with weight savings and tremendous versatility. From … [Read More...]
2019 Editors’ Choice Awards: Apparel and Accessories
For the second year running, the 2019 Gear Guide is packed with the best jackets, layers, packs, helmets and more apparel and accessories for this winter. Our Editors’ Choice apparel exemplifies the … [Read More...]
2019 Editors’ Choice Awards: Boots
Massive walk-mode ranges, state-of-the-art buckles, heat-moldable shells and true 130 flex ratings might have sounded far fetched among AT boots a decade ago, but the future is now with this 2019 … [Read More...]
2019 Editors’ Choice Awards: Splitboards
As splitboarding has matured, so too has its relationship with skiing—and this year, we merged Board Test Week with our Powder Mountain Gear Test. Send trains, friendly one-upmanship and endless gear … [Read More...]
A Master Bootfitter’s guide to footbeds and liners
As winter kicks into gear and you take those first initial steps on the skintrack, you may be noticing some sticking points with your boots. To help shed light on better AT boot fit from the inside … [Read More...]
2018 Testers’ Choice: Dana Allen’s picks
Testing skis for the Backcountry Magazine Gear Guide can be a grueling endeavor—with hours upon hours of hot powder laps, edge-to-edge action on groomers, the occasional crud-busting run, and of … [Read More...]
2018 Testers’ Choice: Gavin Cooper’s picks
Testing skis for the Backcountry Magazine Gear Guide can be a grueling endeavor—with hours upon hours of hot powder laps, edge-to-edge action on groomers, the occasional crud-busting run, and of … [Read More...]
2018 Testers’ Choice: Becca Cooper’s Picks
Testing skis for the Backcountry Magazine Gear Guide can be a grueling endeavor—with hours upon hours of hot powder laps, edge-to-edge action on groomers, the occasional crud-busting run, and of … [Read More...]
2018 Testers’ Choice: Matteo Campbell’s picks
Testing skis for the Backcountry Magazine Gear Guide can be a grueling endeavor—with hours upon hours of hot powder laps, edge-to-edge action on groomers, the occasional crud-busting run, and of … [Read More...]
2018 Testers’ Choice: Cat Ambrose’s Picks
Testing skis for the Backcountry Magazine Gear Guide can be a grueling endeavor—with hours upon hours of hot powder laps, edge-to-edge action on groomers, the occasional crud-busting run, and of … [Read More...]
Board Test Week wraps up in Colorado
Sitting in the Monarch Cat Skiing yurt, seven testers laced up boots and turned on beacons when first-year tester Alex Spectorsky spoke up. “So, how’s the snow?” he asked the Monarch … [Read More...]
Board Test Week’s Peaks and Valleys
Despite the early wake up after three full days of testing boards, rumors of snowfall and significant amounts of cold-brew coffee fueled Monday morning’s stoke on the fourth day of Board Test Week. … [Read More...]
Gallery: Gear Test Week 2018
A few short weeks ago, more than 40 testers converged on the sunny slopes of Powder Mountain, Utah for Gear Test Week 2018. Along for the ride was photographer Matt Kiedaisch, who documented each day, … [Read More...]
How Romp Skis crafted the ultimate one-quiver backcountry tool
At 2018 Gear Test Week, 40 testers put more than 200 pairs of skis, 70 pairs of boots and every pair of backcountry bindings through the ringer. But one particular product stood above all the rest—and … [Read More...]
