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 featherweight tourers to alpine-and-AT-compatible pin bindings that charge, a new standard is emerging for what touring bindings can do. These two bindings topped their category, […]
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 Editors’ Choice lineup. Our team of 32 testers took a deep dive into this season’s boots to handpick six with noteworthy and game-changing qualities. […]
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 race for the best in lightweight durability and comfort, with jackets and pants sporting advancements in fabric and fit for warmer, drier days […]
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 talk ensued, as the crew of 11 splitboarders tested 37 total split models, plus a slew of boots and bindings. With improved mechanism to […]
Backcountry welcomes Mountain Flyer, The Mountain Bike Journal
The publishers of Backcountry Magazine recently acquired Gunnison, Colorado-based Mountain Flyer, The Mountain Bike Journal. If you love Backcountry and also ride, Mountain Flyer is your quarterly journal of record for the sport. Through gripping storytelling and crisp, clean design, and showcasing photography only available on the printed page, Mountain Flyer celebrates the riders, racers, […]
Marker announces recall of 2017/18 Kingpin 10 and 13 models
Marker is replacing all affected binding toes at no cost to the consumer.
Andrzej Bargiel makes history with first ski descent of K2
On Sunday, July 22, Polish ski mountaineer Andrzej Bargiel became the first person in history to climb and ski the Himalayan behemoth K2 (28,251 feet), located on the China/Pakistan border in the Karakoram Range.
Beer Guide 2018: Porters, stouts and lighter styles to transition from deep days to endless spring tours and tailgates
Beer may not make skinning faster or descending smoother—well, maybe for some it does—but it’s pretty much guaranteed to make post-ski hangouts a bit more lively. And with the right brews, you may just make some new parking lot friends to boot. Here are a few of our Editors’ Choice après picks for 2018 that’ll give you the motivation to shred harder so you can kick back and enjoy a malted beverage.
Gearbox: An Editors’ Choice powder setup
For many, sliding through endless, untouched slopes of powder is the ultimate motivation behind ski touring. It’s what fills our autumn dreams and validates any amount of sweat, distance or effort. And when it comes to consistent, smooth conditions, almost any setup will do, whether it’s heavy, narrow, planky or stiff. But if powder skiing is the Holy Grail, shouldn’t a setup for the pursuit enhance the experience to its fullest potential?
Gearbox: Four poles that balance avy safety and skinning comfort
Small as they are, pole straps can be a divisive piece of gear. Anti-strap advocates know that they’re overwhelmingly dangerous as anchors in avalanches or tree wells and as shoulder-separating leashes while skiing trees. But straps can be helpful on long approaches and while tethering poles to packs on certain climbs. Thankfully, a few companies have developed quick-release systems that allow you to have your straps and remove them, too.
