“At the end of our Gear Test this year, I asked newbie and Teton Valley, Idaho, resident Kailey McKenna what she thought of the week. ‘It was like a river trip, but we didn’t go anywhere,’ she said. After eight Gear Test Weeks, I’d never thought of comparing our organized chaos and the slowing of time with a flotilla, let alone a stationary one focused on catching up with friends. It gave me a new appreciation for my adult winter camp.” —Betsy Manero (from the 2024 Gear Guide Editor’s Note)
While this winter camp boasts the usual array of wild stories and fond memories, that’s just the bonus—or the core… I guess it depends how you look at it. Either way, by the end of the week, we tested 311 pieces of gear.
And so ended the “play hard” portion of the job. Next came the hard work. Writing, editing, rewriting and laying out the reviews (60 ski, 31 splitboard, 26 touring boot, 10 touring binding and 44 apparel reviews), plus curating all the imagery and determining what sets this slew of equipment apart from the rest.
The end product is 148 pages of expert-reviewed backcountry ski and snowboard gear, the 2024 Gear Guide. Here’s a sneak peek:
Get THE Outliers ISSUE
There’s a reason we keep coming back to the skintrack. Why we eagerly load skis into the car before the sun rises; why we diligently study avalanche danger and snow conditions; why we walk uphill for hours or fly across the world. It turns out there’s a lot we’re willing to do for a few (hopefully) good turns. Some are willing to do far more.
Meet The Outliers, the folks Issue 162 is dedicated to. Christina Lustenberger, Jim Morrison and Chantel Astorga: The athletes putting a first descent on one of the world’s most famous climbing walls. There’s Seth Beck, a splitboarder traversing the remnants of an ancient continent’s mountain range. And don’t forget Stratton Matteson: The man who spent five years forsaking gas-guzzling vehicles to make a statement about fighting climate change and kept logging epic lines in the Cascades anyways.
Of course, we’re still suckers for good ‘ole fresh pow and a touch of history. Editor in Chief Betsy Manero dives into the origins of skiing, snow science and mountaineering in Japan’s northernmost prefecture and global powder capital, Hokkaido, and investigates the ramen and onsen-nurtured backcountry ski scene.
The rest? Well, you’ll just have to grab a copy to find out. And take your time, this issue will last through the corn, the mud and the sun.
The Backcountry Team
Subscribe now to make sure a copy is coming your way 📬.
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