“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 3oth ANNIVERSARY ISSUE
Back in 1994, David and Betsy Harrower were exploring the backcountry on long, narrow, tele skis and having a grand old time. The only problem? “I realized there was no magazine to gain information about what had become the most fun part of my life,” writes David in his Editor’s Note in Issue 161. And so, as the story goes, David and Betsy, along with Brian Litz, started Backcountry.
In the following 30 years, the publication and the sport have both grown and evolved. Today, alpine touring setups reign, film cameras have been replaced by their digital brethren and many editors and photographers have come and gone on our hallowed masthead. In Issue 161, The 30th Anniversary Issue, we highlight three decades of people who’ve made this publication what it is, both in editorial and art, and the backcountry skiing community that’s developed alongside us.
In the next 132 pages coming your way, we look to the past and the present. We remember late telemark big mountain skier Kasha Rigby; dive into the heli-skiing pioneers who drove the development of avalanche safety; and recognize Paul Parker’s lifetime of contributions to the sport. And we report on efforts to make avalanche education more accessible; the apps offering better tour planning; and the Italian splitboarder dedicated to uniting his backcountry community.
As headlines fly, take a moment to recall all the things our favorite sport—and the publication dedicated to it—has been and continues to be. Then take a victory lap at your favorite zone on us.
To 30 more!
The Backcountry Team
Subscribe now to make sure a copy is coming your way 📬.
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