“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 Historic Issue
There is something to be said for the interwoven exploration of history and land. Whether it’s from the perspective of fur traders and glade-cutting teleskiers on Quebec’s Gaspé Peninsula; via the curious lens of a photographer traversing Morocco’s Mgoun Massif; recognizing the impact of the 10th Mountain Division on U.S. backcountry skiing and mountaineering; or from a thoughtful writer’s investigation of what “home” means in Colorado’s mountains.
Then there are those looking to the future. The former U.S. Snowboard Team slalom racer who, after being diagnosed with myriad autoimmune diseases, including Type 1 Diabetes, has splitboarded around the world and founded an organization to help get more kids with diabetes into sports. And there’s the tele skier who found community in the National Brotherhood of Skiers and is working to get more Black people on the skintrack.
These are the histories, the stories and the efforts that bridge past and present and shape a better future for our sport. Subscribe now to get the issue.
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