“exquisite articulation and dreamy man-bod flattery.” The Tech: Patagonia’s new SnowDrifter jacket (and matching bibs) are made from the brand’s proprietary DWR-treated H2No three-layer fabric that’s designed for top-of-the line weatherproofing at a lower price point. A helmet-compatible hood aims to protect against chilly breezes and two bigger torso pockets with one smaller chest pocket—as […]

“I trust these in the backcountry more than anything else” The Tech: With proprietary pucks, a skeletal baseplate and mid-flexing Rip ‘n’ Flip Highbacks, the Arc continues to be the overall binding of choice for our testers. Lighter, ribbed Pillow Line straps and convenient Whammy Bar risers are the main draws for those still touring […]

“Delivers an impressive amount of power for a two-buckle boot,” The Tech: La Sportiva positions their new Skorpius as a price-point skimo boot or a hyperlight touring option. It captures all the skin-friendly bells and whistles, like a lightweight, carbon-reinforced Grilamid cuff and shell, easy-to-engage mode change and a tongueless design that enables 68 degrees […]

“Vans-slip-on comfort while touring” The Tech: The Aspect dynasty continues with a fourth consecutive Editors’ Choice Award. Testers were amped on the inner Boa lacing system, which cinches the Intuition SpaceHeater liner, as well as on the trustworthiness of traditional laces and a Velcro strap across the tongue. The Talk: The Vibram Mountaineer Outsole’s “chunky […]

“By far the most stable and responsive board in its weight class,” one test veteran said. “The first ultralight board I want to take off the scale and actually ride.” “all-mountain dominator—I felt like I took the red pill and leveled into The Matrix.” Experienced testers tend to be more vigilant with ultralight decks: featherweight […]

Like a masterfully forged katana, Igneous’s Women’s Carbon Swallowtail was gorgeous, deadly “A ninja in the trees,” A boutique shop out of Jackson Hole, Wyo., Igneous handcrafts custom skis and snowboards and, as it turns out, the women’s deck they submitted to the test was actually the owner’s wife’s personal split, designed after four years […]

“Take it anywhere and be prepared to be satisfied, but not ecstatic.” The Tech: $900 for a split, pucks, skins and hardware? Bob Barker might as well be whispering seductively in your ear. The Marauder follows a simple, proven formula: a blunt, elongated nose tapering to a squat, square tail, plus a camber-dominant profile and […]

“These are the most shreddable touring bindings of all time,” As with Marker’s Kingpin, the Shift’s backend is comprised of an alpine-like heel, inspired by Salomon and Atomic’s STH platform but with a single heel riser (and no flat tour mode). The intrigue lies in the toe, which deploys pin-equipped wings for tech-binding-style climbing—read: unencumbered […]

The Tech: Though freeze-dried ice cream is questionable, anything approved by NASA usually holds up on earth, in this case Outdoor Research’s Inception Aerogel Gloves. These gloves employ Primaloft Gold Insulation Aerogel—that’s the NASA part—which is designed to be compression resistant and block cold, rather than insulate from it. The Talk: A simply designed glove […]

“The Renegade is like being the star of your own action film,” The Tech: It’s been nine years since the Renegade’s debut, and this brainchild of freeskier Eric Hjorleifson—envisioned as a steep and deep powder, pillow and spine-shredding machine—boasts updates including a tighter sidecut and a widened tip and tail intended for greater float. Inside […]