As the Backcountry Gear Test rolls on, we’re taking a moment to profile those who make the whole shebang work: our testers. First up is Tester newbie Caitlin Mitchell, a Jackson resident, ripping skier and self-proclaimed expert at folding things. We caught up with Mitchell to talk ski background (including a pivotal fall to the face) and to glean some insights into her time at the test thus far.
The Re-Gram: Gear Test Week Day 1 social media highlights
With eight inches of snow accumulating over the course of the first day and 11 inches in the recent 48 hour period, the 2017 Gear Test Week at Powder Mountain, Utah started out with a bang. Gear tests are more fun and more productive when the conditions are good, and day 1 saw testers […]
Gear Test Week Arrives at Powder Mountain
POWDER MOUNTAIN, UTAH The 2017 Backcountry Magazine Gear Test Week kicked off yesterday, with over 200 pair of skis arriving to be tested over the next week. More than 50 testers flocked to Powder Mountain to give Backcountry Magazine their blood, sweat and toenails in pursuit of finding the best of next year’s skis and boots. And when the testers […]
2016 Gear Test Week: The Round Up
After a week in Powder Mountain, the 50 gear testers and Backcountry staff have dispersed back to their respective mountain towns. Like the Annual Board Test, the Gear Test was a huge success; the squad tested 200 skis and 50 boots, as well as a range of tele and AT bindings, all while enjoying the surprise […]
2016 Board Test Week Round Up
The last week was awesome, inspiring and exhausting. My board test team rode harder than bats outta hell, and they deserve every bit of recognition for their work. So I was pretty annoyed last night when I overheard some guy at the bar saying he was sick of hearing “so many snowboarders acting all high […]
2016 Gear Test Week: Day 4 Dispatch
The testers were back at it again on Friday at Powder Mountain, after a surprising array of songs and skits performed at the Gear Test’s Annual Talent Show on Thursday night. As the day heated up, the group took advantage of the corn and tested the faster and lighter skis of the BCM selection. By the end […]
2016 Gear Test Week: Day 3 Dispatch
Day 3 of the Gear Test Week was another welcomed day of bluebird skies and warm temperatures. Before the snow turned slushy, a group of testers dropped into terrain typically accessed by the Paradise Lift, which is currently closed due to snow conditions. The crew took turns in the Powder Chambers—untracked, north-facing slopes—and after a quick […]
2016 Gear Test Profile: Sheridan Davis and Mary McIntyre
Since 2008, approximately 50 testers from around the U.S. have congregated in Powder Mountain to shred on and evaluate next year’s bindings, boots and skis. Some testers make it back every year, putting their home mountains second for a week with Backcountry and their fellow testers, many of whom are now like family. And each year […]
2016 Gear Test Week: Day 2 Dispatch
As testers rolled into Powder Mountain for Day 2 of Gear Test Week, they were greeted with sunny skies and warm temperatures, a total 180 from Tuesday’s blustery dumpage. Skiers snagged their picks for the second round of fat ski-testing and were mowing through Tuesday’s accumulation as quickly as their bindings could be adjusted. Before the powder turned heavy from […]
2016 Gear Test Week: Day 1 Dispatch
Powder Mountain lived up to its name today, with 9 inches of freshies accumulated over the past 48 hours. Given the sunny forecast expected for the rest of the week, testers took full advantage of the new snow and tried out the fattest of the 200 Gear Test skis, most of which were 105 underfoot or […]
