Will Sardinsky tests for float at Gear Test Week 2019. [Photo] Ryan Irvin Thanks for coming to our website and for your interest in backcountry skiing! We are away from the office at our annual Gear Test Week at Powder Mountain in Utah. We’ll be spending the week testing next year’s skis, splitboards, boots and apparel for our annual Gear Guide. We will not have time to publish anything new this week, but we hope you enjoy our array of stories already up on the site. If you would like to follow along with our antics and learn about how our test works, follow our Instagram (@backcountrymag), wh ..read more

Lowell Skoog keeps racking up accolades. Author Lowell Skoog has an archivist’s eye for skiing curios, and he has the basement collection to prove it. [Photo] Courtesy Lowell Skoog The roster of awards the author has received for his 2020 book, Written in the Snows, rivals his list of pioneering routes in Washington’s Cascades, and no prize is bigger than the National Outdoor Book Award (NOBA) for historical writing. Written in the Snows is the first book about skiing to win in the division and just the second on the subject recognized in any NOBA category. “The book had already received award ..read more

I take terrible touring photos. From an island of safety, I’ll shoot with reckless abandon at a friend, often ignoring the few tenets of photography I do know (looking at you, Rule of Thirds). Occasionally, quantity begets quality, and a passable image stands out, but in general that’s through luck, not skill. Maybe that’s true for you as well, but, according to professional photographers and athletes, it doesn’t have to be that way. Emily Tidwell demonstrates how to frame a shot while Amie Engerbretson takes advantage of a sunny, deep pow lap in California’s Mt. Rose Wilderness. [Photo ..read more

Mountain Flow Eco-Wax skin Wax Rub On $14, mountainflow.com The only thing that can ruin a perfect spring day in the mountains is 10 pounds of gloppy snow sticking to the bottom of your skis. Enter skin wax, but not just any skin wax. “I’ve used every brand of wax out there, and Mountain Flow has become my go-to,” said a tester all too familiar with the warm-weather glop. “Not only does it keep my skins dry, it’s also better for the planet.” Mountain Flow’s formula is petroleum free, plant based and biodegradable. Our tester also dug the tin it comes in, noting, “The 2-ounce container is the ..read more

Rab Equipment Vapour-Rise Summit Jacket $230, rab.equipment You know the bitingly cold feeling when your bootpack reaches the ridge and the wind cuts into your bones? Our tester says Rab’s Vapour-Rise Summit is the antidote. Made with a Pertex Quantum Air outer with durable waterproof repellant and Rab’s Vapour-Rise Warm lining, the Summit provides breathability, weather resistance and a bit of insulation during cold, high-output activities. “A little hot for tree skinning and mellow weather, but on a howling ridgeline it gives me the same feeling my yellow baby blanket did,” said our tester ..read more

Editors’ Choice: Deuter Freescape Lite 26 $200, deuter.com The Deuter Freescape Lite brings smarts to the skintrack—literally and figuratively. It’s lightweight, compact and feature-full. One of those features is, in fact, a brain. “Love the brain,” praised our Teton-based tester of the attachment many ski pack manufacturers have moved away from. Below its cerebral aspect, two large compartments divide the pack. The outer offers sleeves for avy equipment and is slim, “discouraging you from putting other gear in on top of your shovel and probe,” a tester said. The main one, accessible from the ..read more

Editors’ Choice: Scott Pro Shield $120, scott-sports.com The Scott Pro Shield is the teacher’s pet. “A+! A great pair of sunglasses to put on and forget about,” a college professor/tester said. Small vents in the top corners of the interchangeable lens prevented fogging even on high-output days, and both male and female testers lauded the comfortable, secure fit, citing the no-slip nosepiece and rubber arms. With an array of helmets and hats, testers noticed a gaper gap, about which one asked, “Is this the new ‘hip’ thing?’” Despite that small frustration, testers recommended the Pro Shield f ..read more

Editors’ Choice: Truck Pro Mitten $60, truckgloves.com The Truck Pro Mitten isn’t fancy, but our testers say it’s all you need. “Sometimes I think I’m turning into a White Walker when my hands get cold,” remarked one tester who suffers from waxy digits. “But I don’t have that problem with these.” Layered beneath the supple goatskin outer are Thinsulate and 3M poly filling, with a generous helping atop the hand. A Polar Fleece inner offers extra comfort and warmth. Despite its trim profile, the Pro Mitten gives your feelers space to breathe. “I can wiggle my fingers to keep them warm on a frig ..read more

Editors’ Choice: Julbo Cyrius Black 0-4 Reactiv High Contrast Lens $250, julbo.com “How did I ever live without these?” our tester asked. A new member of Julbo’s Cyrius line, the 0-4 Reactiv High Contrast lens has the company’s broadest photochromic range. “These lighten enough to work well at dawn, dusk, and dark and dreary days,” our tester said. “And they turn dark enough to stay comfortable on sunny, bluebird days.” He liked the size, which toed the line between welding mask and children’s goggles, but the strap “came up short, literally,” as it barely fit around a midsize helmet. Still ..read more

Editors’ Choice: Atomic Backland UL $260, atomic.com Atomic enters the ultralight, multicertification helmet ring with a 340-gram haymaker. “I love the triple certification (skiing, climbing, biking). It’s the ideal backcountry helmet,” our tester said. Complete with AMID, Atomic’s proprietary rotational protection that is similar to MIPS, and in-mold construction, it offers solid protection at a weight that, per our tester, is comfortable to skin in. Since the vents aren’t adjustable, it’s on the cooler side, but a thin liner offers some warmth, and Atomic’s 360 Fit system allows it to cinch ..read more