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The Best Backcountry Tools of 2013

It makes no difference to Mother Nature whether you’re a few hundred feet outside the resort boundary or deep in the backcountry. At a minimum, if you plan to ski any uncontrolled slope, you need four things: a buddy, a beacon (worn over your midlayer, not stuffed in your pack), a shovel, and a probe. It’s also a good idea to have a puffy jacket, and you might consider wearing an air-bag-equipped pack, too. Of course, knowing how to use your gear is just as important as having it. Taking a snow-safety course is a great first step, but practicing often—searching, probing, digging—is even more essential. Thirty-seven U.S. resorts now have beacon-training parks. These are a few of our favorite snow-safety tools and some of the best climbing skins we’ve ever tested.

2013 Winter Buyer's Guide
Friday, October 26, 2012

Ortovox 3+ Beacon

By: Category: Winter Buyer's Guide, Snow Sports, Adventure Electronics, Emergency Beacons
Ortovox 3+ Beacon Photo: Ortovox

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Three-antenna transceivers with signal analysis and separation are today’s standard, and the intuitive display and smart antenna of the 3+ (which senses the beacon’s orientation when buried) work as well for pros as they do for novices. Translation: This is one of the easiest-to-use, most effective beacons on the market.

Brand: Ortovox

$349

Brand Name Description Price Date Keywords
Petzl Nao Headlamp The Nao headlamp automatically senses ambient light and adjusts itself appropriately to your situation. $175 2013 Winter Buyer's Guide Winter Buyer's Guide, Camping, Lanterns and Headlamps, Headlamps, Snow Sports, Adventure Electronics, Gear
Timex Intelligent Quartz Depth Gauge Timex's Intelligent Quartz Depth Gauge will let you know just how deep you dove and how cold it was down there. $225 2013 Winter Buyer's Guide Winter Buyer's Guide, Snow Sports, Adventure Electronics, Watches, Sport Watches, Gear
Magellan eXplorist 310 Magellan eXplorist 310 Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Magellan eXplorist 310 GPS. $200 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide Winter Buyer's Guide, Adventure, Weekend Escapes, Women's, Tools, Snow Sports, GPS Devices

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