Winter Buyer's Guide

Winter 2013 Buyer's Guide

Our warmest issue ever, with over 250 products tested and rated

Gear of the Year

After months of torture-testing the latest crop of outdoor gear, we've compiled a list of our eight favorite items, from the Never Summer Proto CT/CTX snowboard to the Atlas Race snowshoes

The 5 Best Pilgrimages

If you're the kind of skier who books travel based on the 10-day forecast, here's where to go

Treat Your Feet Right

Great gear will only get you so far. Be kind to what you put in it. Here are some tips for taking care of your feet on the slopes.

The Guide to Proper Winter Sledding

Make the most of that noblest of winter weekend sports

The Best Winter Apps of 2013

Ski more powder, score cheap lift tickets, and avoid avalanches

The Gear Shed

Wednesday, Jan 23, 2013

Giro Combyn: A Helmet That Protects You Hit After Hit

By Gear Shed

A shell that can take multiple hits over the course of an event or season.

Tuesday, Jan 22, 2013

Patagonia Proves Responsible Business Can Be Profitable Business

By Gear Shed

The company is celebrating its 40th anniversary with new and improved gear.

• Read More

Gear Videos

Packing for a Hike

On Outside Television, REI gear expert...

Buying the Right Kayak

Sunglasses: Oakley's Radar Lock

Backpacks: Eddie Bauer First Ascent...

Skiing Photo Galleries

Ski Jumper Lindsey Van

Skiing and Biking Israel

World Heli: Big Mountain

Skiing Black and Whites

Angel Collinson

Skier Sarah Burke

Everything You Need for Snowboarding

The Best Men's Snowboards

The Best Men's Snowboard Boots

The Best Women's Snowboards

The Best Women's Snowboard Boots

The Best Women's Bindings

The Best Gear of Winter 2012-2013

The 3 Best Snowboard Bindings of 2013

By Mike Horn

Choosing the right bindings is just as important to your snowboard experience as your board and boots. We've selected three of our favorite bindings to help you find what's right for you.

The Best Ice Climbing Gear of 2013

By Berne Broudy

Scaling rock and ice in the winter is serious business. Bring the right stuff.

The 6 Best Winter Gloves of 2013

By Dave Cox

If you ski mostly in wet snow, like the stuff in Northern California and the Pacific Northwest, then you need something waterproof. In drier climes, like the Central Rockies, a water-resistant soft-shell glove should suffice. The more leather it has, the more waterproof it’s going to be.

The 7 Best Base Layers of 2013

By Scott Yorko

Let’s start with nature’s wünderfabric. Not only is merino wool (sourced mostly from sheep in New Zealand’s Southern Alps) a sustainable, bio-degradable fabric, but gear makers have figured out how to make it softer and thin enough to wear on a hot summer day.

The 6 Best Women's Après Boots of 2013

By Ali Carr Troxell

Warm and winterized footwear doesn’t have to be frumpy.

The 6 Best Women's Jackets of 2013

By Stephanie Pearson

We put 70 jackets through the wringer—running, skinning, skiing, and hiking. After nitpicking over pocket placement, breathability, and ever other detail under the sun, we settled on these six.

The Best Women's Winter Workout Gear of 2013

By Kate Siber

Frigid temperatures, biting wind, blowing snow—if you’re well outfitted, it doesn’t really matter.

The 6 Best Women's Running Shoes of 2013

By Justin Nyberg

From minimalist speedsters to winter-ready mountain scramblers, we’ve got you covered.

The 6 Best Snow Goggles of 2013

By Marc Peruzzi

Most goggles feature fog-resistant double lenses, but the cheap ones are built flat and bent into the frame, creating distortion, which can cause headaches. Invest in optically correct spherical lenses. Polarization? It cuts reflected light, but it can mask ice, too.

The 6 Best Ski and Snowboard Helmets of 2013

By Ryan Krogh

It’s all about fit. Too loose and your head is a yolk inside an eggshell. Too tight and you’ll get migraines from all the pressure points. Most of today’s helmets have features that allow you to maximize fit.

The 7 Best Running Shoes of Winter 2013

By Justin Nyberg

While the minimalism trend has shifted the center of the running universe toward lighter, more neutral designs with lower heels, shoe buyers are still faced with one crucial question: Performance or comfort?

The Best Winter Running Gear of 2013

By Justin Nyberg

Rather sort your sock drawer than run on a treadmill? Us too. Here’s the gear you’ll need to keep running outdoors all winter long.

The 3 Best Telemark Bindings of 2013

By Jeff Burke and Drew Pogge

You now have two choices when it comes to telemark bindings: 75mm (traditional duckbill) and the newer NTN. The former is favored for its simplicity, lower cost, and greater variety of boot choices, but NTN is vastly more powerful and releasable, and it’s better-suited to driving today’s fattest skis.

The 3 Best Alpine Touring Bindings of 2013

By Jeff Burke and Drew Pogge

Dynafit-style tech bindings, like the Radical and the La Sportiva RT, are the only ones that offer a true free pivot, meaning there’s no hardware attached to your boot heel or sole. They have fewer moving parts, ice up less, and require 15 percent less energy from you than other bindings.

The 6 Best Backcountry Boots of 2013

By Jeff Burke and Drew Pogge

Whether you’re at the resort or deep in the backcountry, if your boots don’t fit properly you’re miserable. Not sure about size or which brand fit you best? Consult a fitter. To narrow your choices, match the boot to the binding you’re pairing it with.

The 4 Best Women's Ski Boots of 2013

By Heather Schultz

We tested out the best backcountry and alpine boots to help you find the best fit for your ski experience.

The 6 Best Insulated Jackets of 2013

By Ryan Krogh

The first question to ask yourself is: Down or synthetic? Synthetic insulation is water-resistant, dries quickly, and is usually not as marshmallowy as its natural counterpart, which makes for better layering.

The Best Splitboarding Gear of 2013

By Kyle Dickman

As backcountry skiing has boomed, so has splitboarding. In the past five years, participation has quadrupled, and companies from Black Diamond to Burton to K2 have tossed their hats into the ring with split-specific gear.

The 5 Best Women's Skis of 2013

By Heather Schultz

When the results were tallied after our on-mountain evaluations, these were our female testers’ favorite planks.

The Best Winter Camping Gear of 2013

By Molly Loomis

First things first: your pack will be heavier. You’ll be packing more food, fuel, and layers. As for shelter, if you’re not expecting high winds or heavy snowfall, you probably don’t need to upgrade to a four-season tent; a sturdy (read: not ultralight or mostly mesh) three-season model should see you through.

The 7 Best Resort Jackets of 2013

By Frederick Reimers

If it’s time for an upgrade, start by answering this question: Do you ski almost exclusively at resorts? The defining characteristic of the ones reviewed here is that they’re built for comfort, not aerobic speed.

The 4 Best Snowshoes of 2013

By Berne Broudy

Traction, bindings, and weight—these are the biggest differentiators. Let’s start with traction. For steep, icy, or rocky terrain, go aggressive with as many underfoot claws in as many locations as you can get, as well as a heel lifter to save your calves on steep climbs.

The 7 Best Backcountry Skis of 2013

By Jeff Burke and Drew Pogge

If it’s been a while since you bought telemark or alpine touring gear, you’ll notice that the game has changed quite a bit. Skis that used to be fat are now narrow, almost every new model has some degree of rocker, and Dynafit and Dynafit-style bindings are becoming increasing common at the resort.

The Best Women's Backcountry Bindings of 2013

By Jeff Burke and Drew Pogge

Go deeper with our favorite telemark and alpine touring bindings of the year.

The 3 Best Women's Winter Boots of 2013

By Berne Broudy

We found three fashionable boots ideal for snowshoeing and general winter tomfoolery.

The 3 Best Women's Snowshoes of 2013

By Berne Broudy

Our Vermont-based test crew started with a field of more than 30 snowshoes and narrowed them down to these three favorites.

The 6 Best Alpine Boots of 2013

By Ari Goosen

Your skis might be flashier, but your boots are the more critical piece of gear. You could roll the dice and buy online, but we highly recommend getting them the old-fashioned way: in person. The more knowledgeable the shop is, the better.

The 6 Best Après Shoes of 2013

By Sam Moulton

Unfortunately, you can’t just wear your sorels everywhere. Sooner or later you’re going to have to come down from the mountains and return to civilization. But fear not. Bring the spirit of the slopes with you everywhere with our favorite après shoes.

The 6 Best Watches of 2013

By Will Palmer

Six rugged timepieces that are up for any adventure, be it on snow, water, or dirt.

The Best Adventure Tech of 2013

By Will Palmer

Sharing powder shots, filming your friend's huck, and keeping in touch have never been easier with gadgets like Fujifilm's XP170 and the DeLorme InReach communicator.

The 6 Best Winter Boots of 2013

By Berne Broudy

From sneakers with built-in gaiters to burly boots with temperature-sensitive rubber, there have never been more options for cold-weather kicks. For aerobic snowshoeing, hiking, or trail running, you might not need any insulation. But if you’ll be standing around a lot, or you live someplace especially cold, you’ll need lots of stuffing.

The Best Nordic Skiing Gear of 2013

By Marc Peruzzi

Cyclists, climbers, alpine skiers, and trail runners are all crossing over to nordic skate skiing for two simple reasons—it’s fun as hell, and it delivers a freakishly efficient full-body workout. First know this: skate skis aren’t alpine skis; you don’t choose them by length  alone.

The Best Backcountry Tools of 2013

By Jeff Burke

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.

The 3 Best Fat Bikes of 2013

By Aaron Gulley

Originally created for epic winter races like the Iditabike, fat bikes lately have gotten as big as … well, their oversize tires. In addition to dedicated snow events—and the list of those is ballooning—we’ve seen these beefy bad boys at 24-hour races, on tour in the desert, and, most recently, at the Leadville 100.

The 6 Best Sunglasses of 2013

By Sam Moulton

Whether you’re looking for glacier glasses, everyday drivers, or racy speedsters, we’ve got the right pair for you.

The 7 Best Backcountry Packs of 2013

By Ryan Stuart

Think of your pack as a closet on your back. And just as there’s no right way to fold your clothes, there’s no single pack that’s suited to everyone. But allow us to offer some advice.

The 19 Best Alpine Skis of 2013

By Marc Peruzzi

Those lift-line elitists snickering at your old traditionally shaped skis could use some manners, but they’ve got a point: the new rockered shapes make skiing more fun. Which ones should you buy? There are two schools of thought.

The 7 Best Multi-Use Jackets of 2013

By Stephen Regenold

From wool-insulated workout wear to the hardest hard shell we’ve ever seen, this year’s backcountry jackets are an eclectic crop. Material upgrades and smart design leaps have made outerwear a locus of innovation. (Molecular-level polymer coating, anyone?) But enough lab-speak.

The 4 Best Avalanche Air Bags of 2013

By Ryan Stuart

After air bags saved lives in several high-profile slides last year, demand (and curiosity) has never been higher. In 2011, there were five manufacturers making air-bag packs. This winter there are at least 10, and an increasing number of cat- and heli-ski operations are outfitting their clients with them.

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Winter 2013 Buyer's Guide

The Gear Shed

Gear Videos

Packing for a Hike

Skiing Photo Galleries

Everything You Need for Snowboarding

The Best Gear of Winter 2012-2013

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