Ski Gear
Archive
Six great brands making snow gear in the USA.
Absolutely. But it will take patience and persistence.
The world's top skiers and snowboarders share their favorite mountain accessories.
The key to digging your friends out alive is how fast you are with these three essential avalanche safety tools.
And hello to the F-Bom, the world's first snow goggles with active anti-fog technology.
Sure it's expensive, but Park City boasts friendly residents, easy access to great skiing, and plenty of culture.
Whether you’re carving corduroy or slaying the steeps, a little guidance from the pros can help you do it better.
Freeskiing is, by far, the olympic sport I am most excited to watch during this winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Freeskiing is brand new to the Olympics for 2014, and the three disciplines involved, half-pipe, slope style, and skicross, are going to be a thrill to watch. I get downright…
Rossi is the industry leader when it comes to balancing rocker (upturned tip and tail), camber (for edge hold and glide), and taper (the pin shape in the front and back, which delivers a loose feel in and out of turns). This year it packed all that institutional knowledge into the Super 7.
The first 16-DIN tech binding, the new Beast features a “return to center” toe piece. As you ski, the binding deflects to absorb shock. It’s one of the reasons, safety-wise, alpine-style bindings outperform tech bindings.
The Helldorado is nimble in strangled chutes but stable and absorbant when you’ve got room to open it up.
With a tight 14.3-meter turn radius, a powerful system-style binding, and Head’s World Cup race construction, this Austrian setup should have tossed us Yanks around by our Cinnabons.
The Annex 108 doesn’t really have a weak spot. The wood core and metal construction make chatter a nonissue.
Rossignol’s honeycombed tip and tail shed mass where it’s vital—away from your body. As a result, it’s effortless to throw the Soul 7 sideways in the trees or whenever you need to scrub speed.
Snow is coming (and already here if you're in Colorado). Time to get my ski gear in shape?
For its redesigned Super 7, Rossignol found the perfect balance of rocker (upturned tip and tail), camber (underfoot for edge hold), and taper (for easy turn entry and exit).
Giro’s Combyn helmet is made from the same material used to protect football players’ noggins.
The Black Diamond pack that promises to set a new standard for avalanche survival gear
The remarkably well-priced Theory features damping wood-core construction, powerful vertical side walls, and energetic carbon fiber stringers.
What are the best backcountry skis for tearing up East Coast powder?
Ready to hit the hills? If your gear needs an update—this winter or next—consider these pieces from POC.
Seven years after the release of the original, Gregory has re-launched the Targhee system with upgrades that include a new suspension built specifically for this pack
This new line is made specifically so you don't have to fumble around in your pack while out on a run
Seen frequently on the freestyle circuit in the '70s, The Ski is getting an update, with 3Dimension Sidecut technology and a full-length wood core
Outside reviews the best gear from SIA's 2013 Snow Show, including the Dynafit Beast.
Outside reviews the best gear from SIA's 2013 Snow Show, including the Rossignol Soul 7.
Pants are fine, but if your goal is waist-deep powder, a good pair of bibs like FlyLow’s Bakers ($330) are what you need.
From the L.L. Bean Signature Cowlneck to the Lole Amy Cardigan, Outside contributing editor and The Adventuress columnist Ali Carr Troxell picks her 10 favorite sweaters for the current snow season
Outside reviews the best gear from Outdoor Retailer's 2013 Winter Show, including the Dakine Utility Vest.
Here are some options for setting yourself up for your best performance on snow this season
I'm looking to invest in some body armor for the slopes this winter. What should I get?
And four options for a piece of gear that could save your life
A basic 10-question checklist to make sure that you're focusing on the right things when you head out into the backcountry
The Arc'teryx Keibo is a moderately insulated, synthetic-fill snowsports hard shell with a relaxed fit
When it comes to holiday giving, you should never have to choose. This year, our editors have pulled together 68 perfect ideas—priced from $4 to $50,000—guaranteed to make anyone on your list feel like a million bucks.
The Scarpa Maestrale RS is an upgraded four-buckle Alpine Touring Boot with a self-proclaimed 120 flex for all things backcountry
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.
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.
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.
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.
We tested out the best backcountry and alpine boots to help you find the best fit for your ski experience.
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.
When the results were tallied after our on-mountain evaluations, these were our female testers’ favorite planks.
Go deeper with our favorite telemark and alpine touring bindings of the year.
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.
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.
A titanium bike with swooping lines and parallel triangles for added flex and greater shock absorption.
Outside picks the best gear for your alpine-touring setup, including the K2 WayBack skis.
I need a new ski pack for resort and backcountry skiing. I'm looking for something that can carry skis, water, and my gear on day trips out of bounds, but won't get in the way on chairlifts.
Outside Presents the 2012 Gear of the Show awards for OR Winter Market, including The North Face Powder Guide ABS Vest.
Help! I need some advice on what to buy my outdoors-loving girlfriend.
Cross-country skiing is among the world's great human-powered modes of movement. Whether you ski classic or skate, here’s the gear you’ll need to get started.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Nau 3/4 Length Cocoon jacket.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the K2 Rescue Shovel Plus.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Black Diamond Cayenne gloves
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Salomon Quest 30 pack
What goes on at Aspen Fashion Week?—The EditorsSanta Fe, New Mexico
2010 Buyer’s Guide Videos Summer Outside Winter Buyer's Guide 2009/2010 Winter Buyer's Guide Trail Shoes Sleeping Bags Women’s Gear Road Bikes…
From hard shells to soft shells, associate editor Justin Nyberg reviews his favorite jackets of 2009.
Can you recommend a warm, but cute ski jacket for my next trip to Aspen? The Editors Santa Fe, New Mexico
Why do some women trash women's specific skis as being too soft? The Editors Santa Fe, New Mexico
Outside senior editor Sam Moulton reviews the lightest, fastest, and sleekest new products on the market.
Depending on whether they’re working, ski-touring skins are either the greatest winter invention since snowballs or only slightly more fun than an avalanche. Here are five ways to keep your skins in the game. Ski-Touring Skins 1. In patchy sunlight, snow can stick to skins like north Idaho…
What’s the difference between all these snowshoes available? The price range is so huge. What are just bells and whistles, and what do I really need to look for? Kevin Chattanooga, Tennessee
It may be zero degrees outside, with a windchill factor for the ages, but once you get your V2 on, you'll want to be wearing fewer clothes than you think. What you wear should be breathable, and stretchy to allow the full-body cranking that skate skiing requires. Wind-blocking materials on your front side and light insulation in key areas will keep you comf
I’m an experienced front-country (resort) skier and would like to expand into the backcountry. Can you recommend a good ski pack that works well in both conditions? Walker Boston, Massachusetts
You trust Outside Online’s Gear Guy to answer all of your pressing questions about buying, using, and rehabbing gear. Now get his advice on the best buys for your friends and family this holiday season.
I’d like to use a single helmet for skiing (on and off piste) and winter mountaineering/ice climbing. Should I go with a skiing or ice-climbing helmet? Or is this a bad idea? Myles Auckland, New Zealand
[A] Ski Atomic Janak: Light and fast gives way to light and fat. The Janak is perfect for opening it up in steep powder fields or resort crud. $628; www.atomicski.com [B] BOOT Scarpa Tornado: With interchangeable, flex-adjusting tongues, the Tornado is ready to tour or tackle the…