Winter Buyer's Guide
Archive
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Jones Snowboards Mountain Twin.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the L.L. Bean Polartec Power Dry Quarter-Zip Lightweight base layer.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Line Celebrity 100 skis.
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 F4.0 snowboard boots.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Salomon Quest 30 pack
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Pro-Tec B2 Snow helmet.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the K2 Rescue Shovel Plus.
Outside Buyer’s Guide editor Sam Moulton takes Intern Dave and Patagonia’s waterproof Primo Down jacket to the carwash.
Intern Dave dives deep for Olympus’s waterproof, shockproof, and freezeproof point and shoot, the TG-810. For more of the right travel gear, check out our travel essentials.
Avalanche air bags are gaining in popularity. And for good reason—they can increase survival rates by 98 percent.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Rossignol Krypto Magtek snowboard.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the CAMP Xenon Trek pole.
For this winter’s Buyer’s Guide our testers teamed up with Backcountry magazine to put the skis through the ringer, for a week, in waist-deep powder.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Black Diamond Ultra Distance Trekking Pole.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the BCA Arsenal A-1 shovel with 35-centimeter saw.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Exped Explorer 120 trekking pole.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Oakley Holbrook sunglasses.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Contour+ POV camera.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Tubbs Wilderness Snowshoe
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Cassin X-All -Mountain ice ax
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Tecnica Cochise Ski Boot
An 850-fill goose down jacket at home on a weekend climb or in the city. $269…
Wick away sweat and stay warm with these new baselayers, the Helly Hansen W Verglas Hybrid $100 and the Neve Designs Chamonix $130.
Classic board shorts perfect for that ultimate winter getaway. $108…
A tough, old school commuter bag made in the U.S.A. $170…
An axe that works for everything from chopping kindling to field dressing an animal. $170…
Take your finest wine into the backcountry with this budget gift. $10…
A fashionable new jacket that works just as well on the slopes as it looks good at the resort bar. $300…
The most versatile jacket, and our Gear of the Year winner.
A pair of well-priced, versatile snowshoes built for rolling hills and trails.
Buyer’s Guide managing editor Alicia Carr picks some of her favorite new gear from the SIA snow show.
A great looking down jacket that can weather harsh conditions. $325…
Buyer’s Guide managing editor Alicia Carr picks her favorite gear from the SIA Snow Show.
It's a super-solid ski that's quick and holds incredibly well on ice but also likes to float through powder. To achieve that versatility, and allow the ski to flex unimpeded, the Austrian company affixes its integrated IQ binding system (included) with a single screw. Which, combined with the full-wood core,…
LAP THE PARK The Fix’s reinforced edges are designed specifically to stand up to wear and tear in the park, while its soft flex allows for easy spins and takeoffs. The Fix also features Burton’s new Scoop Technology, which refers to the board’s forgiving, spoonlike convex curve and tapered edges.
With metallic highlights woven into the strap and a distressed-leather carrying case, the Black Boutique is understatedly badass. For flat coastal light, the new Ignitor lens—taken from Smith’s sunglass line—is among the best we’ve tested. smithoptics.com…
POWDER KING The Gyrator strikes a nostalgic chord with its graphics, but there’s nothing retro about the ride. Reverse-camber construction (the deck has a concave bow) enables the Gyrator to float atop powder with the ease of bigger, wider boards. But it can also tackle groomers thanks to its progressive…
Redesigned with 60 percent recycled polyester, the new R1 still maintains its signature stretch and breathability. Not that it’ll wear out anytime soon, but when you’re ready for a new one, send it back to Patagonia and they’ll recycle it. patagonia.com…
Our take: Guys can wear Peruvian-style hats, as long as the earflaps don’t have ponytails. This chunky, hand-knit acrylic lid gets the OK. shredalert.com…
Liked last year's Mt. Baker? These are the same, only lighter. By using thinner steel, K2 shaved off almost a pound per ski, which testers noticed on the way up: “I felt like I could run in them,” said one. 120/88/108, 6.5 lbs; k2alpineterrain.com Bonus: In all other conditions—especially…
Building off its success in mountain-bike helmets, Giro incorporates ample, switch-closable vents and a style-conscious but functional visor on this freeskiing lid. For $30 more get speakers built into the ear pads. giro.com…
A new technology from Gore (called 2 in 1) allows you to adjust insulation. Sounds gimmicky, but it works: Flip the insulation to the back of your hand, and dexterity improves dramatically. kombisports.com…
With aviator-like coverage (but up-dated design) and color-enhancing light-brown optics, these big boys will serve you equally well driving to the hill or hucking the disc. bolle.com…
Get a video of your buddies skiing through the biggest storm of the season. This waterproof digital camcorder with image stabilizer won’t go kaput when covered in fat flakes. sanyodigital.com…
This lightweight, composite-baseplated binding reacts instantly to commands. With the new Speed Zone strap technology, one pull and the ankle strap cinches tight. Custom-fit the Escapade with tool-free adjustments for strap length and forward lean. burton.com …
The inner shearling couldn’t be softer and the tread couldn’t be steadier on icy sidewalks. Aspen-bound? Do like the celebs and tuck in your jeans. tecnicausa.com…
KING OF SLASH Good for Powder Looser and more nimble than most rockered skis, the S7 is perfect in any snow deeper than your boots. The most versatile of the category, it was quick enough for tree skiing, and the traditional sidecut underfoot (the ski’s reverse sidecut…
The Zenith’s redesigned liner feels more secure. And thanks to a tweak in the shell design and a polycarbonate insert under the ball of your foot, it provides excellent snow feel. A confidence-inspiring choice for intermediates. rossignol.com…
More of a Budweiser man than a High Life guy? The Trace is also available in seven colors, each with ten vents. But this is the only style that has a rear vent that conveniently doubles as a bottle opener. redprotection.com…
Good for Touring Designed, built, and field-tested in the shadow of Utah’s Wasatch Mountains, the Switchback remains the least expensive and lightest free-pivot tele binding on the market. Plus the design is refreshingly simple. “Makes you wonder why other tele-touring bindings are so complicated,” said…
Fluted bands across the knuckles + wool insulation that doesn’t bunch up = the best-fitting glove here. backcountry.com…
With thumb loops, an iPod pocket at the shoulder, and reflective piping, this was my favorite top for cool-weather running and biking. Bonus: Its cocona-treated polyester fabric is odor-resistant. newbalance.com…
MR. VERSATILITY Good for Backcountry Looking for something you can backpack in all summer and then ski in come winter? The Troll Wall is your jacket. Simply detach its powder skirt and you’ve got a lightweight—just 19 ounces—and easy-to-pack rain shell you can wear year-round. The…
The faux-shearling collar and fleece lining are cozy. The Vibram outsole and air-cushioned midsole add traction and comfort. And the specially treated synthetic insulation fights stink. Rated to -40F. merrell.com…
ALPINE TOURING Good for Alpine Touring A smaller version of the nx22 Black, the nx22 White better accommodates women's boot sizing and features Naxo's three-point hinge for ergonomic skinning. In downhill mode, torsional rigidity offers intimate power transfer from boot to ski. 4.6 lbs; backcountryaccess.com …
Good for SnowshoeingGaiters attach to a D-ring at the tongue base, and, like others here, a ridge on the heel keeps your snowshoe strap from slipping down. Tip: The sole is shank-free, so be careful when clomping around on rocky terrain. merrell.com…
With shock-absorbing base pads, stainless-steel cables, and a time-tested all-mountain design, the Team remains one of the most durable and quickest-securing systems we’ve ever tested. A redesigned strap shifts materials to areas that need more support. Translation: superior response with cradling comfort. flow.com…
This easy-wearing aviator update features ergonomic, eye-shaped polarized lenses for smart coverage, a snug and streamlined fit, and an impressively feathery weight. Spring-loaded hinges add comfort and durability. TAGS: lightweight, polarized, comfort…
Town Crossover Sure, you can sled or snowball-fight in your technical puffy. But you might appreciate the extra padding that this machine-washable wool-nylon beast provides. The huge collar pops up as high as your ears—and stays there. 4.6 lbs; TAGS: wool, machine-washable, heavy-duty…
The Chapter might look like it’s short on vents—just four small closable ports up top—but the inside has big circulation channels to let cool air flow around. As with the Smith, dialing in the right fit is a cinch, although some testers noted odd pressure points around the channels…
Telemark It wasn’t the stiffest boot, or the lightest, but the Push quietly won testers over with its ability to do it all. “One boot to drive anything in my quiver,” said one tester. The Push features adjustable forward lean, Boa lacing, and a thermomoldable liner that fit most testers…
BLACK DIAMOND‘s SPECIALIST GLOVES, have foam padding to protect the backs of your hands.
To cut about a half-pound out of their widest skins—they’re designed specifically for skis 110 millimeters or wider underfoot—Black Diamond has stitched a tough, waterproof nylon panel between strips of skin material. Other benefits we liked: It makes them easier to peel off and reduces a bit of drag…
The softest-flexing boot here, the Ceptor is designed specifically for freestyle riding and landing big airs. A proprietary gel material in the heel adds comfort and helps absorb some impact, while molded vents release steam during long hikes up the pipe. TAGS: freestyle, lightweight…
THE TWOFER Remember what we said about simple ski design being the best? Forget that for a moment. Atomic’s DoubleDeck (D2) technology actually delivers. Each ski is essentially made up of two decks: The bottom one contours the snow surface—boosting edge hold, control, and glide—while the upper one responds to…
The XCELERATOR SKATE NIS BINDING lets you microadjust your position on the ski to locate your personal sweet spot.
Nothing beat the uninsulated Snowbelle on bluebird spring ski days. Patagonia’s proprietary fabric is completely waterproof but didn’t suffocate, even when we wore it on a steep, snowy hike up 9,111-foot Atalaya Mountain in Santa Fe. Our taller testers applauded its extra length (which kept snow out), and everyone…
Big Mountain Our women testers praised the Nemesis as “the go-to ski for anyone who seeks powder at all costs.” But, while the 98-millimeter waist says soft snow, when you hit the hardpack you can hang it way out there with the carvers. New this year, a “slow rise” in…
Bare-Bones Speedster Designed with input from ultrarunner Anton Krupicka, who’s so allergic to carrying extra ounces he races nearly nude, this super-minimalist trail shoe, with its wafer-thin midsole and highly flexible forefoot, is among the lightest we’ve ever seen. Ideal for faster runners with perfect mechanics who pick their way…
Lightweight Response And for those of you who ride Burton’s EST boards, the company has updated its EST-only CO2 binding. Testers agreed that the new soft-rubber cushions in the highback soak up even more chatter, but they had mixed feelings about the redesigned ankle straps. They’re lighter but also…
GRAND SHELTERS’ lightweight (five-pound), sturdy, and easy-to-use ICEBOX forms perfect blocks.
Workhorse The 29-liter Mazama doesn’t have any whiz-bang features. Rather, words like “solid,” “sturdy,” and “intuitive” kept popping up on tester cards. Plush padding on the hipbelt and shoulder straps made it comfortable for long hauls, it’s reinforced in all the right places (including the waterresistant zippers), and multiple side…
TAKE IT ANYWHERE The ultraversatile Apache Recon returns unchanged this year, remaining one of our top choices for intermediate to advanced skiers. A generous sidecut makes carving easy, but its plump shovel and tail allow the ski to float in powder, while its guts—a wood core surrounded by fiberglass and…
Built with a wood core and vertical sidewalls, these snappy skis performed great in any snow. On an overcast morning at Copper Mountain, they sliced their way down ice and groomers and, when the sun came out in the afternoon, they were just as reliable in the bumps or anywhere…
NO SNOW TOO DEEP, NO ICE TOO HARD You’ll see old Gotamas, one of our favorite big-mountain skis of all time, with hundreds of days of abuse, still in liftlines everywhere from Taos to Fernie, but the current Gotama (new last year) is a worthy upgrade. Rocker (tip and tail)…
The ideal goggle should vanish on your face, and the Crowbar comes pretty close. The extra-wide spherical lens and inverted V-shaped frame combine to provide the best peripheral vision of all the goggles we tested. oakley.com Bonus: Choose from almost 50 different frame/lens combos.