Winter Buyer's Guide
Archive
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Black Diamond Cayenne gloves
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Salomon F4.0 snowboard boots.
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Salomon Quest 30 pack
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Pro-Tec B2 Snow helmet.
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the K2 Rescue Shovel Plus.
Former U.S. Ski Team moguls skier and director of K2's Backcountry Ski division Mike Hattrup picks his favorite mountains
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Rossignol Super 7 Skis.
The 1964 Olympic silver medalist picks his favorite ski mountains
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Marker Duke bindings
国产吃瓜黑料 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 颅reason鈥攖hey can increase survival rates by 98 percent.
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Rossignol Krypto Magtek snowboard.
国产吃瓜黑料 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.
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Black Diamond Ultra Distance Trekking Pole.
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the BCA Arsenal A-1 shovel with 35-centimeter saw.
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Exped Explorer 120 trekking pole.
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Oakley Holbrook sunglasses.
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Contour+ POV camera.
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Tubbs Wilderness Snowshoe
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Cassin X-All -Mountain ice ax
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Tecnica Cochise Ski Boot
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.
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.
聽 This stripped-down boot has a low flex point and an upright feel, but is plenty stiff enough to crank high-speed turns with confidence. head.com 聽 Bonus: Its micro-adjustable alloy buckles were easy to fine-tune, even in bulky gloves. 聽 聽 聽…
Stiff plastic on the sides of the Scarlet make it powerful enough to drive through crud and bumps yet still feel stable on hardpack and ice. But it's the boot's excellent forward flex that makes for precision turning. “Not too soft, not too stiff,” as one tester described it. “It's…
Smart and Fast In an actual emergency, the last thing you want to do is fumble with zippers. Which is why Marmot designed the Backcountry’s external snow-safety-tool pocket with double zippers and a sturdy pull loop: You can rip it open with one quick tug. It’s just one of many…
The Link is the only goggle on the market with a lens that’s both polarized and photochromic. It cuts glare, and, if you drop from a sunny ridgetop into a shady couloir, the tint automatically fades to let in more light. zealoptics.com…
Made of Peruvian alpaca wool, this antistink base layer is even softer than the finest merino we tested. Plus it won’t shrink in the wash like some wool base layers. powderhorn-world.com…
Stomp backcountry booters with this Recco-equipped, all-purpose powerhouse. The anti-slip lining in the heel pocket kept us locked securely in place. vanssnow.com…
The acrylic Roman, like all the clothing and accessories from this small, Seattle-based company, is hand-knit in small Balinese villages. spacecraftclothing.com…
At a pound less than Karhu's in-bounds version, the Jak BC is a featherweight climber made with carbon components and the new environmentally friendly Greenlight Core, which is made of sustainably harvested Chinese wood. 124/90/113, 7.1 lbs; karhu.com 聽 Bonus: Lots of pop for such a light ski. 聽 Bummer:…
Use your ski pole to switch this durable binding to the more efficient touring mode (instead of your toe pivoting in the binding, the binding pivots with your foot). 3.7 lbs; bdel.com Bonus: Choose from three compression-spring cartridges of varying stiffness (binding comes with one; pay $56 each…
Thanks to the stiff carbon-fiber tongue and “stringers” that laterally reinforce the Zzeros, these ultralight four-buckle boots felt surprisingly solid and stiff bombing down steep shots around Loveland Pass. 7 lbs; dynafit.us 聽 Bonus: Grooved guides in the toe make the boots much easier to click into the bindings than…
Like their namesake, these shades are made for performance on the road. Everything about them screams cool, from the unbreakable blue-green polycarbonate lenses to the slim, squarish frames. porsche-design.com…
During blizzard conditions on a 40-mile backcountry ski race, this 800-fill-down, highly water-resistant shell kept our tester’s core “warm without the bulk of a traditional Michelin Man coat.” Also available in a hooded version called the Catalyst for $20 more. 1 lb; thenorthface.com…
Tackle the trickiest winter trails with this all-conditions shoe, thanks to a tough toe cap, sticky rubber outsole, and rigid midfoot support. ASICS’s signature gel pockets in the heel minimize pounding, and testers loved the smooth transition from heel strike to toe-off. 11 oz; asics.com Bummer: Check…
Now you really can wear Crocs year-round. Remove the faux fur for washing. crocs.com…
SMOOTH OPERATOR Good for Big Mountain The Monster 102 is only a millimeter slimmer than Head’s pro-model ski, the plank-stiff 103, but the performance is a world apart. Thanks to its softer tip and a powerful tail, it’s easier to move through tight trees and…
You can’t see the changes. But by tweaking the shape of the lower shell (it’s more upright) and upper cuff (less forward lean), Lange has created the most responsive expert-level boot we’ve ever skied in. langeskiboots.com…
Our testers’ clear favorite this year, the lightweight Smith looks cool and has a low profile. Smart feature: The venting system can shutter closed on the fly if you get cold or the snow starts coming down hard. smithoptics.com…
Good for Touring If you're not an overly aggressive skier, or if you rarely or never ski in-bounds, a three-buckle boot like the Syner-G offers the perfect blend of smooth power on the way down and comfort on the way up. While it's not quite powerful enough to drive…
Removable wool liner. Remarkably supple. And the leather is made without any synthetic dyes or harmful metals. hestrausa.com…
Good for Resort 1. This hybrid jacket uses soft-shell material on most of the body, which gives it a slightly stretchy athletic feel and fit. But because it’s seam-sealed and reinforced with waterproof-breathable (hard-shell) nylon panels in strategic places—like the hood and the tops of…
HARD-CHARGER Good for Technical TrailsFor a debut shoe from a brand-new company, the Ignition gets enthusiastic Rookie of the Year props. It handled technical, rocky trails with aplomb, but unlike many other burly mountain-running shoes, it also felt remarkably light and nimble. Large, well-spaced lugs on the outsole clung…
Good for SnowshoeingThe waterproof and insulated Summit County will keep your toes warm and your feet supported as you click off the miles. Bonus: The sole hardens as temps plunge. Rated to -35F. keenfootwear.com…
ROCK AND ROAD Sometimes run roads, sometimes trails? This hybrid combines ample cushioning and a road-shoe-like fit for pounding pavement, with a bi-directional tread that gripped even the sloppiest terrain. Though pillowy, it’s still responsive. Faster testers appreciated the smooth transition from heel strike to toe off. The tight mesh…
1. The AG is one highly engineered board, but all that technology disappears when you hop on it, and this directional twin-shape was our favorite all-mountain board. 2. Heavily reverse-cambered boards, with a rocker shape from tip to tail, can be a little squirrelly for riders used to traditional…
Not only does the ContourHD have some of the coolest features you can find in a helmet (or goggle or handlebar) cam—1080p high-def, a laser-pointing lens leveler, and GPS tagging—but its low-profile design won’t make you look like a robodude. TAGS: compact, mobile…
Because they have winter in Southern California, too. On your foot, it looks like any flip-flop, but the faux shearling adds more warmth than you’d expect. In other words, buy it for the novelty if you wish, but don’t be surprised when you wear it around the house and…
After a week slogging through wet snow and mud with a fully loaded pack in New York’s High Peaks, one tester was sold. “Impressive grip—and way more supportive than they look.” Two other props: A heat-reflective lining ups the warmth factor, and they’re just low-key enough to wear around…
A top-quality helmet with a (literal) twist. The inner shell rotates on impact, potentially reducing the twisting forces transmitted to your brain. Eight offset vents provide extra protection from pointy objects (like a branch or ski pole), but they restrict airflow a bit. TAGS: rotates, best protection…
Alpine Touring The Quadrant’s four buckles, consistent flex, and 40 degrees of touring motion make it BD’s best all-mountain option yet. Testers praised the stout overlap upper cuff and the way the Boa closure system in the boot’s liner cradles your ankle. 7.8 lbs; TAGS: all mountain, Boa…
GRIVEL‘s G20 CRAMPONS act like rigid crampons when you kick but articulate to fit rockered boots like the Mamook Thermos.
When the slope rips out beneath you, your beacon will help friends find you, but how deep you’re buried will likely determine whether you survive. The BCA Float 30 (with an insulated hydration sleeve; shovel and probe pockets; and, new for this year, a diagonal-ski-carry system) deploys a 150-liter…
Salomon’s idea is this: A contoured footbed increases circulation, which means a warmer, happier foot. Hard to say if it works for sure, but the beefy, all-mountain Dialogue received high marks for both comfort and, yes, warmth. Testers also praised the pressure-point-free lacing system. TAGS: big mountain, big…
POWDER SPECIALIST The Gambit—by Boulder, Colorado–based custom ski builder Folsom—is part of a new generation of fat skis that are serviceable on groomers, too. Here, the aggressively rockered tip and tail are tapered for a loose feel in deep snow, but the traditional camber and sidecut let you edge with…
ATOMIC‘s SNS PILOT RACE SKATE BINDINGS can be equipped with the SNS Wedge ($15), a “gas-pedal” shim that magically balances your weight on both the gliding and the kicking ski.
This lightly insulated, water-resistant soft shell is perfect for nordic skiing or snowshoeing on winter’s coldest days. It’s got a plethora of pockets, activity-friendly four-way stretch, and a helmet-compatible hood. Why we didn’t want to take it off: The quilted lining is like wearing your softest sleeping bag all…
All Mountain The Kenja is a master of all terrain, thanks to an even flex and a modestly tapered sidecut. On snow, that translates to a huge sweet spot—you don’t have to be “on it” all the time—with a low swing weight and silky ride. At 86 millimeters underfoot, it’s…
Muck Stomper True, you’ll wear this shoe only on nasty, muddy, slushy winter days—or paired with snowshoes (see page 58). But compared with other trail runners with an integrated gaiter, this is the lightest, most spry-feeling of all, weighing an impressive 13 ounces despite all that protective material. Underneath the…
We’ve tested plenty of snowshoes with serious bite, and others that are extraordinarily comfy, but what makes the Mountaineer so impressive is how well it performed in both those categories. Thanks in part to two independent toe straps, the binding perfectly cradled every boot we jammed in it, from…
JETBOIL‘s ultra-efficient GROUP COOKING SYSTEM has a 1.5-liter pot for melting snow.
聽 Aluminum poles are heavier, stiffer, and (usually) not as pricey as carbon-fiber sticks. But style don’t come cheap, and if you want the retro day-glo paint job and pimpin’ straps, well, you’re going to have to pay for it. scottusa.com 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽…
聽 This is the stiffest of the Italian company’s new freeride boots. Made for experts looking for gnarly terrain, the low-volume Agent contains shock-absorbing rubber to cushion hard impacts. tecnicausa.com 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽…
Thanks to tough—and 100 percent recycled—fabric on the rear, knees, and ankle cuffs, these weather-resistant pants can handle everything from ice climbing to bushwhacking. patagonia.com…
BIG-TRIP MASTER This 3,200-cubic-inch pack’s suspension system—a compression-molded back panel and nicely padded shoulder and hip straps—can handle the heaviest of loads (and the floating top lid really allows you to overfill the thing). But strip off the top pocket and framesheet and swap out the big hipbelt (pictured) for…