Minimalist, light weight, and protective – these are elements I want when shopping for a backcountry ski shell. So far this season I’ve been touring in the Black Diamond Liquid Point shell. It’s an outer layer made from Gore-Tex Paclite, which is a fairly new, two-layer version that keeps the weather out, but breathes better…
Category: Gear Reviews
Demo Days at Brighton Resort: Smokin, Sims and Never Summer Snowboards
Saturday and Sunday were great days to be at Brighton Resort in Big Cottonwood Canyon. It wasn’t the fresh dusting of snow (though that helped), but the free snowboard demos that had people stoked. Smokin, Sims, and Never Summer snowboards were all posted up in tents at the bottom of the Crest Lift with stacks…
Icebreaker Zone Base Layers Review
One of the most important things you can wear when skiing, is a good base layer. This is especially true with backcountry skiing where you are working out, sweating, and stopping a lot. There’s a plethora of material choices out there, but merino wool is far away my favorite. New this year, Icebreaker introduced Zone…
Outdoor Gear Holiday Gift Guide 2015
Scenario: the holidays are upon us and you don’t know what gift to get that backcountry skier, snowboarder, or overall outdoorsy person in your life. Gear is never a bad idea, in fact, we all love new gear, perhaps a little too much. So here are a few gear ideas to put under the tree…
Columbia OutDry Extreme rain jacket review
At the Outdoor Retailer 2015 Summer Market, I showed you the Columbia OutDry Extreme rain jacket – a tech piece that Columbia says will revolutionize rainwear forever. Essentially, the mad scientists at Columbia moved the waterproof membrane to the outside of the jacket (as opposed to the traditional 3-layer system that puts the waterproof layer in the middle…
Dish & DU/ER “No Sweat” Pants review
Finding the perfect pair of pants, you know, pants you want to wear every day no matter where you are or what you are doing, is the ultimate challenge. For outdoors people, that challenge is even more difficult because we need pants that perform when we are throwing ourselves at the mountains. Well, Dish &…
White Sierra Camp 4 Shorts review
As we bid a fond farewell to this year’s extended summer season, I’m reminded of two things: it hasn’t snowed yet, and I wore shorts a lot during the past several months. Alas, there is nothing to be done about the first item. At least I had a good pair of shorts to help ease…
Therm-a-Rest Treo Chair review
For as long as humans could stand upright, they have yearned to sit. Yes, there’s nothing quite like taking a load off after a hard day of recreating in the outdoors. Toting a comfortable seat along for your outdoor adventures presents a few challenges: some are bulky and awkward requiring a separate trip to the…
2015/16 Backcountry Skiing Gear Guide
Snow has fallen in the Wasatch and crisp autumn smells are in the air. Now is the time to start thinking about your backcountry skiing setup. Whether you are new to the sport, or an expert who needs an upgrade, you’ll find there’s too much new gear to choose from. Well, I’ve talked to the…
LifeStraw Go Filter Bottle review
When backpacking in Utah’s backcountry, one of the most important pieces of gear you should have is a water filter, such as the LifeStraw Go. Bacteria and protozoa that live in rivers and lakes will make you very sick if you don’t treat it. Luckily there is a number of options for us to choose…