Want to avoid resort crowds? Self-powered summit bids and backcountry powder hunts only require two things: careful preparation and the right ski gear.
The Best Ski Gear for Backcountry Touring
Transalp 90 Carbon Fischer skis
Combining ultralight weight and serious versatility for the best experience up and down your mountain of choice, the Transalp’s carbon-fiber guts and Titanal buttressing offer no-compromise control in softer snow, while still able to smoke windblown corn.
[$800; fischersports.com]
POC Obex BC Spin Helmet
Safety features—including silicone pads that temper rotational forces in a crash, RECCO rescue reflectors, and an NFC Medical ID chip—don’t compromise comfort on the Obex BC Spin Helmet, with adjustable ventilation
and removable earpads.
[$250; pocsports.com]
Julbo Quickshift Goggles
For uphill exertion, removable panels crank up venting to sunglasses level, while the photochromic spherical lenses serve up uninterrupted views.
[$250; julbo.com]
Back Country Access BC Link Two-Way Radio 2.0
When communication is key, BCA’s BC Link Two-Way Radio 2.0 has a snow-repelling, glove-friendly mic that clips outside your pack, and its USB-rechargeable batteries run for days without recharging, even in Arctic temps.
[$190 each; backcountryaccess.com]
Mammut La Liste Pro HS Jacket and Bib
The Mammut La Liste Pro HS Jacket and Bib offer a Gore-Tex Pro extreme weather kit with well-thought ventilation zips, plus stretchy internal (and massive outer) pockets to hold climbing skins and gloves. The paired zip-off bibs, which can snap to the jacket for added weather protection, also feature ample pockets.
[$795 jacket; mammut.com and $675 bibs; mammut.com]
Rab Khroma Tour Infifinium Glove
The ceramic-reinforced Pittards leather palm on the thin Rab Khroma Tour Infifinium Glove won’t absorb water. A waterproof-breathable Gore-Tex Infifinium body is lined with light double fleece, while low-bulk reverse stitching makes for a tight grip.
[$100; rab.equipment]
Marker Duke PT 12 and 16
Ski with the stability and safety release of an alpine binding with the Marker Duke PT 12 and 16, then free the heel to skin uphill with a free-pivoting toe piece designed to accommodate both tech and alpine ski touring boots.
[From $825; marker.net]
Osprey Soelden Pro Pack 32
Osprey’s intuitive (and airplane-friendly) balloon avy pack uses a lightweight electrical system for multiple deployments and rapid recharging. The Soelden Pro Pack 32 front panel holds snow safety tools, versatile straps carry both skis and snowboards, and a stowable sling totes your helmet.
[$1,200; osprey.com]
Atomic Hawx Prime XTD 120
With a moldable shell and liner, the Atomic Hawx Prime XTD 120 is the one boot to rule all mountains. Thinned plastic in selective zones sheds weight, not power transfer. With 54 degrees of flex in walk mode, tech inserts, and buckles that lock open for touring, it’s not the lightest AT boot, but might be the most functional.
[From $850; atomic.com]
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