Safety First
The Bottom Line
Guidelines to make the most of winter: » If people start debating skiing vs. snowboarding, walk away. » Ski in La Grave, France, at least once. » Much better in theory than in practice: getting drunk midmountain. » In your pockets: ID, credit card, and the James BondmeetsCheech and Chong Bakoda Bentley multitool (; bakoda.com). » Contrary to popular belief, you’re welcome to try the terrain park. Just wait your turn. » Though available in many sizes, jester hats are not for adults. » On that note, no cowboy hats. Ever.
Backcountry gear gets lighter, faster, and easier to use
If your idea of fun begins with a hike through the gates at resorts like Jackson Hole or Bridger Bowl, you may find things getting increasingly crowded. According to a new study by the Leisure Trends Group, about half of all active snowboarders and skiers now ride lift-accessed backcountry terrain. The good news, though, is that this has spurred the development of highly improved avalanche-safety gear. The new Mammut Pulse Barryvox avalanche transceiver ($399; ), a beacon with a first-of-its-kind 3-D motion sensor that indicates which buried victims have a pulse, allows diggers to prioritize their efforts. G3‘s aluminum Avi-Tech shovel ($77) and Speed Pro probes ($60; ) lighten your rescue load. Store it all in Black Diamond‘s Covert AvaLung pack ($200; ), which integrates the company’s avalanche breathing systema snorkel-like device that pulls oxygen from the snowpackinto a 2,000-cubic-inch hauler with an insulated hydration sleeve.M. M.
Rides
A REFORMED DIRTBAGJUST LIKE YOU
Minus the folding windshield and jerry-can racks, Toyota’s new FJ Cruiser maintains the utilitarian sensibilities that made the original FJ a favorite of rescue workers, outfitters, and guys whose idea of detailing was hosing out the interior. The 2007 model, with its softer silhouette, fits in better during rush hour.
Low-to-High Tech
EVERY HILL A SKI HILL
Anatoly Pivarunas created his portable ski liftbasically a lawn-mower engine, a steel cable, stakes, and pulleysin 1964 but couldn’t find any buyers in his native Russia. He emigrated to Toronto ten years later and turned his attention to building a successful engineering firm, dooming mankind to countless more uphill hikes. Then, two years ago, a friend suggested that Pivarunas try eBay. He updated his design with a 5.5-horsepower motor that can whisk solo skiers 500 feet uphill at 18 miles per hour and received 52 orders in just a few months. “I sold six in 40 years,” says Pivarunas. “Now I can’t build enough of them.” $950; JOHN BRADLEY