Welcome to Ask a Gear Editor, our monthly column where we answer readers’ most puzzling gear questions. Have a burning question of your own? Become anĚýĚýłŮ´ÇĚýask an şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř expert for advice.

There’s such a huge range in the pricing of ski poles these days. How do I know how much money I should spend on a quality pair that will last me a long time?

Of all the pieces in a typical ski kit, poles are the easiest to overlook because they’re often the cheapest: you can spend as little as on a new pair for adults. But as with anything in the ski world, the price range is broad, with the most expensive poles on the market topping out at around . How much should you spend? It depends on how often you ski, what terrain you plan to ski, and whether you mostly hit chairlifts, skin up the hill, or tour in the backcountry.

If you primarily ski at a resort, or only get to the slopes a few weekends a year, buying used is always an excellent option: it’s more sustainable, much cheaper, and gives you some vintage street cred. But buy carefully, because used poles can be damaged from prior use. (To determine whether they’re kaput, look for visible creases on the shafts, which indicate that they’re on the verge of snapping.)

If you tour in the backcountry often, or can’t find any quality options at your local used-gear shop, invest in a new pair of poles. In these situations, the first characteristic to consider is material, which impacts durability, weight, and price.

The most popular materials are aluminum, carbon, carbon alloys, and bamboo. Aluminum is strong, cheap, and malleable, tending to bend before it snaps. My friend recently forgot to lift her aluminum poles at the top of the chairlift; they ground against the packed snow and bent 100 degrees but didn’t break. The downside, however, is that aluminum is the heaviest of all pole materials. Some higher-quality aluminum options are lighter than others (and pricier), but none are quite as feathery as carbon. And although carbon is super light and strong, it’s usually much stiffer than aluminum, meaning it won’t bend and is easier to break in two. This is something to consider depending on where you ski: while carbon poles are perfect for heading uphill quickly, they’re not so great in the backcountry, where broken poles would mean a really hard trek out. Finally, bamboo poles are making a comeback—they’re very light, eco-friendly, strong, and typically cheaper than carbon—but their long-term durability hasn’t been proven in comparison to the others.

Aside from the material of the shafts, you’ll also want to consider features like length adjustability, quick-release or removable pole straps, and extra-long grips. If you’re planning on touring, telescoping poles or those with a long grip are a must, so you can change the length of the pole either by physical extension or by moving your hand up and down the shaft. It’s dangerous to ski with your pole straps on in the backcountry, in the chance you get caught in an avalanche, and many find that pole straps are an unnecessary annoyance on the walk up. So while you can spend slightly more on a pair with removable straps, you can always just cut them off yourself.

Now on to the question of which to choose. I’ve had friends spend upward of $150 on carbon poles that have snapped against trees on the downhill. If you like to huck cliffs or shred tight trees, especially in the backcountry, I’d recommend a high-quality, adjustable (or a pair with a longer grip), lighter-weight aluminum pole (in the range) or a carbon-aluminum composite (around ), the latter of which mixes the perks of low weight and durability for a slight price premium. If you’re hard on your gear, or if you spend most of your time in the the resort or the park, then aluminum fixed-length poles are the way to go ().

On the other hand, let’s say your main concern is going uphill, fast, but mostly on sidecountry or in-bounds terrain. I would look to adjustable, pure carbon poles. They’re more expensive (typically starting at for a pair that’s both carbon and adjustable) but super lightweight and tough. Some advanced skiers prefer carbon at the resort as well, because such light poles are slightly quicker to bring forward into the next turn and cause less strain on your arms and upper body. I personally would rather carry a few extra grams than risk breaking my poles.

The bottom line: most skiers don’t need to shell out more than $130 on poles and can likely be served with something under $100. Chances are decent that you can find a light pair at your local used-gear shop, so check there first. But at the end of the day, the majority of folks should look to aluminum or aluminum-carbon-composite poles, with features like adjustability and quick-release straps, depending on your preferences and if you’re skiing in the backcountry.

The post How Much Money Should You Spend on Ski Poles? appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

Last year I called professional skier Cody Townsend just as he summited Ward Peak on skins, above California’sĚýPalisades Tahoe. We’d set up an interview to talk about his ski poles, and he’d timed things so he was at the top, with cell reception, just as I rang.

It was odd to be calling Townsend to discuss ski poles instead of his many interesting endeavors—like tackling North America’s 50 most iconic backcountry ski lines—but he was as charismatic and enthusiastic as ever. And it was actually because of that ski project, which he calls , that I’d landed on the subject of his gear.

The real meat of The Fifty is a series of beautiful and funny videos that show Townsend climbing and skiing. But he’d also recorded several bonus segments, including , and that’s where I first learned about the poles.

“The most questions I’ve gotten have been about my damn poles,” he said in a video while standing in his garage, surrounded by gear. “I didn’t know people cared about poles so much. Almost every time I post a video, people talk about these things. I don’t even know the name of them.”

It turns out the poles are a Salomon team model called the MTN Carbon S3 that only pro athletes like Townsend get, at least until this fall, when they will be available to the public. He loves them because they’re made of two carbon shafts (a 16-millimeter-wide upper shaft and a 14-millimeter-wide lower one), plenty light, and offer ample length adjustment. He also prefers them because they feature an extra-large foam grip that’s about 18 inches long—and it’s that grip so many of usĚýwanted to know about. So he addressed it in the video and then went into more detail on our call.

That grip, Townsend said, is helpful when sidehilling in the backcountry, because he can slide a hand down it and keep that shoulder relatively level as he plants the pole uphill.

“When you spend a lot of time in the backcountry, you’re always trying to find ways to limit your movement and be more efficient. By keeping my uphill shoulder balanced and level, I’m saving a lot of energy and avoiding a lot of pain on big tours,” Townsend told me.

On steep boot-packs, Townsend turns the poles upside down (as in the above image) and jams the grips into the snow as extra anchor points. He drilled a GoPro mount into one pole to use as a selfie stick. He likes that the straps come off, because he never skis with them in the backcountry.

“Poles seem pretty inconsequential to a regular skier. Usually they’re just something they use for balance,” he said. “But as you start to get into the backcountry, you start to see that poles are an essential piece of equipment that can make you more efficient and even safer. That’s why I’ve fallen in love with these things.”

Curious to test the poles myself, I called Salomon and asked for a pair but was told that gear journalists weren’t allowed to try them outĚýthem just yet. So I searched the internet and landed on the ($150). They have a carbon lower shaft and an aluminum upper shaft, are fully adjustable, and, most important, feature a large foam grip similar to the one on Townsend’s Salomon poles. Black Crows also makes a similar model, ($190), which I have yet to test, but the Plinko’s lighter weight, price, and carbon build sold me.

I immediately took the Plinkos out on several ski tours and discovered that the grip not only mattered on steep sidehills but on any tour with a variable pitch. Even while dawn-patrolling the ski area before work, I found myself automatically moving my hands up and down the grips, depending on how steep a slope I was climbing. I wasn’t 20 miles deep in the backcountry like Townsend, but I was glad to immediately become a more efficient hill climber, thanks to my poles.

Extended-grip poles aren’t taking over ski resorts just yet, but they’re definitely growing in popularity in the backcountry. , fixed-length long-grip poles have been popular in Europe with guides who want adjustability for their hands but don’t want to deal with extendable poles, which can fail. Here in the U.S., Folkrm now makes a ($110), which I’ve yet to test. I still don’t know how expensive Salomon’s new poles will be when they hit the market, but Townsend said that he’s glad there’s a growing community of pole geeks like him interested in the technology.

“All the interest definitely surprised me,” he said. “I love to tinker with my gear and want my poles to be a certain way, but I thought 95 percent of other skiers would probably stick with regular grips and absolutely not care. It’s really cool to see people care.”

The post Why Cody Townsend Prefers These Extended-Grip Ski Poles for the Backcountry appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

Last February, we took a small crew of testers—six men and six women—to check out the latest skis from across the industry. Over the course of three days, we evaluated 118 skis from 18 brands and covered approximately 1.2 million vertical feet (32,400 per tester per day). That’s a lot of concentrated time out on the hill, so we decided to put some other gear to the test as well. Here is the kit that helped us get through the week.Ěý

Scott Symbol 2 Plus Helmet ($220) and Shield Goggles ($100)

When pairing helmets and goggles, sticking with the same brand makes sense, because the products are designed in concert. This means the venting in the goggles and helmet brim line up for better air exhaust and less fog, and you’re guaranteed not to wind up with an unfortunate gaper gap. For our ski tests, we went with the and .Ěý

Let’s start with the helmet. It’s fully loaded with smart features like MIPS, which reduces rotational forces on the brain in a crash. Scott’s designers also spent more than two years at the Medical University in Innsbruck, Austria, designing special ear pads made from sound-permeable fabric, with perforations in the padding and a unique trumpet-shaped plastic insert to deliver crisp hearing as you ski—a huge safety boon on crowded slopes or in avalanche terrain. On the test hill, the comfort afforded by the dial-ratchet fit system was spot-on. A vent lever up top makes it backcountry or spring skiing worthy.Ěý

Meanwhile, the Shield is not the most expensive model in Scott’s line yet offers plenty of top-level performance. We love the combination of a minimalist frame with a deeply wrapped cylindrical lens, which delivers a huge field of view. Most high-end goggles now feature some sort of custom light filtration technology to boost contrast, and the Shield is no exception. Its Amplifier Lens, which highlights blue, orange, and red light, is one of the most versatile we’ve used.

Scott Team Issue SRS Pole ($110)

Scott’s strap-release system allows your hand to break free from the pole if you catch a basket on a branch while tree skiing. That’s critical for avoiding a dislocated shoulder. Another benefit? You can easily take off the poles and put them in your pack in avalanche terrain, where you want to come away from your skis and poles in the event of a slide. Just push the pressure clip on top of the pole with your thumb.Ěý

Flylow Kane Jacket ($450)

We ski in insulated jackets on the coldest of lift serviced days. For everything else—ski touring, in-bounds hike-to terrain, aggressive skiing in mild temps—we want an air-permeable outer layer that allows for temperature regulation. That’s the . These days, most of the major apparel makers have their own take on air permeability blended with waterproofing. Flylow’s is bonded to a stretch fabric that’s great for dynamic skiing. It’s also incredibly supple, which further boosts comfort on the move and makes the jacket easy to scrunch into a pack. The Kane is also cut long enough to keep spray out without needing a powder skirt—yet more bulk reduction. We layered under it on cold days. In spring, we toured in it with the 12-inch pit vents fully open. Clearly designed by skiers, the pockets are just big enough for today’s malleable climbing skins, and you can access them with the waist belt on the pack buckled.

Dakine Boot Pack 50L ($70)

For those of us who don’t own slopeside condos, our tailgates are our base lodges. To make the parking lot scene work, you need to be dialed. This by Dakine is a life changer. It fits everything you need for the day except for the skis and poles. Smart pockets everywhere stash goggles, a helmet, hats, extra layers, sandwiches, and even your diamond stones and rub-on wax. A massive cavern accessed through the back panel keeps wet boots away from dry gear. Because Dakine knows the backpack game, the breathable straps are wide enough for a comfortable carry.

Dermatone Outdoor Protection Kit ($29)

Dermatone is made without water, which means it not only fights sun damage but is also safe to use in frostbite conditions. (It can help prevent surface skin damage from bitter temps, moisture, and wind.) We slathered on the salve from the ($7 when purchased separately) before heading out for the day and then applied top coats throughout the day with the Mineral SPF 50 sunscreen, lip, and face sticks.

Miraflora CBD (price varies)

Thanks to COVID—and our budgets—massages were out last winter, but the aches and pains of three days of hard-charging, bell-to-bell skiing stuck around. Thankfully we had Miraflora’s family of CBD products on hand. By now you know that there’s a proven anti-inflammatory effect from topical or ingested CBD. We rubbed the ($25) on the quads and knees and swallowed the ($33) an hour before bed to get a little better sleep at elevation. And we sipped the brand’s after skiing to kick-start recovery.

The post The Gear We Used to Test Resort Skis in Steamboat, Colorado appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

I’ve fought hard to keep my living spaces free of ski gear (and bikes, and fishing equipment). It’s a battle that I’ve waged for some 20Ěýyears, ever since I moved to a ski town where shoebox-sized apartments command $1,800 in rent and living rooms double as gear sheds. Then I stumbled upon a toilet plunger that uses a ski pole for a handle. I couldn’t wait to make room for this particular piece of gear in my bathroom.

Admittedly, it isn’t hard to improve upon the basic plunger, which ranks as the most boringly uniform of all the household tools. Everyone owns one, and they all look the same: just a straight wooden handle jammed into a black rubber dome. I’ve never gripped one with anything resembling enthusiasm.

Enter the ($38), which immediately felt good in my hand, like a familiar friend that was ready to help me tackle the gnar. It even has a recycled-polyester webbing strap for extra security for advanced maneuvers.

Functionality aside, the lacquered bamboo shaft is also infinitely more aesthetic than the generically lathed handle on your typical plunger. Yes, I like the way it looks beside my toilet. It sparks joy. My visitors love it too. One friend actually walked it out of my bathroom and waved it around like a wand, laughing.

It’s the latest product from Grass Sticks, a Steamboat Springs company that makes bamboo ski polesĚýand SUP and canoe paddles. Founder Andrew Beckler hatched the idea after an employee fitted a ski-pole grip onto the shop plunger. It seemed like a good way to use up the shorter scrap segments that are left over from production. “I thought we’d be lucky to sell 20 of them, total,” Beckler says. But as soon as Grass Sticks announced the new product with an e-mail blast to existing customers, orders flooded in. “We sold 75 plungers on opening day,” he says. “And they’re still going strong.”

Strong is right: Bamboo is so shatter-resistant that Grass Sticks offers a lifetime warranty on its ski poles (Poo Plungers come with five-year coverage). Buyers also get to choose from seven colors of grips. I went with construction-zone orange, but Beckler says red is the most popular. “It’s different from our ski poles, which people usually want in black, blue or green,” he explains. In any color, the plungers apparently resonate with skiers. “I think it’s a great way to remind yourself of skiing year-round,” he says.

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The solitude of a quiet skin with your buddies and the enjoyment of a powder stash is tempered by only one fact: if you hurt yourself, or if your gear fails, you don’t have ski patrol to bail you out. While avalanche training, first aid, and backcountry navigation skillsĚýshould be a minimum for anyone who backcountry skis, knowing how to repair your gear and having the tools to do so are also extremely important.

I spoke with adventure skier Brody Leven, who’s been a professional backcountry athlete for tenĚýyears, about what he puts in his repair kit. While each kit will be different based on the individual skier, we mixed practical tips with examples of what Leven uses to help you build the right repair bundle for yourself.

Keep It Simple

In his decade of professional skiing in the backcountry, Leven has yet to experienceĚýany of the catastrophic gear malfunctions that many people build a kit around. “Can they happen to me? Sure, but I am willing to deal with the consequences when they do,” he says. “Those consequences where I ski every day around Salt Lake CityĚýare just going to be less. When I go to a different mountain range orĚýon a big trip, I change accordingly.”

Assess Potential Problems

“I think about what could break,” Leven says. “You have to consider your own level of ingenuity. How creative can you get? How well can you MacGyver something? Maybe you are someone who looks at a broken ski pole, a stick, and three ski straps and can’t figure out what to do.”

Start with Good Base Gear

Leven spends more energy making sure he has the right gear than thinking about ways to fix it in the field. “I focus more on reliable gear and keeping close tabs on it throughout the season,” he says.

Keep an Eye on Deterioration

“We use reliable gear day in and day out, which means we put a lot of stress on it, and we watch as our boots deteriorate, as our skins start to fail,” says Leven. You’ll save yourself a lot of grief by noticing problems that could occur in the backcountry before they happen and addressing them.

Kits

Leven uses one kit for day tours around his home in Utah and another for trips farther afield. Both are outlined below.

Close-to-Home Kit

Ski StrapsĚý

Like many skiers, Leven believes that rubberized ski straps (often called Voile straps) are one of the best multi-use pieces of gear around. One of their key utilities is for repair. “Three or four ski straps can get you through pretty much anything,” says Leven.Ěý

Myriad hard-good failures can be solved by those hardy, inexpensiveĚýrubber and metal-clasp straps.Ěý“Boots are the first thing to break. Ski straps can fix almost anything that could possibly happen to a boot,” says Leven. The same goes for a pole. “Broken ski poles can be fixed with a couple of ski straps and a stick,” Leven says. They are also strong enough to help affix failing skins to your skis, he says.

A Safety Pin

A safety pin can keep a hole in a pack closed, help you tinker with the tiniest problems in your kit, and is a simple fix for a broken zipper pull. You can usually find them for free (or nearly), and the weight penalty is next to nothing.

Tape

Leven suggests not overthinking the tape you bring to repair your gear. “I just use whatever shiny two-inch tape I have around my house,” he says. He also warns against wrapping your tape around your ski pole, a common practice in the backcountry-ski community. “That is noticeably heavier on the ski pole, and your swing weight is compromised. You’ll realize that having duct tape on your pole actually sucks—especially if it’s just on one pole. I did that for eight years and never used any of it. It’s just not worth it.” NowĚýhe wraps duct tape around a pencil or a straw and puts it in his first aid kit.

Zip Ties

Like a safety pin, zip ties can cure all kinds of problems with torn gear. And their weight and price penalty is negligible.

A Cinch-Top Bag

Leven keeps his pared-down repair kit in a simple bag that also houses his first aid kit and lives in his backcountry ski pack.

Travel Kit

A Multitool

Leven uses the Ěý($80). “It was the lightest multitool when I got it tenĚýyears ago, but it is still super heavy,” he says. “It’s got a knife, pliers, driver, and I bring all of the right bits with it.” He suggests taking a close look at the compatibility of your multitool with the parts of your gear before using it in the backcountry. “Look at all the screws on the bindings and your boots, and get a multitool that fits most of them. The really lightweight bindings are built to have only one size screw in them, so you only need one bit.”Ěý

An Extra Needle and Thread

Leven buys a simple sewing kit, like the kind you get from a hotel.“I have sewn up a pair of gloves where the fingers blew out because I was using them at camp and handling the stove,” he says.Ěý

Multiple Safety Pins

Leven packsĚýmultiple safety pins for the same reason he brings one in his smaller kit.ĚýHe packs more of them, and the extras live at base camp.

Paracord

On top of potentially acting as a giant suture for the busted body of a backpack, paracord also has tons of uses in camp, like a dry line. “I will always carry a couple feet of really thin p-cord,” says Leven.

Zip Ties

Leven keepsĚýsix zip ties in his travel kit: two short, two medium, and two long.Ěý

Patches

“I carry seam sealer and Tear-Aid or Gear Aid patches to fix holes in jackets,” says Leven. He combines the seam seal with the patchesĚýand puts both inside and outside a tent or jacket to repair tears.Ěý

Extras

When traveling, Leven often brings extra pieces of gear that might break, like a pole, toe and heel pieces for his bindings, and a powder basket.

The post Everything You Need for a Backcountry-Skiing Repair Kit appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

Line Pollard’s Paintbrush ($90)

Eric Pollard’s pro model features creative details inspired by the skier’s art, like wave patterning on the straps and baskets. The price is great for a telescoping ski pole, and the grips have small tabs to make flipping your risers a breeze.

Dynafit New Speed Vario 2 ($150)

If you’re the fast and light type, opt for this 100 percent carbon model from Dynafit, which weighs just seven ounces. Adjustable from 105 to 145 centimeters (a wider range than other telescoping poles offer), it’s designed for quick transitions, with an easy-to-use tab to change the length.

Soul Poles Torched Soul Custom ($169)

This indie Park City, Utah, brand makes its shafts out of bamboo, which bends when aluminum or carbon might snap. The result is sustainably sourced and won’t fail, whether you’re stomping cliffs or tomahawking off them. Plus, you can have your poles engraved.Ěý

Black Crows Duos Freebird ($150)

Black Crows’ backcountry option features an extra-long foam grip for optimal positioning on steep or uneven skin tracks. The baskets attach to a spherical mount and adjust toĚýthe slope angle as you move uphill.Ěý

Black Diamond Razor Carbon Pro ($150)

Maybe you’re used to this dilemma: choosing between durable but heavy aluminum and light but breakable carbon. This year’s version of the Carbon Pro offers a little bit of both, with the former up top and the latter on the bottom to reduce weight. Quick-­release pole straps offer peace of mind in trees.Ěý

Faction Faction ($69)

With an aluminum shaft and low-profile baskets, Faction’s eponymous, no-frills pole is all you need for frontside shredding. Bold colors like hot pink and bright yellow make you easy to spot from the lift.

The post The Best Ski Poles of 2020 appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

Keeping warm never looked so cool. We handpicked the best base layers, socks, shells, helmets, and more to help you stay on the mountain for as long as you damn well please this winter. No frozen fingers (or head/shoulders/knees/toes) guaranteed.

˛Ń±đ˛Ô’s

Fits Medium Ski OTC Socks ($26)

These hit the sweet spot. Thick merino wool prevents bruised shins and adds warmth, and thin nylon-polyester helps vent moisture from the calves. Toe cups and reinforced heels keep everything in place so won’t bunch up in your boots.

Lange RX 130 LV Boots ($850)

The truly stiff is basically Lange’s race boot with a grippier sole and a more comfortable, heat-moldable liner. The snug heel pocket locks you in for smooth, powerful flex. Heads up: LV stands for low volume—this version has a narrow 97-millimeter last.

Hestra Henrik Leather Pro Model Gloves ($185)

Hestra is known for its best-in-class leather gloves and mittens. features the brand’s famously soft and supple cowhide matched with synthetic Thermolite insulation, which keeps your paws toasty without adding too much bulk.

Black Diamond Razor Carbon Pro Ski Poles ($140)

These are backcountry-oriented poles, but we also use them on resort slopes. With aluminum upper pieces and carbon-fiber lower shafts, weighs in at just ten ounces per stick. The wrist straps release reliably under high tension so you won’t get hung up in tree branches.

Giro Range MIPS Helmet ($250)

Don’t look like a fathead. The minimalist is low profile yet has the requisite safety tech, plus a slick magnetic buckle, meaning you can always leave your gloves on.

Patagonia Capilene Midweight Bottoms ($59)

Prone to cold legs on the chair? This will keep you warm, but it’s also feathery, with a brushed grid pattern that raises it off the skin to improve breathability when you get cooking on the downhill.

Giro Contact Goggles ($250)

These are our new go-to. offers subtle style, a wide field of vision, 27 different shades of Zeiss lenses to choose from, and a magnetic lens swap that’s as straightforward and effective as they come.

Dakine Reverb Hoodie ($175)

Wear it under a shell, and , with 100 grams of PrimaLoft insulation in the body and 80 grams in the sleeves, will keep you toasty. Bonus: It packs into a neck pillow for your flight home.

FlyLow Magnum 2.1 Pants ($325)

Consummate resortwear, these pants are constructed from a waterproof polyester-spandex blend that moves exceptionally well. A built-in belt, inner and outer thigh vents, and well-placed pockets round out elegant design.

Burton AK Hover Jacket ($630)

, with three-layer Gore-Tex Pro, has all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a high-end technical shell—like superb waterproofing and breathability, plus fully taped seams—in a longer, baggier cut.

°Â´Çłľ±đ˛Ô’s

Grass Sticks Original Custom Ski Poles ($89)

Choose your grip color, strap, basket, and length when ordering , made from sustainable bamboo. Unlike aluminum, bamboo flexes and springs back into shape, so these poles won’t snap during a spill.

Strafe Alpha Direct Insulator Midlayer ($249)

is tailor-made for conditions in the Rockies near Strafe’s Aspen headquarters. The face fabric is plenty breathable, and Polartec Alpha Direct insulation kept testers’ cores toasty but not overheated. Candy Crush colors add a nice pop.

Smartwool Merino 250 One-Piece Base Layer ($225)

You’ll be the warmest skier on the hill in this supremely . The drop tail zips open in a flash for quick trips to the bathroom.

Smith Vantage MIPS Helmet ($260)

A thin layer of Koroyd (tiny honeycomb-shaped cylinders of rigid foam) under sleek shell absorbs energy in a crash while also reducing weight. The Boa Fit System allows for fine-tuning, and thick lining adds comfort.

Seirus HeatTouch Hellfire Mitts ($425)

If you’re plagued by perpetually cold fingers, heated mitts are the cure. gauntlets have three settings, and slim rechargeable lithium-ion batteries hide in the cuffs. Leather and soft-shell exteriors cover waterproof-breathable inserts.

Arc’teryx Sentinel LT Jacket ($649)

is an investment in staying dry, with Gore-Tex Pro fabric, watertight zips, a helmet-compatible hood, and a layering-friendly cut.

Norrona Lofoten Gore-Tex Pro Pants ($749)

Norrona has operated in Norway’s chilly climes for four generations, and it shows. The smartly crafted pants feature a zip-off bib so you can adjust your coverage to the snow depth. We also love the loose freeride fit.

Lange RX 110 W Boots ($750)

With a mix of rigid plastic where you need more responsiveness and soft plastic where comfort is key, the beats other boots in both performance and fit. The upright shape leads to less leg fatigue, and an asymmetric tongue snugly wraps the shin.

Smith Skyline Goggles ($170)

Bob Smith sold the first thermal-sealed goggles in the parking lots of ski resorts in the 1960s. has the same incredible heat retention but with modern updates: a rimless design, ultrawide view, and contrast-enhancing ChromaPop lenses.

Wigwam Snow Altitude Pro Socks ($22)

Wigwam’s first socks were ribbed and made from unrefined wool. A century later, the socks are much less itchy, thanks to a stretchy merino-nylon combo and seamless toes.

The post Our Favorite New Ski Gear for Men and Women appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

Salomon MTN Carbon S3 ($150)

Salomon’s ingenious wrist-release system—a hard tug pulls the strap free from the grip—means no worrying that your poles will turn into shoulder-separating leashes in the trees. Tough foam extends six inches below the grip for extra purchase when choking up, and the lower portion of the carbon shaft is reinforced with Kevlar for durability.

Grass Sticks Original Custom ($89)

After burning through aluminum poles season after season, we invested in a pair of Grass Sticks. And we’ve used them pretty much ex­­clusively in the four years since. Why? Bamboo bends instead of breaking, so no matter how many times we flip into a yard sale, the poles come away unscathed. Plus, those customizable grip and basket colors are a guaranteed conversation starter on the lift.

Black Crows Meta ($50)

If there were gnar points for ski poles, the inexpensive Meta would score high. Unabashedly flashy, it has everything you want in a frontside stick: a solid aluminum shaft, short ergonomic grips, and comfy adjustable straps. These poles make a statement—just be sure you can back it up.

G3 Via Carbon ($124)

Instead of a force-based strap-release system, the Via Carbon, from backcountry stalwart G3, opts for a more basic solution: a sturdy buckle. When you head into avalanche terrain, simply unbuckle the wrist strap, then clip it on again when the situation calls for it. As for the pole’s performance, a dual-density grip sports an ergonomic shape and a large hook that’s helpful for flipping heel risers.

Leki Spitfire S ($119)

The Spitfire incorporates Leki’s Trigger S technology, a rapid-release wrist-harness system. Your hands stay looped in until, as with the Salomon MTN Carbon, a quick upward yank disconnects the strap from the pole—say, if you need to make on-the-fly binding adjustments. Fix the accessory hook lower on the pole and tether the strap to it when you’re climbing steeps.

Atomic Backland FR ($110)

We love the entire Backland line of skis and bindings, so it’s no surprise that we dig the poles, too. Designed by Chris Benchetler, the Backland features an adjustable aluminum shaft, bike grips, and oversize 97-millimeter powder baskets. Plus, the shafts hide Phillips and flathead screwdrivers, so you’ll be that much more prepared when backcountry missions go sideways.

The post The Best Ski Poles of 2019 appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

These 11 pieces have stood the test of time, earning permanent spots in our editors’ hearts and kits.

Blundstone Original 500 Boots

I’ve had this pair of for probably 25 years now. I don’t think there’s a better or longer-lasting foul-weather boot. I got them in New York City, where I’d throw them on with my almost as old waxed Barbour coat, and I was warm and dry walking the streets on rainy days. I still wear them in Santa Fe in snow and rain. —Mary Turner, deputy editor

Milwaukee Stamping Co. Picnic Table

I picked up this at a consignment shop for $25, and it comes with me on almost every car-camping trip. Sure, it’s a bit heavy, but it folds up to a rectangle roughly the size of two chess boards and is easy to slide under all the other gear in the flatbed of my boyfriend’s truck. In about one minute, it unfolds into a plush four-seater with ample tabletop space for cooking and eating—way better than cooking on the truck tailgate and using our bouldering pads as a dinner table. —Ariella Gintzler, assistant editor

Assos Summerglove Cycling Glove

Good riding gloves can be hard to find. Many options wear out, have unnecessary padding, or are just plain uncomfortable. Ten years ago, I stumbled upon . Yes, they’re pricey, but I haven’t found anything like them. They’re perfect, and I still wear the two original pairs I bought. By now they’re ripped and falling apart, but a ten-year shelf life isn’t too bad for a $50 purchase that I use multiple times every week. —Scott Rosenfield, digital general manager

Patagonia Snap-T

It’s so classic it’s almost annoying, but my dad’s old is one of my most prized possessions. (Never mind that he never explicitly gave me permission to take it—it just showed up in my bag one day, I swear.) There’s a burn hole in one shoulder from a campfire spark, a few missing stitches around the cuff, and it’s definitely older than I am, but this pullover ends up coming with me just about everywhere. —Abbie Barronian, assistant editor

Handmade Snowshoes

When I was a kid—at whatever age you are in fifth grade—I . It was a kit with a wood frame and what looked liked industrial-sized shoe laces you wove in a pattern that I remember getting wrong so many times that I wanted to light the damn things on fire. I didn’t, though, and once they were finished, I had a heavy, clunky set of snowshoes that would look at home strapped to the feet of mountain man Jim Bridger. They’re anything but light or sleek, but I wore those snowshoes all over the Rockies in the winter, and I still think they’re great. —J. Weston Phippen, senior editor

Primus Propane Stove

On my first multiday climbing trip to Bishop, California, in 2012, I didn’t have much camping gear. I borrowed my parents’ stove, a Primus that they bought at least 20 years ago. Since then, I’ve taken it with me on countless climbing trips throughout the West. It’s still cooking and shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. —Ula Chrobak, editorial production fellow

Vasque St. Elias Hiking Boots

I didn’t grow up especially outdoorsy. I played outside, sure, but I wasn’t introduced to backpacking or hiking until I was in my twenties. Backpacking gear is expensive, especially on a college student's budget. I researched for weeks about what my first investment should be and eventually landed on these . They were the only ones on the shelf at REI that didn’t look dorky and that actually fit my feet. Six years later, they’re still hanging on and come on nearly all of my backpacking trips. —Emily Reed, assistant editor

Tomic Ski Poles

These Tomic ski poles (circa 1988) were given to me by my friend’s mom more than five years ago after my own poles got bent out of shape while taking a bad turn on some moguls. Believe it or not, these were an improvement, and they’ve stayed with me ever since. They’re not flashy; my adjective of choice would be “functional.” —Will Gordon, assistant editor

Tissot T-Touch Watch

My father has long believed that you can tell a lot about a person by the watch they wear. So, when I graduated from high school twelve years ago, it was no surprise that he gifted me a timepiece. It was a , which even a decade later sports some pretty amazing tech, like an altimeter, barometer, thermometer, and chronograph, all activated by a simple tap on the sapphire crystal. There’s also a compass that uses the hour and minute hands to form the needle. It’s been my constant companion on every adventure since and, I suspect, many more to come. —Nicholas Hunt, associate editor

The North Face Firefly Tent

I’m not sure when this tent was made (I think mid-aughts), but I stole it from my father-in-law’s garage a decade ago. It’s not an ultralight tent, but it stands up to wind, hail, rain, and anything else I might encounter. I’ve used it in the desert and at 12,000 feet, and it has never been anything but exceptional. I’m never giving it back. —Jonah Ogles, articles editor

Columbia Hiking Boots

I grew up in Florida—land of nontechnical adventures—and borrowed most of my camping gear from Boy Scouts through high school. So I can pinpoint my first piece of real outdoor gear as the pair of I bought at steep discount the first day I moved to Chicago for college in 2010. They were weirdly large—because they were men’s boots, I later realized—but I wore them with my thickest socks and they got me through four years of Midwest winters (including a polar vortex!). I still wear them on snowy and wet hikes—though they’re a little heavy, they are legitimately waterproof, and I still enjoy submerging my whole boot in puddles to demonstrate. —Erin Berger, senior editor

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Learning a new sport isn’t cheap. (TheĚýleast expensive mountain bikeĚýreviewed in our Summer Buyer’s Guide costs $3,400. The cheapest SUPs: $1,200.) And you aren’tĚýdone after the big purchase—accessories often stealthily add to the bill. The solution? Borrow, buy used, and look for good deals. AlsoĚýrecognize that the cheapest piece of gear is the one you’ve already bought. These five pieces might already be sitting in your garage waiting for a new life in your new sport.

Trekking Poles as Ski Poles

After breaking my first set of old borrowed backcountry ski poles,ĚýaĚýbuddy loaned me his , which I happily used for the second half of my first season of backcountry skiing. If you already have trekking poles, repurpose them. And go ahead and swap out theĚýbaskets for for under ten dollars.

Ski Buff as Lake Buff

The same Buff you use to keep comfortable in extreme cold can also work remarkably well in extreme heat. While Buffs are available specifically for coldĚýand warmĚýweather, a simple synthetic one will serve you well on theĚýlake or river by keeping bugs and sun off your face while wicking awayĚýmoisture. It’ll also keep the frost off your nose when you ski.

Rain Jacket + PFD as Kayaking Dry Top

There’s no replacement forĚýa well-built dry top. The gaskets and waterproofing are safer for expert touring kayakers. But if you’reĚýmore worried about protection from splashing water and the elements than you are aboutĚýrolling, a lightweight rain jacket will swap in for a kayak-specific splash jacket. I have found that a tightly cinched PFD keeps ocean or lake water from splashing up underneath myĚýrain jacket.

MTB Elbow Pads as Kayaking Pads

Hardcore whitewater kayakers have been using elbow pads for yearsĚýas an extra layer of defense while running steep creeks; repurposing your mountain bike elbow pads makes sense if you’re a beginningĚýkayaker. Plenty of novice boaters have experienced swellbows—baseball-sized elbows resulting from impact—that could easily have been avoided had they donned elbow pads on the river. Wearing elbow pads also allows a paddler to use more of their arms aggressively when encountering rocks, which will likely save an aspirational kayaker a number of swims.

Voile Ski Strap as Pretty Much Anything

A Ěýis arguably the most multiuse piece of sport-specific gear you can buy. On top of strapping a pair of skis together on a pack or forĚýstorage, these simple stretchy plastic straps with a metal clip can be used to secure gear to any pack, vehicle, bike, touring kayak, or raft. They can be used to rig up nearly any backpack malfunction, and I have even used them to hold up a pair of pants that lost a button. Their dynamic nature lies in the fact that they are as durable as they are simple—two invaluableĚýtraits when you need to fix a problem in the backcountry.

Want more ideas for repurposing your gear? Check out these bonus ideas:

• Vaseline as antichafing cream and .
• Lacrosse ball as massage ball.
• Ěýmake the best split boarding boots.
• Leather utility gloves make some of the best ski gloves.

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