Tag: gear
Ode to the Voile Strap
Duct tape doesn’t work very well for the cold, wet environs of ski mountaineering, but it hardly matters as there is something way better – Voile straps. In terms of classic designs, these are right up near the top and incredibly useful for almost anything, including holding your skis together. I prefer the Old Skool […]
Love’m… and Leave’m Behind
Thermos’, goggles, ski crampons and helmets – these are a few of my least favorite things, at least in terms of backcountry skiing day trips. I’m a less-is-more kind of guy and if I’ve carried something in my daypack for more than a few trips without using it, it gets the chop. If I find […]
Gear – Use it & Don’t Lose it.
Whatever gear you decide to use, make sure to actually test it out before taking it on an extended trip. Little details, like boots not fitting in bindings or crampons being the wrong size can be show stoppers in remote locations. It sounds basic, but it is surprising how often this comes up and how much it […]
Spare Gear
Skins and beacons are popular items to forget, which shuts down a tour before it even begins. It’s almost a physical impossiblity for a person booting through deep snow to keep up with a group on skins, and forgetting a beacon not only means you won’t be able to find them, but they also won’t be […]
Preventative Maintenance
Most backcountry ski equipment will live a long, happy life if treated with care. When used as intended, it’s possible to get many seasons out of a pair of skis, boots or bindings. When not used correctly, it can break on the first day, which explains why Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are well known […]
One for the Road
One of my favorite pieces of travel advice came from a hokey little magazine article about family road trips, but the advice is applicable to ski mountaineering trips or expeditions as well. The basic idea is to force yourself (and your partners) to spend one minute of contemplation before you take off going through a […]
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