99 KILLER DEALS

UNDER $150

buyer’s guide
BATTLE
OF THE SKI
TOWNS
WHERE TO FIND
THE BEST SNOW,
WILDEST PARTIES,
AND SWEETEST
LODGING

273
F I E L D -TES T E D
P RO DU C T S

ESSENTIAL
WINTER GEAR
+23 TIPS TO ...
FIT THE PERFECT SKI BOOT
LAYER UP LIKE A PRO
GET IN SKIING SHAPE FAST
SHOOT INSTA-WORTHY PHOTOS

+ THE
WARMEST
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EVER
ALL HAIL THE
SYNTHETIC
PUFFY

W I N T E R 2 0 1 7– 2 0 1 8
T H E U LT I M AT E G E A R R E S O U RC E
 DEFY
THE
DARK
Storm Headlamp
350 lumens, 100% waterproof,
dustproof, with three different
colored night vision modes
 #ForceOfNature

Sorel Tivoli II Mid Snow Boots

Arbor Swoon Rocker Snowboard
Blizzard Black Pearl 88 Skis

Sunny and
steep in
Aspen
POWDER
HIGHWAYS
The best way to take
advantage of Mountain
Collective’s ever-expanding
roster of resorts? Road. Trip.
T
he Mountain
Collective pass, a
voucher for two
lift tickets apiece
at 20 A-list resorts across
the globe, has been one of
the best deals going since its
inception in 2012. This year,
it gets even better, thanks
to the addition of Utah’s
Snowbasin; Hokkaido,
Japan’s Niseko United
resort; and Vermont’s
Sugarbush. Plus, existing
partners Alta, Snowbird,
Banff Sunshine, and Lake
Louise will now separate
to operate as individual
Soaking
it in at
Snowbasin
BRANDED CONTENT
destinations within The
Mountain Collective Pass.
Translation: You now get
twice as many days at these
popular destinations in
Utah and Alberta, Canada.
Time to start connecting
the dots.
CANADIAN
ESCAPE
HUB: Calgary
RESORTS: Banff Sunshine,
Lake Louise, Revelstoke
Revelstoke has the biggest
vert—5,620 feet—of any
resort in North America.
Here’s the thing: No one is
there. Hike to big-mountain
terrain in Greeley Bowl or
see if you can link turns
down 9.4-mile long The Last
Spike without stopping. Get
there via a flight in and out
of Calgary, stopping at Banff,
Canada’s best mountain
town, for a few days at
Sunshine and a few days at
Lake Louise.
SOUTHWEST
SOJOURN
HUB: Denver
RESORTS: Aspen Snowmass,
Telluride, Taos
Fly in and out of Denver
and rent a rig with
all-wheel drive for your
lap around the Rockies.
Linking Aspen Snowmass,
Telluride, and Taos is
going to require a bit of
windshield time. Taos has
been upgrading its lifts
for the past few seasons to
better serve its world-class
steeps, Telluride sports the
best views in the lower 48,
and in Aspen you can ski
all four of Aspen’s separate
mountains in a single day
via the excellent free shuttle
system. Just be sure to end
the day on Ajax—right
downtown—to partake in
Aspen’s legendary après
scene.
After the
storm in
Niseko
Twilight in
Revelstoke
JAPAN IN
JANUARY
HUB: Toyko
RESORTS: Hakuba Valley
and Niseko United
The skiing at Hakuba Valley,
which is located on Japan’s
mainland and has been
included on the pass for
several seasons, is pretty
great: It gets lots of snow and
has tons of varied terrain.
But the addition of Niseko
United—the country’s
best-known and snowiest
resort on Hokkaido, the
northern island—is a
game-changer. Niseko gets
more snow in January than
Mount Baker, frequently
the snowiest place in the
world, has a low-key vibe,
lots of backcountry options,
and is way more affordable
than you might think. The
fact that the Mountain
Collective pass has the best
of all Japanese resorts means
it’s time to put Japanuary on
your calendar.
Check out mountaincollective.com for more
information and how to become a member.
UTAH POWDER
WEEK
HUB: Salt Lake City
RESORTS: Alta, Snowbird,
Snowbasin
Not only can East Coasters
catch a 6 a.m. flight and be
standing at the Snowbird
ticket window at 1 pm, but
this season the Collective
has also tripled its Utah
ski options. Starting this
year, passholders are now
allotted a pair of lift tickets
to both Alta and Snowbird,
rather than a pair between
the two. Equally enticing is
the addition of Snowbasin,
just 44 miles north in
Ogden. Haven’t heard of
it? Somehow this huge
(3,000 acres) resort is a
secret despite the fact that it
hosted the downhill races in
the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Tip: Base yourself in SLC
and head to Ogden based
on the forecast or potential
crowds—Snowbasin sees a
fraction of the skier visits.
 T HIS IS

S N OWBOAR DING’S

NE X T E VO LUTION

AVAILABLE NOVEMBER 2ND.

V I S I T B U R T O N . C O M / S T E P O N F O R M O R E D E TA I L S .
CONTENTS ALL PHOTOGRAPHS BY
CHARLES DUSTIN SAMMANN

SKI AND
SNOWBOARD
GEAR OF THE YEAR
22 Resort Skis
32 Snowboards
38 Backcountry Skis
and Bindings
PLUS
30 Alpine Ski Boots
46 Alpine Touring
Ski Boots
48 Splitboarding
50 Nordic Skiing
51 How To: Fit a Ski Boot
52 Destinations:
Ski Resorts

LAYERS
GEAR OF THE YEAR
58 Jackets
PLUS
66 Hoodies
68 Onesies
69 Winter Workwear
70 Base and Midlayers
71 Women’s Après
72 Streetwear
73 How To: Bundle Up

ON THE
COVER
Elan Ibex 84
Carbon XLT
ski (page 44),
DJI Phantom 4
Advanced drone
(page 88),
Oakley Fall
Line goggles
(page 92), Vans
Remedy boot
(page 90),
POC Auric Cut
Backcountry
SPIN helmet
(page 87)
Stylist
Yanislei Monzón THIS PAGE:
Photo Assistant Flylow OG
Rachel Hudacek Pom beanie
($30)

8 OUTSIDE WINTER BUYER’S GUIDE 2018

 CERIUM LT HOODY
Technical down done differently, using
lightweight construction and durable
materials. Strong, packable and functional.
Take the benefit of down insulation on
all mountain adventures.

MEN’S CERIUM LT HOODY - RIGEL

We tried everything
and came up with
nothing.

It took a decade to reimagine insulation, but the process

brought us to the edge of nothing. Strands of heat-trapping
ultrafine filaments combined with an innovative construction
technique yields a synthetic jacket as warm, light and packable
as down, that stays warm even when wet.

patagonia.com/micropuff
CONTENTS

ESSENTIALS
GEAR OF THE YEAR
74 Packs
84 Helmets
92 Goggles
PLUS
80 Recycled and Upcycled
81 Winter Hats
82 Sunglasses
88 Cameras
90 Après Shoes
96 Après Tailgating
98 Gloves
100 Winter Camping
102 Watches
104 How To: Shoot Ski
Photos

FITNESS
GEAR OF THE YEAR
106 Running Shoes
PLUS
114 Cold-Weather Running
115 Snowshoes
116 Cold-Weather Cycling
117 Fat Bikes
118 Fitness Trackers
119 Home Gym
120 Winter Hikers
121 Women’s Winter
Workout
122 Grooming
123 How To: Get in Shape
Best Made for Ski Season
Straight-Hold
hatchet
(page 97) 18 Between the Lines
128 Parting Shot

12 OUTSIDE WINTER BUYER’S GUIDE 2018

GEAR OF
THE YEAR
INDEX

92 22

58 38 84

106 74 32

14 OUTSIDE WINTER BUYER’S GUIDE 2018

buyer’s guide
EDITORIAL
EDITOR WILL EGENSTEINER @wegensteiner
CHAIRMAN/EDITOR IN CHIEF
LAWRENCE J. BURKE
WINTER 2018
Follow us on

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212-972-4650, fax 212-949-7538
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16 OUTSIDE WINTER BUYER’S GUIDE 2018

 Mayan Smith-Gobat | Riders on the Storm, Torres del Paine
U N B E ATA B L E G R I P

The TERREX SCOPE GTX® features STEALTH® rubber outsole

and a waterproof GORE-TEX® membrane for unbeatable grip
on wet and rocky surfaces.

© 2017 adidas AG | Photos: Thomas Senf, Franz Walter adidasoutdoor.com

EDITOR’S LETTER

BETWEEN THE LINES

THE WINTER GEAR I’M

MOST EXCITED ABOUT IS
THE BLACK YAK HYBRID
JACKET (PAGE 64). IT’S
COMFORTABLE EVEN AT
THE ENDS OF THE EARTH.

England and New York could

Save Our Snow!
Winter is, hands down, the best season. And
I swear I’m not just saying that because my
birthday falls in January.
Mainly it’s just really damn fun. Hell, half
the Outside office shows up for work around
11 A.M. whenever there’s so much as a dust-
ing of skiable snow in the Sangre de Cristo
Mountains outside of town. Meetings are
punctuated by frantic, hopelessly optimis-
tic forecast discussions about the weekend.
Lakes and backyard ponds become hockey
and broomball arenas, while hillsides are
transformed into chutes for sledding and
tubing. Climbing on rock gives way to climb-
ing on ice. And let’s not forget powder days
spent skiing in the mountains, of course.
But the current climate, both atmospheric
and political, puts winter at risk. Studies by
the American Meteorological Society found a
23 percent decline in snowpack in the west-
ern United States over the past half century,
and authors of a study published in Nature
earlier this year predict a further decrease
of up to 60 percent over the next 30 years.
Scientists at Canada’s University of Waterloo
estimate that the average ski season in New
shorten by up to 13 days. And
fewer slopes able to support
skiing necessitates more man-
made powder and, therefore,
resource consumption. Even
with snowmaking intervention,
the director of the University
of Waterloo’s climate change
program says that, at low-
elevation ski areas, continued
warming temperatures could
outpace whatever snow resorts
make themselves. My most poignant experi-
ence of the changing landscape came during
the holidays of 2015, when a writer friend and
I linked up for a day of mountain biking. In late
December. In the Northeast. I had fun, but I
couldn’t help dwelling on the fact that, at that
time of year in that region, we could ride bikes
at all. When even some ski areas aren’t helping
fight climate change, you know things are bad.
As temperatures rise and the earth gets
hotter, we risk losing access to the winter
sports we love and the gear that goes along
with it, like the Petzl Gully ice ax (page 100),
Smith’s Quantum MIPS helmet (page 86),
and the ripping Blizzard Rustler 10 skis (page
22). And for me, a self-aware gear obses-
sive, the latter matters, although not nearly
as much as the experience of getting out-
side in the snow, be it shivering on an icy bivy
or warming your ski-boot-crammed toes
by the fire after a day in the backcountry.
Those of us who love winter need to take on
the stewardship and protection of the wild,
fragile places that make those adventures
possible. They won’t be here forever. Let’s
not have that be because we messed up.
—WILL EGENSTEINER ( @WEGENSTEINER)
HANNAH McCAUGHEY

WE GOT YA GEAR RIGHT HERE

Over the next year, Outside Online will be rolling out in-depth, comprehensive reviews of several
mainstay categories of gear, written with the help of our expert Buyer’s Guide testers. Looking to
buy a backpacking tent? We’ll tell you exactly which is best for your two-person, four-person, and
ultralight needs. Keep an eye out for jackets and gloves coming this fall. We’ll be looking at past and
present favorites, plus updating the lists annually, so any killer new model is fair game to knock an
incumbent off its perch. outsideonline.com/outdoor-gear

18 OUTSIDE WINTER BUYER’S GUIDE 2018

 THINK ABOUT CONTRIBUTORS

WHISPERING TREES. BETWEEN THE LINES

DON’T THINK ABOUT
ERICA CLIFFORD 1.
WEATHER PROTECTION. ART DIRECTOR

DON’T THINK ABOUT

GORE-TEX ® . PRODUCTS

AXIE NAVAS 2.
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
YOU DRY®, GORE® and designs are trademarks of W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
© 2017 W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. GORE-TEX®, GUARANTEED TO KEEP

FROM TOP: JACKSON BUSCHER, JOHN DAVIES, COURTESY OF WES JUDD

WES JUDD 3.
ASSOCIATE EDITOR

THE MORE WE CARE WHAT PIECE 1. THE 2. THE KÄSTLE

ABOUT YOU, THE LESS OF WINTER AIRBLASTER

NINJA SUIT
FX95 HP (PAGE
26). THAT SKI

YOU THINK ABOUT US. GEAR ARE YOU (PAGE 68). IT’S RIPS! IT HASN’T

Nothing protects you like MOST EXCITED ALWAYS ONESIE

O’CLOCK ON MY
MET TERRAIN IT
CAN’T HANDLE
GORE-TE X ® products. ABOUT? WATCH. LIKE A PRO.

gore-tex.com/think 20 OUTSIDE WINTER BUYER’S GUIDE 2018

 LIVE.
SKI.
4.
REPEAT.
Helio 105 Carbon Skis
Helio Carbon Ski Poles
Ascension STS Skins
Fritschi Vipec Evo 12
Bindings

JAKOB SCHILLER
ASSOCIATE EDITOR

5.

NATHAN ALLEN
ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR
FROM TOP: DUSTIN ENGLISH, CATIE CZAJKOWSKI, JACKSON BUSCHER

6.

BEN FOX
ASSOCIATE EDITOR

3. THE SALOMON 4. THE BLIZZARD 5. PATAGONIA’S 6. DYNASTAR’S

SENSE RIDE RUSTLER 11 SKI MICRO PUFF LEGEND X96
SHOES (PAGE (PAGE 40). THE HOODIE (PAGE SKI (PAGE 42). IT
110), FOR THE NO- TERM “GAME 58). MY REASON RIPS GROOMERS
NONSENSE FEEL CHANGER” IS IS TWOFOLD: JUST AS WELL
WITH A BIT OF TOO MUCH OF A WARMTH AND AS IT SLASHES
FORGIVENESS. CLICHé, BUT... COMFORT. POWDER.

OUTSIDE WINTER BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 21

01
SKI AND SNOWBOARD

Fun Sticks
Thanks to a plethora of new materials, skis are getting way more versatile
BY TEST DIRECTOR MARC PERUZZI

Blizzard Rustler 10 $780

“Ski of the future.” When multiple test cards make that claim, you know an engineer just blew up the status quo of ski design.
That’s the case with the Rustler 10. Until now, strong western skiers had to choose between burly big-mountain sticks
made for charging steeps and playful freeride ones built to pivot and slough. Austria-based Blizzard decided to fill this void.
Thanks to an entirely new construction with carbon in the rockered tip and tail, metal in the midbody, and a light wood
core backed by a woven carbon layer everywhere else, the Rustler is easy to throw around in soft stuff, while still retaining
Blizzard’s legendary thumping straight-line stability. We couldn’t find a type of terrain or skiing style that it didn’t excel at.
Even cooler, the skis in the Rustler line—from 164 centimeters to 188—feature progressively fatter dimensions, so that the
float is the same for somebody who’s 150 pounds as it is for someone who’s 210. Essentially, you’re buying custom skis. It’s
the best one-ski quiver we’ve ever tried. “The most fun I’ve had all week,” said a tester who logs 150 days a year. 133/102/122

RESORT SKIS
OUTSIDE WINTER BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 23
 ALL-MOUNTAIN POWDER

Salomon QST Stella 106 $850

BEST FOR: Off-trail exploration.
THE TEST: The top-scoring ski on this
page, the QST Stella is damp yet lively, WOMEN
stable yet nimble. “Amazingly agile, but the SPECIFIC
Stella digs deep trenches on edge, too,” said
a tester. Those properties are attributed to
the French brand’s new superfiber, which
blends powerful, energetic carbon with
lightweight flax. The material allows for less
metal in the ski’s body, to keep the weight
down and the dynamic feel up, though there
is a single sheet of Titanal. On-trail, it could
use a bit more energy return during a turn,
but off-trail we found it excelled at hopping
from trees to chutes to alpine faces.
THE VERDICT: Look here if you head
straight to the back bowls each day.
138/106/125

Rossignol Soul 7 HD $850

BEST FOR: Shredding powder in glades.
THE TEST: The old Soul 7 was the best
tree-navigating powder ski we ever tested.
The new Soul 7 HD is that plus a whole lot
more. Rossi reinvented this wildly popular
stick by incorporating new materials. The
old Air Tip is gone, replaced with the 2.0 ver-
sion, which is both lighter and stronger. On
the hill, that translates to a more solid ride
capable of blasting through crud. The entire
ski feels more stable, thanks to the use of
a new carbon-alloy weave. This construc-
tion boosts confidence when you’re wailing
at speed through powder and when you’re
knocking off metronome groomer turns.
It’s a burlier ski all around, but don’t get us
wrong: it’s still damn fun. It just no longer
comes with a speed limit.
THE VERDICT: Still the most playful
all-mountain pow ski we’ve ever tried.
136/106/126

Nordica Enforcer 110 $849

BEST FOR: Your next trip to Jackson Hole.
THE TEST: Once snowpacks hit the 50-inch
mark, the new Enforcer 110 is the only ski you
need to haul to the hill. Our Snowbird testers
praised it for its spot-on balance of stability
and playfulness as they flowed from wet
corn to firm groomers. As for powder, well,
one tester couldn’t stop raving about how it
slunk through steep trees like a pure freeride
model, then locked into a big arc on an open
face. Much of the credit for that adaptability
goes to the construction, which features a
lightweight wood core reinforced by a layer
cake of carbon and metal. But it’s the En-
forcer line’s shape that achieves most of the
performance. A blunt tip and tail let the ski
enter and exit turns with power or finesse.
THE VERDICT: If you spend 80 percent of
your time hunting soft snow, chutes, and
headwalls, demo the Enforcer. 140/110/129

24 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | SKI & SNOWBOARD

 ALL MOUNTAIN
Fischer Pro MTN 95 Ti $849
BEST FOR: Carving it up when it’s not
totally dumping.
THE TEST: The rockered carbon-fiber tip on
the Pro MTN turns what would be a hard-to-
WOMEN handle fat carving ski into a fun all-mountain
SPECIFIC tool. “You don’t have to muscle your way
into the turn at all, but once you’re on edge,
you can lock into a beautiful GS arc,” said a
tester. It prefers firm snow and a technical
skiing style, but that same tip design keeps
it nimble enough off-trail, especially if there’s
an edgeable base beneath the fresh stuff.
Fischer’s low-profile “razorshape” lets the
95 slice through surface snow with very low
resistance. Back on the hard, refrozen morn-
ing corn at our test, the wood core and
milled titanium internals made it the most
adept at hooking up and hanging on.
THE VERDICT: Spend most of your day
railing groomers but don’t want to be limited
to them? Buy this. 137/95/122

Kästle FX95 HP $1,199

BEST FOR: Coast-to-coast all-mountain,
year-round shredding.
THE TEST: There’s a reason the updated
FX95 HP costs $350 more than even the
most premium skis: the build. From the verti-
cally laminated silver fir core to the ultrafine
graphite racing base to the two sheets of
Titanal, this is simply the highest-quality ski
you can buy. The old version of the FX95 HP
won a Gear of the Year award. The new ver-
sion is even better. Kästle subtly increased
the flex of this stable ski so it’s easier to lock
into a carve on groomed snow. Yet we didn’t
notice any loss of agility or tracking off-trail.
“It’s the most powerful ski in the test, but
you can slip it around in the trees and
bumps, too,” said a tester.
THE VERDICT: For north of one g, you get
superb precision. 126/95/115

Atomic Vantage 95 C W $600

BEST FOR: Anyone who’s after a ski that
does everything well.
THE TEST: Our testers ask a lot of our
all-mountain skis. They need to be equally
adept at ripping groomers and everything
we find off-trail. The Vantage 95 C W
crushed the category. “Finally, a women’s ski
that feels great on edge but can handle crud
snow and bumps, too,” said a tester. The big
performance gains come from new materi-
als. In Atomic’s case, it’s a new weave called
Carbon Tank Mesh that, in the Vantage 95,
takes the place of heavy layers of metal. On
the hill, you experience a silky, damp ride
previously impossible in such a lightweight
ski. But it isn’t a noodle, either: a poplar
wood core keeps it tough.
THE VERDICT: In knee-deep powder or on
sheer ice, you’ll feel outgunned. On all other
snow types, the Vantage stomped the ten
other skis in its category. 132/95/118

26 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | SKI & SNOWBOARD

 anotherbestday

FOR OVER 100 YEARS Rossignol has been the benchmark in winter sports,
making skiing and riding easier, more inspiring, and more fun. Our home is in the
mountains; our passion and lifestyles intrinsically linked with snow. In 2007, we
partnered with Jeremy Jones in an effort to raise awareness around the effects of
climate change. Ten years later and the fight to Protect Our Winters still remains.

Join in the fight for winter, and join in the promise of Another Best Day.

alpine • nordic • snowboard • apparel

protectourwinters.org www.rossignol.com
 ALL-MOUNTAIN FRONTSIDE

Head Wild Joy $750

BEST FOR: Extreme versatility.
THE TEST: The new Wild Joy is in our
all-mountain frontside category, but it
could just as easily compete with the true
all-mountain sticks. First, there’s the waist
width: 90 millimeters underfoot was once
considered a fat ski, so there’s plenty of WOMEN
flotation here for most powder days. But, SPECIFIC
thanks to Head’s use of graphene (a super-
light, superstrong carbon) and Koroyd
(a honeycomb polymer that eats vibration
while saving weight), the Wild Joy is nimble
to steer and quick to get on edge. Once in a
turn, the roughly 15-meter sidecut lets you
hook up and hold on as you transition from
short swing turns to sweeping arcs.
THE VERDICT: A ski this fat shouldn’t carve
this well. 139/90/119

Blizzard Brahma $780

BEST FOR: Hauling ass.
THE TEST: The old Brahma was a testers’
favorite. But despite its top-ranking stability
scores and damp ride, it didn’t love carving
linked turns. The new Brahma fixes that,
and then some. A total reworking of the
construction—the ski gets carbon inserts in
the tip and tail—turned the Brahma into a
ripping carver on hardpack. Still, it’s perfectly
adept at slamming bumps or navigating
trees and chalky chutes. Two sheets of metal
keep it powered up, but those lightweight
tips and tails let you pivot at will. “Most joyful
high-speed carving of the day,” said a tester.
THE VERDICT: Strong frontside skiers who
like to maintain speed, start here. 127/88/111

Rossignol Experience 88 HD $800

BEST FOR: Carving instructor turns.
THE TEST: Eighty percent of frontside ski-
ers would be happy 80 percent of the time
on the Experience 88 HD. “Everything about
this ski is spot-on,” said a tester. “It holds an
edge as well as any ski in the class and offers
an energetic pop out of the turn.” The rock-
ered honeycomb tip and extra width in the
shovel provide easy turn initiation: just roll
your ankle to get into an arc. Another super-
fiber, a carbon-alloy weave, gives the plank
enough oomph for hardpack and keeps
metal out, without sacrificing stability.
THE VERDICT: For when there’s not a foot
of fresh, get the Experience 88. 135/88/124

Plank Parity
True, shops sell women-specific skis,
but that doesn’t mean the rest of the
boards on the wall are for men only.
Skis have always been gender neutral.
A strong woman can just as easily pilot
a top-of-the-line unisex ski. The only
caveat? Just as with male shoppers, she
should buy the length that’s correct not
just for her height but for her weight and
skiing ability, too. It’s fit that counts.

28 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | SKI & SNOWBOARD

A M P L I F Y YO U R S K I I N G
XDR 84 Ti

H A RD SNOW PE RFOR M A N C E
We supercharged C/FX and the Ti Power Platform
by taking them both edge-to-edge, resulting in
a stable, powerful and precise ski for the most
demanding conditions.

V E R S AT I L I T Y
A full wood core and C/FX create a ski with
tremendous energy to rail on hardpack and
float through mixed conditions.
FIELD TESTED
ALPINE SKI BOOTS
For the Dogs
Six solutions to age-old boot flaws
BY KELLY BASTONE
“I love my ski boots,” said no one. Ever.
Complaints are common in this category,
but brands are determined to stop skiers’
moans. This year’s models solve virtually
every gripe, from cold toes to slippery soles.
SOLVED: Pinched feet.
Moldable liners are so 2005. Conformable
shells are the new custom-fit frontier. The
Fischer RC4 Curv 130 ($699; above)
uses an exoskeleton made of a plastic
that’s vacuum-molded at a specialty
retailer to your unique foot shape.
SOLVED: Frozen toes.
K2 plugged a furnace into its hard-charging
Spyne 120 Heat ($900) that keeps the
whole foot toasty. Six hours on a USB cable
recharges the battery, and a stiff Y-shaped
panel on the back of the cuff delivers
enough muscle to drive burly boards.
30 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | SKI & SNOWBOARD
SOLVED: Parking-lot wipeouts.
Walking seems easy, until you try it in ski
boots across a street coated in black ice. To
spare skiers some humiliation, Dalbello put
an aggressive rubber sole on the Panterra
120 I.D. ($750 with moldable liner). Its
big lugs provide the traction you want on
slick sidewalks, while the add-on rockered
heel (along with a walk mode) facilitates a
smooth, natural stride.
SOLVED: Deadweights.
High-performance boots no longer need
to be lead-heavy. Expert skiers: witness
the Salomon X Max 120 ($725), which
employs a razzle-dazzle new svelte Grilamid
plastic shell that’s light (each boot weighs
just 4.6 pounds) but authoritative. Our
most aggressive ski testers loved the X
Max’s predilection for speed as we mached
down Steamboat’s Howelsen Hill.
SOLVED: Blocky racers.
The Lange RS 130 ($850) delivers the pre-
cision and power you expect from a racer,
but with a more nuanced fit. Anatomical
shaping in the toe box and ankle improves
comfort without compromising efficiency.
And by pairing harder plastic in the shell’s
spine, heel, and lower body (for optimal
energy transmission) with a softer polymer
in the leg and foot, the RS offers a better
bump-absorbing flex than its competitors.
SOLVED: Flimsy women’s models.
The Tecnica Mach1 Pro W LV ($840)
gives a true women-specific fit informed by
an exhaustive study of female foot shapes.
It’s snug in the heel and low-volume
throughout (with a 98-millimeter last).
Lamb’s wool blended with heat-retentive
Celliant fibers makes the liner outrageously
warm. And with a 115 flex, it rips.
THE NEW VENTRIX JACKET
RELEASES EXCESS BODY
H E AT S O Y O U C A N P E R F O R M
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GEAR OF THE YEAR

SNOWBOARDS

The Shredaissance
Seven boards that put fun first
BY TEST DIRECTOR DREW ZIEFF

Salomon Sick Stick $650

Snowboarders just wanna have fun.
Thankfully, designers are putting a
premium on pleasure for 2018, focusing
more on playful, enjoyable models that
pop like tarts and slash like surfboards.
Of the more than 100 planks we tested
at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, the
Sick Stick best epitomizes the return
to snowboarding’s fun-loving roots.
Salomon revamped this decade-old
staple, most notably by getting rid of
the board’s characteristic pintail in
favor of shapes specific to each model
size: the shortest deck (the 151) has
the widest waist and is designed to
float turns through powder glades; the
157 (shown here) is an all-mountain
assassin with narrower dimensions
that rails curves and aches to be
airborne; and the 162’s longer length
and sidecut make it stable at speed
and primed for bigger freeride objec-
tives. All three share a centered stance,
a raised flat section between the
bindings, camber at the inserts, and
rocker at the tip and tail. “For a single
board that’s a blast everywhere, I’d get
the 157,” said one tester. “But I wouldn’t
mind having all three.”

32 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | SKI & SNOWBOARD

 FITBIT IONIC.

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T H E S M A R T WAT C H D E S I G N E D F O R F I T N E S S
F I T B I T. C O M / I O N I C
 SPECIALIZED
WOMEN
SPECIFIC
Rome Lo-Fi Camber $480
BEST FOR: Aggressive acrobatics all over
the mountain.
THE TEST: There used to be a hole in
Rome’s women’s lineup: a top-tier, cam-
bered all-mountain deck. No longer. Finally,
this slightly stiffer, cambered version of
the brand’s award-winning Lo-Fi Rocker
is aggressive enough for women who live
to rail carves. With a bamboo barrel milled
vertically into the board, the Lo-Fi Camber
is, according to one park rider, “stiff until you
want it to pop,” and it “stomps with crazy
stability.” Most testers agreed that it’s an
energetic turner, though lighter riders were
put off by how hard they had to lean to
engage the edges.
THE VERDICT: A quiver killer for aggressive
ladies who alternate between park and pow.
34 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | SKI & SNOWBOARD
Public Darrell Mathes Display $450
BEST FOR: Jibby terrain-park laps.
THE TEST: “The deck is flat,” said one
smitten tester, “but the ride isn’t!” Originally
designed for backcountry booters and street
rails, the Display’s flat-cambered, carbon-
and-Kevlar-backed twin shape made for a
capable yet playful ride that won our testers
over as they carved through moguls en route
to the park. Dependable torsional flex had
riders biting into turns with confidence,
while a slightly stiffer tail provided stabil-
ity through the arc—establishing the deck
as a “stellar all-rounder,” in the words of an
enamored carver. Ample snap off jumps and
rollers, plus secure landings, had one tester
underlining “I’m in love” on her review form.
THE VERDICT: A board for freestylers—and
everyone else.
Should you
prefer to earn
your turns,
the Sick
Stick, Storm,
and Sushi
all come in
tested and
approved
splitboard
versions.
Venture Storm $599
BEST FOR: Charging down big lines with the
utmost confidence.
THE TEST: Designed by snowboarders
in some of Colorado’s most intimidating
terrain, the Silverton company’s powerful
yet damp freeride weapon was consistently
called “the best big-mountain board” of
the test. One Crested Butte local agreed
with that claim and described the Goldi-
locks sidecut and buoyant nose as “simple,
well-considered, and effective” and the stiff
flex as “smooth and predictable.” There’s
not a single superfluous design element.
This board isn’t playful, but it rides fast and
trustworthy—and on big lines, faith in your
equipment is nonnegotiable.
THE VERDICT: The broadsword of snow-
boards, meant for slaying peaks.
 BRANDED CONTENT

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From frigid streets to windswept ridges and back again, the Evergreen is with you
every step of the way. Ripstop fabric is tough enough to withstand occasional
brushes with bark and water-resistent enough to shield you from everything from
sideways sleet to spilled drinks. Mapped, synthetic insulation keeps you warm
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 ONE SIZE FITS ALL

Surf-ace
Area
Savvy surfers
know that length
isn’t a board’s
only important
measurement.
Instead, den-
sity, surface area,
and volume are
better indica-
tors of buoyancy.
The new wave of
short snowboards
is built from
this surfboard-
shaping principle.
(Just look at the
Rocket: it’s a col-
laboration with
a legendary surf
company.)

WOMEN
SPECIFIC

Lib Tech x Lost Surfboards Mayhem
Rocket $700
BEST FOR: Surfing secret stashes and
cranking out methods.
THE TEST: The surf-inspired, ultrawide
Rocket stole the hearts of the hardest-
carving testers. One even named the Rocket
the “Certified Toughest Board,” after the Lib
Tech x Lost Surfboards collaboration slid
downhill during a build, thwacked into a
fence at full speed, and emerged unscathed.
Even our resident six-foot-five giant said
the 157.5-centimeter deck is “wide enough
to lay deep carves, but stiff enough to
handle speed.” The dramatic width made for
sluggish edge-to-edge transitions, but the
Rocket is awesome on everything but jibs.
THE VERDICT: Like to surf? Here’s your
favorite snowboard.
Rossignol XV Sushi LF $450
BEST FOR: Blasting face shots like a bunch
of sake bombs.
THE TEST: Big-mountain guru Xavier de Le
Rue’s second pro model, the XV Sushi LF is
an aptly named directional fish with a broad,
rockered nose, camber underfoot, and a
stubby tapered swallowtail—a combination
that makes for an excellent floaty ride in
the deep stuff. The exceptionally short 145-
centimeter length notwithstanding, the
Sushi’s set-back stance and almost comi-
cally fat shape make it ride longer than
expected. One tester noted that “despite
being a dope pow surfer, it holds a solid
edge.” We give credit for that to the Sushi’s
rigid core and deep sidecut.
THE VERDICT: A pow board that can hold
its own on hardpack.
Gnu Free Spirit $470
BEST FOR: Pillaging pow and, yes, even
carving corduroy.
THE TEST: Every tester who strapped into
the 143-centimeter Free Spirit—a wide-
nosed, squash-tailed deck fresh out of the
Gnu laboratory—came back to the board
room with a wistful “Can I have it?” grin. A
slender park rat was nothing short of blown
away, lauding the mid-flexing, set-back stick
as everything from “sick, surfy, and fun” to
“poppy and responsive.” Even “forgiving”
came up. A taller, more aggressive all-
mountain rider warned that looks aren’t to
be believed. “Don’t be alarmed by its small
size,” she said. “This board can go just about
anywhere—pow, steeps, couloirs, and cliffs.”
THE VERDICT: The Free Spirit may be short
in stature, but it’s stacked in fun.

36 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | SKI & SNOWBOARD

Scott Cassell UVP 3509.SC.SET: 45mm, Carbon Compound case and Stainless Steel screw
on caseback, unidirectional rotating bezel, hardened mineral crystal, water resistant to 20
ATM and Luminox self-powered illumination system. Set includes two interchangeable straps:
one webbing, one signature PU, a strap extender, changing tool and compass. Swiss Made.
Preferred timepiece of Professional Diver Scott Cassell

www.facebook.com/luminox www.luminox.com
GEAR OF THE YEAR

BACKCOUNTRY SKIS AND BINDINGS

Ski ’Em Like You

Stole ’Em
AT gear keeps getting
better and better at
handling the down
BY ADAM HOWARD, LUCY
HIGGINS, AND TYLER COHEN

Völkl 100Eight $825

Backcountry-ski makers have
spent years pursuing the holy grail
of the alpine-touring world: a ski
that’s light enough for touring but
still rips on the down, no matter
the snow conditions. While no
one has nailed it yet, the Gear of
the Year–winning Völkl 100Eight
comes closer than most. You’ll
often see this ski in-bounds at
the resort because of its downhill
prowess, but our out-of-bounds
testers have adopted it, too. Its
construction keeps the weight
manageable for touring, with guts
made from twin carbon stringers
and a thin fiberglass layer that
cups the wood core. Völkl also cut
ounces by shaving down the top
of the ski, leaving a ridge running
along the center for stiffness.
There are certainly lighter skis out
there (Völkl’s own backcountry-
dedicated BMT 109 weighs nearly
20 percent less), but testers who
put a premium on the descents
(and, let’s be honest, this is pretty
much everyone) were happy to
take up the extra heft. “It transi-
tions from every condition, task,
and speed with ease and confi-
dence,” said one of those speed
lovers. 141/108/124; 8.7 lbs

38 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | SKI & SNOWBOARD

No better
feeling.
Our location: somewhere between awesome
and epic. Our destination is unknown. And the
clothes on our back give us the comfort and
HTSƴIJSHJYTLJYYMJWJ

Professional Snowboarder
and Smartwool athlete
Blair Habenicht

Smartwool and the Little Guy logo are trademarks of TBL Licensing LLC. © 2017 TBL Licensing LLC. All rights reserved. smartwool.com
 BIG MOUNTAIN
a. Atomic Backland FR 109 skis $725
BEST FOR: Powder seekers.
THE TEST: With a 109-millimeter waist, this
board longs for deep snow. And that’s where
it truly excels. But riders were quick to note
that even with that extra girth, the Backland
FR rode like a narrower ski on hardpack,
ripping medium-radius turns on corduroy a c
almost like a GS racer. “An incredibly lively ski
with strong ski-to-snow connectivity,” one
tester said. Carbon inserts up the ski’s back-
bone add stiffness, and tip and tail rocker
plus some camber underfoot left our testers
impressed with its playfulness.
THE VERDICT: A poppy, responsive ride
that’s dreamy in soft snow yet doesn’t blush
on hardpack. 132/109/122; 7.5 lbs

b. G3 Ion 12 bindings $579

BEST FOR: Everyone who tours—or dabbles.
THE TEST: G3’s Ion 12 has a big audience
for two reasons: it’s stupid easy to get into,
and it will confidently drive most backcoun-
try skis. The newest Ion features an updated WOMEN
SPECIFIC
toepiece with a redesigned boot bumper
that reduces ice buildup and also comes
with more snap—and confidence—from the
toe arms. The heelpiece keeps its two risers,
making uphilling super efficient.
THE VERDICT: As straightforward as it
gets, the Ion 12 delivers reliability in a user-
friendly package. 2.6 lbs d

c. Blizzard Rustler 11 skis $840

BEST FOR: Aggressive skiers.
THE TEST: Ski the Rustler 11 hard and it will
take care of you. Proof: each morning the
best skiers in our test used these sticks to
shred through manky, iced-over chop during
a vicious freeze-thaw cycle that rendered b
other skis useless. They also spoke highly
about the ski’s confidence on steeps. Partial
credit for those high marks goes to a Titanal
layer atop the mixed-wood core, which adds
power and stiffness to what one reviewer
called a “chunder-crushing” design. Finally,
rocker at the tip and tail keeps the Rustler 11
playful and floaty when things get deep.
THE VERDICT: Use this ski for big lines and
short tours. 139/112/129; 8.6 lbs

d. Marker Kingpin 13 bindings $649

BEST FOR: Unmatched downhill security.
THE TEST: When Marker launched the
Kingpin in 2015, it was the first tech binding
designed for strength, stability, and a reli-
able release. This year, the Kingpin remains
unchanged, which means it still offers lots of
touring efficiency, thanks to the easy-entry
pin toe and robust retention from its sturdy
alpine-style heel. And it tours smoothly, with
an intuitive skinning-to-skiing switchover,
while still weighing significantly less than any
other backcountry frame binding you can
find on the market.
THE VERDICT: Ski hard? Look here. 3.3 lbs

40 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | SKI & SNOWBOARD

 Savings can take you to
sights. amazing

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 ALL MOUNTAIN
a. Voile UltraVector skis $695
BEST FOR: Your one-ski quiver.
THE TEST: As one tester put it, “The
UltraVector stacks up with the best out
there from a capability perspective, but it’s
friendlier, smoother, and more accessible
than most of its competitors.” Translation:
it skis pretty much all conditions well, a c
without requiring much work from you.
Voile achieves this balance by combining its
lightweight carbon-reinforced aspen core
with long tip rocker. That plus some camber
underfoot and a slightly rockered tail make
for predictability and forgiveness.
THE VERDICT: Get this to cruise on all but
the deepest days. 130/96/114; 6.7 lbs

b. Salomon MTN bindings $575

BEST FOR: Rocking rando and mid-fat skis
with confidence.
THE TEST: Unlike tech bindings that come
with adjustable and numbered release
settings in the heel, the brakeless version
of the MTN uses three swappable springs
(low, medium, and stiff) instead. We chose
the stiffest spring for hard snow, with zero
pre-releases over five days of testing. The
binding is crampon compatible and, with 30 d
millimeters of range, can accommodate a
large swath of boot-sole sizes.
THE VERDICT: An astonishingly reliable
retention-and-release system in a very basic
and lightweight package. 1.3 lbs

c. Dynastar Legend X96 skis $800

BEST FOR: Resort-accessed backcountry.
THE TEST: We’d gladly ski these boards on b
resort groomers, then throw them over a
shoulder for an out-of-bounds powder hike.
The Legend received high marks on packed
and crummy snow, thanks to features like
sturdy sidewalls that increase edge hold and
a layer of Titanal in the core to lend power.
That core combines the metal with light-
weight paulownia wood, which boosts uphill
fun and downhill playfulness. Ample tip and
tail rocker help with the latter, too.
THE VERDICT: Perfect for season-pass
holders in places like Jackson Hole.
133/96/113; 7.7 lbs

d. Fritschi Vipec Evo 12 bindings $600

BEST FOR: Better safety in a tech binding.
THE TEST: The Vipec has always remained
on the periphery of the binding world, for
one simple reason: it’s never been easy to
step into. Now those woes are gone. This
new version has a significantly refined
toepiece with larger bumpers for guidance
and a broader platform that always snaps
the toe pins into place, even when you’re off-
kilter. The consensus? “Fritschi finally figured
out their toepiece, and now it ranks among
the easiest to enter,” one tester said.
THE VERDICT: The Vipec has finally come
into its own. 2.2 lbs

42 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | SKI & SNOWBOARD

 LIVE.
e. Head Kore 105 skis $800 CLIMB.
BEST FOR: Long tours, steep descents.
THE TEST: Like the Rustler 11 and the
100Eight, the Kore wants to be skied fast
REPEAT.
Momentum Climbing Shoes
and hard. The big difference is weight:
e it’s roughly a pound lighter than either
Creek Transit 22 Pack
of those skis, better for long days in the First Light Jacket
backcountry. Head kept things airy by Mojo Chalk Bag
building the core from a honeycomb
g synthetic and karuba wood. The ski also
has graphene—a superlight, ultra-stiff
carbon—in the tip and tail for added
responsiveness. This board rewards
input in spades: those who had the
oomph to wrangle it heaped praise.
THE VERDICT: Heavyweight in a light-
weight frame. 135/105/125; 7.7 lbs

f. Fritschi Tecton 12 bindings $650

BEST FOR: Downhill prowess.
THE TEST: Kingpin comparisons will be
made, because this binding, like the one
from Marker, employs a stout alpine-like
WOMEN heelpiece that wraps over the back of
SPECIFIC
your boot. What makes it burlier than the
Marker is aluminum jaws, which lock into
the heel fittings for better power and
control. Up front, the Tecton platform
offers a DIN-certified reliable release.
f THE VERDICT: A binding to drive big
skis with confidence. 2.4 lbs

g. DPS Zelda A106 skis $1,299

BEST FOR: DPS lovers who’ve always
wanted a little more giddyup.
THE TEST: The Zelda is a women’s
version of the carbon-plumbed Wailer
that’s earned DPS a loyal following.
This year’s version of the Zelda features
the company’s Alchemist construc-
tion, which places layers of a damping
material above and below an aspen
core to absorb chatter, making it extra
confident on hardpack but still playful
in pow. One tester called Alchemist
“the first carbon construction that truly
performs on the downhill.”
THE VERDICT: Carbon skis that rip.
Finally. 130/106/120; 7.6 lbs
h

h. Dynafit ST Rotation 10
bindings $649
BEST FOR: Balancing ease of use with
unmatched reliability.
THE TEST: When Dynafit introduced
a DIN-certified safety release into the
trusted Radical two seasons back, many
skiers found the swiveling toepiece
finicky to get into. The new ST Rota-
tion fixes that problem with a centering
mechanism that keeps the toe steady
while you snap in. Beyond that, the heel-
piece is integrated into the baseplate for
more confidence-inspiring stability.
THE VERDICT: Dynafit’s Radical 2.0,
just significantly refined. 2.6 lbs
 TOURING
a. Elan Ibex 84 Carbon XLT skis $950
BEST FOR: Those who count grams and
vertical feet.
THE TEST: Yeah, we’ll say these are aptly
named. All the skis in the five-model Ibex line
a bound up and down mountains with ease.
That’s courtesy of a slew of new lightweight
ingredients, including a core composed
primarily of snappy poplar and paulownia
c wood embedded with carbon rods, which
dampen vibrations on fast descents. “Quite
reliable underfoot, but packed with pop and
energy,” one tester said. “This would be a
spring-mission favorite.”
THE VERDICT: Skimo-light, but back-
WOMEN
SPECIFIC country ready, too. 120/85/106; 5 lbs

b. Atomic Backland Tour bindings $625

BEST FOR: Keeping it simple.
THE TEST: Atomic’s Backland and Salo-
mon’s MTN bindings (page 42) are identi-
cal, minus the paint job. This version, with
a brake, adds more weight but has the big
benefit of being able to stop a runner. Both
come with an easy ski-mode-to-tour-mode
changeover that doesn’t require spinning
the heelpiece. Instead, you just use your pole
to flip a lever under your boot that locks the
brakes up for climbing. Flip the lever back,
b stomp into the pins, and you’re ready to ski.
THE VERDICT: The simplest tech binding
on the market. 1.4 lbs

c. Salomon MTN Explore 88 skis $725

BEST FOR: Those who really enjoy the ups.
THE TEST: For you masochists out there,
d
Salomon makes the MTN Explore 88,
the narrowest women’s ski in its Explore
backcountry line. It comes with a host of
weight-saving features, including a karuba-
and-poplar wood core that’s reinforced
with carbon and flax, a honeycomb tip, and
a hybrid cap-sidewall construction. Even
though the 88 is a featherweight, testers
raved about the stable downhill ride, particu-
larly on hardpack and at high speeds, a feat
Salomon managed by putting camber under-
foot and giving the tips a slight early rise.
THE VERDICT: A true lightweight tour-
ing ski that doesn’t lose composure in the
steeps. 121/88/107; 5.2 lbs

d. G3 Ion LT bindings $429

BEST FOR: Ski mountaineering.
THE TEST: The LT is basically the Ion 12
(page 40), minus the brakes, which saves you
nine ounces per pair. Other bindings are more
feathery, but we like the LT for fast-and-light
pursuits because of its ease of entry and
reliability. Almost no boot holder is easier to
get into, and you can trust the LT to keep you
locked during hop turns down a 45-degree
couloir. If it does pop off, G3 throws in a cable
leash that attaches to your boot.
THE VERDICT: Only rando racers need
something lighter. 2 lbs

44 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | SKI & SNOWBOARD

 Meet NËXT for iPhone
A new class of case that readies factory-fortified phones for new adventures
FIELD TESTED

ALPINE TOURING SKI BOOTS

Beast Mode
Backcountry boots are stiffer and
more powerful than ever
BY ADAM HOWARD, LUCY HIGGINS,
AND TYLER COHEN

a. Salomon S/Lab X-Alp $1,000

The Arc’teryx Procline was the first boot
with side-to-side flex in touring mode.
Now there’s the X-Alp as well, which gets
23 degrees of inward flex and 13 degrees
of outward, to help you skin across angled
terrain. The biggest difference between this
Salomon and the Arc’teryx is that the X-Alp
is stiffer, better for driving a big ski. 2.9 lbs

b. Lange Women’s XT Freetour

110 LV $750
A 110 flex might sound a little soft, but all
a b of our testers raved about the Freetour’s
power. “Zero loss of energy laterally and
forward,” one said. That power comes from
a light but stiff Grilamid-injected shell. We
also love the uphill-specific Dynafit insert
and Ultra Grip sole. The gripe: not enough
range in the 43-degree walk mode. 3.8 lbs

c. Scarpa Women’s Gea RS $795

The Gea, sister of the men’s Maestrale, has
long been the bestselling AT boot for women.
This year, Scarpa used a carbon-infused
plastic closure system to create a stiffer 125
flex, and we dig it. Thankfully, Scarpa also
significantly increased the walk-mode range
of motion from a pathetic 27 degrees to an
easy-striding 60 degrees. 2.8 lbs

d. Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD 130 $950

With the Hawx Ultra XTD 130, Atomic tried to
create the perfect mash-up of a strong alpine
boot and a flexy backcountry slipper. They
c d
came awfully close. Thanks to a 54-degree
range of motion and a thinned-out but
strategically reinforced polyurethane shell,
the boot tours exceptionally well, considering
KILLER how burly it is on the descents. 3.4 lbs
VA LU E
e. Tecnica Women’s Zero G Guide $840
New-boot pain, begone! Tecnica specifically
designed the lower back cuff to fit around a
woman’s calf, which is often wider and lower
than a man’s. And 115 flex got high marks for
being just powerful enough. The main down-
side: the 44-degree range of motion limited
this boot’s capability for long tours. 3.3 lbs

f. Scott Cosmos III $750

The 125-flex Cosmos III is the least expensive
four-buckle boot for men in this category.
Some testers thought its flex might be
oversold, but for 90 percent of our skiers,
the Cosmos provided the performance they
e f needed to run mid-width to fat skis, in- and
out-of-bounds, with confidence. 3.4 lbs

46 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | SKI & SNOWBOARD

 BRANDED CONTENT

Bobsledding
at Utah
Olympic Park

WORK. SKI. LIVE. REPEAT.

Over the past few years, Park City has
quietly become a hub for winter-sports
companies
ROSSIGNOL
The iconic French company
moved its North America
headquarters to Park City in
2006 so its employees “could
live, eat, and breathe the
mountain-sports lifestyle.”
PRODUCTS: Alpine,
snowboard, and Nordic
equipment, apparel, and
Park City accessories
Powder Day
POC
POC, a Swedish company

Where Winter Lives founded in 2006 and

dedicated to reducing
injuries and saving lives,
Park City, Utah has it all: an authentic town, incredible moved its North American
headquarters up from Salt
terrain, and tons of snow, which is why it’s beloved by Lake City in 2016.
everyone from former Olympians to entrepreneurs PRODUCTS: Snow- and cycle-

I
sports helmets, goggles,
t starts with the mountains. And the Snowboard have made Park City home. Same sunglasses, armor, apparel,
snow. It’s dry, light, and there’s lots of it; with hundreds of former and current Winter and accessories
the Wasatch Mountains surrounding Olympians. “It’s not unusual for you to share
Park City average more than 350 inches a chairlift at Park City Mountain or Deer SKULLCANDY
every season. Then add 9,326 acres of skiable Valley Resort with an Olympic gold medalist,” Founder Rick Alden
terrain, one of the largest concentrations says Tom Kelly, VP of Communications for launched the company in his
of terrain in North America. There’s Park U.S. Ski & Snowboard. And the best part? It’s garage in Park City in 2003
City Mountain, which recently merged with all just 35 minutes from the Salt Lake City and has since grown it into a
Canyons Resort via gondola to create the International Airport, which has numerous successful global brand.
largest ski area in the U.S., and, thanks to a domestic and international flights daily. PRODUCTS: Headphones
recent $50-million resort-improvement project, and earbuds for lifestlye and
now has more lifts, new restaurants, and even action-sports participants
High West
better snowmaking. Just up the street, Deer Distillery
Valley Resort offers a skiers-only luxurious, SOUL POLES
five-star European-style experience. In 2011, former U.S. Ski Team
The fun isn’t limited to the slopes. Thanks member and cofounder Bryon
to hosting many events for the 2002 Winter Friedman partnered with
Olympic Games, the Park City region still has teammate Erik Schlopy to
several world-class venues. You can bobsled launch Soul Poles with the
down the Olympic track or Nordic ski on mission of doing “awesome
the Olympic cross-country course in nearby things with awesome people.”
PRODUCTS: Bespoke,
PHOTOS COURTESY OF VISIT PARK CIT Y

Soldier Hollow. Pro tip: Keep your eyes out for

Olympians training for the upcoming games.
The town is equally diverse. The historic
Main Street has unique art galleries and
swanky restaurants but—thanks to iconic
joints like the No Name Saloon—it still retains
its mining town heritage. It’s also home to
High West Distillery, the world’s only ski-in
whiskey distillery.
The whole package is why winter-sports
companies (see right) and U.S. Ski &
handmade bamboo ski and
trekking poles and walking
sticks
ENTER TO WIN A TRIP TO PARK CITY, UTAH
For Outside’s annual Winter Buyer’s Guide Gear Giveaway we’re
sending one lucky winner and a guest to Park City, Utah for an
ultimate winter escape. The prize package is complete with lodging,
ski passes, and more. Learn more at facebook.com/outsidemagazine
UPGRADE

SPLITBOARDING

a
Two Planks Are Better than One b
The best stuff for the up and the down
BY KYLE DICKMAN

a. Weston Backwoods splitboard $899

Slashy even in tight trees, this poplar-bamboo board
hails from a boutique maker in Weston, Colorado. Its
fun, surfy feel comes from a tip that’s wider than the
tail, plus camber underfoot and rocker at the ends.

b. ThirtyTwo Jones MTB boots $600

With full-zip gaiters, a crampon-compatible Vibram
outsole with heavy lugs for hiking, and a collar that
folds back to allow longer strides while skinning, these
boots are tough enough to get you anywhere you think c
you want to be. Careful: you’ve still got to get down. d

c. Ortovox S1+ avalanche transceiver $490

This flip-phone-esque, three-antenna beacon uses
a digital display to locate buried riders. Internal
compass-like tech senses when you turn, and a grid
screen displays multiple victims and the distance to
each within its impressive 164-foot-wide range.

d. Patagonia Descensionist jacket $449

This waterproof-breathable kit has a soft-shell feel
with hard-shell performance. We appreciated it skin-
ning up on a crisp morning and while storm riding. Play e
to your vanity: the all-weather jacket can be matched
with the Descensionist pants ($349).

e. Ibex Shak Glove liners $40

These simple merino inner gloves are slim enough to fit
below the Mercurys for the way down and breathable f
enough that you won’t sweat them out on the hike up.

f. Jones Higher 30L backpack $149

For long tours, go for this vertical-board-carry pack.
Thirty liters belies its true capability, with pockets
galore for all your essentials. A slick, coated interior
beefs up toughness and adds waterproofing.

g. Union Expedition Splitboard bindings $349

Once you’ve clipped into these freestyle-focused
bindings, the stiff nylon and plastic backs and an at-
tachment that corkscrews the board together make
the new Expeditions rip like you never left the resort.

h. Voile CamLock 3 Lock poles $110

In the backcountry, you need small poles that can col- i h g
lapse to fit in your pack. Voile’s three-piece aluminum
CamLocks shrink to just over two feet long and are
stiff enough to pole you out of the flats.

i. Voile Split skins $185

These durable nylon skins, with nearly unbreakable
metal split clips, will survive whatever your season
dishes out, meaning they’ll last well beyond the next
tech upgrade.

j. Black Diamond Mercury mitts $110

Take two sets of gloves into the backcountry: a light j
pair for going up and a heavy pair—like these lined
goat-leather mitts —for going down.

48 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | SKI & SNOWBOARD

UPGRADE

NORDIC SKIING
a

Cycling’s Winter Soulmate

Keep fit all year with this fast-gliding
skinny-ski gear
BY MARC PERUZZI
c
a. Rossignol X-ium Premium Skate S2
skis $805
Designed in collaboration with Rossignol
b athletes, the X-ium S2 has a rigid waist and
flexible tail to deliver powerful energy trans-
mission while reducing pressure in the shovel
for enhanced glide and steering. The longer
glide zone makes accelerating a breeze.

d
b. Swix Triac 3.0 poles $600
These are the lightest, stiffest carbon poles
on the market. Swix eliminated stretch in
the wrist strap and added an index-finger
platform to help transfer power to the ultra-
minimal grip-and-strap system.

c, f. Swix Delda jacket $160

and tights $160
The waterproof-membrane-backed fabric
on the chest and arms of the Delda will keep
out wet snow as you glide into the squall.
e The highly breathable back panel on the
jacket and tights allowed us to wear them in
f temps in the low thirties, too.

d, g. Toko Profi gloves $40

and Racing overmitts $45
This system puts to rest the age-old ques-
tion: Gloves or mittens? The Profi gloves are
lightweight and breathable enough for dry
temperatures above 25 degrees. If a storm
rolls in, pull the Windblocker-lined overmitts
from your pocket and you’re protected.

e. Bliz Rush XT visor $80

g
In fair weather, it’s fine to ski in cycling shades,
but when the snow starts flying, nothing
beats this simple visor. The Rush’s adjust-
h able strap and goggle foam are so comfort-
able we actually forgot we were wearing it.

h. Rossignol Turnamic Race Pro Skate

bindings $115
A proprietary turn piece at the toe makes
this binding incredibly easy to click into and
virtually eliminates dead spots under the
ski that inhibit glide. Plus, you can shift the
binding plate fore and aft depending on
the snow condition: back for loose, fluffy
powder, forward for hardpack.

i. Madshus Nano Carbon Skate

boots $525
This boot has the same chassis as Madshus’s
World Cup race shoe but at a fraction of the
i price. The last is 15 percent stiffer than in the
2016 model, which translates to enhanced
control in high-speed turns and more power
to the ski in the kick phase.

50 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | SKI & SNOWBOARD

 HOW TO

FIT A SKI BOOT

Dial In the Perfect Shape

for Your Weird Feet
Really the only thing you need
to remember: make good
friends with your boot fitter
BY MEGAN MICHELSON

Don’t buy ski boots online. That’s the first

thing veteran boot fitter Bob Gleason will tell
you. The only way to do it is to go into a shop, 2
stuff your foot in a boot, and see how it all
feels. “Feet come in so many lengths and
widths, with different knobs and high points,” 3
says Gleason, founder of BootDoctors snow- 4
sports and bike shop, with locations in Taos, 1
New Mexico, and Telluride, Colorado. “If a
boot isn’t fitting properly, it can destroy the
positive experience of skiing,” Gleason says.
“If a boot fits right, you shouldn’t even have
to think about it. It’ll be an extension of your
body. You’ll ski better and longer.” Here, his
tips for making sure you do.

Step 1: Take it all off.

Remove your shoes and socks so the boot
fitter can examine your bare feet, looking at
shape, width, bumps, and hot spots. “Do you
have a narrow or wide foot? A high or low
instep, a thick calf?” says Gleason. “All of this
information goes into the matrix of which
boots may work for your foot.”

Step 2: Weigh your options.

Talk to your boot fitter about what type of
skier you are—beginner or expert, backcoun-
try or in-bounds. “A person who skis more
aggressively and wants a quicker response 5
will need a stiffer boot,” says Gleason.
“Someone who wants more shock absorp-
tion and forgiveness is going to want less
flex.” A stiff boot, for experts, comes in flex
ratings of about 105 to 130, while a softer
one ranges from 80 to 105. The width of the
boot—or the last—matters, too: narrower
boots come in lasts of 97 to 100 millimeters
and are generally higher-performance, while
wider boots have lasts over 100 millimeters
and will be more comfortable.

Step 3: Build a foundation.
Find a boot that feels snug but not con-
stricting, and then get a custom footbed.
Your boot fitter will press your foot into a
pillow-like casting to get the right shape.
“Like building a house, you need a founda-
tion,” says Gleason. “A footbed holds the foot
fixed so you’re not getting pressure or rub-
bing. Without a properly tuned footbed, the
foot is in constant motion.”
Step 4: Customize the fit.
For the best fit, go custom. We recommend
buying a heat-moldable model. Your boot
fitter will warm the shell or liner in an oven
until the material becomes soft and pliable,
then mold it around your foot. “If you’ve got
high spots or big ankles, we’ll pad it to create
pockets inside the shell,” says Gleason. “This
creates a smooth match between the shell
and your foot.”
Step 5: Fine-tune it.
Finally, you’ll tweak the fit and stance. “You
can adjust the boot buckles for thin or big
legs or change the cuff angle to lean more
forward or upright to match the shape of the
lower leg,” says Gleason. “Canting—moving
the upper cuff side to side—will cut down on
knee strain and increase your ability to drive
the ski.” Your boot fitter will cant the boot by
adjusting a bolt on the side.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY CHRIS PHILPOT SKI & SNOWBOARD | OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 51
 DESTINATIONS

The Shred Report

Whether you’re into easy access, killer multi-mountain passes,
great nightlife, or just the freshest powder, these 11 resorts around
the country have got exactly what you need.
BY MEGAN MICHELSON

52 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | SKI & SNOWBOARD

 Jeff Witt in
Garnet Canyon,
Grand Teton
National Park

PHOTOGRAPH BY TAYLOR GLENN

 DESTINATIONS
a b
c down terrain. Runner-up: it’s a
Deep Powder,
Steep Terrain
PROFILE: You’re willing to travel
far and wide for good snow
and an expanse of challenging
slopes. All you really need is a
lift ticket in the morning and a
cozy place to stay at night.
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
Last winter’s record-setting 593 inches of
snow meant multiple consecutive powder
days for Jackson Hole, Wyoming. From the
top of Rendezvous Mountain, runs like Alta
Chutes and Tower Three might give you
vertigo, though there are mellower ways
down. The Sweetwater gondola opened last
winter for quicker access to midmountain,
and the Teton lift, which opened in 2016,
brings you to expert and intermediate runs
on the mountain’s friendly north side. Stay
in Teton Village at the newly renovated Hotel
Terra, with its rooftop hot tub (from $189), or
the Hostel, which has bunks and even a ski-
waxing zone (from $34). jacksonhole.com
Big Sky Resort
When Big Sky, in Montana, merged with
Moonlight Basin in 2013, it created a mega-
resort of more than 5,800 acres averaging
400 inches a year of cold-smoke powder.
Test yourself on the big and open Liberty
Bowl or the narrow, 50-degree Big Couloir.
The resort opened two new chairlifts last
year: Powder Seeker—which boasts luxuries
like heated seats—and Challenger, which
54 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | SKI & SNOWBOARD
e
a. Max Hammer
in Jackson Hole
b. Brad Biolo in
Big Sky
c-e. Taos powder
and perfect après
f. Big Sky village
g. Alyeska’s
Stacie Lordan
and partner Kilo
f
takes skiers up to the wide and technical
Big Rock Tongue. At the Huntley Lodge you’ll
get minimalist slopeside rooms and a giant
breakfast buffet (from $225). For dinner,
head into town for a loaded Montanan pizza
from Ousel & Spur. bigskyresort.com
Taos Ski Valley
Taos, New Mexico, isn’t on the radar for a lot
of travelers. Except for the occasional Texan
tourist, locals at this high-desert oasis in
the Sangre de Cristos have the mountain
mainly to themselves on powder days. That
includes the 12,481-foot Kachina Peak, which
is now accessible by chairlift instead of a
Most Revered
Double Chairlift
In Colorado, Silverton Mountain’s
one and only, unnamed chairlift
is a hand-me-down double from
Mammoth Mountain that climbs
to 12,300 feet and accesses over
1,800 acres of no-easy-way-
three-way tie among Castlerock
at Sugarbush, Pallavicini at
Arapahoe Basin, and Chair 6 at
Crystal Mountain.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: GABE ROGEL / AURORA PHOTOS, CRAIG MOORE / AURORA PHOTOS, RALPH KRISTOPHER, CRAIG MOORE, LIAM DORAN, LIAM DORAN, JIMMY CHIN
g
30-minute boot-pack. The Blake, a soon-
to-be-LEED-certified hotel (from $199),
opened last winter at the base of Lift 1. And
you can still get a custom footbed molded
for your boots at the BootDoctors in town
(see our tips for doing so on page 51), enjoy
a salty margarita at the Stray Dog Cantina,
and have access to precipitous, uncrowded
shots off the Ridge. skitaos.com
Alyeska Resort
This 1,610-acre resort in the little town of
Girdwood, 35 miles southeast from the
Anchorage airport, is Alaska’s best-kept
secret. The mountain, which shoots straight
up from nearly sea level to 3,939 feet, gets
a whopping 669 inches of snow a year,
and unlike the nearby heli-ski operations,
the lifts can run even when a storm blows
through. Ride the tram to access the North
Face and you’ll be rewarded with views of
the immense Chugach Range from the top.
Sunsets are early in Alaska midwinter (think
four o’clock), but lifts run until nine at night,
and evening powder skiing under the lights
is a locally beloved pastime. Afterward, head
to the Sitzmark bar and grill, at the base of
Chair 3, for beers and a session of live blues.
alyeskaresort.com

a b
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: GEORGE ROSE / CONTRIBUTOR, NOAH WETZEL, JEFF ENGERBRETSON/ SQUAW VALLEY ALPINE MEADOWS, COURTESY OF MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN
c d
Easy Access
PROFILE: You need a place that’s
simple to get to and welcoming for
every member of your group.
Mammoth Mountain Ski Area
Mammoth Mountain, California, is so
enormous, you’re guaranteed to find space
for every type of riding: monster jumps in
the Unbound terrain parks, cliffy steeps off
Chair 23, lift-line tree-skiing on Chair 22,
and even a backcountry route through a
lava tube on Hole in the Wall. (Not bad
for a five-hour drive from Los Angeles.)
After skiing, grab a beer and a pretzel the
size of a bike wheel at the Yodler, near the
main lodge. By night, slurp ramen in an old
A-frame at the hip Ramenya or dig into a
thin-crust pizza with prosciutto at Campo.
The Mammoth Mountain Inn (from $129) is
your best slopeside lodging option, or stay
across from the Village Gondola in town at
the Swiss-style Alpenhof Lodge (from $139).
mammothmountain.com
Steamboat Resort
Steamboat Springs is less than three hours
by car from Denver, and the airport wel-
comes nonstop flights from 14 cities. Low-
angle aspen groves off Sunshine Express
hold snow as light as fairy dust for days after
a storm, Christmas Tree Bowl has steep,
short chutes, and long, sustained groomers
like Buddy’s Run make you feel like one of
SKI & SNOWBOARD | OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018
LIGHTER.
FASTER.
STRONGER.
Distance Carbon FLZ Trekking Poles
Spot Headlamp
Blitz 28 Pack
a. Mammoth summer
b. Refueling in Routt
National Forest
c. Mammoth Village
d. Olympian Errol Kerr
the many Olympic skiers who hail from here.
The upgraded quad Elkhead chair makes for
a fast exit from the easy and intermediate
trails off Sunshine Peak. After skiing, order
a wood-fired pizza and a Locals’ Lager at
Mountain Tap Brewery, or journey out for a
soak at Strawberry Park Hot Springs. The
Steamboat Grand Hotel (from $335) has a
ski valet who delivers your gear to the lift.
steamboat.com
Squaw Valley–Alpine Meadows
After four years of drought, a whopper of a
winter nailed Squaw Valley, California, last
year, dropping over 720 inches on the moun-
tain’s famed steeps. Squaw and neighboring
Alpine Meadows are both accessed with
one lift ticket and a cheap flight into the
Reno airport. Book a room at PlumpJack
Squaw Valley Inn (from $280) and you’ll
have a prime slopeside location for first chair
on KT-22. Spend a day slashing the face of
Headwall and exploring snow-stuffed trees
on Granite Chief, then get a slice of pizza at
Le Chamois, a funky lodge under the tram
line. Migrate over to Alpine Meadows, with
its hike-to back bowls like Beaver and Estelle
and raclette on the deck at the midmoun-
tain Chalet. squawalpine.com
55
 DESTINATIONS

Clockwise from above:

Merlins, at Whistler;
Stowe Mountain Lodge;
chili and beer at
General Stark’s Pub;
High West Distillery
in Park City; Limelight
Hotel; Aspen skimo

Base Lodge

Happening Culture
PROFILE: Once you’ve unstrapped your boots, you’re looking for a vibrant
town center with food, drink, and plenty of cool après activities.
Park City Mountain
In late 2015, Park City, Utah, completed a
two-way gondola to nearby Canyons, linking
the two areas to make a massive 7,300-
acre resort—the single biggest in the United
States. You’ll need a few days to tackle it all;
start at the Park City base area and head to
McConkey’s for powder stashes among the
trees, or cruise hot laps from the upgraded
Motherlode lift, now a high-speed four-
seater. Make your way to the Ninety-Nine 90
lift for more adventurous steeps. At the base
of the Silverlode lift, a new restaurant called
Miners Camp has hearty grass-fed local beef
chili and free sunscreen in the bathrooms.
Off the mountain, Park City is home to the
Sundance Film Festival and the Utah Olym-
pic Park, built for the 2002 Winter Games.
Book a condo at the newly reopened Grand
Summit Hotel (from $159), in the Canyons
base village. parkcitymountain.com
Aspen Snowmass
You’ll come to Aspen, Colorado, for ab-
surdly good skiing at four distinctly differ-
ent mountains. There’s Aspen Mountain,
for a 3,267-foot gondola a few steps from
downtown. Highlands has earn-your-turns
boot-packing to 12,392-foot Highland Bowl
and lift-accessed terrain on Deep Temerity
that’s just as good. You’ll go to Snowmass
for the seamless grooming, the sweet glades
off the Cirque, and the made-at-your-table
guacamole at Venga Venga. Buttermilk
has kid-friendly slopes and a terrain park
good enough for the X Games. There’s no
shortage of things to do around town: go
dogsledding at Krabloonik, catch a show at
the Wheeler Opera House, or ride shotgun
on a snowcat. Book a room at the Limelight
Hotel ($320) for ski-and-stay packages and
live music. aspensnowmass.com
Whistler Blackcomb
There’s always a party at Whistler, British
Columbia. Even on Sunday nights, fireworks
crackle in the village as pro skiers and snow-
boarders flip through a burning ring of fire.
The mountain is equally raucous. On Black-
comb Mountain, hike Spanky’s Ladder for
unbridled bowls or explore backcountry ter-
rain so big and glaciated, you’ll want a guide
to show you the way. Whistler Mountain has
groomers like the Dave Murray Downhill and
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: NILS SCHLEBUSCH (2), COREY HENDRICKSON, MATT KIEDAISCH/OUTSIDER MEDIA, JILL RICHARDS, JAY DASH, LIAM DORAN
Bar You’ll
Never Want
to Leave
General Stark’s Pub,
at the base of Mad
River Glen, Vermont,
has everything you
never knew you
wanted after a day
of skiing: your own
mug hanging above
the bar; a stiff IPA
on tap, brewed by
a local ski patroller;
a bowl of chili from
an old Marine Corps
recipe; and all of
your best friends in
one place.
steep chutes off Whistler Bowl. Save room for
brats and craft beer at HandleBar after skiing,
then head to Scandinave Spa for a Swedish
massage and a bath amid the spruce and
cedars. whistlerblackcomb.com
Stowe Mountain Resort
Now that it’s owned by Vail Resorts and
linked on the Epic Pass (page 57), Stowe,
Vermont, may see a bigger uptick in visitors
than the East Coast is used to. But with
485 skiable acres, there’s plenty of space to
roam. Ride the gondola toward Vermont’s
tallest peak, 4,395-foot Mount Mansfield,
and you can enjoy sun-soaked groomers like
the long and winding Perry Merrill, or link to
the more challenging terrain off Forerunner
lift. When the sun sets, save room for lobster
rolls at Sushi Yoshi and local beers at Doc
Ponds. Town is home to a dozen or so art
galleries, as well as a stately performing arts
center at the base of Spruce Peak. Stay at
Field Guide (from $259), in Stowe village,
where a breakfast basket of fruit and pas-
tries gets delivered to your room. stowe.com

56 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | SKI & SNOWBOARD


Group Functions
This winter, the best deals come in large packages
BY MEGAN MICHELSON
THE PASS
Mountain Collective
THE PRICE: $469
WHAT YOU GET: Two days of skiing at each
of 16 top-notch resorts around the United
States and in Canada, Australia, and
New Zealand. This year, Sugarbush, Ver-
mont, and Snowbasin, Utah, have been
added to the list, alongside Jackson Hole,
Alta, Snowbird, Aspen, Squaw Valley,
Mammoth, Revelstoke, Taos, Sun Valley,
Lake Louise, Banff, Telluride, Thredbo,
and Coronet Peak.
PERKS: After two days, you get half off ad-
ditional lift tickets, as well as numerous
discounts on lodging.
LEE COHEN
SKI DAYS NEEDED TO PAY IT OFF: Four
FINE PRINT: No blackout dates.
BUY NOW: mountaincollective.com
Taking a breather
in Utah’s
Little Cottonwood
Canyon
THE PASS
M.A.X. Pass
THE PRICE: $679
WHAT YOU GET: Five days at each of 44 differ-
ent mountains, a growing list that includes
Big Sky, Alyeska, Crystal, Killington, Copper,
Crested Butte, Fernie, Steamboat, Sugarloaf,
Winter Park, Solitude, and Whiteface.
PERKS: If you have a season pass at any of
the participating resorts, you can buy an
add-on for $329 for access to another.
SKI DAYS NEEDED TO PAY IT OFF: Six
FINE PRINT: No blackout dates.
BUY NOW: themaxpass.com
THE PASS
Powder Alliance
THE PRICE: From $299
WHAT YOU GET: Buy a full-season pass at any
SKI & SNOWBOARD | OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018
of the 16 participating resorts—places like
Stevens Pass, Crested Butte, Bogus Basin,
Sierra at Tahoe, Whitewater, Bridger Bowl,
and (new last year) Kiroro, Japan—and you’ll
get three free days at the other areas.
PERKS: A few hotels offer lodging deals.
SKI DAYS NEEDED TO PAY IT OFF: Two or three
weekends at your local ski hill.
FINE PRINT: The freebie dates don’t work at
most resorts around peak holidays.
BUY NOW: powderalliance.com
THE PASS
Rocky Mountain Super
Pass Plus
THE PRICE: $599
WHAT YOU GET: Full access to Colorado’s
Winter Park, Copper, and Eldora, plus six
days at Steamboat, three days at Crested
Butte, Mount Bachelor, and Alyeska, and
seven days at six areas around New Zealand,
Japan, and Iceland.
PERKS: Discounted lift tickets for friends
and family, plus deals on ski rentals, lodging,
meals, and more.
SKI DAYS NEEDED TO PAY IT OFF: Five
FINE PRINT: No blackout dates.
BUY NOW: skicolorado.com
THE PASS
Epic Pass
THE PRICE: $859
WHAT YOU GET: Unlimited season pass to
all Vail Resorts: Vail, Beaver Creek, Whistler
Blackcomb, Breckenridge, Keystone, Park
City, Heavenly, Northstar, Kirkwood, Wilmot,
Afton Alps, Mount Brighton, Perisher, and
Arapahoe Basin, and—new this year, to the
delight of East Coasters—Stowe.
PERKS: A handful of days at 30 resorts across
Europe, not to mention discounted lift tick-
ets for your friends.
SKI DAYS NEEDED TO PAY IT OFF: Six
FINE PRINT: Completely unrestricted.
BUY NOW: snow.com
57
02
LAYERS

Slayer Layers
Don’t leave home without
a warm winter buddy
BY TEST DIRECTOR
FREDERICK REIMERS

Patagonia Micro Puff

Hoodie $299
A few years ago, waterproof down
and down blends were all the
rage as brands worked to improve
on the coveted high-loft, but
moisture-averse, insulation. This
year, companies are debuting a
crop of jackets with new types of
synthetic insulation that perform
as well as down, regardless of
the weather. Best of those is the
Patagonia Micro Puff Hoodie. The
superlight jacket is filled with the
company’s brand-new PlumaFill
insulation, made of hydrophobic
polyester fibers that mimic the
structure of down—gossamer ten-
drils radiating from a central spine.
Rather than being blown into baf-
fles like other synthetic down, the
PlumaFill is tacked between sheets
of ten-denier nylon fabric in long
strands, so it won’t shift and create
cold spots. Yet the Micro Puff costs
$50 less than the company’s cor-
nerstone 800-fill Ultralight Down
Hoodie, weighs an ounce less, and is
almost indistinguishable in warmth
and feel. When you engineer a bet-
ter, cheaper version of a material
as fundamental to gear as 800-fill
goose down, that’s an easy winner.
9.3 oz (men’s) / 8 oz (women’s)

JACKETS
58 OUTSIDE WINTER BUYER’S GUIDE 2018
 JOEY SCHUSLER Changing temps doesn’t have to mean changing clothes. The Ascendant
ICE CREEK LODGE, BC, CANADA gives you more adaptability in fewer layers for an all-in-one outerwear
piece that won’t weigh you down.

move.
NEW

From skin up to sun down.

don’t remove.
ASCENDANT JACKET ™
 RESORT
WOMEN
SPECIFIC
Flylow Puma $275
BEST FOR: Dropping in.
THE TEST: The Puma would have cost at
least $100 more had Flylow not skipped
brand-name waterproof-breathable fabrics
and utilized its own instead, but our testers
didn’t notice any loss in performance, even
when banging out top-to-bottom Tram
laps in Jackson Hole. This minimalist shell
keeps things simple, light, and streamlined
with merely four pockets, but it goes heavy
on snow protection with a powder skirt, a
hemline that comes down to the top of the
thigh, and ergonomic cuffs that can cinch
over gloves or under mitts. Last but not
least, Flylow outfitted the Puma with the
company’s signature large pit zips to dump
heat when you’re boot-packing in search of
that freshest of lines.
THE VERDICT: A lightweight, well-priced
ski shell at home on-slope or off-piste. 1.4 lbs
60 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | LAYERS
The North Face Purist Triclimate $549
BEST FOR: Committed ski bums.
THE TEST: For day-in, day-out skiing, noth-
ing but a waterproof-breathable hard shell
will do. The Purist Triclimate is that, yet so
much more. The 70-denier Gore-Tex fabric
should stand up to seasons of abuse, and
the North Face has built in some impressive
innovations, starting with the articulation of
the entire torso to accommodate a more ac-
tive downhill stance. (Picture a tighter front,
so the jacket doesn’t bunch when you’re
crouched, and a looser back that bends with
you.) What’s more, the designers snapped
in a sweet synthetic insulated vest for extra
warmth and versatility. Finally, the chest
pockets of both garments align perfectly, so
you can get to your gear with less fumbling.
THE VERDICT: The North Face has raised
the bar for ski-shell design. 1.7 lbs (men’s) /
1.3 lbs (women’s)
Strafe Pyramid $549
BEST FOR: Riding the Rockies.
THE TEST: Polartec NeoShell has long
been our favorite fabric for shredding drier
climes like Colorado and Wyoming—it’s more
supple, breathable, and stretchy than the
hard shell you’d want closer to the coasts.
The Pyramid can handle steam buildup, and
the fabric sheds abuse from shouldered
skis, making this the perfect coat for lapping
the relentless Highland Bowl boot-pack at
Aspen Highlands (where Strafe is, not co-
incidentally, located). Cut from a new, even
stretchier, more supple version of NeoShell,
the Pyramid and its features prove this
jacket is built for serious skiers: huge pit zips
dump heat if you do work up a sweat, big
chest pockets easily stow a pair of climbing
skins, and the powder skirt is removable, to
save you a few ounces in a pinch.
THE VERDICT: Tough, yet tender. 1.8 lbs
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 BACKCOUNTRY
WOMEN
SPECIFIC
Arc’teryx Airah $599
BEST FOR: Paring down your kit.
THE TEST: Arc’teryx found that many of its
female team skiers run so cold, they shred
full-time in down jackets—even when they’re
working up a sweat skinning uphill. This led
the designers to build the Airah specifically
for women. It’s an insulated shell breathable
enough for uphill slogs, thanks to its Polartec
Alpha insulation and a two-layer Gore-Tex
membrane. But the Airah is also warm and
dry enough to slash pow turns without
having to swap it out for another layer. One
tester was amazed at how well it worked
even on Jackson Hole’s notorious 45-minute
Glory boot-pack. Not to mention the Airah
has two water-resistant pockets for stashing
whatever you need. All this plus the legend-
ary (if pricey) Arc’teryx fit and style.
THE VERDICT: Leave your hard shell at
home. 1.3 lbs
62 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | LAYERS
Mountain Hardwear Rogue
Composite $450
BEST FOR: Dawn patrol.
THE TEST: Two-in-one jackets have
traditionally been merely value prospects,
but the Rogue Composite couldn’t be more
capable. It has two layers—a superlight
8.8-ounce waterproof shell connected to
a technical soft shell underneath with four
sleek snaps. Both already breathe extremely
well, thanks to the soft shell’s zones of
Polartec Alpha and even more breathable
Naked Alpha insulation. Once you build up
steam, unzip the 16-inch-long chest vents
on each layer to bring air right to your core.
Those vents also double as huge pockets,
so you can have quick access to essentials
like cameras and climbing skins. Each layer
sports great stretch, too.
THE VERDICT: Witness the reborn two-in-
one. 2.2 lbs
686 GLCR Multi $300
BEST FOR: Getting a move on.
THE TEST: The GLCR Multi jacket is cut
from Paclite, Gore-Tex’s best combo of
waterproofing and breathability. Add to
that a pair of extra-long chest vents and
you aren’t likely to sweat through this thing,
even if your Whistler ski trip includes a rainy
day hike near Vancouver, British Columbia.
Still clammy even with all that? Then deploy
the GLCR Multi’s most innovative feature: a
removable interior shoulder strap that lets
you drape the coat off your back like a cape.
We’ll be the first to admit it sounds weird,
but it’s a fast way to dump all your excess
heat without shedding your pack—handy
when you’re racing tourists for freshies. (But
treat the Paclite gently, since what you gain
in breathability you lose in durability.)
THE VERDICT: Fast and efficient in any
season. 1 lb
The laws of gravity
don’t apply to everyone.

There’s more to this story. 360° More. Experience it at CORDURA.COM/360.

©2017 INVISTA. CORDURA® is a trademark of INVISTA for durable fabrics.

 ALL-AROUND
Adidas Outdoor Agravic Alpha
Shield Hoodie $159
BEST FOR: Going aerobic.
THE TEST: A superlight shell with a wafer-
thin layer of Polartec Alpha insulation on the
chest, the Agravic Alpha Shield is an essen-
tial for any activity that demands high effort
and, more often than not, a lot of sweat:
winter running, skate skiing, fat biking, and
so on. True, the Pertex Quantum face fabric
is breathable but also warm enough that we
used the Alpha Shield as an everyday mid-
layer, relying on it to fend off light wind and
snowfall on the skin track before fortifying it
with a shell on the summit for the ski down.
Bonus points to Adidas for balancing that
breathability with enough strength to last
you years of day-in, day-out winter fun.
THE VERDICT: “I can’t imagine next winter
without it,” said one tester. 6.3 oz (men’s) /
5.3 oz (women’s)
64 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | LAYERS
Black Yak Hybrid $500
BEST FOR: Scaling the summit ridge.
THE TEST: To design the ultimate moun-
taineering piece, South Korea’s Black Yak
stitched together an impressive six types
of insulation and fabric to help manage
temperature and moisture, from 750-fill
down in the torso to stretchy fleece on the
hood and even a panel of super-breathable
Polartec Alpha running down the spine. The
arm baffles get thinner closer to the cuffs,
where less insulation and more articulation
are needed. But the most noticeable feature:
two vertical mesh pockets high on the torso,
with a daisy chain of carabiner loops next
to each for stashing and clipping all sorts
of odds and ends. Every component of this
jacket is built out to the nth degree.
THE VERDICT: A fully featured Frankenstein
best kept to the mountains, not town. 1.5 lbs
(men’s) / 1 lb (women’s)
Outdoor Research Alpenice $350
BEST FOR: Doing it all.
THE TEST: The Alpenice was originally
conceived as a hard-charging piece for a
relatively niche pastime: swinging ice tools
while winter climbing. But this jacket proved
so cozy that it transcended its intended
boundaries, and we found ourselves wearing
it everywhere—from games of broomball
on the pond to runs down the sledding hill.
The interior is lined with Polartec’s Alpha
Direct, while the face fabric is a mix of
wind-resistant soft shell on the torso and
waterproof, seam-taped hard shell on the
shoulders, hood, and tops of the arms. Thus,
the Alpenice is breathable enough for work-
ing up a sweat snowshoeing yet will keep
you warm while you’re sitting rinkside at a
hockey game, not to mention dry if you do
decide to break out the ice tools.
THE VERDICT: The perfect hybrid. 1.2 lbs

Columbia OutDry Ex Eco Down
Jacket $280
BEST FOR: When snow turns to rain.
THE TEST: Last spring, Columbia greened
up its groundbreaking two-layer, waterproof-
breathable OutDry fabric by making it from
recycled plastic and removing all traces of
PFCs and dyes. Even the zipper pulls, cinch
cords, thread, and labels (seen here on
the women’s version) are recycled plastic
and nylon. For winter, Columbia took its
OutDry Ex Eco and filled it with responsibly
harvested 700-fill down for a puffy so pure
it might as well come with a halo. There are
no compromises, though: fabric welding—
rather than stitching—keeps precipitation
out and away from the down, while interior
pockets are perfect for stashing gloves, a
beanie, or a snack for the hill.
THE VERDICT: Get outside guilt-free. 1.5
lbs (men’s) / 1.3 lbs (women’s)
Goldwin Terra Hybrid Down $499
BEST FOR: Slope-street crossovers.
THE TEST: Japanese company Goldwin has
been making fashion-forward skiwear for
years, and this jacket is as good a choice for
trudging through a blizzard on Fifth Avenue
as it is for hunkering down on a Big Sky
chairlift. The Terra Hybrid Down is a sharp
super-puffy with minimal pockets and tabs.
Its mixed insulation includes a lofty down-
synthetic blend in the torso and panels of
plump, warm-even-when-wet PrimaLoft
Black Eco at the head and shoulders. It
sports a long hem, removable powder skirt,
and huge helmet-compatible hood, but the
thing that makes this coat the coziest we’ve
ever tested is the down-filled, sleeping-bag-
style collar that nestles around your neck
and seals in every shred of blessed heat.
THE VERDICT: Try it on and you will want
one. We promise. 2.3 lbs
LAYERS | OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018
PUFFY
Helly Hansen Point North $425
BEST FOR: Brutal cold.
THE TEST: The Point North is a large,
obscenely warm jacket for the diehards
to wear while sitting still and riding lifts on
those subzero days at Lake Louise. Should
you overheat, though, Helly Hansen’s unique
H2Flow system will kick in: opening the pit
zips allows cool air to flush clean through
the holes tucked beneath the baffles on
the Point North’s back. It’s like cracking the
windows of your SUV if you’ve got your wet
dog in the back seat. And it seems like Helly
Hansen thought of everything. Some of
the other resort niceties include a tethered
goggle wipe, wrist cuffs, and a specially
designed PrimaLoft-insulated smartphone
pocket to preserve your battery life from the
juice-sapping cold.
THE VERDICT: Bells and whistles that really
work. 3.2 lbs
65
UPGRADE

HOODIES

Sweater Weather
Nothing’s quite as cozy
BY BEN FOX
a b
a. Patagonia Performance Better
Sweater Hoodie $159
Meet the garment that inspired this page: the
Performance Better Sweater. The heathered,
lightweight polyester fleece is stylish enough to
wear to the office (at least if you work in New
Mexico like us), while the Polartec side panels
add stretch and breathability. We wore it all day
at work, then took it out for hikes on local trails.

b. Kari Traa Women’s Kristina $80

We took the seamless, loose-fitting Kristina
from morning yoga to lunch in the park to movie
night. The nylon body has a touch of stretch,
and the cushy polyester dries quickly. Plus the
elastic hem won’t ride up during downward dog.

c. Myles Elements $88

The sleek and no-frills Elements hoodie is the
valedictorian of our wardrobe. Its looks are pure
classic and it’s good at damn near everything,
from warding off rain on a short hike—thanks
to its water-repellent outer made from treated
cotton—to snuggling on the couch. A hidden,
zippered back pocket keeps wallet and keys c d
safe when on the move. Throw it on over a white
T-shirt and you’ve got a class-ready, surprisingly
outdoor-capable outfit.

d. RYU Ethos Pullover $147

There’s something about this hoodie that elicits
lots of attention and lots of compliments. It’s
got a clean look, in part because of the bonded
(rather than stitched) seams, which minimize
bulk. The tightly woven cotton-nylon blend is
comfy, with just a breath of stretch, and even
after a year of weekly wear, it resisted pilling.
Our leaner testers appreciated the tailored
shoulders and athletic cut.

e. Voormi Eleven.9 $149

When creating the Eleven.9, Voormi designers
decided that their standard Rocky Mountain
merino wasn’t tough enough. So they bonded
nylon fibers to the wool and bathed the stuff
in a DWR treatment. After a winter of slinging
freshly sharpened skis over our shoulders and
sitting too close to campfires, we can officially
attest to its durability. Men and women loved e f
the unisex fit, but guys: we recommend you size
up to be safe.

f. Howler Brothers Shaman Pullover $95

Despite the Southwestern flair, the Shaman
really yearns for a dark, rustic après bar in the
mountains. The soft cotton-polyester blend
begs to be thrown on after a day of skiing, and
the relaxed fit is comfortable and unrestrictive.
We appreciate details like the pouch pockets
and woven zipper pull cords with leather tabs.

66 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | LAYERS

UPGRADE
ONESIES
The One-Piece Gets Serious
Stifle that laughter. These aren’t
merely kids’ pj’s anymore.
BY DREW ZIEFF
The word onesie didn’t always evoke high
performance. Rather, it used to conjure
images of silliness: footie pajamas, DIY
Halloween costumes, and gaper-day ski
suits. Today’s onesies, however, are as
utilitarian as they are just plain fun.
Take Helly Hansen’s Ullr Powder Suit
($850; above). When waist-deep snow is in
the forecast, this is the ultimate armor. The
neon orange, wind- and waterproof body
shown here is reminiscent of a hazmat suit,
earning chuckles and compliments in the lift
line. On the hill, the seam-sealed polyester-
polyurethane body eliminates the scourge of
snow getting down your pants yet breathes,
thanks to inner-thigh and underarm vents.
68 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | LAYERS
Then there are the base-layer onesies,
which beg to be worn from first chair to
fireplace. The most stylish of the lot is the
Shandoka 1Z 2.0 ($180) from Corbeaux
Clothing, which doesn’t require you to look
like a toddler at a sleepover. The Aspen-
based brand simultaneously delivers cushy
comfort and a roomy, athletic fit with the
backcountry-ready piece. The Shandoka
has plenty of performance chops, too,
including a stretchy spandex-and-recycled-
polyester fabric, an over-the-boot cut, and
thumb loops for more hand coverage.
Still in the game is the original Airblaster
Ninja Suit (from $110)—the brand has
been crafting onesies for over a decade.
Get the Ninja Suit in polyester or upgrade to
a wool blend for better moisture manage-
ment. Sporting a 350-degree zipper around
the waist—blessedly making calls of nature
way easier—these long johns also have a
seven-panel hood for a dome-cradling fit.
For missions in teeth-chattering tem-
peratures, wrap yourself in Patagonia’s
Capilene Thermal Weight One-Piece
Suit ($199). Crafted from thick and stretchy
Polartec Power Grid fabric and coated with
Polygiene’s odor-quashing silver-chloride
treatment, the One-Piece is warm enough
for lying still during a snowy bivy, though
you’ll find it wicks moisture well when you’re
sweating buckets on the skin track, too.
 FIELD TESTED

WINTER WORKWEAR

a
d
e

b
c

h
i

Dirty Jobs
Apparel that looks its best after
you’ve put it through your worst
BY BLAIR BRAVERMAN

a. Duluth Trading Co. c. Brand Felt 13- hard-wearing and light- f. Wolfsong Hybrid DWR finish lends this un-
Superior Fire Hose millimeter insoles $16 weight, with reinforced jacket $449 assuming beanie plenty
Quilted shirt jac $100 We’re pretty sure your knees and ankles. Pair This wool-bodied jacket of technical chops.
This burly shirt jacket toes will hardly feel wet— them with long under- is a cult favorite among
is surprisingly comfy, or cold—again with these wear and unzip the long-distance dogsled- h. Muck Boots
thanks to gusseted ultra-thick felt insoles vented seams when ders for good reason: it’s Edgewater II
armpits and thick canvas that mold perfectly to you break a sweat. light, strong, breath- boots $130
that breaks in buttery the shape of your feet. able, and startlingly These high-cut rubber-
soft. We bet you can’t Treat them well and dry e. Outdoor warm, with flexible nylon neoprene boots are
rip it if you try. them by the fire when Research Aksel sleeves and an optional warm, comfortable,
done chopping wood. Work gloves $65 (ethically sourced) fur and nigh indestructible.
b. Skida Bandita As dexterous as your ruff. If it can hold up to Pull them on to shovel
bandana $28 d. Fjällräven hands, just tougher and getting dragged behind snow and while trudging
Windproof? Check. Cozy Bergtagen warmer. When you need a dogsled year after year, through mud and slush.
fleece? Check. Easy to trousers $350 precision without going it’ll shrug aside anything
adjust or stuff in your Fjällräven has long been numb, slip on these you throw at it. i. Woolpower Ullfrotte
pocket without taking famous in Scandinavia wool-lined gloves made 800 socks $51
off your hat? Check. The for its fjellbukser, or from soft cow-belly g. Voormi Thermal Woolpower’s signature
Bandita is the perfect mountaineering pants, leather. Curved fingers beanie $40 wool-nylon blend makes
neck warmer for days but the Bergtagens are and elastic wrists keep Midweight wool woven these socks plenty beefy
when you need to regu- useful in more than just them snug while you with an outer layer of for warmth and sweat-
late temperature fast. the high alpine. They’re clean out the woodstove. nylon then coated with a wicking power.

LAYERS | OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 69

FIELD TESTED

BASE AND MIDLAYERS

What Lies Beneath

Don’t skimp on skivvies
BY JOE JACKSON

a. Spyder Glissade pants $129

You can now wear cozy pajama bottoms
while skiing. That’s what the plush elastic
waistline on the Glissade feels like. Synthetic
insulation lining the front, backed by stretchy
polyester-fleece along the thighs, offers
warmth without bulk. And the slightly baggy
fit minimizes chafing under ski pants.

b. Norrona Lofoten Alpha Raw Zip

hoodie $169
Norrona took Polartec’s Alpha tech and
stripped it down (the satiny insulation feels
so good against skin that it needs no liner)
to make the Alpha Raw—the most breath-
a b able layer we tested. The fleecy Lofoten
fabric kept us comfy yet ventilated under a
shell, so we never shed it on ascents.

c. Eddie Bauer Women’s EverTherm

Down jacket $249
This isn’t the midlayer you want for high-
output activities; it’s the midlayer you want
when it’s really damn cold. Eddie Bauer used
a technology it calls Thindown—chopped-
up down clusters sandwiched between two
slim layers of polyester—to eliminate cold
spots and the need for baffles. “Saved my
ass!” wrote one tester who spent a sub-
30-degree night in the elements.

d. Corbeaux Women’s Silkway Long

Sleeve top $88
“It really felt exactly like silk,” said one tester
who wore the recycled polyester Silkway al-
most exclusively last season. The gossamer
top was perfectly warm on its own but still
c d
wicked moisture underneath layers. Our one
gripe: a hole appeared after a few washes.

e. Patagonia Crosstrek Hybrid hoodie

$199
Rarely do we find a hoodie that has the tech-
nical chops of a legit mountaineering piece
while still being après-worthy. The Crosstrek
Hybrid checked both boxes, thanks to its
casual cut and cushy Polartec Power Stretch
fleece, plus ripstop nylon on the front. DWR
shunned rain in a 20-degree spring storm.

f. Under Armour ColdGear Wool Base

leggings $100
Tights have a tough task: they need to trap
enough body heat to prevent your thighs
from going numb, yet not so much that
you swelter. The Wool Base legging struck
the balance admirably. One tester—a ski
patroller on Mount Hood—adopted them for
e f work because he could comfortably patrol in
them from the dead of winter through April.

70 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | LAYERS

 WOMEN’S

APRÈS

b
a

c
e

Post Up
Comfortable, classy fireside wear
BY STEPHANIE PEARSON

a. The North Face Each one offers 100 33-liter heavy-canvas cent wool piece are do- h. Burton Expedition
Mossbud Swirl percent broad-spectrum tote should live in the nated to First Descents, pants $75
parka $179 UV protection. back of the Subaru, ready a Denver-based nonprofit These fleecy tights pro-
Roomy and cozy, with its to load up with what- that provides adventure vide warmth and com-
silky interior and gener- c. Hydro Flask ever your next adventure opportunities for people fort in spades. But don’t
ous hood, this recycled- 10-Ounce Rocks requires. living with cancer. relegate them to lazing
polyester taffeta jacket glass $30 around the fire—the
feels like plush outerwear Shake up cocktail hour e. Chaos Tyler hat $20 g. Helly Hansen ultra-wicking polyester-
pajamas. Bonus: it is also with this practically inde- The fleece liner and Women’s Garibaldi spandex fabric is very
reversible. structible tumbler that, faux-fur pom on this 100 VL boots $180 breathable, making the
with the included lid, percent acrylic hat make Leave it to the Norwe- Expedition the ideal skin-
b. Kaenon Cali keeps a beverage cold for the Tyler warm, func- gians to make a stylish track companion, too.
sunglasses $229 hours at a time and feels tional, and fun, without waterproof leather boot
Don’t let the glamorous, great in your hand. breaking the bank. with a faux-fur interior i. Dale of Norway
Italian-made frames fool and heavily lugged soles Rose shawl $200
you: these one-ounce d. Mountain Khakis f. Krimson Klover that kept us upright even It’s not après without
shades rock a high- Limited Edition Marta sweater $159 on the ragged rock-and- some indulgence, right?
performance polarized Market tote $85 Wherein the classic ski ice shoreline of Lake That’s why you buy this
lens that comes in three Tough enough to carry sweater gets a philan- Superior in February. soft, silky cashmere-
tints: gray, brown, and ski boots and plenty thropic update. Five Afterwards, we took merino shawl, with its
(for better depth per- classy for carrying a few percent of the proceeds them right into the bar elegant yet bold eight-
ception on snow) green. bottles of wine, this from this soft, 100 per- for post-hike ciders. petal-rose pattern.

LAYERS | OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 71

UPGRADE

STREETWEAR

City Slicking
Smart, classy apparel for the chilliest
time of year
BY WILL PALMER

a. Voormi Variant II vest $349

If core heat is a concern, consider Voormi’s
reversible Variant II. Its thick layer of
warmth-trapping merino wool is more than
we’re used to seeing on a vest. Plus Voormi’s
weather-resistant Core Construction is sewn
right into the fabric. But you need to feel
comfortable making a bold statement: the
Variant is a bit of a Ducati for your torso.

b. Strafe Drifter jacket $210

The versatile Drifter is both technical mid-
layer for the hill and street-smart everyday
jacket for what comes after. The ripstop
a b nylon shell and PrimaLoft Silver insulation
both perform nobly while keeping things
subtle. Like Strafe’s heavy-duty backcountry
jackets, the Drifter is made to deal with harsh
conditions, but it has more après chops.

c. Outdoor Research Revy shirt $145

The Revy is the layer we gravitate to most
often: soft, inviting, and warm enough for en-
joying your morning brew on the back stoop.
What you might call a shirt-jacket-cardigan
(a shajardigan?), it’s DWR-coated, so it can
serve as an outer layer in a pinch. Best of all
is the cut, which is stylish enough for a date.

d. Sierra Designs Women’s Whitney

hoodie $169
Call the Whitney your better-safe-than-sorry
jacket. It’s stuffed with 800-fill DriDown
yet compresses to not much bigger than a
grapefruit, and insulation runs continuously
through the mummy-bag-like hood. The
c d
orange ripstop polyester seen here stands up
to sharp edges and means your friends will
have no trouble spotting you at the brewpub.

e. Arc’teryx Women’s Nila trench $475

The Nila, like its men’s counterpart, the
Keppel, is a thigh-length jacket that’s part
The Third Man and part Blade Runner, with
Gore-Tex Performance membrane and rain-
shunning sealed zippers. Stretch in the body
and reflective panels on the collar signal its
bike-commuter intentions, but you’ll want to
wear it whenever the weather turns foul.

f. Aether Sequence jacket $265

A true 21st-century garment, the Sequence
blew us away with its variety of uses: a
stretchy Polartec soft shell with great ease
of movement for schussing through powder
or running on brisk mornings and a sleekly
cut urban jacket for work. It’s breathable and
e f weather-resistant. So what if it doesn’t look
all that warm? Looks are deceiving.

72 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | LAYERS

 HOW TO

BUNDLE UP

Get Your Layer On

Keep warm, but also cool
BY JOE JACKSON

The number-one noob mistake in winter? Wearing too

much. It may be cold out, but loading up with puffies and a
then sweating through your gear will make your day of play
clammy and miserable. More important, as temperatures
drop, that sweat can freeze, potentially leading to hypother-
mia and definitely more misery. Take it from professional
ski mountaineer Brody Leven. When the 30-year-old isn’t on
expeditions in Kazakhstan or Alaska, he’s logging millions of
vertical feet around his hometown of Salt Lake City. Know
what to look for in each layer, then manage them effectively,
Leven says. Here’s his head-to-toe breakdown.
g
a. Midlayer d. Socks
A midlayer with synthetic “Ski boots, with their insu-
insulation in the chest but lating liners, are designed
not in the back or under the to be warm, but the plastic
arms makes for the ideal shell doesn’t vent well,”
warmth-to-breathability Leven says. “So I wear the
ratio. Keep in mind that it thinnest socks I can to help b
should have a tight hood: push heat and sweat away
when Leven flips his up, it’s from my feet.” He prefers
like adding another layer, wool because, in addition
as lots of heat can be lost to moving moisture well, it
through the head and neck. mitigates funky smell on
long expeditions.
b. Base Layer f
This is the most essential e. Pants
part of your layering system Even the largest vents on
for dealing with sweat. hard-shell bottoms can’t
Leven prefers a simple dump heat fast enough to
lightweight long-sleeved keep an aerobic skier from
merino top. On warmer sweating through them.
days (from high twenties Leven uses the lightest c Pro Tip
to mid-forties), it’s often soft-shell pants he can find, How do you know if
the only layer he uses while because they still slough off you’ve layered prop-
skinning up, as it offers snow while breathing well. erly before setting
enough coverage to protect (He’ll pack burlier hard- out on an aerobic
his skin from the milder ele- shell pants in case it starts winter adventure?
ments while still expelling dumping.) Leven has been You want to be cold;
moisture so it won’t soak known to unzip the fly in a e otherwise you’ll over-
through with sweat. pinch when he needs the heat within the first
extra ventilation. five minutes of your
c. Leggings ski tour. You’re best
The quad, glute, and calf f. Gloves served starting chilly
muscles expend the most “My gloves are the thing I and then warming
energy while you ski, and most frequently change,” up as you move. “You
the combination of heavy, Leven says. He pairs a thick should be shivering
waterproof ski pants and waterproof glove with a thin a little in the parking
boots can make your legs liner on most days, so he lot if you have to wait
heat up quickly. To stay can ditch the outer layer if for someone,” Leven
warm but keep from getting he gets too hot. says. “Be bold and
too hot and sweaty, Leven d start cold.”
wears thin, knee-length g. Outer Layer
wool tights—he’ll even A waterproof shell and
sometimes tailor them midweight down jacket
himself with scissors if he live in Leven’s pack at all
has to. Full-length bottoms times—the shell in case of
can turn your boots into emergencies like a surprise
saunas if they overlap with snowstorm, and the puffy
your ski socks. for dry, cold conditions.

ILLUSTRATION BY CHRIS PHILPOT LAYERS | OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 73

03
ESSENTIALS

PACKS

Gear Mules
Load them up, kick them through the snow—these haulers will serve you well no matter what
BY TEST DIRECTOR RYAN STUART

Mystery Ranch Saddle Peak $229

We demand a lot from our packs: they need to accommodate a variety of loads, move with us, and carry com-
fortably on our backs. Until pack makers design the one that can do it all, we’re left weighing pros and cons. Of
all the packs we tested this year, the Saddle Peak demanded the fewest compromises. Mystery Ranch—based in
Bozeman, Montana—designed it to tame the local Bridger Bowl Ski Area. There are runs right off the lifts, but the
best terrain requires a boot-pack, and there’s plenty of backcountry to explore. Thus, this 21-liter bag is too small
for gear-heavy excursions but just right for sidecountry day trips. The straps and hipbelt are fully padded, and
the two-pocket panel design is compact, for riding the lifts and staying tight on moguls. The diagonal ski-carry
system is sewn into the back panel, better distributing weight on the hips. And the adjustable torso length is one
of the best we’ve seen on a pack this small. Made for Bridger, worthy everywhere. 3.6 lbs

74 OUTSIDE WINTER BUYER’S GUIDE 2018

 CONQUER THE DARK

NOT JUST BRIGHTER… BETTER

FL75R
RECHARGEABLE

DUAL POWER L I T H I U M O R AL KAL I N E

PU RE B EAM FOCUS +RED

C OA ST P O R T L A N D . C O M
 FAR

Redundancy equals safety. The two

chambers of Arva’s Reactor airbag
inflate separately and are divided
by a barrier to ensure one side stays
full if the other is punctured.

Burton AK Taft 24 $160
BEST FOR: Short snowboarding excursions
into the sidecountry.
THE TEST: Don’t judge a book by its cover—
or rather, a pack by its listed capacity. “When
I first picked the Taft up, I thought it was too
small, but I was blown away with how much
it actually fit,” said a tester who spends most
of his time exploring the Whistler backcoun-
try. Everything we needed on sidecountry
missions fit in the main pocket, accessed
easily through the back panel, and there was
still room to spare. Two side pockets help
keep the weight centered and balanced for
stable riding. Take your pick when lashing
your board to the Taft: straps accommo-
date both vertical solid boards and A-frame
splitboards. A top goggle pocket, helmet
hammock, attachment points for poles, and
ax loop are icing on the proverbial cake.
THE VERDICT: A good choice for entry-
level backcountry riders doing mostly short
trips. 2.7 lbs
Arva R-15 Ultralight $650
BEST FOR: Avy insurance without the
excess weight.
THE TEST: Arva flipped avalanche-airbag
construction on its head with the R-15,
proving that safety doesn’t have to slow
you down. It shed weight from its airbag
system—the entire R-15 weighs less than five
pounds—while still making the bag bigger
to boost flotation. And the handle itself is
ergonomically shaped, making it easy to
grab even with mitts on. As for the pack, the
torso length adjusts, both for comfort and to
position the trigger handle at just the right
height. While 15 liters of storage may not
sound like much, it was just enough for us on
dawn patrol at Silver Fork, in Utah’s Big Cot-
tonwood Canyon. As one tester put it, “It’s
like not wearing a pack at all and still having
an airbag on your back.”
THE VERDICT: Given its single zipper-
accessed compartment, you have to be OK
with minimalism. 4.9 lbs
Ultimate Direction SkiMo 28 $200
BEST FOR: Going fast in the mountains.
THE TEST: We expected randonnée die-
hards to love this race-designed pack. What
was surprising: everyone else liked it, too,
in large part because everything is acces-
sible without having to take the bag off. On
a sunny tour out of Verbier, Switzerland, we
drank from a water bottle riding shotgun in
the shoulder-strap pocket, stashed a beanie
in the hipbelt, and grabbed a phone from the
water-resistant main compartment. During
a dicey midrace transition, a tester slipped
out of the shoulder straps, spun the SkiMo
around, and stashed skins in a separate
pocket at the bottom of the pack. And while
it comes loaded with a tow bungee for giving
slower partners a pull and straps for attach-
ing boards, poles, and a helmet, most are
easily stripped away, shedding ounces from
an already featherweight carrier.
THE VERDICT: Optimized for racing or even
just bagging peaks. 1.9 lbs

76 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | ESSENTIALS

 HYDRATION,
TRANSFORMED
The great outdoors just got greater. The Seeker™ is HydraPak’s ultra-light, durable
water storage system for camping, backpacking, you name it. It packs down to the size
of a fist, attaches to your pack or hangs from a tree. You can freeze it to use as an ice
pack or fill it with hot water to keep you warm. Katadyn® BeFree™ filtration compatible.

Find one at a dealer near you hydrapak.com

 FARTHER
Need a little extra room in the Rise?
Extend the height of the lid pocket
and the length of the powder skirt
and it’ll boost the pack’s storage
space by up to five liters.
WOMEN
SPECIFIC
Ortovox Ascent Avabag 30 $720
BEST FOR: Both the risk averse and the
organization obsessed.
THE TEST: This year, Ortovox ditched
the airbag system it had been using and
developed its own, Avabag. It’s simpler (20
pieces go into making it, versus 70), less
expensive ($300 less), and lighter (tipping
the scales at nearly half as heavy as the old
system). It’s also safer, in three ways: the
mechanical trigger can be dry-fired, so you
can get familiar with what deploying it feels
like without actually using up the precious—
not to mention pricey—compressed air in
your canister; the handle is bigger, for easier
grabbing during tense situations; and the
160-liter balloon is larger, increasing float
in an avalanche, where bigger items sift to
the top. All that and the pack is also laid out
nicely, with the 30-liter capacity dispersed
across three pockets.
THE VERDICT: The best of both worlds:
safety and storage. 5.6 lbs
78 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | ESSENTIALS
Deuter Rise SL 32+ $169
BEST FOR: All manner of touring missions.
THE TEST: Goldilocks would approve. Not
only did our testers say the Rise was just
right in many ways, but it was also the best
women-specific winter pack we tested.
Credit Deuter’s effort to home in on the
ideal pack shape for the female anatomy:
the torso is shorter, the hipbelt is shaped
to fit wider and taller pelvises, and the nar-
rower shoulder and sternum straps better
fit women’s contours. Plus, there’s plenty of
room to bring along extra layers—in fact,
the “+” in the name refers to the Rise’s ability
to extend, adding up to five liters of capacity.
“There are just enough compartments to
have a place for everything, but not so many
that you lose anything,” said a tester. Yet the
Rise also compresses down small when car-
rying less. “It always seemed to be just the
right size,” said another.
THE VERDICT: A versatile touring pack that
can moonlight in all four seasons. 3.4 lbs
Gregory Alpinisto 50 $219
BEST FOR: Any time your alpine daypack
isn’t going to cut it.
THE TEST: Gregory updated its already
peerless Alpinisto for only the second time
in a decade. The consensus: it’s even better.
The brand cut weight while adding durability
by using a higher-density nylon for the body,
added comfort with a beefier suspension
system, and updated the alpine-specific
climbing features. Among them are a sepa-
rate crampon pocket for keeping snow and
ice out of the main storage area, pick sleeves
compatible with any ice or mountaineering
tool, and (our favorite) an extra-long side
zip that opens the pack like a taco. “I could
quickly see everything,” said a tester. “On a
snowy ledge belay, I didn’t have to unpack
everything to find what I was looking for.”
The Alpinisto handles weekend peak-bagging
missions without breaking a sweat.
THE VERDICT: The new standard in alpine
packs. 3.7 lbs
cotopaxi.com/gearforgood
Ambassador Christian Lanley minds his manners in the Libre Sweater near Chamonix, France.
Photo by Chris Brinlee Jr.
UPGRADE

RECYCLED AND UPCYCLED

Like New
Even outdoor gear deserves
a second chance
BY JAKOB SCHILLER

a. Woolrich Civil War Gettysburg Wool a

blanket $115
These thick 1800s-era blankets were first
issued to Union soldiers to keep them warm. b
The modern version is still tough as nails, but
now it’s made of 80 percent wool gathered
from the cutting-room floor.

b. ShotzSki shot ski From $175

No après-ski throwdown is complete with-
out a shot ski. Our favorite maker, ShotzSki c
has a host of recycled planks to choose from
(fat, skinny, old, and new). Pick a design
or get a custom graphic, and ShotzSki will
mount ski-boot-shaped shot glasses on it.

c. Mountain Designs Seawool Mike

Check shirt $120
In addition to recycled bottles, there’s a
sleeper ingredient in the Seawool: oyster
shells collected from restaurants in Taiwan.
The resulting fabric is soft, warm, and wick-
ing, and it fights wrinkles as well as stink.

d. Truce Drop Liner backpack $280

No two Drop Liner bags are alike, with
bespoke exteriors made from Dacron sails, d
each with its own marks and graphics.
The material is also durably seaworthy and
UV-resistant, so your bag can withstand
a beating on the trail or open water.

e. Triple Aught Design Bastion

hoodie $400
Made for winter’s most inhospitable days,
this hoodie features Polartec’s new hydro-
phobic Power Fill insulation. Über-warm
considering how light it is (just 24 ounces),
the Bastion is made of 80 percent plastic
bottles. It’ll still insulate you if it gets soaked. e

f. Timberland City Blazer Mixed-Media

boots $160
Haiti has mounds of plastic trash lining
many of its cities’ streets. A company called
Thread is now employing locals to gather
that trash and turn it into a fabric that
Timberland is using in an entire line of its f
products. Our favorite: these stylish city-
meets-trail high-top boots.

g. Phunkshun Aviator base layer $60

For its Aviator, Phunkshun first dices 26 used
water bottles into tiny pieces. Those shards
are then melted into BB-size pellets that get
melted again before being spun into threads.
Finally, the threads are sewn into a stretchy,
wicking, midweight base layer that’s perfect
g
for running laps at the resort.

80 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | ESSENTIALS


WINTER HATS
a b
c d
Snow, Sleet, Rain, or Shine
Stylish hats to keep you covered
BY CHARLIE EBBERS
It’s true: your head loses around 7 to 10
percent of your body’s heat—whether you’re
spending winter nights in the desert high
country or riding Colorado’s lifts—if it’s not
well insulated. Still, though you should keep
your dome swaddled, there’s no reason not
to look good while doing so.
Top of our list for high-output winter
activities is the (a) 3-Season Helmet
beanie ($35) from up-and-coming Chicago
company Snowshed. It’s made from fine
merino wool and fits nicely into your pocket.
We wore the 3-Season beneath our bike and
ski helmets without any bulk, itch, or over-
heating, thanks to its thin profile.
For something burlier, (b) Outdoor
Research’s new Whitefish hat ($56) is
a Stormy Kromer–esque utility lid with a
water-resistant polyester outer and warm
fleece interior. Even though the earflaps
ESSENTIALS | OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018
SKI.
FIELD TESTED
LIVE.
REPEAT.
Halo 28 JetForce Avalanche Airbag Pack
PIEPS DSP Pro Avalanche Beacon
QuickDraw Tour Probe 320
Deploy Shovel
Spark Gloves
seem a bit goofy, we got over the look once
we felt how warm and comfy they were.
Snap them back for a dash of style.
Our favorite hat by a wide margin comes
from an old-school company that special-
izes in making traditional western headwear.
The dapper (c) Stetson Explorer Crush-
able hat ($75) is 100 percent wool and 100
percent cool. The wide brim kept the sun off
our testers’ faces, and, after an initial break-
in period, the Explorer stayed snug and
didn’t fly away in the winter wind.
For the sports-fan-cum-hook-and-bullet-
aficionado, there’s (d) Filson’s 5-Panel
cap ($75), which blends the warmth of a
beanie with the silhouette of a ball cap. The
five panels—made of USA-sourced wool that
naturally repels water—hug your head. If that
hug is too tight, adjust the leather strap in
the back for more breathing room.
81
UPGRADE

SUNGLASSES
KILLER
Your Eyes, On Vacation VA LU E
Wherever your cold-weather escape
trajectory leads, these best-in-class
shades improve the view
BY MIKE STEERE

Sunski Plover $58

Sunski, as ever, delivers quality and style that
could easily cost twice as much. The Plover’s
synthetic lenses are both polarized and
mirrored—often premium upgrades. We put
the optics to the test on a relentlessly sunny
weekend on and next to the Pacific, where
inferior lenses would have left our eyes fried.

Spy Cyrus Whitewall $130

Aggro, loud, some screamingly unnatural
red-orange color—you may not love such
things in your president, but we dare you to
ignore the flaming-hot lens mirroring and
black-and-white frames that pay homage
to vintage car tires. While it puts on a show
for everybody else, it aids your eyes with
a wide, crisp view through polycarbonate
lenses with a color-neutral tint.

Crap Eyewear Velvet Mirror $58

This fashion number is as provocative and
pretty as $600 glasses from high-end
designers—just at a tenth the price. The
women-specific style is both funny and
sexy. Heavy, slick plastic frames are a no-go
for sports, but the gray gradient synthetic
lenses are fine for sunny days around town,
where you will surely turn heads.

Oakley Crossrange $180

These shades have the same rosy tint as
some of Oakley’s most venerable goggles.
That color—along with those supersharp
synthetic lenses—pumps up detail and
depth, even in flat light, while mirroring
mitigates glare. It comes with swappable
temple and nose pieces—one set more
heavily rubberized for sport, one toned
down for the street.

Kaenon Leadbetter $229

Behold the world through Kaenon’s grand
luxe polarized resin lenses. These are all-day
sunglasses, thanks to a brown tint that
enhances clarity in low light while dimming
harsh direct rays. We love the slick green
frames, which are designed more for style
than play but will work for light activities.

Hobie Polarized Phin $100

Hobie’s saltwater shades shelter eyes
from wind, spray, and hellacious glare. The
lenses provide excellent cover, curving back
without looking like a cringey sports-shades
wrap. The view is cool and clear through
light blue lenses that are polarized to stifle
bright rays. A bar of sticky rubber stops
water from trickling down onto your face.

82 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | ESSENTIALS

 Up your mental game.
p: Mark Welsh

Train your cognitive performance for sport and life with the first
brain sensing eyewear. Introducing the Lowdown Focus.

Learn more at smithoptics.com/lowdownfocus

GEAR OF THE YEAR

HELMETS

Buckle Up
Just remember one thing: it’s all about fit
BY TEST DIRECTOR JOE JACKSON

Petzl Sirocco $130

Stop thinking of helmets as accessories. They are crucial tools that have gotten so many major upgrades in
the past few years it’s hard to keep track of them all. Take the new Sirocco. Weighing in at about a third of
a pound, Petzl’s new lid is the lightest one we’ve ever tested. It’s also one of the most breathable, with an
astonishing 24 vents. “I forgot I was wearing a helmet!” exclaimed one tester after summiting Mount Shasta
on an 80-degree day. There’s not much to this helmet, with its single-strap fit system and bare-bones EPP
foam, but it has full safety ratings for climbing—though not downhill skiing. It’s best suited to mountaineers
who put a premium on head protection during the ups and need just the minimum to get down. If that
doesn’t sound like your average ski day, have no fear: there are loads of other, more versatile lids on the next
two pages. Read this, try on your favorites in a store, then hit the mountain. Simple, really.

84 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | ESSENTIALS

 RESORT
Smith Quantum MIPS $300
BEST FOR: Doing everything well. Very
nearly our Gear of the Year winner.
THE TEST: Smith subtly integrated a
remarkable number of features into this
helmet. With its extremely intuitive mag-
netic strap connector that closes easily with
one hand and its supremely well-fitting Boa
tightening system, the Quantum seemed
to work with us as we skied, not just sit on
top of our heads like a lifeless husk. The liner
is made from an airy honeycomb material,
called Koroyd, that breathed well; coupled
with the 22 vents, it was comfortable even
on sweaty backcountry tours. Finally, we
loved the low-profile, simple look.
THE VERDICT: An overachieving helmet
that earns top marks in all categories.

Bollé Juliet $100

BEST FOR: Lady park rats.
THE TEST: This helmet makes a bold state-
ment, with swaths of street-style graphics
and fun details like faux-cork accents and
bold pops of salmon along the sides and
WOMEN
SPECIFIC back. The thick furlike interior was among
the plushest and warmest of any of the
helmets we tested, making this the number-
one pick for those whose ears run cold:
it’s good to well below 30 degrees. That
fuzzy lining, plus the limited vents (six small,
adjustable ones on top), made this Bollé en-
tirely too hot for spring skiing, but we broke
it out almost every day during the heart of
winter, especially for big storms.
THE VERDICT: With its lining—and its
looks—you’ll overheat in the best way.

All helmets are unisex. That said, some are

marketed specifically to women, and some to
men. Usually the only difference is color. That’s
why our female testers picked the Bollé and the
Anon—they offered better color options. But,
ladies, don’t feel limited to these picks. Anything
here will work for you.

Anon Omega $150

BEST FOR: Riding under the radar.
THE TEST: The solid workhorse of this page,
the Omega manages to balance maximum
coverage and serious protection with a
handsome, muted style. Testers appreciated
the safety details—this lid extends lower
than most of the other helmets we’ve worn,
WOMEN
SPECIFIC with a tight Boa ratcheting fit and optional
MIPS tech inside (get it for another $40). In
the same best-of-both-worlds vein, testers
found it plenty breathable on warm spring
resort days in spite of that full coverage and
plenty of insulation. Credit goes in part to
the 15 adjustable vents on the top and sides.
THE VERDICT: A just-right mix of safety
and style.

86 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | ESSENTIALS

 BACKCOUNTRY
POC Auric Cut Backcountry SPIN $220
BEST FOR: Hitting backcountry kickers.
THE TEST: The newest addition to the Auric
family combines the line’s simple park-rat
styling with some sophisticated under-the-
lid tech. This helmet is built around POC’s
brand-new patent-pending safety design,
called SPIN, which is basically a few small
pads set under the plastic exterior that
help the lid diffuse the rotational impacts
that happen in a crash. Think MIPS 2.0.
That tech, plus the multi-impact EPP foam
interior, made us feel super confident ripping
through hot spring corn and over booters in
the rugged Siskiyou Mountains.
THE VERDICT: Evolve past the park, but
hold on to the style.

Salomon QST Charge $200

BEST FOR: The backcountry curious.
THE TEST: The QST walks the line between
resort and backcountry lid. It’s got plush
details—like a merino wool liner that envel-
ops the fit system and a strap with its own
super-soft cover—that add weight but boost
comfort. Thanks to the honeycombed inte-
rior, freestyle low profile, and ample venting,
it’s light and cool enough for backcountry
tours, too. “It’s the perfect lightweight
helmet for days in the twenties and thirties,”
one tester said.
THE VERDICT: The best option for those
who go 50/50 between the resort and
backcountry.

Scott Couloir II $180

BEST FOR: Going up.
THE TEST: “This is the only helmet I would
take in the backcountry, for two reasons,”
said one tele-skiing tester. Number one: in-
sane breathability, thanks to six vents on each
side. Open them and you feel like your head’s
getting air-conditioned. Close them and this
helmet gets warm enough for a 33-degree
day with sleet. Number two: weight. With the
svelte profile of a bike helmet and a thin foam
liner, Scott cut ounces all the way down to 13—
lighter than any other ski helmet in our test.
THE VERDICT: Our favorite touring lid,
it’s light yet burly. Best for those who play
primarily in the backcountry.

Know the Lingo

MIPS: Acronym for “multi-directional
impact protection system.” Translation:
protects your head from side forces in
case of a crash.
Koroyd: A plastic honeycomb material
that cuts down on weight without sacri-
ficing any protection.
SPIN: Stands for “shearing pad inside.”
Synthetic gel pads between the liner and
the shell help deflect impacts.
EPP: Expanded polypropylene. It’s strong
enough to survive multiple impacts.
Read: if you drop the helmet, you don’t
need to replace it.

ESSENTIALS | OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 87

UPGRADE

CAMERAS

Shooting Gallery
Tools that make it impossible
to take a bad picture
BY NICK KELLEY

Pentax KP $1,100
Stop shooting vacation photos on your iPhone and use this
lightweight 1.5-pound box instead. The 24.3-megapixel
APS-C sensor captures bigger, richer files than your cell,
making for better prints. Plus, the KP has a massive ISO
range—up to 819,200—for crisp low-light shots. It can snap
seven frames per second and has a weather seal to keep
you firing in rain and snow. You’ll need a fast lens to get the
most out of this Pentax, but it’s a setup worth building out.

Canon EOS M6 $779

At 4.4 inches wide, this camera is too small and too power-
ful to not pack along on every trip—be that an evening hike
or an all-day ride. You get a robust 24.2-megapixel sensor
that snaps seven frames per second, plus an autofocus sys-
tem that’s whip fast. It doesn’t come with a viewfinder, so
we recommend adding Canon’s EVF-DC2 ($250) so you’re
never stuck trying to use the LCD screen in variable light.

Nikon D7500 $1,250

If you like the feel of a DSLR, the D7500 is a great deal for
the price. The 20.9-megapixel sensor performs exception-
ally well in low light, and the camera borrows some subject-
recognition autofocus features from the company’s flagship
D5, so action shots are always crisp. Bonus: after you’ve
linked the camera to your mobile device to share photos on
Instagram, the D7500 has a low-power Bluetooth setting
that keeps the two devices permanently connected.

Sony a9 $4,500
Sony just launched its campaign to take over the sports-
photography world. The a9 shoots a mind-blowing 20
frames per second, or a half-dozen more than any Nikon or
Canon. The camera also comes with a lightning-fast auto-
focus that makes 60 adjustments per second to ensure
you stay locked on your subject, whether he’s launching off
a cliff or carving up singletrack. All that power comes in a
package that weighs only 1.8 pounds—nearly half as much
as you’d expect from a DSLR with similar chops.

Lumix GH5 $2,000

Built for moviemakers, Panasonic’s flagship camera houses
a 20.3-megapixel four-thirds sensor, which is smaller than a
full-frame sensor and easy to squeeze into a compact body.
Designed to handle dust, rain, and even freezing tempera-
tures, the GH5 shoots beautifully smooth 4K footage at 60
frames per second, thanks to five-axis image stabilization.
For the real video junkies, options like shooting in 4:2:2,
ten-bit video, and Vlog Gamma give this camera more color
range than anything in its class.

DJI Phantom 4 Advanced $1,199

Up until now, DJI’s lower-end drones have been fun and
easy to fly but strapped with low-grade cameras. The new
Phantom 4, however, gets a 20-megapixel camera with a
large one-inch sensor that shoots 4K video at 60 fps and
high-res photos that look good on a screen and as prints.
The camera comes with sweet additional features like
full aperture control and a mechanical shutter. As for the
drone, well, it’s still totally fun and easy to fly.

88 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | ESSENTIALS

Foot Loose
Comfy, classy shoes for ski-beat feet
BY JON GUGALA
The North Face ThermoBall Traction
Bootie $60
This PrimaLoft-insulated kick was like a
puffy jacket for our feet. The North Face also
slapped on a lugged rubber outsole that had
mind-blowing grip even while we were drink-
ing beers on parking-lot ice. Bonus points:
that outsole is made from recycled materials.
BOARD
Just pump it up!
Vans Remedy Boot $160
Vans ventures away from its home in
Southern California and toward the wintry
north with this boot that features a durable
galosh-like lower section and a Sorel-like
leather upper. The company’s signature
white stripe adds flair, and we also loved
the comfort of the plush fleece lining.
www.SeaSucker.com
Forsake Driggs $140
A classy leather build matched with pops
of color on the heel and shoelaces makes
the Driggs stand out. It also has plenty of
performance chops, thanks to a waterproof
lining and sealed seams. Slip it on for the
drive home after skiing, then sport it with
jeans at dinner.
BIKE TECH
 UPGRADE

APRÈS SHOES

Sorel Maddox Moc $85
The Maddox Moc is a slipper with teeth,
thanks to the meaty herringbone-patterned
rubber outsole. We wore it around the house
but also took it out for post-ski drinks and
were struck by the padded comfort. Not to
mention the fact that we never once wiped
out on icy streets.
Danner Light $380
Originally launched in 1978, the Light hasn’t
changed much over the years, which is a
good thing. It’s still hardy, with a beefy
Vibram outsole and an upper of leather and
1,000-denier nylon. A Gore-Tex liner keeps
your dogs dry, and damned if that waxed
cotton coat doesn’t look sharp.
Ridgemont Outback II $135
Our favorite for classy, understated capa-
bility, this boot is made from burly two-
millimeter full-grain leather. We found
ourselves wearing it all the time, because
it keeps the weather out and works great
for dirty jobs like kicking the ice off your car
and shoveling the driveway.

Perched above Whale Lake, celebrating

the hike in with friends, Routt National
Forest, CO – Devon Balet

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ESSENTIALS | OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 91

GEAR OF THE YEAR

GOGGLES

Vision Quest
Cylindrical lenses that strike
the perfect balance between
performance and price
BY TEST DIRECTOR MARC PERUZZI

Oakley Fall Line $190

Old-school goggle lenses were formed flat
and then bent to fit goggle frames, inducing
headaches by warping the light and forcing
your brain to make sense of the distorted
images. Then early iterations of lenses
thermoformed on a cylinder (no need to
bend them) took over the high end, only to
be replaced with top-dollar spherical lenses
that mimic the shape of the human eye.
But recent refinements in how cylindrical
lenses are built—less distortion for less
money—have led to their resurgence. All
the goggles we tested this year feature
cylindrical lenses, but our favorite was
Oakley’s Fall Line, which uses a deeply
wrapped lens paired with a rimless frame to
create the most peripheral vision we’ve ever
had in a goggle. This alone makes it Gear of
the Year worthy. But then there’s Oakley’s
best-in-class Prizm lens tech, which cuts
glare and adds contrast so you see the ter-
rain better. And two nearly imperceptible
cutaways at the temples mean you can fit
a pair of prescription glasses inside. Finally,
Oakley’s Ridgelock system lets you swap
in separate lenses for different conditions
but ensures a tight fit to keep out wind
and weather. We ran the highly versatile
rose lens in storms and full Colorado sun,
but those with more sensitive eyes might
want to opt for an Iridium (mirrored) unit.
You could spend another hundred bucks on
goggles tricked out with electric defoggers
and rhinestones, but trust us: you won’t ski
the fall line any better.

92 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | ESSENTIALS

JUST
GET ON
AND GO.

The Malibu Pedal’s zippy, stable and

turn-on-a-dime performance make it the
most fun you can have on the water. With a
kid’s jumpseat and room for a dog, you can
bring the whole family along for an outdoor
adventure. Once you land back on shore,
you’ll be counting down the days until your
next pedal-powered odyssey.

ADVENTURE AWAITS AT MALIBUPEDAL.COM

 PERFORMANCE

WOMEN
SPECIFIC

Head
Strong
Just as a
pint glass is
tougher than
a bulbous
wineglass,
cylindrical
lenses are
more impact-
resistant than
spherical
ones—which is
why racers and
park athletes
alike tend to
favor them.

Shred Simplify Natural $220
BEST FOR: Enviro-conscious skiers.
THE TEST: Tired of consuming petroleum
products—like goggles? The Shred Simplify’s
rig (the plastic lining around the lenses) is
molded from recycled epoxy that’s a by-
product of snowboard manufacturing. The
strap is organic cotton. Even the bag is made
from recycled water bottles. All that and it’s
still a top performer. A special valve equal-
izes pressure between the two cylindrical
lenses so they don’t bend and warp your
vision as the weather or altitude changes.
And a simple but effective groove system
lets you swap in the included low-light lens
on stormy days. The fit was on the big side,
but it matched up well with Shred’s helmets.
THE VERDICT: Help save the planet while
you shred pow.
Giro Ella $180
BEST FOR: Women looking for top quality.
THE TEST: Like the Oakley, the Ella fits a
medium to small face but still offers a big
field of view. Our testers praised the sleek
design for aesthetics, but this is a fully
featured goggle loaded with updates. The
Zeiss lens has a new Vivid technology that,
like Prizm (Oakley) and ChromaPop (Smith),
cuts “bad” or “flat” light (the kind that dulls
contrast) out of the spectrum to boost defi-
nition and expose nuances in snowpack and
terrain. We were also impressed with Giro’s
new quick-action swappable system, which
relies on four magnets to help align the four
corresponding pins that anchor the lens to
the largely rimless frame.
THE VERDICT: Finally, a women’s model
that doesn’t make any compromises.
Dragon NFX2 $179
BEST FOR: Small faces.
THE TEST: The NFX2 is a unisex model that
just happens to fit small to medium faces
particularly well. The women on Dragon’s
pro teams love it, as did our female testers.
The goggles aren’t totally rimless—there’s a
slight frame around the cylindrical lens—but
that rim is so thin it goes unnoticed. Dragon’s
contrast-boosting technology—dubbed
Lumalens—is just as good as most of the
competition, and two lenses come included:
the gray mirrored one was our daily driver,
but the uncoated amber lens excelled in flat
light. Swapping was quick and easy, and the
frames kept all the wind out. But a heads-up:
the lenses tended to pop out in a crash.
THE VERDICT: Petite faces don’t have to
swim in large goggles anymore.

94 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | ESSENTIALS


Smith Squad XL $130
BEST FOR: Larger faces, smaller wallets.
THE TEST: As the name implies, the Squad
XL is the biggest cylindrical goggle Smith
makes. But it’s by no means egregiously
large. The Squad fit seamlessly with a range
of helmets we wore during testing, and it
matched up just fine with medium faces,
too. But the real story here is value. For $130,
the Squad XL comes equipped with two
lenses, both of which feature Smith’s ultra-
sharp, contrast-boosting ChromaPop tech.
We ran the nonmirrored ChromaPop Sun on
bluebird days and the time-tested Chroma-
Pop Storm—still the best blizzard lens we’ve
ever tried—when it was dumping (which
happened a lot last winter).
THE VERDICT: Plenty of protection at an
affordable price.
BUDGET
Electric EGV $120
BEST FOR: Skiers and snowboarders who
are hard on their goggles.
THE TEST: If, like this reviewer’s teenage
son, you tend to toss your goggles into your
boot bag without a covering, then your goal
is economy above all else. That’s the EGV,
except they’re also damn capable. Three lay-
ers of face foam and a pliant, conformable
frame let them fit pressure-point-free. And
the peripheral vision is unobstructed. Is the
lens as crystalline as those in the Oakley or
the Giro? No, but you can pick up a replace-
ment lens for $30 online. We tested the
EGV on a storm day at Loveland and had no
problem making out terrain features, nor did
we ever have to contend with fogging.
THE VERDICT: Save your money so you can
buy a burger at Vail.
ESSENTIALS | OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018
Salomon Four Seven $120
BEST FOR: All-day comfort.
THE TEST: The brand-new Four Seven
(Salomon was founded in 1947) is hands
down the most comfortable goggle we
tested—and also quite affordable, like the
Electric EGV. The comfort credit goes to
unique cutaways in the frame and foam that
create soft hinge points so the goggle is free
to contour to your face. A wide-wrapping
cylindrical lens changes tints in response
to the light conditions so you don’t have to
swap, except in the most extreme weather.
Our test pair came with a lightly mirrored
option, but if we were shopping for value,
we’d buy the cheaper lens and own these
versatile goggles for $100.
THE VERDICT: The goggle you need for
days when you don’t even stop to eat lunch.
95
UPGRADE

APRÈS TAILGATING

Go Big or Go Home
Win the parking lot post-ski scene
BY JAKOB SCHILLER a b

a. Tembo Tusk Skottle kit $275

The skottle—think a shallow wok with legs—
makes an ideal grilling surface for post-pow
steaks and veggies. Invented by South
African farmers who repurposed old disc
harrows from tractors, the propane-fueled
cooking tool has gained popularity among
U.S. overlanders because of its simple
design and giant grilling surface.

b. Patagonia Iron Forge Hemp Canvas

Double Knee pants $79
Ditch your crinkly, uncomfortable ski pants
for these soft, warm, nearly indestructible
work pants made from industrial hemp, re-
cycled polyester, and organic cotton. Bonus:
they only look better over time (and smeared
with a little dirt).
c
c. Kegworks Picnic Time Deluxe
Portable Travel Bar set $180
This handy travel accessory comes with a
shaker, tongs, martini glasses, and lots of
other cocktail gear, all neatly packaged into
a backpack-size, easy-to-carry case.

d. Stanley Adventure Base Camp

cookset $80
Nineteen kitchen tools—from a frying pan
to place settings for four to a drying rack—
squeeze Russian-nesting-doll-like into one
3.7-quart pot for easy transport. Who’s
ready for soup? d
e
e. Burton AK BK Down Insulator
jacket $260
You get cold fast when you’re standing
around the car drinking beers midwinter.
Other than a raging bonfire, there’s no
better way to keep warm than this subtle,
stylish 800-fill down puffy.

f. Goal Zero Yeti 1400 Lithium

portable power station $1,800
Plug ten gadgets into this monster lithium
energy pack, which can charge a laptop 23
times, a phone 70 times, and a Bluetooth
speaker about 100 times. Connect it to Goal
Zero’s Boulder 100 solar panels ($200) to
keep it powered up while you party down.
f
g. ManCan 128 Picnic keg $70
This portable keg—with the help of separate
CO2 cartridges and tap ($125)—keeps eight
pints of your favorite microbrew cold and
bubbly for up to a month. As for the stain- g
less-steel body, it will withstand drops, plus
any damage your drunken friends inflict.

96 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | ESSENTIALS

h h. Best Made Straight-Hold
hatchet $88
k The drop-forged and hand-ground steel
head chews through kindling so you can get
the fire pit going. And it’s pretty to boot, with
an Appalachian hickory handle.

i. Tudor Heritage Black Bay Chrono

watch $4,725
Skiers wearing fancy watches is actually a
thing. Consider French former World Cup
alpine racer Jean-Claude Killy, who was
sponsored by Rolex. This modern Tudor,
with its leather band and sapphire crystal,
will take tumbles on the hill and still look
damn good.
i
j. Duluth Packs Growler pack $70
Yeah, a koozie for your growler. Some say in-
dulgence, we say brilliance. This pack keeps
beer colder for at least a few more hours and
comes with D-rings on the side so you can
lash it to a pack or bike.

k. Front Runner Pro Stainless Steel

prep table with foldaway basin $439
Just because you’re in a parking lot doesn’t
mean you have to cut culinary corners. This
kitchen helper has 29-inch-tall aluminum
l legs, putting your ingredients, a tough
stainless-steel surface, and a built-in water
basin at standing height.
j
l. Westland Winter 2016
whiskey $100
On the coldest days, ditch the beer for
whiskey. This Seattle-made single malt
is blended to be crisp and clean, with a
smooth, smoky flavor. Drink it down neat.

m. Schmidt Brothers Bonded Teak

BBQ Tools Four-Piece set $100
Hamburgers, grilled onions, chicken—
whatever you throw on the skottle, this set
m has the spatula, tongs, fork, and basting
brush you’ll need to perfect it.

n. Snake River Brewing Snow King

pale ale $10 for a six-pack
This winter seasonal is an international
hybrid that combines Challenger and
Fuggle hops from the United Kingdom with
n Magnum hops from the United States for
a moderately bitter, refreshing brew that
tastes best after a day of turns.

o. Forsake Duck boots $140

A rubber shell over the sole and toe, com-
o bined with a waterproof leather upper, keeps
the snow out. Color accents on the sole,
sides, and laces are nothing but cool.

ESSENTIALS | OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 97

FIELD TESTED

GLOVES

Hands On
Care for your digits
BY DAVE COX

a. Arc’teryx Rush SV $275

Arc’teryx debuted the Alpha glove a couple
of years ago, with a revolutionary build: it
sealed the membrane stitches with water-
proof tape, making the Alpha the most
weatherproof glove we’ve ever tested. The
Alpha has now been upgraded to the Rush,
with a removable quick-drying liner. Think of
it as hard-shell armor for your hands.

b. Black Diamond Helio $200

Versatility was on full display during a ski
tour in Crested Butte, where the three-in-
one Helio proved to be our best friend. We
skinned up in the fleecy liner, then broke out
a b the light outer with goat-leather palm and
ripstop backing for the way down. That shell
uses Gore’s new Active fabric, sacrificing
some durability for breathability.

KILLER c. 686 Linear $55

VA LU E The name of the insulation says it all: Gore-
Tex Warm. 686’s Linear has a layer of thick,
lofty pile to keep hands toasty on long chair-
lift rides. That, coupled with a proprietary
micro-liner, made this the warmest glove
of the test—it was comfortable down into
the single digits. Another nice feature: a cuff
cord for keeping the hem where it should be.

d. Helly Hansen Ullr Leather HT $140

Consider the Ullr a boxing glove for skiers
who like to fight their way through the trees.
Durable leather construction and compres-
sion foam running across the back of the
hand and fingers provide ample protection.
Yet it’s surprisingly articulate for such a heavy
c d
glove, due to the supple goatskin and sheer
Pittards on the palm, thumb, and index finger.

e. Seirus Heat Touch Hellfire Mitt $425

Tried all the options and your hands still
get cold? Time to go nuclear. Take a
mitten stuffed with 280 grams of lofted
polyester insulation, add a battery-
operated heater, and you get the Hellfire.
Softshell fabric interrupts the sheepskin
leather across the back of the knuckles
for dexterity while pawing ski poles.

f. Rab Vengeance $140

The lightest glove here, at 6.4 ounces, the
Vengeance hits harder than your average
bantamweight. Credit for the feathery but
capable punch goes to the OutDry weather-
proof insert, which prevents snow and wind
from chilling your fingers. Thick high-pile
insulation inside breathable nylon-polyester
e f swaddles the back of the hand, while more
durable Bemberg yarn lines the palm.

98 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | ESSENTIALS

M P B3 5 3 5L B ACKPACK

PELICAN M0BILE PROTECT

Built to Protect // Impact / Weather / Security
Available // 20L / 25L / 35L Backpacks and 40L / 100L Duff le Bags
LIFETIME GUARANTEE PELICAN.COM

©2017 Pelican Products, Inc.

23215 Early Ave., Torrance CA 90505 | Tel 310.326.4700 Fax 310.326.3311
All trademarks are registered and/or unregistered trademarks of Pelican Products Inc.,
its subsidiaries and/or affiliates. See pelican.com/warranty for full warranty details.
UPGRADE

WINTER CAMPING

Stay Toasty, My Friends

Survive a night (or two or three) in the snow
BY MIKE THURBER

a. Mammut Trion Light 38 pack $160

Mammut’s Trion lets you jam in gear for days in
the backcountry but is optimized for fast-and- a
light summit bids. Removable hip pads and top
pouch slim things down when ounces count.

b. MSR Remote 2 tent $800

The Remote 2’s spacious, 33-square-foot inte-
rior and cavernous vestibule made waiting out
a storm almost pleasant. The burly composite
poles held steady in 30-mile-per-hour winds.
b c
c. Leatherman Rebar multitool $60
With styling reminiscent of Leatherman’s origi-
nal multi, the Rebar has the tools you need, in-
cluding saw and can opener, in a slim package.

d. Eddie Bauer BC Duraweave Alpine

pants $499
These pants’ Duraweave-reinforced fabric
is the most durable shell we’ve ever tested.
Also nice: the single thigh pocket, as simple is
always best for fast-and-light alpine missions.
d
e. POC DID Glacier Jeremy Jones Edition
sunglasses $250
Classic styling and super-comfortable leather
side shields make Jeremy Jones’s signature e
shades easy on the eyes. Zeiss lenses lent
clarity on a bluebird traverse in the Cascades.

f. Jetboil MightyMo stove $50

The MightyMo features an astounding 10,000- f
BTU burner, and precise controls get it down to
a simmer better than any stove we tested.

g. Therm-a-Rest NeoAir All Season

SV pad $160 g
This pad ditches insulation for reflective layers
that trap heat without adding extra weight. The
Speed Valve opening allows for inflation up to
three times faster than with traditional nozzles.

h. Black Diamond Women’s Stance

belay parka $229
Sure, down is nice, but when you’re really
stuck out in the elements, you can’t beat the
Stance’s PrimaLoft Silver synthetic insulation h
for durability and protection.

i. Klymit KSB 0° Down sleeping bag $250

At 3.7 pounds, the 0° Down is heavier than
other bags, but flexible baffles add comfort, i
while three toggles let smaller users shorten
the length, reducing heat-sapping dead space.

j. Petzl Gully ax $150

Weighing just shy of ten ounces, the Gully is
built with a technical pick and a curved shaft j
for bomber placements in blue ice. An adjust-
able handrest makes it a versatile tool.

100 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | ESSENTIALS

 I G H T E N
L UP I D E R P RO 3 0
FREE R
SER I E S
W I N T ER

Fit, ventilation, and carry comfort

» A technical snowsports pack, built with ski/board
carry options, back access, pivoting hipbelt,
and pocket for your safety gear.

www.deuter.com
UPGRADE

WATCHES

KILLER
VA LU E

Keep On Ticking
Rugged, refined timepieces for nights
out, the depths, and, yes, even space
BY WILL PALMER

Luminox Navy Nixon Station Citizen Proximity Grovemade Gold Victorinox INOX Aulta Acuatico
SEAL 3500 $375 Chrono Leather Eco-Drive $695 Watch 02 $199 Titanium $625 Automatic ST
Luminox took the $250 The Proximity With a dial made Who would test a $235
perennial favorite Less rugged and smartwatch doesn’t from American watch 20 miles up We already liked the
Navy SEAL model waterproof than the play at being a fit- black walnut set in the stratosphere? surfy vibe of Aulta’s
and gave it an up- others, the Station ness tracker. It pairs into a stainless-steel The Swiss, of course. other timepieces, so
date, with a less Chrono compen- with your iPhone case coated with But the new edi- we’re really digging
cluttered dial and sates with spartan for call, text, and 22-karat gold, the tion of the INOX its first automatic
the minor flour- good looks. Its teal e-mail alerts, yet Gold Watch 02 has Titanium, which is dive watch. With
ish of a red second face should speak no step counting or the fine-milled qual- water-resistant to a hard sapphire
hand. The 3500 is to your outdoors- sleep metrics here. ity of an old bowling 200 meters, may crystal, the aptly
a remarkably tough man’s green pride, We like it for being alley or chessboard. be the best watch named Acuatico
piece of horology for and, indeed, Nixon smart in the other Grovemade prides ever for wearing is a burly hunk of
such a reasonable intended this model way: it’s a classi- itself on handcraft- with a wetsuit, a stainless steel that
price; the carbon- to mimic the organic cally good-looking, ing each piece, and three-piece suit, can handle a few
compound case is a shapes of nature. tough watch that you can tell you’re or a space suit. It bangs against boat
perfect combination The embossed doesn’t broadcast getting bang for has an understated hulls and survive
of lightweight and minute and second its digital prowess. It your buck. The matte finish on the depths down to 200
durable, and the lu- subdials, soft leather just syncs quietly on ticker boasts precise titanium, echoed meters. Inner sliding
minescent markers band, and retro its own and powers quartz movement by subtle gray and weights wind the
will glow for up to screw-bar lugs sup- itself from natural or and a beautiful white on the hands watch through the
25 years. port the aesthetic. artificial light. leather strap. and markers. motion of your wrist.

102 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | ESSENTIALS

HOW TO

SHOOT SKI PHOTOS

Pics or It Didn’t Happen

Insta-worthy shots require a bit of work
BY GRAYSON SCHAFFER

Ski porn, like real porn, 1. Aim for the one- 2. Keep the sun laying into a complete 6. Hold down your
has only the most tenu- turn. Instead of trying to behind your subject. hockey stop or hitting the iPhone’s shutter
ous connection with the shoot an entire run, set That’ll ensure the turn right on the mark. button. It will trigger a
act it’s supposedly docu- up one turn on a clean, powder cloud gets lit Have her avoid an A- ten-frame-per-second
menting. “Linking endless untracked patch of snow up from behind. Be frame stance if she can. burst. Unless you’re
pow turns? Not exactly,” in nice light. “When I warned: you may need to Legs should be parallel. using the latest DSLR or
says veteran Colorado- work with an athlete, I make your frame a little Sony rangefinder camera,
based ski photographer like to find a zone that is brighter to compensate 5. For cliffs, make your iPhone is most likely
Liam Doran. “For the good for both of us and for the light. sure to keep the the fastest action cam
skier it means making work it hard,” says Doran. camera as low to the on the hill.
the same turn a number Ridgelines and spines 3. Make it easy for ground as possible,
of times, and for me it tend to work the best, your friend. Throw a to make the air look 7. Pick the best frame
means being stuck in the because they help sepa- snowball exactly where bigger. The skier needs and an appropriate
snow with frozen feet. I rate the subject from you want your partner to to focus all her energy hashtag and remem-
don’t think people realize the background. Flat hit the apex of the turn. on getting her knees up ber that you love
just how much work goes pow fields can be good, and level with her hips, skiing the most. Then
into making a ski photo.” because you can farm 4. Have the skier with hands forward and move on to the next
But a great pow shot will them until the tracks shorten up her poles below her shoulders. one-turn pow shot and
go a long way toward look like stacked ramen if they’re adjustable. Proper body position is return to step one of the
convincing your friends noodles. Trees are great Make sure she focuses the difference between process. When you’re
that you’re having more if the flurries are actively on keeping her hands up a social media star and a done, treat yourself and
fun than they are. coming down. and chest proud while @JerryOfTheDay. go skiing for real!

104 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | ESSENTIALS ILLUSTRATIONS BY CHRIS PHILPOT

F I E R C E LY A brand new Taos in the making. Introducing The Blake
at Taos Ski Valley, an intimate slopeside getaway. Just

INDEPENDENT steps from a vibrant resort plaza and a new gondola ride
away from a state-of-the-art Children’s Center. True

SIN C E 1 9 5 6 to our mountain legacy, Taos is improving without

changing a thing.

SKITAOS.COM
04
FITNESS

Storm Troopers
Pavement? Trail? Snow? These workhorses have you covered.
BY TEST DIRECTOR JUSTIN NYBERG

Nike Zoom Fly $150

Race shoes can’t be training shoes. Or so we thought. The Zoom Fly—a speed-addicted trainer born out of
Nike’s attempt to break the two-hour-marathon mark—was both the most exciting shoe of the year and the
most fun. With its carbon-infused nylon plate running from heel to toe, the Zoom Fly is the stiffest trainer
we’ve ever seen, period. But that isn’t a bad thing. We immediately noticed the powerful, propulsive forward
spring, lightning-quick turnover, and snappy feel, despite the relatively thick cushioning of the 33-millimeter
stack height. It feels like a highly caffeinated ride—an easy grab for fast long-distance training sessions and
a no-brainer race-day pick for middle-of-the-packers, who won’t mind the extra foam. The only downside
(if you can call it that): you may find yourself running PRs on recovery days. Wide feet? Mind the narrow,
streamlined fit. 8.8 oz (men’s) / 6.5 oz (women’s); 10 mm drop

RUNNING SHOES
OUTSIDE WINTER BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 107
 ROAD

ASICS RoadHawk FF $100

BEST FOR: Quick training.
THE TEST: If it weren’t for a little bit of
road slap, we would have had nothing but
compliments for the RoadHawk, a new,
impressively light, amply cushioned trainer
with a socklike fit. The stretchy mesh in the
toe box feels open and accommodating, but
the slimmer last and midfoot overlays give it
a secure and responsive locked-down feel.
With its eight-ounce weight and springy
FlyteFoam midsole, the RoadHawk can ham-
mer out fartleks and tempo sessions while
providing a soft landing—comfort without a
sluggish feel. That crisp clap in the toe with
every stride was not a deal breaker, but it
was definitely a distraction.
THE VERDICT: One of ASICS’s best light-
weight trainers in years. 8 oz (men’s) /
6.4 oz (women’s); 8 mm drop

Hoka One One Clifton 4 $130

BEST FOR: Cushioning addicts.
THE TEST: The Clifton got a significant
update in its fourth generation. It is still a
mega-fat shoe built for easy cruising, but
with a more durable midsole, a completely
revamped upper now built with reduced
overlays and engineered mesh, and a wider,
slow-cinching fit that got a thumbs-up from
our team. The rockered outsole throws heel
strikers into the back seat, but the charac-
teristically low weight allows for a good clip.
The new midsole felt radically different as
the seasons changed—almost too firm and
energetic on crisp mornings, but breadloafy
on warmer afternoons. A few testers sniped
at the still too narrow toe box.
THE VERDICT: A mature maximalist, best
for foam fans who want some spring in their
step. 9.3 oz (men’s) / 7.5 oz (women’s);
5 mm drop

KILLER
Brooks Revel $100
BEST FOR: Comfy cruising. VA LU E
THE TEST: The new Revel offers the best
overall balance of easygoing cush, long-
distance support, and amenable fit of any
of the year’s road shoes. “It fits snugly but
definitely opens up where you need it,”
one tester remarked. That said, the damp,
supportive BioMoGo DNA midsole meant
the Revel wasn’t our pick for days when we
wanted to go fast. While the shoe looks like a
new-school trainer, those who like the more
traditional Brooks Glycerin or Ghost will find
a familiar ride. The steep 12-millimeter drop
caters strictly to the heel-striking set.
THE VERDICT: Nothing blew us away, but
the Revel hovered near the top of our list.
At this price, it’s a screaming deal. 10.4 oz
(men’s) / 8.8 oz (women’s); 12 mm drop

108 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | FITNESS

This is your world. How you run it is up to you. And we’ll
be there, with shoes and apparel designed to keep up
with you. On the run and off.

saucony.com/runyourworld
 TRAIL

New Balance Trail 910v4 $110

BEST FOR: Tough terrain.
THE TEST: If lightweight shoes leave you
feeling somewhat vulnerable, the 910v4 is
your safe zone. Moderately thick, muscular,
and amply protective, it lends extra oomph
on rougher trails and run-to-hike summits.
And with seven pairs of grommets and a
stout midfoot wrap, the 910 offered the
most locked-down fit of any shoe in the trail
test. But it’s certainly not the quickest or
lightest shoe in the pack, nor the nimblest.
THE VERDICT: A powerful, protective tool
that won’t break any tape but will never
duck a challenge. 11.5 oz (men’s) / 9.6 oz
(women’s); 8 mm drop

Altra Timp $130

BEST FOR: Epic days for zero-drop fans.
THE TEST: If the Timp were a ski, it would
be a mid-fat: the 29-millimeter midsole
is thick enough for long-haul comfort,
but not so slabby that it felt sluggish or
disconnected from the trail. The smooth,
responsive ride begged for longer days, and
while Altra claims the shoe has a narrower,
performance-oriented fit, it still felt a little
roomy and somewhat sloshy on downhills
and rocky turf without a thicker sock. As
with all zero-drop shoes, heel strikers need
not apply. Bonus: the hidden reflective pat-
tern pops in headlamps (or headlights).
THE VERDICT: For midfoot strikers who like
to go long, the Timp is a welcome addition to
the quiver. 11.1 oz (men’s) / 8.9 oz (women’s);
zero drop

Salomon Sense Ride $120

BEST FOR: All-around versatility.
THE TEST: Simply put, the Sense Ride
raised the bar for every other trail shoe in
the test. Nothing came close to beating its
combo of give-’em-hell speed and quick-
stepping technical chops with an accom-
modating midsole—one of the softest we’ve
seen from Salomon. The fit is narrow, as
you’d expect, but not restrictive, and while
we noticed some forward slip on downhills
(due to the chronically loose forefoot laces
in Salomon’s quick-lace system), overall this
proved to be the most fun and fast-flying
shoe of the bunch. Long distance, short
distance, this shoe can do it all.
THE VERDICT: The best in the biz. 10.4 oz
(men’s) / 8.1 oz (women’s); 8 mm drop

Shoe-sicles
Cold weather stiffens running-shoe foam.
The shoe that feels soggy and dead in
August could be firm and snappy on a
40-degree spring day. Thin shoes reduce
the hardening effect, and Adidas’s Boost
foam is the only formula we’ve found that
stays neutral through the seasons. But if
you want year-round softness, compen-
sate for the cold by picking a softer ride.

110 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | FITNESS

 TED NOCELLA
New Shoes. Gonna go run Venice Beach. Oct 2

SARA MUHR
Have fun! Oct 2

MATT ZMUDA
Cool shoes. Ha! Don't run too far! Oct 2

LUCIA GOYANES
Wait, are you in Phoenix? I just saw you run past my office. Oct 16

CHAS BARON
Hey, haven’t heard from you in while. Oct 23

TED NOCELLA
Hello Tennessee! Got some lipsmacking grub on the run. #BBQ Oct 24

MELISSA NOCELLA
Son, I've been feeding your cat for weeks. When are you back? Nov 3

BEN MUNDT
Haven't seen you at work for ages. Did you quit? Can I have your lamp? Nov 29

KATLYN GLATZ
Neighborrr! Your grass is like 3 feet tall. I think a family of racoons moved in. Dec 15
TED NOCELLA
Ha! Couldn’t stop running. Guess I missed a lot. #LAX to #NYC Jan 1

EXPERIENCE
INFINITE
ENERGY
Levitate with DNA Amp gives
you the most energy return of
leading performance running shoes,
so you can keep on running.
 WINTER

Inov-8 Parkclaw 275 GTX $150

BEST FOR: Slush stomping.
THE TEST: The Parkclaw features Gore-
Tex’s new Invisible Fit waterproof liner. Unlike
the typical Gore-Tex bootie that gets sewn
into a shoe, this weatherproofing simply lines
the upper fabric itself. The result: without
that traditional bulky, crinkly bootie, it’s hard
to tell the Parkclaw is waterproof until you
step in a puddle. Otherwise, it’s a moderately
low-riding, moderately lightweight all-terrain
runner with an exceedingly high-volume fit
(Sasquatches, rejoice!). Hard-packed trails
and winter roads rolled smoothly under the
Claw’s subdued lugs, although there is a fair
bit of stretch in the sidewalls, so the shoe
feels a bit loosey-goosey on rubble and rock.
THE VERDICT: A versatile road-trail cross-
over with a better kind of Gore-Tex. 10.8 oz
(men’s) / 8.7 oz (women’s); 8 mm drop

Saucony Peregrine 7 Ice+ $150

BEST FOR: Icy roads.
THE TEST: The marquee feature on this
winterized version of the Peregrine 7 is
Vibram’s sandpaper-like Arctic Grip tread
pads, specifically designed to glom onto
glassy, wet ice. The pads work surprisingly
well on those terrifying melt-freeze patches
you hit on otherwise dry pavement. On hard-
pack or slush, though, we still prefer an old-
fashioned set of carbide spikes and a luggier
outsole. The shoe itself is a champ—warm,
low-riding, and plushly comfortable, with a
thick tongue and decent water resistance, if
a somewhat lumbering feel.
THE VERDICT: In shoulder season, these
tacky soles shine. 9.4 oz (men’s) / 8.4 oz
(women’s); 4 mm drop

La Sportiva Uragano GTX $180

BEST FOR: Postholing.
THE TEST: What blizzard? To keep snow
out, La Sportiva sealed up the Uragano’s
heel collar with a stretchy, insanely comfort-
able integrated gaiter that’s more sock than
shoe. While the gaiter is only water-resistant,
the bottom of the shoe is armored with
waterproof Gore-Tex. With no tongue, the
shoe has a blissfully even and non-bunchy fit
across the instep. Normally we hate round
laces (they tend to come undone quickly),
but the Uragano’s are glove-friendly and
stow securely in a stretchy pocket, and the
foam padding across the top of the foot
takes the bite out of snowshoe straps. But
be aware: the fit can feel slim. Best to do
yourself a favor and buy half a size up.
THE VERDICT: An uncompromising foul-
weather friend. 12 oz; 10 mm drop

112 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | FITNESS

FIELD TESTED

COLD-WEATHER RUNNING

b d
a

h
i

Chilly with a Chance of Run

Don’t let the cold shut down your training
BY PETER VIGNERON

a. Altra Wasatch bunching, and wool offers vest or a base layer under empty, and two front allows you to swipe a
jacket $199 insulation and breath- a jacket. It’s so versatile, pockets mean layers and smartphone or watch
For snowy runs, a light- ability for lung-busting you might not take it off food are at hand and without exposing your
weight shell is essential. jaunts in the cold. all winter. (We didn’t.) close to the body for less digits to the chill.
But it needn’t be over- bouncing and jostling.
built. The Wasatch—with c. JLab Audio Epic e. Feetures Elite Light i. Sunday Afternoon
its waterproof mem- Air earbuds $150 Cushion socks $18 g. Black Diamond Elements II cap $32
brane, taped zippers Flexible silicone hooks These Elites are comfy— Sprinter Rechargeable The two-inch brim and
that shed light snow, and anatomically shaped no bulky toe seam—and headlamp $80 microfleece earflaps on
and ventilated armpits gel tips held the Epic come with a lifetime At 200 lumens, the this wind- and water-
that breathe when you’re Air snugly in place. Lack guarantee. Add them to Sprinter lights up trails resistant hat block snow
slogging uphill—hits the of wires made it easy your kit if you’re tired of on evening jogs, while the and keep ears warm.
sweet spot. to wear a single earbud blowing through expen- battery pack helps it stay
while keeping the other sive running socks. balanced on your head. j. Brooks Women’s
b. Smartwool PhD side free to pick up on- Rear red lights make you Threshold pants $90
Seamless boxer coming snowplows. f. Salomon S-Lab visible to cars. A functional choice for
briefs $48 Sense Ultra 5 cold days, the midweight
Merino wool and stretchy d. Ibex VT hoodie $135 hydration vest $140 h. The North Face Threshold should be in
nylon make Smartwool’s The 100 percent merino Hands down our favorite Runners 2 Etip every runner’s closet. We
Seamless ideal for layer- VT wicks moisture, never vest for long runs in gloves $30 especially like its low-
ing under tights or pants. smells, and works as any conditions. Its two Touchscreen compatibil- profile zip pockets and
The nylon prevents either a midlayer under a bottles compress when ity on these fleece gloves soft poly-spandex lining.

114 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | FITNESS

 FIELD TESTED

SNOWSHOES

a b

c d
Because of the high ankle straps,
the Motions should be worn
Shuffleboards with boots—not winter trail
Play atop the powder with runners—to prevent chafing.
these new decks
BY WHITNEY SPIVEY

a. Dion Model 120/Laser From $240 c. Yukon Charlie’s Carbon

Just when we thought Dion couldn’t lighten
its racing snowshoes any further, the com-
pany launched the Model 120, which sheds
even more ounces thanks to aircraft-grade
aluminum tubing. At only seven inches wide
and 20.5 inches long, the 120 doesn’t force
you to alter your stride. 1 lb
Flex Spin $190
Long snowshoes can feel clumsy, but the
Carbon Flex, at 5.2 pounds per pair, makes
breaking trail through the deep stuff a bit
easier. This 28-inch model offered the best
flotation of any we tested, with its rigid but
light hydrocarbon-polymer frame. 2.6 lbs

b. Crescent Moon Eva All-Foam $159 d. TSL Symbioz Motion $209

“A fat bike for your feet” is how one tester
described the Eva—the most intuitive snow-
shoe in our test, courtesy of its easy-to-use
Velcro bindings and simple, lightweight
design. Underneath, hard foam lugs act like
snow tires for a footprint that’s more lithe
trail runner than bulky snowshoe. 1.7 lbs
A ten-mile trek through New Mexico’s Jemez
Mountains was no challenge for the Motion,
which offers the right combination of con-
fidence and speed. The plastic frame flexes
over terrain, allowing for natural movement
while providing stability. A heel lift ensures
optimal boost when cranking uphill. 2 lbs

FITNESS | OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 115

UPGRADE

COLD-WEATHER CYCLING

g e

h
j

Through Bitterness and in Snow

Tools to prevent a breakup with your bike
BY AARON GULLEY

a. One Gore
Thermium
jacket $350
The Thermium is a virtual
miracle of insulation: it’s
thinner and lighter than
a sweatshirt but as
warm as a down puffy.
It breathes well, too, so
wearing it while going
hard didn’t result in moist
underlayers.
b. Giro Timberwolf
helmet $99
The Timberwolf’s insula-
tion, with a soft fleece
liner, is cozy and warm,
but it’s the helmet’s cli-
mate control that makes
it so effective. A switch
on the crown opens and
shuts the ten vents, mak-
ing it easy to regulate
your temperature and
keep out precipitation.
c. First Lite Minaret
Aerowool Crew
top $90
Though not as soft as
untreated merino, the
Minaret is the ultimate
base layer for winter
riding. The fibers are
infused with hydrophilic
particles that attract,
then vent, sweat, which
kept us drier—and hence
warmer—during intervals.
d. 45Nrth CobraFist
Pogie mitts $115
For truly frigid conditions
(think: subzero), you’ll
want to layer gloves un-
der these insulated mitts
that slip over handlebars
and lock into place. With
400-gram PrimaLoft
Gold fill, these are so
warm they have two
zippered vents that can
be opened to dump heat. bulk, and the stretch-grid toasty despite the sleek
If your hands are cold in fleece back allows heat profile. Plus, the big neo-
these, don’t ride. to escape. prene cuff cinches tight.
e. Garmin Edge 820 g. Adidas Sport i. Pearl Izumi P.R.O.
GPS $400 Eyewear Zonyk Aero Pursuit Cycling Bib
Accurate navigation is Pro sunglasses $199 tights $195
vital in winter, when a The wraparound Aero Pro With three-layer soft-
wrong turn could leave shades provide almost shell panels in the quads
you lost and frozen. We as much coverage as and seat, to ward off
rely on the 820, with a goggles, and they quash water, and lighter-weight
super-sharp color screen fogging, thanks to a fabrics elsewhere, these
and the most advanced removable brow pad that bottoms provided protec-
mapping software we’ve lets air circulate. Lenses tion from the elements
tried. Best of all, the can be subbed in and where we needed it.
touchscreen is operable out, but we found the
while wearing gloves. Blue Mirror best in snow. j. Rapha Winter
gloves $130
f. Assos iJ.tiburu h. Specialized A wind layer on the back
Evo7 jersey $239 Defroster Trail tempered stinging gusts
This midweight jersey is shoes $200 and kept us warm down
surprisingly warm, given The Defrosters aren’t to 20 degrees. The sleek
its thin, sheer fabrics. big or warm enough for cut and goatskin palms
A wind-repellent layer expedition riding, but, made fiddly tasks pos-
up front cuts the cold thanks to a thin layer of sible without going down
without adding much 400-gram fill, they’re to bare hands.

116 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | FITNESS


Ride On
Ski season what?
BY AARON GULLEY
Trail bikes aside, no mountain machine
adds more versatility to a fleet than a fat
bike. The wide tires provide stability and
flotation that will keep you riding through
mud season and winter, and the combina-
tion of modern geometries and suspension
forks has made fatties just as much fun for
shredding in dry conditions, especially on
rocky and sandy terrain.
The Fatback Corvus ($3,565 as
pictured) is the enthusiast’s choice, with
a pedigree that includes course records at
the Iditarod Trail Invitational. The current
version is slacker up front, for more confi-
dent descending, and shorter in the rear tri-
angle, for sprightlier pedaling. Yet it remains
one of the most stable-riding fatties we’ve
tried, which is important in snow, where
too quick handling can leave you spinning
angels in a drift. With the RockShox Bluto
FAT BIKES
fork, we smashed through rubbly descents
as quick as friends on full-suspension
rigs. Clearly designed for big adventure,
the Corvus has a trio of bottle cages and
bomber rack mounts out back for all your
gear-carrying needs. Fatback even makes
its own hubs, which are rated to withstand
temperatures down to minus 40 degrees.
If anything can handle more adventure
than the Corvus, it’s the Salsa Black-
borow ($2,799), the alloy overlander of fat
bikes. Built for utility, not speed, it accom-
modates four bottle-cage mounts and
three Anything mounts—two on the carbon
fork and one between the down tube and
rear wheel, a perfect spot for a skinny, ultra-
light tent. The custom rack is rated to 110
pounds, meaning it carries more than you
probably can, and Salsa’s decision to spec
the new SRAM GX1 Eagle, with a 50-tooth
FITNESS | OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018
FIELD TESTED
granny gear, makes hauling serious loads
possible. Despite the long wheelbase
and 36-pound weight, the Blackborow is
surprisingly deft; not only did it carve up
the backcountry for us, but with all those
mounts, it doubled as a killer city hauler.
Based on the price, it’s tempting to call
the Canyon Dude CF 8.0 ($1,999) entry
level, but the full-carbon frame and fork, DT
Swiss rims and hubs, and extra-wide four-
inch tires are high-quality features you’d
expect to find on pricier rigs. There’s even
a nifty chip at the rear dropouts that grows
and widens the stay length and spacing to
fit up to 4.8-inch rubber, further adding to
the bike’s all-terrain chops. Canyon wisely
chose a SRAM NX drivetrain, which gets you
affordable 1x11 simplicity, though we’d have
preferred a bigger granny gear than the
42-tooth ring that comes on this Dude.
117
UPGRADE

FITNESS TRACKERS

Get Smart
Dial in your—and your pet’s—training
BY BRENT ROSE
KILLER
VA LU E
a. TomTom Adventurer watch $349
Reasonably priced for a smartwatch, the
Adventurer packs in a lot of multisport bang
for your buck. It can be used for a wide range
of activities, including swimming and snow
sports, and it will display trails and routes
(though they have to be loaded manually).
It also comes with 3GB of music storage for
when you want to venture out sans phone.

b. Motiv ring $199

For those who prefer not having a screen
strapped to their arm, there is the Motiv, a
titanium-coated plastic ring. It’s got most
of the same sensors—such as an acceler-
a b ometer and optical heart-rate monitor—just
miniaturized, and it tracks many of the same
stats. We found it less obtrusive while also
impressively accurate, though you’ll need to
open the phone app to view your data.

c. HealBe GoBe 2 band $199

We’ll be the first to admit that the GoBe 2 is
pretty bulky and not particularly attractive,
but it does something no other tracker can:
monitor your caloric intake, using an imped-
ance sensor to estimate your skin’s glucose
levels. We were skeptical but found it actually
did the job well. The GoBe 2 keeps tabs on
metrics like hydration and stress levels, too.

d. Garmin Fenix 5X watch $700

This high-end smartwatch tracks roughly
a gajillion different activities, everything
from distance per SUP stroke to number of
snowboarding runs. Though our favorite part
is that it comes with full-color topo maps of
c d
the U.S., routable for hiking, cycling, and trail
running. It helped us find our way back to the
trailhead after a blistering trek in Arizona.

e. Whistle 3 pet monitor From $80

Gotta keep track of your four-legged family
members, too. Whistle 3 is a GPS tracker
that attaches to a pet collar, telling you how
much exercise and rest your dog or cat has
been getting, where they are anywhere in
the country, or if they leave a predetermined
area. Eighty bucks (plus a $7 monthly sub-
scription) is a small price for peace of mind.

f. Vi headphones $249
These Bluetooth headphones were designed
in collaboration with audio stalwart Harman
Kardon, so of course they sound good. But
the special sauce is the artificial-intelligence
running coach. Vi’s AI can monitor your ca-
dence (and have you run to a beat for more
e f efficiency), tailor workouts, and even advise
you when to hydrate.

118 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | FITNESS

 UPGRADE

HOME GYM

Sweat It Out
Pump up in the convenience a
of your own home
BY WES JUDD

a. Treadwall Kore Home climbing

wall $5,950
With 20 feet of total wall and nearly
300 possible hold placements, the
Kore Home lets you replicate nearly
any climbing problem in your living b
room. Six g’s nets you one of the best
full-body workouts we’ve had.

b. UrbnFit Balance board $30

Weak stabilizers—the small muscles
surrounding your joints—can lead to c
injury. Spending 15 minutes a day on
UrbnFit’s wooden board in the gym,
office, or kitchen builds strength.

c. NormaTec Pulse recovery

system $1,495 d
Some say overpriced indulgence;
we say critical recovery tool. The
Pulse boots zip around your legs for a
customizable massage, and we credit
them for several of our PRs.

d. Recoup Fitness Cold Massage

roller $40
Rollers are painful yet useful when it
comes to easing tight muscles. This
one will smooth out quads and ham- e
strings but is small, for targeted foot
and hip work, too. Pro tip: freeze it to
kill two recovery birds with one stone.

e. The North Face Litewave

Ampere II shoes $100
Yes, the Ampere II’s are light and
grippy enough for the trail, but the
stability and support of the lock-down
webbing and overlays is especially well f
suited to pounding out workouts.

f. Vava Voom 20 Bluetooth

speaker $60 g
Thanks to two internal subwoofers,
this water-bottle-size speaker abso-
lutely thumps. And it’s water-resistant,
so feel free to sweat on it.
h
g. Wahoo Kickr Snap bike
trainer $600
Adjust the Kickr Snap’s resistance—
and your workout intensity—from your
phone. Plus, the smart trainer works
with a bunch of third-party apps.

h. Picky Bars Chai and Catch Me

bar $28 for 10
These bars have a perfect four-to-one
carb-to-protein ratio and are packed
with almonds, dates, and honey.
FIELD TESTED

WINTER HIKERS

Walk On
No matter the weather
KILLER BY BERNE BROUDY
VA LU E
a. Oboz Bridger 10" Insulated
Waterproof $199
BEST FOR: Lasting forever.
Consider this boot if (a) you love to snow-
shoe and need 400-gram insulation for
warmth and a heelpiece to keep straps in
place, or (b) you work outside shoveling
snow all winter. We challenge you to wear
through its waterproof nubuck leather.

b. The North Face Ballard Duck

Boot $145
BEST FOR: Owning après.
With the Ballard, the North Face put its
unique spin on the classic duck boot. And
a b it performs, with a waterproof build that
fought off slushy puddles at a ski race and
200-gram insulation that kept us warm
while clearing snow off our car in below-
freezing temps but didn’t make us overheat
in a coffee shop.

c. Salewa Ultra Flex Mid GTX $190

BEST FOR: Early-winter hiking.
A mesh upper helps this kick breathe on still-
warm fall days, while a Gore-Tex liner keeps
things dry if you run into a storm. We loved
the speed-lacing setup, which was a breeze
to cinch and take off, as well as the rubber
heel rand, which totally eliminated blisters.

d. Salomon Snowcross 2 CSWP $200

BEST FOR: The committed runner.
If you hate the treadmill, look here. The
Snowcross 2 is a waterproof running shoe
welded to a zip-up waterproof gaiter, so
there’s no chance of snow leaking in even if
c d
you’re breaking trail through a foot of fluff.
Underneath, gnarly lugs gave us traction
even at a full sprint.

e. Hanwag Anvik GTX $260

BEST FOR: Winter commuting.
Hanwag took a great Gore-Tex boot, then
upgraded it for the city, with soft leather and
zero insulation, which enabled us to wear
them all day—inside and out—when paired
with a midweight merino sock. Bonus points
for the military-esque styling.

f. Muck Boot Arctic Ice $180

BEST FOR: Stupidly cold days.
There’s no better waterproof boot for those
who like to ice fish, hunt, gelande quaff—you
get the idea. Most of the warmth comes
from a fleece-lined upper made of five-
millimeter neoprene. Down in the midsole,
sleeping-pad-like thermal foam keeps cold
e f from creeping up. We also loved the Vibram
Arctic Grip outsole, which clings to wet ice.

120 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | FITNESS

 WOMEN’S

WINTER WORKOUT

a d

b c

e g

f
l

j
i k

Who You Calling a Snow Bunny?

Gear that can keep up, no matter how hard the efforts
BY STEPHANIE PEARSON

a. Kari Traa Svala d. Craft Repel f. The North Face h. CEP Progressive+ shaped buds ensure the
hoodie $80 jacket $175 Motivation Tech Merino socks $60 Decibullz won’t fall out
With a zip neck and a Windproof, waterproof, bra $50 These medical-grade while you’re running.
mesh back that wicks and breathable, this The T-back, front V-cut, compression socks have
sweat from your body, shell fat-biked with us and simple print combine a seamless toe to mini- k. Skida Alpine hat $36
this poly-wool hoodie fits on a blustery 18-degree to make a fun, flattering mize blisters, while the With generous coverage
like a second skin. midwestern day. Long sports bra that’s also merino wicks sweat and and bright floral patterns,
vertical vents in sweat highly functional, thanks keeps you warm. this warm fleece hat
b. Louis Garneau zones provided a much to the quick-drying makes subzero workouts
Method neck welcomed cooldown on polyester-elastane fabric, i. Seirus Solarsphere almost fun.
gaiter $19 steep hill repeats. molded cups, and wide- Brink gloves $50
The silky fabric on LG’s cut straps. Sunlight will warm the l. Dynafit SpeedFit
neck warmer is thick e. Hoka One One gloves’ hollow filament Dynastretch
enough to protect but not Speedgoat 2 trail g. Helly Hansen Lifa insulation, boosting the pants $180
so thick as to suffocate. running shoes $140 Merino Hybrid 3/4 inside temperature by These pants—with a
Hoka built these shoes Boot Top tights $90 up to 10 degrees. zippered, adjustable cuff
c. ProBar Chocolate on a new last with a This 100 percent and a wind-resistant
Cherry Cashew wider midsole and merino wool base layer j. Decibullz Custom- nylon soft-shell front—
Bites 12 for $24 a roomier toe box to warms legs without Fit earphones $120 are durable, warm, and
ProBar’s 1.6-ounce increase stability. The the annoying bulk or It takes only about 20 light. A stretchy waist
organic bars serve up 190 beefier outsole with bunching. The trick: minutes to custom- and brushed elastic in
calories in a yummy mix deep lugs coasted over flatlock seams and cuffs mold these slick Blue- back mean the Dyna-
of brown rice, dried cher- all kinds of terrain, from at midcalf that lock the tooth earbuds, creat- stretch moves with you
ries, and cashew butter. Arizona to Minnesota. tights in place. ing a precise fit. The on uphills.

FITNESS | OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 121

UPGRADE
GROOMING
a c
Wintry Mix
Up your skin-care game with
these cold-weather remedies
BY ALETA BURCHYSKI
a. Ecotools Dry body
brush $5
Dry brushing and cool showers
are the keys to scrubbing off
a day’s worth of ski-hill sweat
without leaving skin stripped
and itchy. Gently buff with these
synthetic bristles before you
jump in the shower, and keep
the water a hair colder than you
usually would while you soap up
and rinse off.
b. Brooklyn Grooming
Pilgrim’s facial serum $36
Think of this light oil as moistur-
izing winter armor for skin, hair,
and whiskers. It’s loaded with
122 OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 | FITNESS
fatty acids from pumpkin, hemp,
and carrot seeds and absorbs in
seconds with no trace of grease.
c. Lush Soak and Float
shampoo bar $15 and tin $4
Hats and helmets wreak havoc
on the scalp. Treat it to a scrub-
down with this bar full of flake-
and microbe-banishing cedar
and juniper oils. It’s good for the
rest of your gunky dermis, too.
d. MD Solar Sciences
Mineral Crème SPF 30
sunscreen $30
Zinc oxide is just as good for
chilling out your skin as it is for
blocking harmful UV rays. MD
Solar Sciences pairs it with silica
and green tea extract for a silky,
residue-free lotion that does
all that and also helps guard
against windburn.
e. Bite Beauty Agave
Lip mask $26
This sweet, sticky balm locks
onto lips and eradicates chap-
ping better than any stick of
wax. If the shiny look isn’t your
thing, slather it on before bed
and wake up to a crack-free
kisser; but if it is, this balm also
comes in flattering rose gold and
soft red tints.
f. Soapwalla Deodorant
cream $14
The cake-frosting texture takes
some getting used to, but the
mix of plant oils, baking soda,
and kaolin clay will keep you
(and your synthetic long johns)
fresh enough to pass the sniff
test for days on end.
g. Cocofloss Floss
Plan dental floss
subscription From $14
Make your New Year’s resolution
to floss more, then stick to it
with automatic deliveries of this
satisfyingly scrubby yet ultra-
gentle filament.
 HOW TO

GET IN SHAPE FOR SKI SEASON

Rip It, Rip It Good Your Week

Four simple exercises to build your Lindsey in Fitness
Vonn strength Keeping a varied
BY MEGAN MICHELSON routine will help
prevent burnout.
Sure, you could show up for your first day of skiing Hamstring Hell Here’s Wright’s
seven-day plan.
without doing a single squat or lunge beforehand. But, The name says it all. Find a bench, lie on your back
man, will everything from your lower back on down on the floor, and place your heels on the bench so
MONDAY:
ache. Not to mention you’re putting yourself at higher your legs are bent at 90 degrees. Lift your pelvis,
One-hour gym
risk of getting hurt. “Most injuries happen in the begin- extend one leg, and point your toes to the ceiling.
session, one-hour
ning of the season,” says Crystal Wright, a Freeskiing After 25 reps, turn onto all fours and do 25 donkey
bike ride
World Tour champ who’s now the owner of Jackson, kicks on the same leg—with knee bent, kicking your
TUESDAY:
Wyoming’s Wright Training. She recommends working foot up as high as it’ll go. Switch legs and repeat.
45-minute trail run
your entire body with a focus on your core, hamstrings,
WEDNESDAY:
and quads. For best results, do these exercises three
One-hour gym
days a week for two months before clicking into skis.
session, optional
bike ride
THURSDAY:
An hour in the gym,
half-hour run
FRIDAY:
Two-hour mountain-
bike ride
SATURDAY:
Climbing or a long
run or hike
SUNDAY:
Rest

Leg Blaster
“This is the best exercise that transitions into skiing day one,” says Wright.
“It’ll make you really sore, but it works.” Start with six rounds each of ten
squats, ten alternating lunges (step one foot forward into a lunge, step
back up, then switch legs), ten jump lunges, and five jump squats. By week
six, do seven rounds of 20 squats, 20 alternating lunges, 20 jump lunges,
and ten jump squats.

Jane Fonda
“The Jane Fonda is one of my favorite gluteus
medius exercises, which is a very important
stabilizer muscle for preventing lower-back and
knee pain,” says Wright. Lie on your right side
with your right arm tucked beneath your head.
This exercise involves four different, consecu-
tive movements; repeat the four as many times
as you can in 30-second intervals. First, raise
your left leg and lower it to the floor behind
your right leg, toe to heel. Second, bring your
left knee to your chest. Third, starting from a
straight-legged position, kick your left leg back-
wards to your butt. Finally, straighten your left
leg back out and move it in clockwise circles;
after 15 seconds, switch to a counterclockwise
direction. Switch sides and repeat the circuit.
Weighted Sit-Up
A simple, effective core workout.
Lie on your back, holding as much
weight as you can handle against
your chest. Do a full sit-up, extend-
ing your arms and pushing the
weight up to the ceiling. Repeat 20
times. “This is my favorite core exer-
cise, since it also helps strengthen
the back,” says Wright. Increase the
weight and reps as the weeks go by.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY CHRIS PHILPOT FITNESS | OUTSIDE BUYER’S GUIDE 2018 123

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PARTING SHOT

SHI GA KOGEN, JAPAN

Photograph by

GRANT
GUNDERSON

128 OUTSIDE WINTER BUYER’S GUIDE 2018

 The Explorer 650
Lighter weight with superior traction. Built for life outside.

EXPLORE MORE AT DANNER.COM

 THE FJÄLLRÄVEN WAY
Our founder Åke Nordin loved travel and exploration. To facilitate this
passion, he started creating gear and equipment for trekking, camping
and exploring the world and in 1960 he founded a company named after
his favorite animal, the Arctic Fox.

Today, as then, we design and test product in Sweden to be worn around

the world. On every continent and in every condition, from city to summit.

KEB ECO-SHELL / KEB TROUSER / KAJKA PACK / HANWAG ALASKA BOOT

fjallraven.us