I had the luxury of testing out the Refuge Air in a wide range of conditions. When I first received the jacket I took it backpacking up into Chicago Basin in Southwest Colorado for some peak bagging, followed by ice…
The fire crackles awake in the wood stove as ski boots shuffle across the aged wood floor. We pack our bags quietly as coffee brews in the pre-dawn hours. This story repeats itself time and time again every winter: put…
The Tank-7 is a well-built goggle that performs in a broad range of conditions while excelling in the backcountry. Having a wide field of view for its slightly smaller fit allows for a quality user experience as well as easy…
Permanence • Performance • Environment. That’s what DPS PHANTOM 2.0 is all about. If someone asks you about DPS PHANTOM wax, be sure and tell them that it is NOT WAX. DPS PHANTOM 2.0 is an innovative and permanent, wax-less…
“If you don’t like the weather, just wait 10 minutes.” This is a common saying about Colorado’s mercurial weather. The weather is not easy to layer for. From August through October, I tested an Icebreaker Layering System in temperatures ranging…
Looking for a versatile, insulated jacket to romp in the mountains with? Look no further than the Black Yak Nelore Jacket. Throughout my years of climbing it has become more and more apparent that layering is paramount for performance and…
With the nicest handles and flick lock mechanism, it is clear to see why the Sceptor Carbon poles from Backcountry Access are my new favorite poles for ski touring and ripping pow in the backcountry. With the mountains getting pounded by…
Faction’s Prime 3.0 ski is a well-rounded, hard-charging freeride ski. It is durable, maneuverable, and stable at high speeds. Its lightweight and stiff flex make it a go-to mid-winter backcountry ski. Performance I had the pleasure of testing and skiing…
Do you ever get a new piece of gear that suddenly replaces everything you had before it, leaving past gear staples to collect dust in a closet or garage? The BlackYak Nelore Jacket has done just that for me. Now…
I first heard about DPS Phantom Base Treatment when one of the main engineers in creating Phantom came out to tell a group of splitboard testers about the new treatment. Following, although barely, through the loads of chemistry, engineering, and…