C Dostie

Author's posts

Review: Marker’s Kingpin

Marker Kingpin managed a season and, aside from some production issues with the toe pins falling out, the overall impression of the binding is positive. In fact, thanks to Lou Dawson drawing attention to the pins falling out, that’s one thing you can count on not failing from here on out. Cross your fingers just …

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Review: BCA’s Tracker 3 avalanche transceiver

  In case you hadn’t noticed, there hasn’t been any earth shattering news in the world of avalanche transceivers lately. By and large, the revolution in digital processing and multiple antenna technology begot by Backcountry Access’ original Tracker DTS appears to have run its course. In the last five years, most of the improvements to …

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Redux: Ortovox recalls S1+ (again!)

While cruising the recent Outdoor Retailer Summer trade show, Ortovox reps asked me to remind S1+ users to observe the ongoing recall and the need to send their beacon in to be fixed. Based on results so far, very few actual customers have returned their S1+ beacons to be fixed. All the S1+ beacons pending …

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Notes from Outdoor Retailer Summer 2015

  Another Summer Outdoor Retailer show has come and gone. For the second year in a row it was not sweltering hot in Salt Lake City during the first week of August. Whew. As a backcountry skier there isn’t much product to be dazzled by at the summer show, but there’s always stuff worth checking …

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It’s about the Tour, NOT the Turn

It didn’t take long to figure out that turns taste sweeter when you earn them. After all, the more you pay for something the better it is supposed to be, even if you have to trick yourself into believing that to justify the cost difference. On the whole though, a product cannot sustain a higher …

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First Look: Spark R&D Dyno hardboot binding

The vast majority of snowboarders prefer soft boots for the same reason I prefer tele boots over alpine boots — comfort. Unfortunately when you need mountaineering versatility soft boots don’t perform the way hard plastic boots do. True, hard plastic boots don’t perform in soft snow the way soft boots can, and soft snow is …

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BD recalls first year JetForce® packs

A voluntary recall has been announced by Black Diamond, Inc. of all first generation JetForce® avalanche safety airbag packs sold under the Black Diamond, Pieps, and POC brand names. According to a letter by Peter Metcalf, the CEO, President and Founder of Black Diamond Equipment, the recall affects all packs using BD’s JetForce® technology sold …

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