Category: Gear

Skeats — Strap-on ski crampons

Skeats™ are small crampons that connect to the bottom of your skis, over and in addition to a pair of climbing skins. They’re attached via a bungee strap around your skis, with the cone shaped teeth pointing down and puncturing the surface of hard snow. The video I saw on Facebook was undeniable proof they …

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The State of 2-pin Telemark Bindings

Telemark Tech bindings are here to stay. The 2-pin connnection When Mark Lengel first proposed the idea of the Telemark Tech System (TTS) skepticism was the typical response. That’s a near universal first impression of the confidence inspired by the lowly 2-pin tech toe, also known by its founding brand name, Dynafit, or other terms …

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Stoked Stix – better than ‘bucks

Ordinarily instant coffee is reserved for road trips and backcountry tours. However, it only took one sample cup of Stoked Stix for me to modify my daily routine. In fact, I sort of sabotaged my original plan, which was to use Stoked Stix instant coffee on a five day tour along the crest of the …

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First Look: Marker’s Alpinist 2-pin binding

Marker has built a reputation for building alpine bindings with superior performance. Typically that means downhill performance – as in a binding that delivers a solid connection between the boot and the ski, but also knows when to let go. Marker’s new Alpinist 2-pin tech bindings maintain the alpine connection, but this time the performance …

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Review: Scarpa Maestrale RS2
—a worthy upgrade

Although Scarpa put in a little overtime to improve the performance of their legendary Maestrale boot line, the part they tout the most in this second version (RS2) is the improvement you’ll notice the least — the lateral stiffness. There’s no denying the torsional rigidity of the boot has been improved by infusing the back …

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Review: Scarpa TX-Comp 2018

  The common theme among aficionados of burly tele boots is their lack of sensitivity. Not the skiers, the boots. As a powder pig sensitivity is a boot quality I revel in, but I’m no tele charger. Not by burly boot standards. However, that lack of sensitivity is really only an indication that boots like …

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Ski Review: Black Diamond Helio 88

  Now that the pendulum is swinging back from the fringes of phat skis to moderately wide skis, what used to called fat but is now even skinny, Black Diamond’s Helio 88 should perk your interest. It’s a solid ski that lets you minimize weight without sacrificing good performance. Of course, a lot depends on …

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