Apr 19 2011
First Impressions – April 2011 What struck me first was the deep blue hue. For 2011, that’s the color of Colltex’ 65/35 Mohair/Nylon mixed plush. More than that though it was nice to see a simple, solid-colored plush that wasn’t too bold, yet was distinctive. The next thing I was relieved to notice was that …
Apr 14 2011
After four years of comparing various climbing skins side by side it was time to settle on my fave pair. The choice was easy. Black Diamond’s Glidelite nylon climbing skins had excellent grip, decent glide, weren’t immune to icing but were less prone to it than G3’s Expedition skins, Colltex’ nylon skins, and especially Low-Fat …
Apr 12 2011
As one who came late to the front rockered ski party, I’ve had just over a season on a pair of Voile Drifters, and finally came to appreciate the early tip rise in powder, crust, sastrugi, spring mank and even windbuff. As the Drifter is truly a fat powder ski, I was curious to see …
Apr 09 2011
First Impressions Conditions were suspect for my maiden voyage on Voile’s Vector ski with their Switchback X2 binding. Nonetheless they delivered admirable performance. A good six inches of heavy snow had fallen a day earlier. The skies cleared the night before and temperatures dropped into the single digits (F) causing the surface to dry out …
Apr 04 2011
Tip and tail kits on the other hand, are consistent in their performance over time and varying snow conditions regardless of the plush or glue. They make attaching and removing climbing skins easier.
Apr 01 2011
There are lots of pieces of specialized gear that are nice to have and can enhance your time adventure skiing. Climbing skins enhance the experience so dramatically that they are practically essential for backcountry skiing.
Mar 30 2011
After years of carrying all manner of compact – and not so compact – ratcheting screw drivers, Swiss Army knives, and multi-tools into the field, I serendipitously stumbled across what might be the perfect screwdriver set for individuals or groups who want a real screwdriver in the field but wince at having to schlep anymore …
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