For the gear snob that has pretty much everything, but wants to have the newest, lightest and greatest gear, the Patagonia Ultralight Down Hoody might just do the trick. The Ultralight Down Hoody is an 800 down fill jacket that works great as an outer layer and also works nice as under a shell for [...]
Waterproof and breathable has been marketed for many years now, but you know just as well as I do that waterproof and breathable haven’t really gotten along all that well in the past. For this fall/winter, Marmot is utilizing a new fabric by Polartec called Neo Shell. Most people know Polartec for its fleece [...]
Not knowing how the weather will act in Colorado can be a difficult challenge when deciding on layers for going out. If you wear your down jacket you might be too hot, and a fleece might not be enough warmth. That’s where the Mountain Hardwear Lado jacket comes in. The Lado Jacket packs a lot [...]
Whether you’re passionate about finding a cure for breast cancer, love the activity of snowshoeing, or just curious about this growing activity, the Tubbs Romp to Stomp is an event worth taking a look at. I recently raced the 3k race in Frisco, CO at the Romp to Stomp and I had some time to [...]
Before wearing the Powderhorn Gunpowder jacket, I thought all puffy jackets were the same: warm, lightweight and fragile. I would grab a puffy jacket on very cold days when I had no intention of being near trees or other pointy things that could snag a delicate coat. Now I grab my Powderhorn in nearly all [...]
As backcountry and sidecountry skiing is gaining in popularity, it has many skiers thinking about switching or upgrading their bindings and ski setup. I recently had the chance to test out a Dynafit setup that included; STOKE ski’s, skin’s, ZZERO4 C TF Boots, and TLT Vertical ST bindings. I only tested this setup for a [...]
POW is a Seattle based glove company that produces three major hand wear lines: ski, bike, and golf. This ski season we have had a few testers wearing the POW Feva glove, designed for women. For starters, our tester felt that the sizing was a bit snug; while testing out a medium, she was wishing [...]
Finding a down jacket that is fashionable and functional is fortunately a lot easier these days than in the past. Thanks to companies like Descente, we now have options. The Puffy Elle by Descente is a good example and provides extreme warmth in a fun package. The Puffy Elle features “superlight down fabric” for insulation. [...]
Every year at SIA, the best and the brightest get together to show off their wares and vie for the honor of marketing all their gear to none other than you and me. For those of you who don’t know, this isn’t just your typical meet and greet with a bunch of booths, marketing dudes, [...]
Over the past few months, I’ve been testing out the Arcteryx Stingray jacket in activities such as backcountry skiing, resort skiing, snowshoeing, and cold weather hiking. As most of us know by now, Arcteryx has a history producing products of great quality and innovation, and the Stingray jacket is no exception. And while I have [...]
If Vail, Beaver Creek, or Dear Valley are the ski resorts you only frequent, we might have found the jacket for you! The Enigma Flow Down Jacket by Helly Hansen is packed full is features and technology that isn’t available in the majority of jackets on the market, but we must caution you, this jacket [...]
The Obsidian Jacket is Mountain Hardwear’s answer to the technical backcountry shell. The jacket is highly breathable and waterproof, making it a great outer piece in inclement weather. It is also cut with room for adding layers underneath, which is essential for any shell. I tested the jacket as both a ski shell and a [...]
If you haven’t heard of Looptworks, it’s time, www.looptworks.com. The Portland, Oregon, company started in 2009, and uses pre-consumer manufacturing excess materials to create quality, limited-edition products. In addition to creating unique and functional products from t-shirts, to computer bags to coats, Looptworks ‘aims to rid the world of waste while inspiring a generation to [...]
Whether you are heading into the backcountry of the Rocky Mountains or snowshoeing on a groomed trail, it is important to find a snowshoe that fits your style of snowshoeing and that you can depend on. With the gaining popularity of the activity, more and more snowshoe companies are starting to enter the market. I [...]
When buying insulated jackets I have always thought the puffier the better. So naturally when I got my hands on Mountain Hardwear’s Lunetta Jacket I was more than skeptical. However, thanks to the Thermic Micro insulation I no longer have to walk around looking like the Michelin Man to stay warm. In fact for 15 [...]
Outdoor Research touts their Women’s Remote Glove as their warmest glove within the newly created sidecountry product category. Sidecountry gear is designed for those that may stretch the limits of their resort skiing and take an occasional backcountry or out of bounds adventure. The Remote Glove is available in Men’s and Women’s models. As a [...]
Whether it is long sweeping turns on a stretch of fresh courdory, skating down the last run of the day, or hitting a powder stash in the trees, the Salomon Origins Topaz skis are ready to take the challenge. The Origins Topaz skis were the only skis we used for the first snowy month of [...]
As we are in the height of winter and temperatures have become bone chilling and wet snow and slush are abundant, it’s nice to have a boot that can keep us warm and dry, yet fashionable. I’ve been testing out the Sorel 1964 Premium T CVS Boots over the past few months and although they [...]
Whether you are spring skiing in warmer weather conditions or plowing waist deep POW, having a well ventilated helmet can turn a good day into a great day. Skiing or snowboarding with a helmet on can sometimes get really hot in certain conditions and having a helmet that can help regulate the heat around your [...]
Mountain Hardwear bills the Pyxis jacket as a lightweight fleece jacket that flatters the body with feminine lines and athletic fit. True, but the Pyxis is so much more! On brisk fall days it acts as the perfect stand alone jacket, and when the temperature starts to drop just throw a shell over it and [...]
The Smith I/O is my new goggle of choice for my days on the ski hill. They combine great style with functionality and Eco-friendliness. The Evolve series is Smith’s answer to the green movement and attempts to lower the company’s impact on the environment by using recycled and sustainable materials in the product line. Even [...]
In 2009, Smith Optics introduced the I/O’s, a rimless and interchangeable goggle. New for 2010, Smith has released the I/OS which have many of the same great features as the I/O goggles, but have a small to medium fit. Both the I/O and I/OS are a part of Smith Optics spherical series, which incorporates their [...]
With many performance ski’s out on the market and the explosion of the fatty ski market, it seems like some manufactures have missed one category, the category in between!. As I ski the mountains about 40 times a year, I notice there are a lot of people that like to carve, but there are more [...]
