Believe it or not, we’re talking about backcountry ski gear. Specifically, avalanche safety gear. With hundreds of products on the market these days it’s hard to know what it all does, and just what it is that you really need when you’re skiing beyond the boundaries. A shovel, beacon, and probe are [...]

Never in my entire life have I had a comfortable pair of ski boots. My feet are wide and high-volume, my calves are big, and I have pain-in-the-ass navicular bones on the inside of my ankles, among other problems.

I’ve tried everything, but nothin

One of my favorite new additions to my backcountry kit is not a piece of gear at all, but a good cup of coffee.

I’m an addict, and I freely admit it. I need to have a cup of coffee in the morning before I can do just about anything. And there are

We’re headed up to the east side of Yosemite this weekend for a quicky overnight in the Tioga Pass region. So I went out to the local REI to pick up the topo map for the area.

I always bring a topo map and compass on all trips into the backcountry

A law requiring kids to wear ski helmets was vetoed by Gov. Brown on Wednesday, just as his predecessor Gov. Schwarzennegger did almost a year ago.

An old-hand democrat, the Governor strikes a particularly Libertarian tone, saying:

“While I app

Now this is interesting. Everyone from casual gym climbers to hard-core alpinists is familiar with locking carabiners.

They come in two styles (the screw locker and the auto-locker), both of which have always been a pain in the butt. The screw l

When it comes to mountain bike ride in Tahoe, or the summer day hike on Mt. Tam, the Camelbak or “hydration system” is a no brainer.  It’s simple, convenient, and a great way to stay hydrated while on the go. However, when it comes to the mul

Every season the question is asked. “What do you carry in your ski pack?” Here, again, the answer is: “It depends.” Winter conditions? Spring conditions? Doing a single day or multi day mission? Steep skiing or mellow corn harvesting?  Doing a

The Brooks Range Mountaineering Cirro Jacket is one choice among many (including Marmot’s Baffin and Patagonia’s Nano Puff) in the ultralight synthetic insulation category. I love these jackets for the simplicity and versatility.

They’re great f

Point-of-View (POV) cameras have become nearly ubiquitous in outdoor sports these days. At ski resorts and in the backcountry, in particular, they have become standard equipment. See GoPro and Contour for the leading gear options.

Mostly their use