Gearzilla » Backcountry Skiing

EZ Fit Snow Insoles

nborchelt — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 13:00:58 +0000

ezfitinsoles.com
Nothing ruins an epic day on the mountain faster than aching feet after the first few runs. The solution—buying a new pair of ski or snowboard boots—certainly tantalizes. But the problem could very well be your footbed—the removable foot-shaped pad (insole) that sits directly under your foot in the boot. That’s where EZ-Fit comes in. Application is a breeze: free the old factory insoles from inside your boots, use them as a pattern to trim the Snow insoles with a sharp pair of scissors, then drop ‘em in. They start to mold to the contours of your feet the moment you put on the boots.You’ll quickly notice better stability, less foot fatigue and improved control on edging and power transfer. The cushioning and comfort provided also helps you avoid pain in the foot, knee, hip, and lower back, breathing new life into your ski and snowboard boots—and hopefully to your next outing to the slopes.

Sierra Designs Discovery 30 Backpack

nborchelt — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 08:00:58 +0000

www.sierradesigns.com, two lbs, 12 oz
This is a great pack for an overnight or long weekend. Its 30 liters of storage proved roomy enough to hold a tent, small sleeping bag, and food. The pack fits quite well on a medium-length torso, with seemingly endless adjustment possibilities. Due to a perforated 3-D framesheet that keeps the pack off your back, there’s little to no sweat build-up, even on sweltering summer days and uphill slogs. Our testers carried a 25- to 35-pound loads through scrub oak thickets and fallen deadwood without issue, attesting that the pack’s durable, nylon-coated pack-bag won’t rip or shred. A thermo molded hipbelt and lightly cushioned shoulder straps are easy to adjust, providing a hot spot-free carry over rough terrain. One tester wished for lash straps on the bottom of the pack for additional room for a bag or sleeping pad on longer trips, but after packing light for long weekends, was glad he didn’t have bulky items swinging around and compromising the pack’s sleek design. The pack comes with a removable rain cover, although our tester had a tough time fitting it back in the mini pocket on the bottom of the pack.
-Adam Devitt

K2 Pilchuck Kit Backpack

nborchelt — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 08:00:27 +0000

www.k2skis.com
I need a backpack that I can forget I am wearing, otherwise, I may choose to forget to wear it. K2′s Pilchuck Kit keeps my rescue shovel and aluminum avy probe close enough to my body that it does not affect balance or require removal on a chairlift. This is the pack that I use for in-bounds pow skiing and sidecountry skiing, often at times when I’d contemplate going with out. I now have no excuse for preparedness–and I don’t wish that I did. The included Rescue Shovel can lock the shovel blade at 90 degrees, which I use for digging out my car in the morning and testing snow in a pit, and the handle is long enough that my back thanks me after I finish building a jump take-off. It also has features that I hope to never use, like ability to build a rescue sled and a metal blade burly enough to hack through hard avalanche debris to save a buried friend. The avalanche probe is stiff, strong, and as light as anything on the market, and I hope to never use it. It all comes in a minimalist backpack that is strong and simple. I strap my skis to it for hiking, and stash an energy bar or two inside for when the powder warrants skipping lunch.
-JT Holmes

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Coghlan’s Storm Matches

nborchelt — Fri, 25 May 2012 08:00:11 +0000

www.coghlans.com
These matches definitely qualify as a must-have survival item, but damned if they’re also a lot of fun to…just burn. Wind and waterproof, developed specifically for the UK Ministry of Defense, and NATO-approved, they work as advertised. We submerged a few in water and they took a flame moments later in a powerful display of sputtering fire. Then we tried to blow ‘em out. No go. They’re like the trick birthday candles that re-light themselves, except these matches burn with serious intensity for ten full seconds, and are perfect for starting fires in the harshest of conditions. The waterproof case includes 25 matches with two striking surfaces

Smith Optics Maze Helmet

nborchelt — Mon, 21 May 2012 08:00:55 +0000

www.smithoptics.com, 11.5 ounces
Smith’s Maze is the world’s lightest certified snow helmet. I prefer it to any helmet I have ever used because it looks cool, keeps my ears and head warm, and it can be stripped down for warmer missions or for wearing a beanie or balaclava underneath. It has less venting and airflow features than other helmets, but that adds to its clean look and warmth in storm days. Often, airflow features open and get crammed with snow and ice in the event of blowing snow or high-speed tomahawks in powder. The straps are adjustable and allow me to cinch the forehead down for high-speed use like wing suit flying and ski racing, or to simply be sure to eliminate dorky looking “goggle gap.” We used these helmets during the filming of Transformers 3 while flying wing suits in downtown Chicago and we looked and felt pretty bad-ass when doing so.
-JT Holmes

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Kiehl Cross-Terrain UV Face Protector SPF 50 Sunscreen

nborchelt — Mon, 14 May 2012 08:00:09 +0000

www.kiehls.com
This is best sun protection for a mountain man on the face of the planet. I live with five-o’clock shadow and sunscreen creams just don’t rub in well, they make me look like a grey-haired ghost. Keihl’s Cross-Terrain applies quick and clear and comes in a burly hockey puck-style container that I can leave in my pack or pocket to get smashed around during a tumble or a long travel and won’t leak or burst open make a mess. Its viscosity provides protection from extreme winds and is a worthy lip balm, so I don’t have to carry two items. In a pinch, after weather forced a retreat from Half Dome, I used it to lubricate some extremely chaffed body parts and found some clutch relief. SPF 50 means I put it on once, even at the highest altitudes, during the longest surf sessions and in the most extreme elements.

-JT Holmes

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K2 Sidestash Skis

nborchelt — Mon, 07 May 2012 08:00:14 +0000

www.k2skis.com, four pounds, nine ounces
This is a one-ski quiver that will never let you down. Its 108mm waist is coupled with a traditional tail, giving it reliability on firm snow and on the steeps as well as a predictable landing platform, while the all-terrain rocker in the tip gives you enough floatation to hang with any crew on even the deepest powder days. I traveled with the Sidestash as my only ski while competing on the entire Freeride World Tour in 2010, and it got me through steep, boney French competition venues, heavy pow days in Russia, and icy groomers in Switzerland. At home in Squaw Valley, where I have an arsenal of skis to choose from, go still with the Sidestash 95 percent of the time because I know I can charge those first few untracked runs and not have to switch up to a skinnier, less-rockered ski for the afternoon crud.

-JT Holmes

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Marmot Leadville Soft Shell Jacket

nborchelt — Fri, 04 May 2012 08:00:11 +0000

marmot.com, 1.02 pounds
The Leadville has been in Marmot’s line for years—with good reason. As one seasoned tester reports, it’s risen to the top of his go-to list for soft shell jackets in cool temps and variable conditions (aka: this jacket is the Holy Grail for gearheads). The Gore-Tex Windstopper fabric locks out averse weather in a variety of activities, from spring skiing in Utah corn to biking in Scotland to hiking through the biting winds of the Andes. It also proves to be about 80 percent waterproof, which is enough to handle all but monsoon-like conditions (though, as with most water-resistant soft shells, the jacket will eventually soak through after an hour of moderately persistent drizzle). The inner panels (under the arms and along the torso, as seen by the differently-colored fabric) are constructed from a slightly lighter mix of poly and elastane, offering additional breathability and stretch. The pocket construction, including two zippered handwarmers, is the execution of simple versatility. A draw string at the hem increases protection against truly foul weather, and the mid-height collar is lined with kitten-soft microfleece. The partially elastic sleeve cuffs fit snugly, with Velcro tabs to really lock them down. Gauntlet-style gloves, which pull over the cuffs, fare best, though one tester was able to routinely tuck his lightweight gloves under the cuffs and bike and hike without gaps. For temps at 50 degrees and up, the Leadville may prove a bit too warm, especially if you’re exerting yourself. But for mild to cold weather, this jacket is tops. Refreshingly, little has changed since the jacket first premiered; the logos are now reflective (a nice touch for urban cyclists and runners), and the color schemes have gotten a bit brighter. But even if you go with the flashy orange hue, rest assured that that near-florescent color will become subdued over years of reliable use.

Garmont Masterlite Thermo Ski Boot

nborchelt — Tue, 01 May 2012 08:00:55 +0000

Editor’s Note: This is the first post in a running series where we ask professional athletes to highlight a few of their all-time favorite pieces of outdoor and travel gear. First up? JT Holmes–skier, BASE jumper, wing suit flier, outdoor pioneer, and all-around great guy.

www.garmont.com, two pounds, 11 ounces
At 1,150 grams Garmont’s Masterlite is one of the lightest ski boots in existence, and it skis above its weight class. It has a patented Pebax Webframe shell that is thin yet strong, rigid, and ultra-light. It comes stock with a liner that you custom mold easily in your own oven to provide a fit that is comfortable and surprisingly warm for the liner’s thinness. The diagonal placement of the lower buckle eliminates the need for a third buckle and adds to the boots ease of use and simplicity. Since I often tour with the extra weight of airborne toys, it is essential that the rest of my set up be as light as possible, but I can’t sacrifice the reliability on high-speed landings and steep skiing. The Masterlite is the first boot that I have owned that totally kicks ass going uphill, but does not give me “gear fear” for the descent. I credit the shim in the back that gives me just enough support in the back seat as well as the power strap, which they kept fairly normal, so I can crank it down just before I drop to achieve the support I need. The Masterlite won my heart when it provided critical landing support on fast and firm speed riding landings off the North Face of Aguille Du Midi and then allowed me to walk comfortably for a few hours while descending a dry forest and hoofing it back to town to eat and après.

-JT Holmes

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EZ-Fit Insoles

nprichard — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 08:00:38 +0000

ezfitinsoles.com; 2 ounces
Custom insoles can make the difference between performance and pain. They can also be incredibly expensive. Masterfit’s EZ-Fit Insoles are a solution that provides miles and miles of comfort at an affordable price. Cheap shoes have sewn-in footbeds, but performance footwear generally comes with a removable insole; shoe manufacturers realize that runners, skiers, hikers, and other athletes immediately pull out these cheap, flimsy factory insoles and replace with ones that provide real support and cushioning. One Bend, Oregon-based tester wears insoles 90 days a year in ski boots, and twice that in hiking and running shoes. Her top choice for support and all-day comfort? Masterfit’s EZ-Fit insoles. Rather than requiring you to go to a boot fitter (which we still heartily recommend, especially when you buy new ski or hiking boots), the EZ-Fit insoles can be trimmed at home for a perfect fit. The insoles then quickly adapt to your individual arch and heel shape to provide maximum comfort, stability, and performance. The insoles have “Contour Domes” that ring the heel pocket base—they automatically adjust to the volume of your heel for a snug fit—whether you’re foot is super thin or ultra-wide. The body of the insole is a multi-layered EVA, with a contoured arch that automatically adapts to provide just the right amount of support. Underneath the heel and forefoot are shock pads and a forefoot cushion for a smooth, pain-free stride.
EZ-Fit Terra is designed for running and hiking footwear; EZ-Fit Snow is designed for ski, snowboard and mountaineering boots