black diamond does it again. great little accessory for keeping the skis attached to you. i was very skeptical these would work. the leashes that come with dynafit bindings are terrible. they get in the way, are tough to dial in the length, etc. these are super simple but i needed the dynafit attahment to get them on the toe piece just right. so i've attached them to the girth hitched ring that come with dynafit.

the best part ~ they are super easy to get on and off with gloves. that is HUGE!

i got this jacked two years in a row as part of the montrail ultrarunning team kit. two years ago it didn't have a hood. i found the coat great, but this version is even better with the hoodie. it's perfect for cold morning snowy runs. it's got just enough breathability and the bomber wind stopper. i have started wearing it as my main jacket for backcountry skiing. skinning uphill in this jacket is just perfect. if it gets windy i put the hood on and go. it's got the thumb holds that give you that extra bit of hand warmth. i just throw a puffy on when i get to the top.. it's a thing of gear layering beauty.

full disclosure i got one to use as a pacer from petzl. the light is absolutely amazing. i've used a lot of lights and this is by far and away the brightest, even when compared to $500 bike lights. my bottom line: it's an amazing light. i would not use it during a race because it's heavy. i will use it to pace friends in races however. it might be the best pacing light on earth... but it's drastically over priced.

Backpacker's Take on it:
"If you were the first kid on the block to buy a JetBoil, a SPOT, and a folding titanium spork–and your money wasn't invested in AIG–check out the Ultra. This insanely bright and comically expensive searchlight employs the most advanced outdoor LED circuitry currently available, quadrupling the effective distance of standard headlamps. It's easily the brightest lamp we've tested, rivaling the power of some HID mountain-biking lights; even on the lowest of its three settings, you'll flood your tent or kitchen area with brilliant, shadow-free light. Which begs the question: If you're going to drop $430 on a headlamp–a headlamp!–shouldn't it come with mounts for your helmet and handlebars? It's more illumination than most people need for hiking and mountaineering, and it's too expensive not to offer more versatility. It's not light, either, and burn time on the rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack ranges from just two to 15 hours. But if money is no object, go ahead–be brilliant. $430; 12.2 oz"

great socks. i've gotten frostbite before so my toes are super sensitive. these socks feel great and they keep my feet warm. like rockiesgear said you can't feel the seem because it's flat.

like any teko sock they just last longer than smartwool or other brands in this space. and teko is also a stewart of the environment so you can feel good about buying them.

"best socks on the planet, best socks for the planet".

if you are someone who skins up and skis down these are the best softshell pants i've ever had. they breath on the way up. are think enough for just hanging out and having lunch with a puffy on. and for almost any condition they provide enough wind and cold protection. the thigh pockets are my favorite. fold over pockets with just an inch of velcro. i can get food out of them without taking my gloves off. they fit well. they have just enough inner cuff protection from your ski edge and they are super durable.

in 2 seasons of skiing in these pants there has only be maybe 2 days i wished i had worn gortex. if it's super windy then more pant might be applicable. but for most days of skinning up and skiing down these are the perfect ski pants.

love this jacket. it's the warmest jacket i own. it comes with me on in the backcountry. it packs down small in the backpack and is great when the temps are super cold. the pockets are lined which is nice. i wanted it as light as possible so although i'm a medium i bought a small and it's fine. just feels a bit short by the waist. to keep it light, the outter shell material can puncture easy. so far in 2 years i've had to patch one hole that was letting feathers out. quick and easy to fix though.

tight, tough and they can be used as an extra avalanche probe. they actually stay the length i set them to as well. the swing weight feels nice too. solid piece of gear

all the things you need to analyze the snow pack packed into a nice little pouch. i love this thing.

this one is a hard review for me. it really depends on your needs and intended use. for a road runner and road cyclist this could be a great tool to keep accurate track of your distance. i've found that in the wide open this thing works like a charm and keeps very accurate mileage, with few connectivity issues. i used this to track my mileage on a two day mtn bike ride of the Kokopelli trail (http://bit.ly/1947we) and it was spot on... until the battery died. which reminds me i found the battery life disappointing.for the adventure athlete who spends most of their time in the backcountry this unit is.. well.. useless. it just doesn't stay connected enough to give you any meaningful data. i wish it did.

got these as a gift and i love them. they are great a snowy camp. however the out sole isn't designed for heavy outdoor usage. i just rode the kokopelli trail in two days. we camped at dewey bridge and left some camp gear there, these included. i slept in them and they kept my feet comfy all night. i neve slept in them... warm.

this has been a great multi-purpose long sleeve for me. it's great for winter running. but i think i've worn it most for ski mountaineering. solid piece. had i not just tested the "natural antimicrobial properties" of wool i would have thought that was BS. however, this weekend i ski toured saturday and soaked the shirt to the bone. then woke up on sunday and put it back on for running.. and really, it didn't stink AT ALL. kind of amazing.the only knock on this shirt is that it could be more durable... but that is what you get with a lightweight shirt i suppose.

quick and dirty: the watch is awesome. you can customize 2 views to see all the data you want. it's altimeter is the best in the business. the heart rate monitor works great, but the chest strap is poorly designed and will break. the little clasp will break without a doubt. mine just broke. i would not buy this multisport pack because of the gps unit. it doesn't work in tree cover. it gobbles batteries like crazy. i used it mtn biking the kokopelli trail and the battery died. a few days later with new batteries it worked great for riding the white rim in a day... next ride the battery died. i think that is the nature of gps units = battery hogs. note that both of those trails have zero tree cover. so the unit worked great. but it's not worth the price. buy the suunto t6c, it comes with the heart rate monitor and it's a great watch. then buy the foot pod, it always works for telling you pace and mileage and doesn't gobble batteries.

just finished testing these during a 16 miler in the Wasatch mtns. Nov 1st run up Neff's Canyon to Mill Creek and then up and out Mount Granduer. they took a beating on some snowy bushwhacking sections and did great. kept my hands really warm. not being the most burly gloves on the market i thought they would disintegrate during an extended bushwhack section of grabbing trees and shrubs, etc. i was wrong. they are no worse for wear. i found them super comfy and would be a great ski glove liner too.

the foot pod is awesome. it's small and light and i don't even notice it on my shoe. it's super accurate and you can calibrate it via the suunto watch you have paired it with. i find that there are slight calibration differences for road vs. trail running.

the only comment i have as a con for the suunto foot pod is that the attachment is very hard to remove. the last version came off very easy. in fact i lost 2 of them because they were pulled or kicked off while running. well suunto certainly fixed that issue because this one is almost impossible to remove even when trying. since we can't have it both ways i guess, i'm happy for the small amount of pain for the thing staying put.

fast boiling stove with high efficiency pot = 3 min boil. tested this out in the north cascades and i was sooo impressed. it's going to be the perfect backcountry ski stove simply because the stove and pot are connected and are one unit so they aren't as effected by the wind and temperature. it's a stable little unit. i love that everything fits inside it too. great great stove.

the first think you will notice with this tank top is how good it feels to put on. it's soft. the added benefit there is that it won't chafe your nipples on long runs. i also like the way this tank is cut, it just feels right. it's not too short.

the whippet is great. last weekend on mount rainier it saved a friend of mine from a long and nasty fall in the dark of night. i have been just skiing with one but will likely get another one. a few days ago i used it on early morning steep slopes - works like a charm bc you can dig it in and get you skis righted. the very first day i used it i lost the top cap for it however. that could attach a bit better. i like very light gear but this kind of needs a bit of girth because it's an ice axe afterall... so really no complaints.

i've been skiing this ski all season. i love it. at 135 at the tip, it's phat. it floats great when skiing powder. i have a 174 so in the backcountry it's great, very nimble and turnable on a dime.. even for it's size. where it doesn't rock is the groomers, it's kind of soft. i had fun on them skiing resort groomers but it's not made for that kind of turning. it's quite a bit softer than the bd verdict.

dynafit bindings for those in the backcountry are a must. most of my friends have been worried that they aren't enough binding for aggressive skiing. i'd say this is not a problem. think about it, some pretty bad ass skiers live in these bindings. if you aren't dropping 50 foot cliffs in them you will be fine. i don't see a reason NOT to buy these bindings.

this towel was just big enough to do the trick. perfect for trips where you want to save some room in the pack. the clipable loop was also super easy to clip onto anything. better than a loop which requires a biner.

it also dried really really fast!

the weight listed as 5lbs 2.6oz (1950g) is wrong. the dynafit website lists it as 3900g = 8.6lbs (size 27.5)

i tried. i wanted to love this ski boot. it sounds perfect and has some amazing reviews. i only ski the backcountry and after the first day i had the worst shin bang of my life in these.. as well as inner ankle rub from another planet! i don't think they have much padding on the inner ankle bone area and i suffered EVERY time i wore these. on two ocassions i took two weeks off from skiing in hopes my wounds would heal but these boots just don't fit me right. they ski well and they are stiff for sure. i was pushing k2 coombas around in them with ease. but the fit hurt me very quickly in a alpine tour. the ski to walk mode was easy enough for me to flip with gloves, no issues there once you figure out how it works. also the buckle latches sometimes prevent the buckles from falling into the actual slot. they are there for a reason but it sometimes makes it harder than necessary to get the buckle on without a lot of tension. also at 14 degree lean i felt a tad in the back seat with these. i need more forward lean options! anyway they just aren't the boot for me.

backcountry magazine gave this ski it's 'editors choice'. "Coomba yeah! This tribute ski to the late Doug Coombs first appeared in K2's alpine line last year, and this year has been added to the backcountry line. It has the footprint of the Anti Piste without the latter's soft-flexing tip. And that made a noticeable difference in how it grabbed a turn, making it one of the best skis tested. "Awesome, " said one tester. "Does everything the Anti Piste can do, but better, quicker-initiates a turn, unlike the Anti Piste. A lightweight, stiffer fatty that is playful and forgiving. A fun, all-mountain ripper." "Versatile dimensions and accommodating flex," said another. And beyond that, "Very diverse, very adaptable," added another. Many testers remarked on it's light feel - "Could be your primary touring ski or your everyday inbounds ski," said one.

davenport is bad ass. this book is awesome. it's basically a big picture book of colorado backcountry ski porn. the story is compelling mostly because the challenge is daunting. plus he's from new hampshire so he must be cool.

there is no shame i buying it for the pictures and using it as a coffee table book. it's so big it's made for that.

this book definitely stoked my fire to get out and ski some crazy shit.

it's a sufficient shovel for sure. it's good and light. i don't however like it as much for digging pits and making clean straight walls of snow for testing.

i do a lot of skinning uphill and skiing down. this jacket rocks. if it's cold i wear it on the way up with a light long sleave under it. if it's not cold enough i just wrap it or have it in the pack. then i ski the downhills in it. it's go great chest pockets and side pockets that are perfect for your skins for quick transitions. no need to take the pack off to put the skin in there.. just tear, stuff and go! a hood might be a nice addition, but this jacket for the most part is perfect and well thought out.

no high fructose corn syrup, no fake man made sugars, 70% organic and they taste awesome. i love these bars.