Colin Griffith

Something like this is a really inexpensive way to maybe save yours or someone else's life. Or at least make a night stuck outside much more bearable. Can be thrown into any pack for any trip. I've only used it once after hours of shivering in my mummy bag in a snowcave, brought this out, threw it over the bag, and was dramatically warmed.

You see these backpacks everywhere and the reason is obvious. It has a good price that basically has everything you could want in a technical day pack. This is my pack that I use for basically all day backcountry ski trips, rock climbs, and hikes. It's got a pocket just about everywhere in every useful size. It comfortably carries your skis and any other gear you need.This is simply a good pack for a good price.

I bought these skins last year for my first pair of climbing skins. They were very easy to cut and fit to my Coombas. They get plenty of traction under my skis on the climb up and they glide well otherwise. Also, they pack up nice and easily and do not weigh too much. Overall, I think these are a solid skin that helped me enjoy getting into touring because of how well they worked and generally hassle free they were.

I bought this helmet after my last absorbed too much damage. I've been pretty happy with it to say the least. It is pretty simple; the price isn't bad, it is super-lightweight, it looks good, and I feel a lot safer when I wear it- something a few blows to the head from trees and rocks will make you appreciate.

I ordered these boots pro-form after talking to the Tecnica Rep at the Denver Ski Expo last fall and they are definatley the best boots that I have ever bought. They are perfect match of performance and style.
As a fairly fast, aggressive skier I was looking for a boot that was all about freeride performance but that was also nothing over the top in terms of weight and flex so that I could tour and hike in. This boot fits that description very closely, especially when compared to the Agent 130 (which I think is simply more boot and money than even most good skiers need). The Agent AT was out of my price range even with pro-form.
The Dragon Liner is one of the warmest and most comfortable liners that I have ever had. I do have fairly wide feet so I almost had trouble with this boot, but after getting the liners custom molded my feet have been fine skiing and hiking in them all day long. The shock absorption is great on drops, jumps, and bumps. I have yet to get an ounce of shin bang from them.
The sickest part of these boots though is definitely the reaction people have to them. It is shallow but skiers judge gear and in lift lines you can hear everyone from gaypers to rippers talking about your boots because they look as sick as they are.

I bought a pair of Dukes last year, mounted them on a pair of K2 Coombas, and they've been one of my favorite pieces of gear ever since. This AT binding should be bought for the alpine mode. I feel completely confidant and secure in the Dukes and their ability to handle hard-charging in a resort and in the backcountry. The only time they've released on me has been during unfortunate run-ins with trees. The touring mode works perfectly fine. The two climbing positions have gotten me up a variety of pitches comfortably. Yes, the bindings are heavier than other AT bindings and, yes, you have to step out to switch between alpine and touring mode, but those are a small price to pay for all the advantages the Duke has.
This is a binding for young, aggressive skiers. It's expensive and heavy so clearly many will prefer other AT bindings. But, for hard charging skiers interested in the backcountry, as opposed to backcountry skiers, the Duke is an awesome binding.

I bought this jacket (laredo plaid) from backcountry.com on sale and have been pretty stoked on it since it showed up. I skied this on a snowy and windy day and this jacket kept out the elements perfectly all day and I didn't even need any insulation besides base layers to stay warm. I wouldn't call it a perfectly breathable material but the underarm vents can let out a lot of excess heat. I'm 6' 165 lbs and a large fit me great and I am able to fit my down jacket under it easily for extra insulation on cold days.
I wore this jacket down at Silverton last weekend and it kept me dry through the pow, vented heat while hiking, and also kept the wind off me on top of the mountain.
Bottom line is this jacket seems technical enough for most backcountry conditions while it still has some style to it. It is unique but not ridiculous and this jacket would look good in or out of bounds or the bar (dive bar or ski bar).
-One annoying thing- the zippers seal well like advertised, but they can get stuck on the seals too easily.

Update: Been taking this jacket out tramping this winter in New Zealand above and below snow line, where it has withstood all the elements quite well. I love the resistance it provides to wind and water without overheating you when you're working hard.

I bought this jacket last winter and wrote a fairly positive review about it. However, I would like to amend that because some months later it started to deteriorate as small tears began to have tufts of down leak out. I initially repaired with duck tape but I found a new down jacket at a spring sale in Australia so I returned this one to bc.com after I returned to the states. Because this happened so unexpectedly in the first 8 months of use I rescind my earlier compliments.

This is what I wrote:
I've used this jacket both touring and inbounds. The quick and simple version of this jacket is that it will keep your upper body warm and it looks and fits well enough to be worn walking around on a cold night. But who knows why they cut the sleeves the way they did. I sized up from a L to an XL and the cuffs still barely came to my wrists when I use my arms. It doesn't ruin the jacket (if you size up enough) but it still detracts. Otherwise, a good value.