This is a great layering piece for fast and light mountain travel. I couldn't believe it was almost half the weight of my Mt. Hardwear Compressor, but it seems to be true - they do it by eliminating shock cord, zippers and toggles, among other things, but it weighs near nothing and packs tiny. Not super warm, but perfect for the Pacific Northwest or as a second insulating coat. Note: the fit is also pretty minimalist, especially around the shoulders.

Very good breathability and decent water resistance make these a good choice for ski touring; less comfortable without a first layer/briefs than my other softshell pants (Cloudveil Symetry) but less prone to snagging. Sizing is smaller than Arc'teryx hardshell pants; I normally wear a small and take a medium in these.

Relatively heavy compared to the TLT binding (you got them to go LIGHT, right?), they make it hard to twist the heel unit to adjust the touring height, and stick in the up position unless you keep them perfectly lubed. Also, you need to dissasemble the heel to install them.

A well thought-out jacket that you can leave on through VERY vigorous workouts, but don't forget a down sweater or vest to put on under it when you stop for lunch; it doesn't add much warmth at all. The hybrid approach is the solution to the one-shell ski touring dilemma.

For long or fast tours, there is no substitute, Dynafit rules. Coming from a Freeride, I was sceptical, and there are limits to what you can do with these, but once you get them dialed they are reliable to a fault. Make sure the gap between boot heel and heelpiece is 4mm, and be sure both boots are the same length (or keep the L and R skis separate). You'll find yourself coming back more and more for the weight savings.

I've used this bag for everything from sea level beach camping to sub-freezing ski trips on Baker and Adams this summer, and it's been perfect. As with the other Marmot premium bags (I also have the Pinnacle and Couloir) it is a best-in-class choice. Easily packs down to the size of a cataloupe!

I bought the F1's as part of a super-light spring/summer setup, and couldn't be more pleased - skinning is a delight and skiing much better than I had anticipated. I'm using them with 175 Atomic TM:11's and they are more than adequate, even in some pretty steep terrain. Lighter and more comfortable than my mountaineering boots!

Have used an earlier version of this tent (North Face Mountain Tent) for around five years for bad weather and winter backpacking/ski mountaineering; they haven't significantly changed the tent during that period. It has proven bombproof and weather-tight in pretty severe conditions, and has plenty of room for two people to sit out a storm for a couple of days. Vestibule is big enough to cook comfortably in, as well. The other primary choice for 4 season tents in my group of friends, Mountain Hardware Trango Assault, is a bit small if you have full winter gear. Only complaints are the weight (this goes with the territory with 4 season shelters, however) and clumsiness of the velcro tabs that hold down the fly - they should have gone with the "full wrap" style like on the discontinued Correolis, they go on much smoother and you end up with more velcro contact.

Have used the Petzl Tikka for about a year on numerous trips and it is still working great on the original set of batteries. On the minus side, the switch is notchy and hard to use, especially with gloves on, and the brightness is marginal in low light situations. I would not try to climb or ski with this (it was barely adequate for a trip through total dark in the Ape Caves near St. Helen's this fall). Of headlamps in this class (LED with battery in the housing so you can sleep with the light on your head), the Princeton Tec Aurora might be a better choice with 3 brightness levels to choose from with battery run times between 50 and 150 hours. Its dimmest level is about equal to the Tikka's only level. The Aurora also has adjustable lamp angle. [For a comparable headlamp, BackcountryStore.com recommends the Black Diamond SuperNova headlamp, item no. BLD0264.] If you plan to climb or ski by headlamp and want to conserve batteries while in your tent, get one of the dual source lights like the Gemini [BLD0250] or Duo [PTZ0041 or PTZ002]. Weather sealing on the Tikka also looks a little suspect, although I have not had a problem using it in the rain and snow.

Have owned the basic LifeLink shovel for 4+ years and it has proven bombproof for practice rescues, digging friends' cars out, and guying out tents. Note: chamfering out the button holes in the shaft with a large drillbit will help in speedy shovel assembly with gloves on (or so your fingernails don't get chopped up with your gloves off)

Have used this transceiver for over four years and it has proven simple and reliable in practice situations. It does require some practice to find victims quickly, however, as the directional signal does not usually point to the sending transceiver in a straight line (it may not be the best choice for occasional or novice users for this reason). It has been dead-on accurate at close range (inside of 2 meters); I usually hit the practice "victim" with the first probe stoke. I believe that it is still near the top in both sending and receiving range and is still the standard among old school backcountry guys in the US in the event that you need to loan or trade transceivers.

These are the kind. I've been skiing on Silvretta 555's which chattered out on bumpy ice (resulting in 2 cracked ribs!). The Freerides with a DIN of 12 (I'm skiing on 11) have stayed on in all conditions. If you ski hard and fast and don't mind a little extra weight, they are for you. I have two friends that are professional guides in Europe who say they are using them all the time now, they don't even bother with their alpine setups.