Reviews by User: Andrew McLean (16)

I Scarpa boot in general, and love the F3 in particular. For almost everything but the steepest of slopes, the F3 has ample control and can drive a mid-phat ski (95mm waist) in most conditions. The beauty of the F3 is that it is so light, reliable and tours so well that you can get many extra thousand feet of climbing (and thus, skiing) in per day. The bellows make it easy to walk in, the fit is legendary Scarpa (super-plush) and when combined with a Dynafit binding you can fly up hill.

I got my first set of Dynafit bindings for racing and never expected to fall so completely in love with them! Like switching from old-style strap-in pedals on a bike to clipless pedals, your initial reaction is "Whoa! These things are ackward and fiddly!" but a week later, once you figure them out, you will never go back as they have so many advantages. The TLT is the classic Dynafit binding and has been in the line for many years. They are the epitome of simplicity, and, much to peoples surprise, durability. I use to take an entire tool kit and many spare parts of other bindings on expeditions, but after six or more extended trips with Dynafits, all I take is a spare toe piece for the entire group (assuming everyone is on Dynafits, as they should be!). Even then, I've never had one break. As one of the bigger testiments to their burliness, a friend once hung unside down over a yawning crevasse for half an hour by his Dynafit toepiece - something no other binding could have done. As far as high release settings, another thing I love about Dynafits is that you can ski with the toe racheted up if you want to lock out the release, which is a nice feature for steep, committing terrain where you absolutely don't want your ski to come off. With other bindings, if you want this extra security you have to ski with it set on a high DIN all the time, which is not so great for general cruising. The TLT's forte is minimum weight and maximum tourability. It doesn't have the adjustment range of the Vertical or Comfort and shouldn't be used with brakes as it wears the bearing out.

The biggest disadvantage of a phat ski for the backcountry is that they tend to be heavier. The heavier the set-up, the slower you go uphill, and thus the less skiing you get in for a day. Enter the K2 Mt. Baker Superlight - a fat ski which has been put on a weight diet. The MBSL is a blast to ski and floats through powder, chops up crud and eats up anything you can throw at it. I'm 5'10" and 145 lbs, so I like them in a slightly short size for the backcountry (167cm). I've used longer ones (174cm) as hybrid resort/BC ski and been happy with their stability on high speed groomers.

I've used Barryvox, Ortovox, Pieps and Tracker beacons over the last 15 years and liked them all without developing an attachment to any particular brand. Last year I had an opportunity to review the top six brands of beacons for Skiing Magazine under the assumption that they would be tested as a "normal" user uses them, ie; take them out of the package, turn them on and use them with little to no reading of the manual. Fortunately, I was in the market for a new beacon, so I had a personal interest in the results. I tested range, speed of a single search, ease of a multiple search, ease of use and how the harness fit. I didn't know what to expect, but I definitely didn't aniticipate the Pieps DSP to be such a clear winner in almost every category! It had by far and away the longest range (70 meters) and somehow eliminated the flux line arc which takes the searcher on a tangent before honing in on the victim. Instead, it was a direct bee-line to the victim. Single searches were no problem (as they are on most modern digital beacons) and the multiple search was very intuitive and accurate. I use a custom beacon harness, so I don't have any comment on the fit of the Pieps harness. Of the two Pieps models, I chose this one as it is the most basic - I want simplicity and durability out of a beacon and get temps and altitude from my watch.

You can't go wrong with any of the Dynafit bindings and the TLT Vertical is the latest and greatest. A cool aspect of the Dynafit bindings is that they are all share the same basic mechanism, but have differing degrees of creature comforts. In the case of the TLT Vertical, they have a greater range of adjustment, an easy to pull front tab, a nice heel lifter and are set up for integration with brakes. In true Dynafit fashion, they have done this without adding much weight and at the same time keeping the binding simple.

Starting with the Scarpa Lazer, the Matrix continues Scarpa's line of perfectly balanced touring boots. I like this boot as it tours well, skis well, climbs well, is warm, comfortable, durable, a nice balance of weight vs performance and superb all-around boot.

I've been skiing with Whippets since they first came out - actually, even before they came out as I designed them for BD many years ago (no, I don't get commissions or royalties on them!). I love using them because they are always there and you never know when you are going to have a small slip which could turn into a big slide. With Whippets, you can instantly plug them into the snow to stop a fall, or at least get your feet back underneath you. I use them as a pair - one in each hand. Another nice aspect of Whippets, especially for ski mountaineering is that they work well for ascending - I'm constantly using them in 4wd mode when booting up a chute and they greatly enhance your traction.

Along with beacons, shovels and probes, a Suunto X6 wrist computer is an essential piece of backcountry equipment. I use mine every time I go out to track vertical and it often inspires me to take one more run just to round up my total to the next highest number. Suunto watches have a vast array of options, yet a simple menu layout which makes them easy to use. They are also incredibly durable and reliable, which is nice when they get dropped, sat on or accidentally abused.

Probes are not the place to cut corners and try to save weight - they need to be simple, quick to set up and reliable. I like this probe as it can survive a good, hard pounding without breaking. Other probes I've tested in hard snow (like automated beacon test sites) have bowed, bent and/or had the tensioning mechanism come loose. Not this one.

Within two years of using my first Dynafit binding, I had sold off or given away all other bindings and switched over to Dynafits exclusively. Not only that, but so has my wife and our ski locker looks like a Dynafit show room! About half of our Dynafits are Comforts as they have a good range of adjustment and are intended to be used with brakes. I like brakes for everyday skiing, but tend to go with removeable leashes (and thus the TLT Classic binding) for expeditions.

The Apache Recon was my first new pair of Alpine skis in about ten years (I mainly backcountry ski) and I couldn't believe how fast & furious they are. I felt like I should have a license or something to be eligible to use them. They slice through bumps, blast through the crud and annihilate any irregularities which get in the way. Laying down big phat arcs on the groomers is a blast as well. An excellent all around high performance ski.

The Beryillium is intended to be more of a climbing jacket, but I love it for backcountry skiing as it has perfect pockets, a nice set of features (without having too many) and the material is excellent. It has a nice loose fit which works well for hiking and helps make it breathable. I was skeptical at first about the lightweight fabric (Pro Shell), but am now sold on it - it breathes well and is durable. The hood is also very well designed and can be used with a helmet or folded back for use with a regular hat.

This jacket holds its own amongst the Sundance Film Festival crowd! Sleek, stylish, warm, comfortable and legendary Mountain Hardwear quality.

I originally thought this jacket might be too froo-froo for me, but after trying it on and wearing it for a few days, it has migrated to the front & center. It is a nice balance of warmth, comfort and weight, plus it works well on its own or as a layer.

Whippet uppers with carbon fiber lowers (made possible by using these adaptors) make for a nice, lightweight self arrest ski pole.

If you are looking for a ski Quiver of One, the Shuksan is an excellent choice. It works on steep, icy couloirs, powder, groomers, bumps, backcountry... whatever. Not only that, but it is incredibly durable and will last for years. There are lots of backcountry skis available nowadays, but few of them have reached the "Classic" status of the Shuksan due to its all around perfect geometry and blend of performance.

If you are looking for a ski Quiver of One, the Shuksan is an excellent choice. It works on steep, icy couloirs, powder, groomers, bumps, backcountry... whatever. Not only that, but it is incredibly durable and will last for years. There are lots of backcountry skis available nowadays, but few of them have reached the "Classic" status of the Shuksan due to its all around perfect geometry and blend of performance.