Straight to the point, this episode is about the gear we’re skiing and the items you might be on next season. In an upside-down world, we know that gear-speak is low on the priority list. As it should be: there are other real problems to solve. We acknowledge that.
Looking ahead, what’s the gear you might be on next year. All that and more banter on the TDP.
We’re still testing and reviewing gear with one eye on global events and another on local snowpack as others prep for long race events like the Grand Traverse and potential speed ascents. Ready the Lycra, stir in the electrolytes. Some of us are are still thinking of shaded powder stashes before the reality of ski crampons and corn cycles become reality.
Mid-winter gear testing in Central Oregon.
The ATK Kuluar 12 LT. Now being tested in the Tetons. The brand has emerged as a player in the US.
For those hoping Randy is along for this hour-long audio trip, he took a break—Jason Albert from WildSnow hops on the spare mic.
There’s talk of ATK’s emergence in the binding space, mid-phat and skinnier skis (and the death of uber-phat powder boards), 1kg boots, a beefier boot with pizazz from Scarpa, and some thoughts on the avy backpack market. So yeah, there’s gear-speak. Sandwiched in there is Doug’s vision of a speed skin-ski on Mt. Hood, a PR event in Silverton, CO. And as always, a “be safe out there” to end it all.
That’s always true: be safe out there.
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Lastly, a quick nod to a never-failing-to-be-stoked sidekick: Riley. She keeps one tester/reviewer on task.
Riley-the-rescue dog living her best life as side kick to a gear tester. Riley is not mentioned on the podcast, but has been integral to WildSnow behind the scenes wellness. She has no gear preferences, but is food motivated.
While most of the WildSnow backcountry skiing blog posts are best attributed to a single author, some work well as done by the group.
5 comments
I have listened to a few of the older podcasts. The subject material is great and you guys are pretty good with some really interesting guests eg. Lou Dawson… However, you guys don’t really let them speak…. lol .. Hope these later podcasts are better lol.
You can order the ATK Kuluar LT 9 or 12 from Europe now. 200 g per ski. Just saying…
Pretty certain it has been available in the US for the past month (maybe more). Still some at Skimo.Co, now looks out of stock at BD.
I use my kitchen scale to weigh gear by placing a mixing bowl on the scale. Smaller or looser items (like clothing) can go in the bol, while larger items like skis, backpacks and bikewheels, can rest on top of the bowl, without touching the coutner or obscuring the numbers.
Maybe not oddly, that’s the same process I use for bulky items like jackets etc. And I think you are referring to my comment about weighing the Float E225L? Tried that process…you know, zeroing out my large mixing bowl as usual, but it seems the pack has met the limits for my small baker’s scale. Many tries and just an error msg. The pack is not that heavy, but it’s a no go for my scale. I’ll be off to the bike shop down the street soon.