SierraDescents | Category | Gear
April 18, 2014
Kabookie vs. Bonafide
Short answer: I prefer the Kabookie. I've played around with both skis for over a year now, and for my body weight (about 145lbs), I'm just not seeing much benefit from the (more)
April 10, 2014
Tecnica Mach1
New for the upcoming 2014-2015 season is Tecnica's Mach1, which employs what Tecnica calls a paradigm shift in ski boot construction: designing "from the inside out." By this, (more)
March 14, 2014
GoPro Hero3+
GoPro's Hero3+ is one of those vexingly-horizontal iterations that make it almost impossible to know whether it's worth it to upgrade. Still, GoPro is making a number of claims (more)
February 28, 2014
SIA 2014: Accessories
BCA releases the Tracker 3 avalanche beacon, which promises to wed the original tracker's real-time speed and simplicity with a smaller, lighter body. Expect the Tracker to once (more)
February 26, 2014
SIA 2014: Bindings
I don't normally expect to be dazzled by anything in the ski binding universe, but 2014-2015 looks to be a big year in the Touring space. First of all we have the (more)
February 22, 2014
SIA 2014: Boots
Ski Mountaineering Racing advances are percolating their way into standard Touring lines, bringing us Scarpa's handsome F1 EVO ($699) and La Sportiva's 4-buckle Spectre ($599). (more)
February 20, 2014
SIA 2014: The Skis
If you want a quick narrative for the trends in ski design for the upcoming 2014-2015 winter, let's go with a combination of consolidation and chasing. With a few notable (more)
February 1, 2014
SIA Denver 2014
There is snow in Denver—and a reported two feet or more of fresh in many nearby Colorado resorts, making for a wonderfully snowy beginning to the 60th running of the (more)
December 4, 2013
Lange XT 120
Lange's XT 120 is a slightly-softer version of the XT 130. Both boots feature a walk mode switch which allows you to release the cuff for enhanced walking mobility. Like the 130, (more)
November 24, 2013
Scott Cosmos
There's a bit of a leap of faith involved in buying a pair of Scott Cosmos ski boots. Just a year ago, the Cosmos was made by legendary but now-defunct Garmont USA. Garmont's (more)
August 29, 2013
Look Pivot
Where Alpine equipment is concerned, I generally believe nearly all modern bindings are safe and effective. That said, there is still variation in performance and durability. (more)
August 13, 2013
La Sportiva Xplorer Mid
La Sportiva's lightweight Xplorer Mid is not at all the shoe I was expecting. In terms of weight, stiffness, and structure, the Xplorer is almost an anti-boot. The Xplorer Mid is (more)
July 16, 2013
Airhead Na Pali
If you've ever driven up to a scenic mountain lake and found yourself wishing you had a paddleboard or a sea kayak, Airhead's inflatable Na Pali is worth a look. When not in use, (more)
June 27, 2013
Trust Issues: Steripen Freedom
I've been twice burned by Steripen's Adventurer hydrophoton water purification device, so forgive me if I'm a little less than glowing in my comments. No, the problem wasn't that (more)
June 3, 2013
OR Cirque Pant
At some point I realized my backcountry ensemble was starting to enter a Mao phase. To combat the trend, I've begun seeking cheerier gear and clothing choices. So I was drawn to (more)
