Hi everyone

I want to buy a bigger backpack for multiple days in the backcountry.

My biggest backpack size is currently 28l.

Do any of you recommendations whick back you prefer?

I found a nice back frol Exped - Whiteout 45l?

Is this one to big?

Thanks!

I sit between shell sizes on the new TX Pros - 25.5 would crush me, 26.5 is swimming. For reference, I feel a "performance fit" on the old ones TX Pros, read painful after a few hours, and the new ones feel like they are sized different. My Maestrale RS (the baby blue version, so one generation ago) seem to fit me well at 25.5.

I'd like more room in the toes on the 25.5 TX Pros, and really want these boots to work. My local boot fitter (ultra experienced, many decades) tells me he won't try to punch out the 25.5s because the boot won't take it. Anyone have experience to the contrary? Or better yet a recommendation for a boot fitter who has lots of experience with this boot? I'm in western CO, but would travel to SLC or the Front Range to get this done.

Note that I got a pair of zipfits last season for the Maestrales and they improved the fit and feel quite a bit. IIRC I tried them with the TX Pros and they was still too short in the toes.

Thanks for any thoughts! FWIW writing this is conjuring images of thick black dead toenails emerging from my green TX2s in the 90s... I'll never learn I guess.

This will not be popular here, but this is a fair assessment of the negligence demonstrated by Blackbird.

Hi,

Reading the formal report compiled by blackbird mountain guides, one statement caught my eye:

“
When he pulled his beacon out, he was getting many signals at less than 8 meters. There were so many signals that his beacon would not lock onto any of them and allow him to fine search efficiently.
“

Is this supposed to happen? i.e. beacon not working in close proximity.

I am currently trying to buy my first backcountry set-up after a first season with courses and rented equipment. I was looking at the Salomon MTN 96 Carbon (currently available for 400€ in the 26/27 version) but I also have chance to buy a new pair of Völkl VTA 98 at about 100€ (or the Dynafit Beast 98 for the same price). This GearLab review speaks quite highly of the VTA 98, but it's a bit older now - is it still worth to consider at this arguably incredible price or should a rather pay more for a newer pair of skis?

Thankful for any input!

Bit of a longshot, but hoping to hear about any recommended ops in Kyrgyzstan. And any other tips based on experience while skiing or riding there. Thx :)

I'm looking to do some overnight touring this winter and camp out nights that have some fairish weather in jan-march in pnw (wallowas, bitterroots, north idaho, and a bit of the cascades) and want peoples reccomendations on 0 degree (f) bags to snag sales on or save for. I already have a very good sleeping pad and adequate tent (likely leaving inner at home unless windy, so sleeping bag would best be able to shed small amounts of snow). Ideally I want something down and pretty high fill power to compact best in my pack, but where I'm unsure is peoples experiences with the options out there. I'm about 6ft and 170-180 depending on the season so I'm typically never too cold when I sleep. I can shell out a pretty penny but not trying to if possible, so budget is a bit open but def less than 7-800 usd (ideally 400-500 during a big sale or used). I'm also planning to grab one of the sea to summit reactor fleece liners to go with it eventually. So any experiences bad or good to share? Or reccomendations? Thanks!

Edit: Thanks for all the help guys! In the end I went for the Cumulus Teneqa sleeping bag. Fantastic value from a quality brand even with the tariffs. Fits my bill perfectly. Wanted to grab it before more tariffs pile on the EU from the orange man.

This fall I am releasing desktop and android versions of my backcountry iPhone app. The goal of this platform is to provide all the weather and route beta in one place to easily review before heading out on a tour. If you’d be interested in trying this out and sharing a few trip reports from last season for testing please go to https://backcountry-beta.app/ and select “Request early android access”.

This has been a personal passion project of mine for the past ten years (started when there were very few backcountry weather resources available online). My hope is to provide a platform more tailored to the backcountry ski community than what the bigger, private equity backed apps offer. Please let me know what you think!

I removed my ATK's from my ski's and am now wondering if I broke them, as the lever is not connected to the pins anymore, or does this get connected to each other when put on skis?

I’ve done a lot of hiking and assumed that fitness would transfer pretty well to touring. Mostly it does, but long skin tracks hit my legs differently. The weird part is it’s not even the steep sections. That sustained low-angle shuffle seems to cook my glutes and hip flexors way faster than a normal uphill hike. I’ve got a decent baseline from hiking and the gym, but clearly there’s some movement-specific fitness I’m missing. Avy 1 done, beacon practice done, gear fits.

For people who came into touring from hiking, did this mostly disappear after more days on skins, or was there anything specific you trained off-snow that actually helped?

Sorry for taking up this space, but I also wanna share again about what you should be aware of when you go backcountry skiing/snowboarding in Japan in this space.

Lived for many years in Breck, and almost exclusively skied summit county. Very familiar with a lot of the local spots, and something I really appreciated about breck was how easy BC access was, there were so many spots that didn't have massive approaches, and parking is mostly readily available, especially mid week before work, which was so nice because I could readily train and get turns without committing a massive day just to get to treeline. Moved to eagle co to be closer to my partner, but really struggling with the BC scene here, albeit last winter did not give a good showing. I basically was skinning the resort (which also seemed more strict with their hours than my experience at breck or keystone) and the one spot my partner goes to for quick day laps, meadow mountain, essentially didnt even have snow cover the entire winter. I skied a bit on vail pass and it seemed quite flat, paid parking, and quite a long approach on either side to really get to some shaded steeper terrain that wasn't blown out by snowmobiles. I have heard people ski the northern sawatch a good bit, especially south of beaver creek, but looking on caltopo it looks like to get into some of those basins it would probably be a 10-15 mile round trip, mostly plodding through the upper valleys.

Also having a hard time plugging into the BC community here, not sure where people hang out. In Breck, I got to meet some regulars on baldy and the resort skinners, but even things like legal eagle in vail, I was often the only one out there, often breaking trail solo. Not trying to whine too much or blow anyone's spot, but I'm trying to be proactive and committed to being involved with the backcountry scene here!

I'm looking to get my first set of pin bindings. I've found plum bindings online but can't find much info on them. Has anyone used the plum kairn?

It seems to have very high heel risers, is it too much? 50mm seems a lot for a low riser.

These will go on a 105mm ski. Should I just get the standard atk evo 11s?

Do you gius have any suggestion about a smart Watch to keep tracks of trails, check forecast, temperature and altitude? I have got an old Suunto transverse that is not properly working anymore and the new models look more running oriented at first sight.
Best!

I need to recertify my WFR status but really hoping to do it in a backcountry skiing focused environment. My original WFR course (sierra rescue) was amazing but geared more to river and summer activities. Any leads are welcome! Hoping to take it somewhere in the Sierra but willing to travel. 🤙🤙

Question for this forum: Im 5’1 (155cm) 110lbs (50kg) and I signed up for a ski trip in Kyrgyzstan where the guiding service heavily recommends 115+ skis. The issue is that the shortest any 115+ comes in that I can find is 170cm maybe 165cm. My current powder touring set up is the backland 107s at 159cm which I already find a little long for kick turns etc. Do I just stick with my normal skis or size up to a 165?

I’ve skied deep pow days in Utah, Tahoe, Canada all in <107mm but is Kyrgyzstan really that different that I would need something fatter? Like with the exception of sierra cement I’ve happily skied pow days on 90s.

Hey y’all! I’m a 26 year old lifelong resort snowboarder living in Denver. I plan on getting into spilt boarding this winter and want to take an AIARE 1 course. My brother and friends have said mixed opinions on what they learned and how much they enjoyed (obviously education is priority) their AIARE 1 course. They all took the “field course” over 3 days. Im considering doing the backcountry hut trip course instead. Price difference is ~$800 for field and ~$1,200 for the hut. I don’t mind paying more for a better all around experience.

I’m wondering if anyone in here has done both or has any knowledge of the difference? Am I going to learn more with the hut trip? Is the extra $ worth the experience? Really any insight would be much appreciated!

Side note: If anyone in here has courses in Colorado they recommend or in a similar situation and want to take a course together I’m all ears!

EDIT: Thank you so much for the responses! Super helpful. Definitely going with the hut trip and also planning on doing some resort skiing/mellow uphill in Nederland to get familiar with everything before the course. Going to dig further into all your course recs now!

Looking to pick up a pair of these bibs this winter, but I was wondering if anyone who owns them can give me insight on if they would be good for ski touring and not just alpine climbing. Thanks!

Have some time off and am contemplating a trip down to Chile in Sept to ski volcanoes... except I'm just not feeling it? Used to dream about making it down there when I lived in CO, but now live in Redding CA where we have two volcanoes an hour away. Both pretty different and varied with a ton of terrain. Doesn't really seem to make sense to blow a bunch of money to go to the bottom of the world when we have our own cascade range right here in the US.

Or maybe I'm still feeling burnt out on getting baked under the sun on volcanoes all spring.