Editor’s Pick 2024 - Head to Toe Max Ritter

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We’ll work through several of our reviewer’s kits, head to toe, diving into the gear we love and why. And we chose this timeframe intentionally: the new year is truly here, which means new skis are dropping left and right. As we brave the onslaught of new information about gear that won’t be available for purchase until next fall, here’s the gear that we love that’s available now.

Skier Profile

• Height: 6’0”

• Weight: 185 lbs

• Style: Speed is cool but so is jibbing around

• Inbounds/Touring Bias: 30/70

• Location: Jackson Hole

Headwear - POC Obex BC + Nexal Goggles + a running cap + Skida Balaclava

I’m not your mom, but I strongly believe that everyone should ski with a helmet, everyday. Head injuries are probably the least cool thing that can happen from even the tiniest of crashes. That being said, I have a very large head and I’ve long had trouble finding helmets that fit me. POC’s Obex BC has been my go-to for the last few years and I’m a big fan of its weight, coverage, styling, and the fact that the XXL version is big enough for me. I remove the earpads (they bother me, and I like to be able to hear what’s going around me), and will usually wear a lightweight running cap underneath it, especially when ski touring. On resort days, I’ll wear a balaclava, and these days I’m the most fond of Skida’s. It’s functional, comfortable and comes in about 1 million print options. A balaclava is way better than an awkward buff/hat combo that never seems to fit right. My favorite goggles as of late have been POC’s Nexal or Vitreas. They integrate seamlessly with the Obex helmet, and are gigantic enough to cover my face. The Vitrea’s offer easily swappable lenses (the Nexal, which fits me better, unfortunately makes the lens swap a little harder). I’ve never found photochromic lenses to be my jam, I’d rather just carry an extra lens and swap it out if the lighting drastically changes.

In the spring, on ski mountaineering or corn-hunting missions, I’ll usually switch out for the Black Diamond Vision MIPS, a dual-certified ski/climbing helmet that weighs pretty much nothing. It’s usually too hot to wear goggles that time of year so I’ll wear large sunglasses like POC’s Devour Glacial. These are a pretty cool hybrid of goggles and sunglasses that offer immense coverage and have side shields to keep glare down.

Outerwear - MEC Couloir GTX Pro + Backcountry Cardiac GTX Bibs

Unless it’s a hot spring day, I’m a hard shell outerwear kind of guy. My layering system is pretty straightforward, with merino baselayers (I’m really not picky here), a mid layer top that varies by temperature, and Gore Tex shells top and bottom. I look for rugged durability, extreme waterproofness, and a relatively minimal feature set here. Too many zippers just make a jacket and pants too stiff and it’s just another failure point. Up top, my pick for resort and sidecountry skiing is the new Mountain Equipment Company’s Couloir GTX Pro jacket, a simple and durable hardshell jacket that directly competes with and is quite a few bucks cheaper than stuff from Arcteryx, Patagonia, and the like. The zipper layout makes sense, the L size fit is spot on for my frame, the elastic cuffs are a nice touch, and I really like the green color.

I’m also a big fan of bibs, as long as the bib part doesn’t bunch up beneath my jacket if I’m wearing a pack. Backcountry.com’s new Cardiac GTX Pro bibs are kind of like the pants version of the MEC jacket. The zippers make a ton of sense (thanks for putting a really well-designed chest beacon pocket on there, guys!) and the fit on the L is just right.

For ski touring, I’ll usually wear the same bibs, but swap jackets over to a MADE Outdoor custom jacket if it’s not nuking out. I’ve had one for three years now, and it’s still my favorite lightweight hard shell top. Maybe because it fits perfectly? Having the ability to customize pockets, vents, and fit is pretty damn cool, and the NeoShell material packs down really well - a bonus because this jacket spends most of the day inside my pack. I’ll be bummed if this one ever falls apart, which luckily doesn’t look like it will happen anytime soon.

Packs - HMG Crux 40 + Mammut Free Vest

For the last 4 years, I’ve ran the Patagonia Descensionist 32L pack pretty much every single time I’ve gone skiing in the backcountry, and it’s been my favorite pack I’ve ever used. It was great for casual powder touring, ski mountaineering, and even multi-day hut trips in the Alps. After probably 300 ski days on it, it finally started falling apart so it was time to update. Unfortunately Patagonia seems to have discontinued it, so my next favorite everyday mountain pack has become the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Crux 40. Turns out Cody Townsend had quite a few good ideas when it came to making a pack that’s usable every day in the mountains. I feel that it strikes the perfect balance between fully featured and lightweight. It’s also one of those packs that hold its shape and is great to carry even when it’s not full - and it can comfortably carry a LOT if you need it to. The small zippered back panel had me scratching my head for a few days, but then I realized it prevents the entire contents of your pack from spilling out when you open it. I’ve taken the Crux 40 on overnight trips, technical ski mountaineering lines that require lots of dangly bits, and frequently use it as a camera pack shooting both in and out of bounds.

If I’m skiing mechanized-access backcountry, I’ll be wearing the Mammut Free Vest 15 - an avalanche airbag vest that’s incredibly comfortable to ski in. It’s light, it’s low-profile, has just enough room to carry the essentials for a day (including technical gear) and contains an airbag as some extra insurance. The vest is a bit small for actual ski touring, and I find it a little bit hot and constrictive while skinning, so I tend to keep it for days where I’m only bootpacking or using a chairlift, snowmobile, or other machine to access the goods. It’s the perfect companion for skiing in the Jackson Hole sidecountry, and would be a great tool at resorts with similar access opportunities (Kicking Horse, Snowbird, Telluride, Baker, Crystal, etc.).

Gloves - BD Tour Gloves

Somehow, I’ve become incredibly picky with gloves. Maybe to a fault. I’ve had perfectly great days of skiing ruined because I had the wrong gloves on. That’s a bit of an exaggeration, but seriously, I care about what goes on my hands. Luckily, I almost never have to deal with cold hands (I’ll usually skin in bare hands with gloves hanging from my pack), and I really value dexterity. Mittens? No way.

For my tastes, Black Diamond’s Tour Gloves are the best gloves ever made. They’re really thin, offering near-perfect dexterity, and they’re surprisingly durable. They’re also fairly cheap, so I own multiple pairs and wear them 90 percent of days. If you get cold hands easily, I’d suggest something thicker, but for you hot-handed folk out there, I couldn’t recommend these more.

Boots - Atomic Hawx Ultra + Zero G Pro Tour

Crossover boots are great for traveling, but for at home, I prefer dedicated resort boots and touring boots - they just do different things better. I actually don’t have particularly sensitive feet, and find that I can comfortably wear most boots with a little bootfitting magic, so I’m lucky to be picky with features, flex, and weight. Throughout testing various boots over the years, I’ve been the happiest with the Atomic Hawx 130 Ultra as a freeride/resort/inbounds boot, and the Tecnica Zero G Pro Tour for walking.

The 4-buckle Atomic offers a damp and very stiff ride, solidly locked-in fit, and the heat-moldable Memory Fit shell makes bootfitting really easy. I stiffen it up further with a Booster Strap and an Intuition Power Wrap liner, and find that’s plenty stiff for the type of skiing I’m doing. I skied plug boots for a bit, and found that the Hawx is significantly more comfortable and, with those mods, offers nearly the same performance - not to mention a Grip Walk sole that you can comfortably hike in. The durability of a dedicated alpine boot is worth it for me. Walk mode boots like the Hawx XTD might ski well enough, but they will break much faster if subjected to daily resort abuse.

For a touring boot, I’ll hop on the bandwagon and say that I’ve been the happiest with the Tecnica Zero G Pro Tour. It’s definitely not perfect, and mine have never lasted me more than a season (thanks, warranty!), but it simply skis and walks so much better than anything else in its category. I’m optimistic that next year’s Zero G Pro Tour (more to come on that soon) will address my main gripes with the current boot: a lack of durability, a forward lean that’s way too upright, and a walk mode lever that’s annoying to adjust. I’ve used Raide Research’s ZGPT forward lean mod most of this season to mess with the stock forward lean, and have been happy with how it improves the boot’s skiability, but it’s required keeping an eye on a screw that likes to loosen itself at inopportune moments. I also replaced the stock boot strap with a Booster Strap to improve ski performance. I’ve tried the boot with an Intuition Pro Tour Tongue liner, and find that I actually prefer the fit and feel of the updated stock liner. I wear them a size up from my resort boots.

Bindings - Salomon STH 16 + ATK Kuluar 12 LT

I’ve never felt any particular brand loyalty to a binding brand, but as far as solid, reliable alpine bindings go I feel that the Salomon STH 16 checks all the boxes. Sure, you might get more elasticity and a better ski flex out of a Look Pivot (and it can be CAST-ed), but for everyday resort ripping I’ll stick with my trusty STH16s. They’re relatively inexpensive, and also really easy to mount and adjust - a big help for ski and boot testing where I am adjusting for different boot sole lengths frequently.

For touring, I’ve grown very fond of the ATK Kuluar 12 LT. It bridges the gap between skimo racing bindings and more full-featured (read: heavy) touring bindings. The svelte toe piece matches up with an adjustable heel piece and the binding offers forward pressure to account for ski flex while skiing hard. The functionality of the heel risers is simple and perfect, and most importantly, the binding offers a flat walk mode and release value up to 12. Oh and it weighs under 250 grams.

Skis - Atomic Bent 110 + Faction La Machine Mega

If I had to pick a one ski quiver for Jackson Hole, I’d go with a pair of well-tuned Atomic Bent 110s. They’re just so much fun in pretty much any kind of terrain, whether it’s groomers, off-piste, slushy bumps, the terrain park, or just about anywhere in the backcountry when the snow is soft. I wouldn’t consider myself a freestyle skier, but these really bridge the gap between fun, slashy, loose skiing, and being able to ski fast in variable conditions. The centered mount point, 110mm waist, and pronounced tip and tail rocker lend themselves to really playful skiing. That’s true both inbounds in just about any snow condition (save full-on ice) and in the backcountry in deep powder. I trust them when skiing fast in the alpine or down sidecountry couloirs, but they’re still amazingly fun if I’m skiing slow inbounds bopping around with friends.

I’ve found that Faction’s La Machine Mega might be the perfect one-ski quiver for skiing in the Tetons. It’s light, its 109 mm waist width is incredibly versatile for our snowpack, and is absurdly easy to ski in all kinds of terrain. Mellow, low angle pow? Super floaty and easy to keep speed on. Steep, scary exposed turns? The small amount of underfoot camber provides solid edge hold and a really stable platform. Bottomless storm snow in the trees? Very slashy, loose, and can pivot on a dime. It’s a carbon touring ski that doesn't ski like a carbon ski and I’ve never wished for another ski while on human-powered big-mountain missions.

Pointy and Dangly Bits - Petzl Gully Axe(s) + Petzl Irvis Hybrid + Petzl Fly Harness + Cy’s Slope Stompers

If I’m going skiing in the alpine, I’ll be bringing quite a bit of extra kit with me depending on the objective. For lines that require some climbing with pointy thigns, I’ll rely on the combo of Petzl’s Gully ice axe and Irvis Hybrid crampons. I’ve added Petzl’s Masselottes pick weights to the pick of the Gully axe to give them a little extra oomph for swinging into real ice - I’ve found these are more than enough for any technical ice I’ll be climbing to go skiing. The Irvis crampons and their steel front points do the trick for any snow climb and moderate ice while still packing down very small inside my pack. On deep days (and let’s be real, I’m usually not booting up a couloir with insanely deep snow) I’ll use Cy Whitling’s Slope Stompers. You’ll have to ask him where to buy those these days, but they’re awesome and way lighter/more user friendly than BGT Ascent Plates or Verts - not to mention he sells them for a fraction of the price.

For rope-access skiing, I’ll choose a rope that suits the objective. Typically I’ll carry a 6mm hyperstatic Petzl RAD line or 5mm Beal BackUp line if I’m just rappelling or traveling through glaciated terrain, but will carry a skinny dynamic rope if the day calls for it. For a harness, I love the fit and extreme simplicity of Petzl’s Fly harness - it’s really minimalist and I have yet to take a real lead fall on it, but it’s all you need for rappelling, protected ridge climbing, glacier travel and a real ski belay. I extend my rappel setup from my harness using a 120cm dyneema sling tied to my harness using a bowline. It unties after being loaded much easier than girth hitching or using other knots and actually allows for a stronger connection (you double up strands this way). Here’s a great video on how to tie this.

Accessories - Rocky Talkie 5 Watt Radio + Atomic BCT Freeride Poles

I don’t use a radio every day while skiing, but if I’m in unfamiliar terrain with new people or riding complex lines with long pitches, they are an indispensable communications tool. I’ve been really impressed with Rocky Talkie’s new 5-Watt GMRS Radio, especially since I was not a fan of the original model for backcountry skiing. The audio quality is amazing, the range is impressive, and the A/B channel monitoring mode is incredibly useful. It’s basically a Baofeng radio that actually reliably works.

I’ve also been a Baton guy for many years. I know Alain Desez might think otherwise, but I ski them really short because choking up on them while skiing feels weird and looks kind of dumb. Try skiing a shorter pair, and you’ll still get the benefit of the long grip for weird sidehills and for cutting quick handouts without the extra 6 inches of pole hitting you in the face. They are great tools, but unfortunately, they are not durable. After breaking three pairs in various random ways, I thought it was time to try some other options, and have settled on the Atomic BCT Freeride poles as potentially a better option. The grip tape is way grippier than the Baton’s foam, they are still perfectly round so they feel good in-hand no matter what, and the quick-release strap system is really cool and might make me ski with straps again, especially on touring days where I might need to skate out along a road to get home.