Highly Anticipated for 2023-24
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Winter is late and we’re all sitting around fiddling with our gear, getting excited about skiing. So, in the spirit of delayed gratification, here’s a quick roundup of some gear we’re excited to get time on soon!
Raide vs. Hyperlite Packs
Earlier this fall we had the launch of dueling packs, the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Crux, and the Raide Research LF 40L. I covered both launches, and, selfishly, was excited about both. I’m a pack nerd, and I’m a sucker for low weights combined with lots of features. Now I have the Hyperlite Crux in for long term testing, and am eagerly awaiting the Raide. This is a really fun match-up, since they have nearly identical intentions but different feature sets and price points. Just based on playing with both packs in my house, I really like the Raide’s feature set, but it’s hard to say more until I get both on snow. This is the comparison review I’m most excited about writing right now.
When a Jones email showed up in my inbox my immediate reaction was “yes please, but you know we’re a ski publication right?” I’ve had my eye on Jones’ softgood program for a while now; they’re using premium materials and making outerwear that seems pretty perfect for my favorite style of backcountry touring with a little freeride flair.
So we’ve got a couple of Jones kits on their way to us for testing. On paper, this is the new outerwear that I’m most excited to try and write about, so stay tuned!
Sometimes I find myself wondering why a brand launch didn’t seem to make as big of a splash as I thought it deserved to. That was definitely the case with Safeback. They’re doing some really interesting things on the snow safety front that I’m quite excited to try out. Right now there’s a big price and weight jump from a regular backcountry pack to a backcountry pack with an avalanche airbag.
Photo: Safeback
Safeback bridges that gap, with a technology that delivers air directly to a buried person. It can also hypothetically be integrated into an airbag pack. This is going to be a meaty, in-depth full review, so we’ll dive in there, but for now, my first impressions are that it’s a great can’t hurt, might help technology that I’d love to see integrated into more packs and vests.
Dynastar M-Tour 108
There were a few “really wish I’d been able to get on a pair of those” skis that were just too elusive for me to try last winter, and Dynastar’s M-Tour 108 is on the top of that list. Dynastar’s M-Tour 99 has plenty of fans, and I’m excited to see them bring their tour construction to a wider platform. I’m doing my best to track down a pair, and will write them up as soon as possible.
Marker Cruise Binding
This is another one of those products that I’ve scoured the internet for more information on and come up empty. Luckily I have a pair in hand that I hope to mount and ski very soon. To me it feels like the easiest “default” touring binding from Marker. Most backcountry skiers don’t need a Kingpin and haven’t gone quite far enough along their efficiency journeys to want an Alpinist yet. On paper the Cruise bridges that gap nicely. This is another of my top priorities to get a full review published ASAP.
Deorum Apollo FR Poles
Photo: Deorum
For years I’ve been searching for a “better” pole. I have a bunch of weird, very specific parameters that I’ll get into in the full review of these poles, but the short version is that I’m looking for a durable, adjustable pole, with a long grip, that can adjust up to at least 140 cm long, and has at least one “Inspector Gadget” style feature. Deorum’s poles are the first option I’ve found that hit all those marks, and they feel well made and classy. I’m really stoked to get out on snow with these, and write way too many words about the sticks we hold in our hands while skiing.
Moment Countach
This one’s sort of cheating, since I got a few runs on it late last spring, but I’m still really excited to get to know this ski. I think I’m going to get along with it really well. I’m stoked to see how well it bridges the gap between Moment’s more playful, and more directional lines, and find out how it handles in more soft and variable snow. It was a blast in cut up spring snow and slush, but that’s too small a sample size for a full review. Finally, I’m just going to put this out into the world: this seems like a prime candidate for a tour layup… I think a lot of folks are going to get along with this shape and profile in a lot of conditions, and want a lighter version.
686 Outerwear (Julia Tellman)
I have a couple of very interesting 686 outerwear pieces that land on two different ends of the spectrum but show that 686 designers are really pushing the envelope at what has historically been a steezy snowboard apparel brand. Their Paclite jacket is a minimalist, packable backcountry piece, and the bibs I’m testing are so unusual that I want to keep them a surprise until I get some time on snow.
Wild Rye Merino Baselayers (Julia Tellman)
Wild Rye sent us two different wool baselayer kits for this winter. One kit is thicker, 100% merino for cold days and the other is a much lighter weight synthetic and wool blend. Wild Rye is a small women-led apparel brand that stands out not only for having eye-catching patterns but also for doing numeric size runs instead of S/M/L so it’s easier to find the right fit. I can’t wait to spend some time skinning and riding lifts to compare these layers.
