Clever Outdoor Gear

The best in outdoor gear, equipment, and apparel reviews.

Ski Gear

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Altai Hok Skis

A snowshoe that skis or ski that snowshoes…not sure what the Altai Hok is but it sure works!  If you dislike the lack of glide with snowshoes or, perhaps, your getting a little long in the tooth for squirrelly nordic gear, that require too much attention span, the Altai Hok could be your hook-up.

Altai Hok Skis
Altai Hok Skis

Conceived by ex-Karhu vets, Nils Larsen and Francois Sylvain in 2009, the Hok is designed as an easy to use ski for the backcountry. Its short wide dimensions makes the ski incredibly maneuverable, and the integrated climbing skin gives the Hok great traction for climbing. The name, ‘Hok’, is the Tuwa word for ski in the Altai Mountains. Nils has taken many trips to the Altai mountains, of China, and it is arguably the birthplace of skiing.  The Tuwas are the smallest ethnic group in the area and the most dedicated skiers. The DIY planks, Nils saw, were hewn by the Tuwas and surfaced on the base with horse hide (hair and all). The locals were less intent on ripping turns in the surrounding hills, than hunting deer on these stable floaters.

The Hok features a synthetic climbing skin integrated into the base of the ski, steel edges for durability, and a light weight cap construction. In an effort to minimize their carbon footprint, they use, a sustainable paulownia wood co-reinforced with a combination of organic natural fibers and fiberglass. Simple graphics and natural fibers combine with design themes from the the Altai Mountains for an appealing aesthetic. The right balance of running base and skin material makes the ski’s downhill speed manageable and easy to control. Bridging cross-country skis and snowshoes, the Hok combines the maneuverability and ease of use found in snowshoes with the ski’s efficiency of sliding forward rather then lifting and stepping with each stride.

3-pin bindings can be mounted for traditional 75mm touring boots or you can mount a universal binding, and use pac boots. Check-out the website for more fun videos of both Altai and North American skiers.

$210

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BCA Float 22 Airbag Pack

BCA Float 22 Airbag Pack
BCA Float 22 Airbag Pack

In a groundbreaking test in spring 2001, Frank Tschirky, of the Swiss Federal Institute of Snow and Avalanche Research in Davos, Switzerland, and his colleagues set off avalanches with 13 crash test dummies.  Seven of the dummies were equipped with airbags. The dummies with airbags were buried less deep and were visible from the surface compared to those without. All but one dummy, without airbags, were completely buried and had to be located with an avalanche transceiver.

The bottom line: Airbags keep an avalanche victim closer to the surface.

An airbag pack is proactive safety, whereas a transceiver is reactive. If I had to make a choice, I’d pick an airbag.

Bruce Edgerly, co-founder of Backcountry Access (BCA) of Boulder, CO,

At 22-liters, the BCA Float 22 Airbag Pack is day trip size, relatively lightweight and less spendy than the Euro options. When the 150-liter airbag is deployed,  it creates the needed buoyancy and helps you float to the surface, decreasing your burial depth but also protecting your head and neck from trauma, in an avalanche. The Float 22 has a thin profile and enough volume to carry rescue tools, lunch, water, and extra layers.  From a usable pack standard, it’s clean, simple and offers the essentials for day touring. The airbag system has been dramatically streamlined from previous models, and this accounts for some of the pack’s overall weight reduction.

One of the standout features of the BCA Float packs is that BCA’s airbag system uses compressed air canisters rather than nitrogen or CO2 gas found in other systems. The Float’s compressed air system is easily recharged at outdoor shops, or dive shops, around the world. BCA also uses a simple mechanical trigger versus an explosively charged one-shot system.  BCA has 165 certified refill locations, around the world, making it the easiest refillable airbag system on the market.

Weight: 5.5 pounds / 2495 grams (entire system including cylinder), 4.2 pounds / 1905 grams (pack, airbag, engine, no cylinder), 2.45 pounds / 1111 grams (pack only, no airbag,engine, or cylinder)
Volume: 1342 cubic inches / 22 liters

$675

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Airlite Inflatable Snowshoes

Airlight Inflatable Snowshoes
Airlite Inflatable Snowshoes

Just the thing you need in the backcountry when your vehicle or skis breakdown, or you’re caught in a sudden snowstorm.

These sturdy 36″ snowshoes can inflate by mouth, standard Schrader valve, like a bike pump or by C02 cartridge. They each roll to about the size of a Nalgene bottle for storage.

Made of sturdy puncture resistant plastic. Airlite says these can be purposed for every-day use. Tested in -30 degree Alaskan Winters.

$168

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Anon M1 Ski Goggles

Anon M1 Sky Goggles
Anon M1 Ski Goggles

This glove-friendly Quick Change Lens system allows you to change lenses on the fly, on the mountain, on your face. Six magnets and a couple of quick release secure the lenses. Changing is a snap and totally secure.

Anon offers the frames in an array of colors from simple Black and White to Abyss and Agent, and the lenses come in an enormous number of radiant colors. Check the website for a snow scene visualizer for each tint.

Magna-Tech Quick Lens Change Technology can hold up to 20 lbs.

$220

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Soul Bamboo Ski Poles

Soul Bamboo Ski Poles
Soul Bamboo Ski Poles

Don’t let the retro look fool you, these poles are made for serious mountain action. 

Bamboo Poles are strong and light and in some tests are up to 25% stronger than aluminum. Similar in weight to most aluminum poles, lighter than some. You can’t go greener than Bamboo, of course, and the recycled ergonomic plastic grips fills the hand comfortably.

Straps are woven with recycled PET plastic yarn. Baskets are also made from recycled black, blue or orange plastic, and come in 75mm or 95mm (backcountry). The .7 inch diameter bamboo features a natural finish ending in aluminum tips with steel inserts for durability. Laser etched logos can be combined with personalized name or logo. Soul goes a step further and offers custom paint schemes in various models from $50 to $350.

Made in Park City Utah.

$125

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Voile Vector BC Skis

For mellow tours, you can leave your skins back at the trailhead with Voile Vector BC skis.

These are the very same, award winning Vector that Voile has offered for a couple years but the BC’s have a waxless pattern, under foot, for skinless touring uphill and in rolling terrain. Imagine easily chugging-up a mellow uptrack and then, without ripping skins, dropping into a shot, cranking turns with decent glide and repeating…all day long.

The Vectors are mid-fat, super lightweight, and happiest when they are arcing through powder (who isn’t)!  The Voile hybrid rocker design makes turn entry and exit easy and the svelte waist (94 mm for 170 cm skis) makes edge-to-edge quickness on spring corn a happy time too. 

Proudly made in the USA by those kooky Voile guys in Salt Lake City, UT.

$550

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Scarpa Maestrale RS Alpine Touring Boot

Slightly stiffer (20%) and slightly heavier (40 g’s) than the award-winning, best-selling Maestrale, the Scarpa Maestrale RS is a markedly more powerful brother that charges the downhill but has all the flex necessary for a comfortable tour.

The asymmetric tongue design, rolled-out last year, has proven to be durable and provides excellent foot entry. Unique Axial Alpine closure and asymmetric tongue design combines the best of overlap and cabrio boot construction. 

The Shell | Cuff | Tongue: Polyamide I Polyamide I Pebax® combination is a hybrid monster that delivers the punch necessary to drive wide body skis where they need to go.

$690

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Dynafit Huascaran Ski

Like the swimming leopard sea creature on it’s top-sheet, the Dynafit Huascaran ski can do many things.

As a wide, rockered powder ski it dependably floats and noodles through the fluffy or the funky, but it also will rail a GS turn on the groomy or wind-boardy. For a lightweight (8ish lbs a pair) ski, it is pretty impressive that the Huascaran can accomplish all this on the downhill run and be so nimble uphill.

The light paulownia wood core reduces weight bamboo stringers increase core strength. Fiberglass and carbon laminates are utilized for torsional rigidity. The scoop tip rocker profile helps predictable turn initiation; flat tails aid holding power on steeps. The no-nonsense Dynafit Speed Skin Fix attachment system securely attaches Dynafit skins. The Huascaran does it all and all pretty well.

$900