Gear Patrol | Spirit of Adventure, Passion for Gear

Snow Might

With enough bite to make a Yeti white with jealousy, Atlas Snowshoe has outdone themselves with the Aspect ($269). Built around an all-new traction system called ReactiV-Trac, the Aspect’ offers up tons of grip thanks to an angry saw-toothed perimeter. Something you’ll want when the powder gets especially naughty. A platform of offset webbing creates [...]

Everything just clicks

Plenty of goggle brands have introduced interchangeable lens systems over the last several years. The ability to swap lenses tailored for specific conditions has been a boon for powder hounds seeking an edge, but the changing process is still too tedious to do on the mountain. Rimless iterations made things slightly faster, but users still [...]

One glove that works better than two

Most winter gloves force adventure seekers to choose between protection and dexterity. If you’re sick of dealing with mummy-like hand skills for the sake of keeping warm, then take a gander at the G-Comp Wind Glove ($80) from Italian outdoor brand Camp. The medium weight base glove features a durable, synthetic leather palm and Grip’R [...]

Be fleet of foot, swift of fleece

If you’re looking for a solid technical mid-layer fleece that stands apart from the rest, take a look at the Helly Hansen Swift Fleece ($130). We tried one on for ourselves this winter and found it easily more than capable for cold-weather activities and casual goings on, as well. The body is slimmer than most [...]

Carving out comfort

When it comes to comfort on the slopes, snowboarders have always had two legs up on skiers because of their boots. Freemotion is an upstart company hoping to balance things out in this area thanks to an inventive new design that combines a flexible and soft “comfort boot” with a rigid exo-frame. The two components [...]

Reel Steal

Just like a certain shaving brand that it rhymes with, the Redington Voyant ($299) is all about the smooth. And at the price, one of the best in its range for beginners. The high-performance graphite rod comes equipped with a Surge reel spooled with RIO Mainstream fly line and features either a half or full-wells [...]

Turbocharged Feline

Cold harsh winters will kidney punch many of us soon, but it doesn’t have to be all pain and no snowy terrain. That is, as long as you have transportation like the Arctic Cat ProCross F 1100 Turbo Sno Pro Limited ($13,800). Sporting a fancy pearl white, orange and black paint scheme, it surely stands [...]

It's in the bag

When you prefer carving lines beyond the boundaries of safety, you’re all too aware of the risks involved with avalanches. Float Backpacks ($685-$785) from Backcountry Access are designed to minimize excavation time — which is the biggest factor in avalanche fatalities — through an affordable and reusable avalanche airbag system. Here’s how it works. In [...]

Flip Out

Snow goggles are snow goggles, right? Well, if you don’t care much about ‘em, then yes. But if poor fit and feel, changing weather and slope conditions get you down on your way down, then pay a visit to the Oakey Airbrake, rife with the kind of technology that will make your time on the [...]

Conquer More

Pure. Uncut. Powder. We’re not discussing Whitney Houston’s daydreams here people. We’re talking about the stuff that transforms passionate snowboarders into giddy Catholic school girls. Sure, if you can commandeer a chopper on a whim, accessing the stuff in the prime backcountry of your choice is an easy affair. For those of more humble means, [...]

Works, wet or dry

Made, by hand, in Winona, Minnesota (yes, we’re all about Minnesota), two year old Sanborn Canoe Company has been creating some of the best looking wooden canoe & kayak paddles we’ve encountered. Founded by a cadre of enthusiasts looking to play a closer role with the products they used, Sanborn Canoe Co now produces an [...]

Chair lifts be damned

For a while, snowboarders had a harder time riding some of the biggest mountain lines. Relying on a snowmobile and then an often exhausting boot pack in, it was thought that a skier with a randonee set up was often best suited for off piste adventure. Then Jones Snowboard decided to develop a solution and [...]

Gets you where Quattro won't

In case Hublot’s sledge doesn’t strike your winter sport fancy, consider Audi’s Carbon Ski Concept a potential alternative. Created in collaboration with Head, Audi’s Munich based concept design team has developed a pair of skis built around a wood core sandwiched between aluminum and titanium and coated in carbon fiber. The result is a more [...]

Lux Luger

Usually, when materials like carbon fiber, steel, ash wood and hand-sewn leather come together you expect to hear them with the likes of Bentley or Rolls Royce. But in this case, they form the components of Hublot’s luxury luge. Only ten of these sledges have been made, built in collaboration between Hublot and Lausanne University [...]

Winter Warrior

East coast slopes demand a lot from winter gear and the need for solid performance on mixed-condition, a must. The Flagship by Jones Snowboards is a free rider’s dream. Like a pair of top-notch all-terrain tires, demanding terrain and conditions are chatter and deflection free. This is accomplished through a hybrid rocker/camber flex, wide-nose and [...]