With the popularity of sidecountry touring on the rise, manufacturers are stepping up, offering stronger and lighter gear so you can worry about the hiking and skiing, not whether your gear will get you where you want to go.

Everyone is making decent touring gear these days, but when you’re on an all-day backcountry mission where efficiency is priority, trust German engineering. Dynafit is synonymous with light, but the company has recently beefed up their products to meet the needs of today’s big-mountain skiers. The company brought aboard Eric Hjorleifson who, after years of making his own Frankenboots, developed his dream boot, the Vulcan. Its game-changing design allows unparalleled range of motion and features a removable tongue for comfort on the ascent and stiffness on the way down.