In our never ending quest to test out as much gear as possible, the FREESKIER staff headed down to Silverton, CO last February to try out some of the latest and greatest backcountry ski gear essentials while partaking in Bent Gate Mountaineering’s second annual Silverton Sickdays. Turning the oft-sleepy town of Silverton into a bustling hub of events with various brand representatives, athletes and industry folk on hand, the event provided an optimal setting for testing out the gear and chatting with the manufacturers.
During Sickdays, our team put the skis, skins, poles, boots and accessories through the wringer. Logging full days at the ski area, in the heli and in the backcountry, we sought to filter out the good from the great by giving it all a thorough run-through in different daily scenarios. A somewhat sketchy snowpack meant we needed to be ever so diligent with our precautionary measures. Silverton’s mountain guides did a fantastic job of opening up new terrain around their beast of a resort and careful snowpack evaluation in the backcountry allowed us to find the goods without getting buried.
Noting that the SIA Snow Show just went down in Denver, Colorado, and many manufacturers are showcasing what’s new for next year (2015-16), these hot items are surely going to be heavily discounted in the months to come. Who doesn’t love a good deal?
The subsequent pages highlight some of our top picks for skis, boots and bindings. Enjoy.
