Buying Guides

Sizing climbing skins isn’t complicated, but getting it wrong is surprisingly easy. Too narrow and you lose grip. Too short and the tail lets go when it matters. Too wide or too long and you’re trimming forever for no reason.

The goal is simple: full base coverage where it matters, without excess material you don’t need. Here’s how to get there.

Climbing skins look simple. A fuzzy strip, some glue, clip it on and go uphill. In reality, skins are one of the biggest contributors to how efficient, frustrating, or enjoyable your touring day feels. Glide, grip, glue, durability, packability — every choice shows up with every single step.

There’s no single “best” skin, but there is a best skin for how and where you ski. Here’s how to think about it.

Ready to ditch the clunky gear and embrace the sweet simplicity of a pin setup? Or maybe those shiny new skis need the perfect set of bindings to match? Either way, it sounds like you're on the hunt for some "low-tech" bindings. With so many options out there, it can feel like swimming in a sea of jargon, tech specs, and acronyms. But don't sweat it—here's the rundown on our team's top picks to help you nail it this winter.

Backcountry skiing’s been booming for a while now, but it’s exploded in popularity these past few years. Thanks(?) to COVID and a renewed enthusiasm for the paths less travelled, more skiers than ever are earning their turns, connecting in a deeper way with the mountains and the wilderness. Is this going to be the year we’ll start talking about overcrowding? It’s certainly been becoming more and more of an issue although compared with popular destinations we are still faring pretty good. 

The truth is, there is no one-shoe-quiver that works for all feet and all runners. Different shoes serve different purposes and understanding these different tools and what they are meant for can help you make well-informed decisions for your feet. At the end of the day not all shoes serve a single purpose, but here's how we generally organize them in categories. 

Modern ski mountaineering ropes are 6mm and pack down to the size of your folded skins. They're not just lighter, but also more cut resistant and more water resistant that traditional nylon ropes. There's several specialized models available from various manufacturers but they each have pros and cons. I've reviewed each of the options available in North America to help you sort out the differences.

As shoe experts, health care professionals or runners, it is important to see beyond the fight for market share and to look at what actual research tells us about running shoes. Let’s take a look.

The Bow Valley is a little tricky when it comes to Winter trail conditions. Typically, the shallow snowpack melts and freezes or packs down to ice very quickly and turns many descents in some terrifying slip n' slides. Proper gear, and especially a well adapted pair of running shoes, is essential to avoid those death-defying moments and keep the fun... well, fun. Here are some of our favourite Winter running tools to stay upright in any kind of terrain.