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Gear Tips

  • Behind the bench: First aid for trail runners

    Behind the bench: First aid for trail runners

    The recent incidents on Mount Yamnuska are an important reminder. Trail runners aren’t immune to accidents and we need to be ready to administer first aid when they happen. I’m not usually into blood and gore but I want to share my experience from a couple of years ago.
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  • Spring Skiing Quiver: Our Team's Picks

    Spring Skiing Quiver: Our Team's Picks

    We asked some of our staff members about their trusty Spring touring setups, why they use them, and a few of their tips and tricks. Tune in for a breakdown of what gear we prefer when it comes to moving efficiently, taking on a big line, or simply ‘hot dogging’ around!

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  • The Skier’s Glacier Travel Gear List

    The Skier’s Glacier Travel Gear List

    It’s well and truly Spring in the Rockies. Skiers are getting out on the icefields, and tracks are being made on the steepest faces. As you break out that tiny skimo harness for the season, it’s probably a good time to review what most people carry and dangle off of that alpine lingerie. A lot of this gear has multiple purposes, but here we are talking about its primary function of glacier travel and crevasse rescue.
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  • Can you actually ski hard on tech bindings?

    Can you actually ski hard on tech bindings?

    Near the top of their climb, just metres below the cornice, the bootpack steepened, and the snow turned to facets covering rock slabs. It wasn’t a long or technical climb, but with skis A-framed on their backs, there was a moment of balance where Eric Hjorleifson and Harley Hegnauer were happy their packs weren’t heavier.

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  • What's In a Ski Guide's First Aid Kit?

    What's In a Ski Guide's First Aid Kit?

    “What’s in your pack?” always sparks debate. Here’s what I carry when I’m ski touring recreationally. Weight is always a factor but you only need to carry one first aid kit in the group. After years as a ski patroller, I’ve whittled my kit down to what I like to use and can bear to carry. It’s fairly minimal but I’ll have a much more substantial kit at the hut or in the car.
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  • Quick Bootfitting Tricks for Big Days on the Skis

    Quick Bootfitting Tricks for Big Days on the Skis

    Can you feel it? The shortest days of Winter are finally behind us and soon it’ll be alpine starts and traverse season! At SkiUphill, Spring skiing always means a huge increase in customers coming in for bootfitting challenges. Boots that have been feeling great all winter suddenly feel like torture devices, and what seemed like a perfect fit becomes highly uncomfortable. More often than not, small issues can lead to big discomforts, but there are tons of easy fixes when boots suddenly don’t feel right. 
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  • Avalanche Transceivers 101: Understanding Function

    Avalanche Transceivers 101: Understanding Function

    At SkiUphill, our goal is simple: to be the trusted source of expertise for everything backcountry skiing and trail running related in Western Canada. We love being challenged in our knowledge and all our staff loves geeking out on gear over a good cup of coffee. Recently, Jeff Perron, well known industry rep in the Bow Valley (Black Diamond, Pieps, etc.) swung by the store and we had a great talk about avalanche transceivers. We quickly realized that while we understood beacon basics and features, we lacked the in-depth knowledge. This led us to the question: How can you optimally use an avalanche transceiver without understanding clearly how it works? At SkiUphill, we care about that, so here is the result of our research.
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  • Backcountry 101, Part 4: The Gear

    Backcountry 101, Part 4: The Gear

    So you’re reading this series and thinking “I got this.” You want to get some gear and start going out. Walking into a gear shop can be overwhelming. The bright colours, terms like ‘flex profile’ and ‘80 degree cuff rotation’ are getting thrown around in excessive amounts. It’s overwhelming. Good thing we’re here to help.
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  • Tails on the Trails - Trail Running with your Dog

    Tails on the Trails - Trail Running with your Dog

    We are so fortunate in Canada to be able to share the National and Provincial parks with our dogs. As a trail runner, biker, hiker, skier and dog owner, I love being able to enjoy my favorite outdoor activities with my ever-enthusiastic adventure partner, Arnie. We are often on the trails with other dog owners, so I wanted to share with the trail community some of the frequently asked questions I get asked as a veterinarian about ‘trail dogs’.

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  • Winter Running 101

    Winter Running 101

    As soon as the temps get colder and the snow starts falling people change from running to winter sports like cross country skiing, backcountry and resort skiing and other winter sports. Running is a winter sport in many areas while others stay clear of it. Growing up in Manitoba made me a winter runner and many days were spent running in -30C weather. So what are some things to think about when heading out for a run in colder weather?
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  • Stanley Peak and Glacier Kootenay

    Backcountry 101 Part 5: Getting Out There

    We’ve talked about how you can use the skills that are familiar to you on the resort to ski in backcountry terrain (Part 1), how do you equip yourself with the knowledge for safe travel in Avalanche Safety Training (AST 1) in Part 2, following the weather for where to ski and what aspects (Part 3) and last week we talked about what gear can make backcountry skiing more efficient and comfortable. Well we are at the point of putting it all together and getting out on the slopes. 
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