The State of Backcountry Gear 2025/26: Progress, Familiarity, and the Gear in Between

It feels like just yesterday the leaves were still green and the days stretched long, yet here we are, standing on the edge of another winter season.

We opened our doors in 2017 - not that long ago - yet the pace of change in backcountry skiing has been massive. In less than a decade, the sport has evolved faster than ever: from still niche and nerdy to streamlined and accessible. Gear is more capable, design is smarter, and the focus has shifted toward enjoying movement through the mountains both on the up and the down. The modern backcountry skier lives for the descent but is more than willing to walk to the far places to find it.

But as with fashion, mountain sports gear tends to move in cycles. Ideas resurface, technologies get refined, and what was once “retro” often returns with modern materials and fresh intent. This year’s lineup reflects that balance between progress and familiarity: refined classics, reimagined designs, and equipment built for the joy of moving through the mountains under your own power.

Playful Shapes, Smarter Materials

Backcountry skis are getting more fun to ski, plain and simple. Shapes are rounder, flexes are more progressive, and turns feel easier to initiate. Even lightweight touring models are starting to ski more like real downhill tools, with better balance and smoother ride quality.

What’s changing isn’t just geometry, but what’s inside. After years of chasing weight savings through carbon and fibreglass, ski manufacturers are returning to the roots, focusing on wood cores and better construction rather than just high-tech laminates. Poplar, paulownia, karuba, and ash are being engineered in smarter ways, combining natural damping with modern shaping and layups.

The result is gear that feels alive underfoot: quieter, smoother, and more predictable when the snow gets rough. You no longer need to choose between something “fun to ski” and something “light enough to tour.” The middle ground has become the sweet spot.

There are simply more good skis than ever before, and far fewer bad ones. Nearly every brand now makes a ski that feels polished, versatile, and confidence-inspiring, whether your tours are measured in vertical gain or in the quality of the turns you find on the way down.

Notable mentions: Black Diamond’s Helio Carbon series has been fully reworked for 2025–26 with refined paulownia and poplar wood cores and tuned carbon layups that make them livelier and more composed without adding weight. Blizzard’s Zero G 96 and 88 introduce a new TrueBlend Tour wood core that smooths out chatter and improves predictability while keeping their uphill reputation intact. And Dynafit’s Tigard series continues to blur the line between freeride and touring, pairing a poplar–paulownia hybrid core with a balanced flex that feels solid on edge but easy to steer when the snow gets unpredictable.

Photo: Ski Rando Magazine

Boots for Every Foot (Almost)

Boots are where the quiet revolution has been happening. It might not look like much has changed in the past few years, but the small refinements have added up to a big leap forward. Walk modes are smoother, cuff pivots are more efficient, and liners fit better right out of the box. The result is gear that feels more natural in motion — boots that encourage you to keep moving through the mountains, both on the up and the down.

We’re not yet at the point where every brand makes the same backcountry boot in multiple lasts — low, medium, and high volume — though we wish that day would come. Even so, the range of fits and flex patterns has grown enough that most skiers can now find something that truly works for them. The mid-weight category, especially, has hit its stride: light enough for long approaches, yet powerful enough to drive a modern ski with confidence. The modern touring boot isn’t trying to reinvent itself — it’s refining what already works, balancing familiarity with smarter design and more capability than ever before.

Notable mentions: Dynafit’s Ridge Pro brings real stiffness to a boot that still feels effortless on the climb, thanks to its carbon-reinforced cuff and precise walk mechanism. Atomic’s Backland XTD has evolved with a smoother shell design and a massive range of motion that doesn’t sacrifice downhill stability. Head’s Crux boot marks a strong debut, delivering alpine-boot performance in a touring-friendly package. And Tecnica’s Zero G Pro Tour remains a benchmark  in the freetouring segment, a refined classic that continues to define the balance between power and efficiency.

Has the Slow Death of the Tech Binding Begun?

Bindings might be the next frontier for real innovation. The Fritschi Vipec and Tecton were the first low-tech bindings to introduce a true lateral release at the toe, a design that’s proven to be the safest and most consistent when things go sideways. For nearly three decades, most touring bindings have followed the same basic blueprint that Fritz Barthel patented for Dynafit back in the early 1990s. It’s worked, but it’s also kept progress boxed in.

That might finally be changing. The new ATK HY has sparked talk that the next big leap has arrived — a design that keeps the efficiency and low weight of a tech binding but introduces a release pattern and elasticity that feel closer to a modern alpine binding. It’s not a full revolution yet, but it’s a clear sign that brands are starting to think beyond the classic pin-toe formula.

The truth is, most skiers can already ski hard on today’s tech bindings. As we’ve written before, when properly set up and matched to the right skier, low-tech bindings are capable of serious downhill performance. But there’s still room for improvement, especially when it comes to predictable release and confidence at speed.

If there’s one segment of backcountry gear worth watching closely over the next few years, it’s bindings. The lines are starting to blur between uphill efficiency and true downhill safety — and the brands that crack that balance will define the next chapter of ski touring.

Notable mentions: The ATK HY is the true disruptor this season — one of the most anticipated releases in years, and possibly the first real sign that the classic pin binding is due for reinvention. The Dynafit Rotation may be getting old, but believe it or not it still sets the bar for how smooth and predictable a pure low-tech binding can ski and release. And the ATK Freeraider EVO and Raider EVO models continue to pack every feature imaginable — adjustable release, freeride spacers, and that crisp ATK feel — with almost none of the weight.

Finding What’s Right for You

Gear keeps improving, but finding the setup that actually works for you still takes some thought. That’s where we come in. Whether you’re chasing big lines, long traverses, or just getting into touring, we’re here to help you cut through the noise and choose what fits your style and priorities.

At the end of the day, it’s not about having the flashiest setup — it’s about gear that feels right, moves well, and lets you enjoy every part of the mountain, up and down.