Not all things shiny and new need to shout it out loud. The Pass, a new ski from Season, is nicely subdued in its cosmetics yet promises to be a bold, stable, and playful backcountry ski.

ARVA’s Reactor Tour UL25 airbag pack sets itself apart as a high functioning pack bundling a reliable airbag system with easy access nutrition and hydration pockets for on-the-go backcountry tourers. Alex Lee checks in with an early season first look of the Reactor Tour UL25 from the hills above Anchorage.

In the new Patagonia AlpLoft Down Parka, we see a big puffy not overburdened with heft but, at the same time, not cursed with the weight-saving zeitgeist of the times. The jacket has a job to do: keep you warm and hold up. It does that. The build is near perfect in coupling durability, function, and a reasonable weight.

The Outdoor Research Helium AscentShell is a weatherproof hardshell with minimal bulk and weight for those who count paperclips and like to stay dry.

New to the Stateside scene of tents and packs, Samaya, an Annecy based company focuses on gear for the alpine. As skiers and boarders combine projects involving technical climbing and snow sliding descents, Samaya’s ULTRA35 pack is built for the mission. Here’s our first look.

The Black Crows Corvus Freebird comes in as a big mountain ready ski locked in for big turns on firmer snow. With 107mm underfoot, a straight tail, and modest tip rocker, the ski that is all pink feels more like an all-arounder than loose and free powder board.