Now beyond cult-follower status, Hyperlite Mountain Gear (HMG) remains a staple of the backpacking light crowd. Amongst the ski touring community, they have a following too. With the Headwall 55, they introduce their first ski-specific pack that is a great companion for overnighters and single-day tours.

The Arc’teryx Alpha Lightweight Parka is a piece to keep you toasty when the pace stalls out on the skinner, flying downhill on the descent, or an emergency bivy is required.

Sometimes, we place a premium on roominess. In other situations, it’s about minimizing weight, space, and some comfort. But in both instances, it’s nice to stay dry. The Samaya 2.0 tent offers a significant step forward for lightweight, high-performance shelters in the high mountain environment.

In the just-beyond-race-weight ski segment, the Blizzard Zero G LT 80 (yeah 80mm underfoot) renders a steady ski that harnesses that great Zero G edge hold in a trimmed-down package ready for all sorts of big mission skiing (except the missions for the real deep snow).

The Kreuzspitze GT 2.0 binding comes in a weight-wise package (sub 200g for the basic unit) and adjustable release values. Click in and go.

The glossy carbon weave is attractive. When carbon is employed, we pay a premium for lightness and stiffness: Dynafit’s Blacklight ski boot doubles up with real-world stiffness and is a high-functioning boot for any mountain mission.