A good start for your tour begins with some basics: ensure your avalanche beacon has sufficient power, know your beacon and those of your partners, and follow through with a beacon check at the trailhead (and think about repeating the beacon check later in the day).

Garmin released data last week about 10,000 inReach SOS triggerings. Let’s check it out, as many of us carry personal GPS satellite communicators.

As a navigation tool, CalTopo offers a complex feature set that sometimes takes time to hone. With a little savvy, CalTopo offers some hidden gems to make backcountry skiing/riding trip planning more useful. Here are three specific features to dial in your ski and winter climbing plans.

Recalls or not, skier/rider trust with PPE manufacturers is critical. It is a two-way street with many moving parts. The bottom line: PPE gear must work. WildSnow explores recent and past gear recalls and what we can learn. (This is part one of a two-part series.)

“BCA, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, is issuing a voluntary recall of a small number of Tracker4 units due to a switch plastics production issue.”

For an off-the-grid satellite communication device, the Zoleo offers a solid build to survive a backcountry beatdown for most ski adventures.