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Big and floaty and so so … so fine in ideal powder. This can be said about many skis, but, in particular, it is true of the DPS Pagoda Tour RP 112. And it turns out, this ski just flat out makes less-than-ideal powder more fun too.

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.

Like death and taxes, boot liners pack out. Alas, you’ve got options to improve a boot’s function and life span. Maybe a boot liner refresh is in order.

Salomon adds to their line of tech bindings with the MTN Summit series. We’ve had the MTN Summit 12 BR for roughly 24 hours; here’s a first look.

The golden age of easy on-off insulated pants for backcountry skiing is among us: Rejoice! Stellar Equipment’s Ultralight Down Pants 2.0 are 3/4 length down pants with high function and style points too.

At 94 underfoot, and a weight punching into the 1500g space, Elan’s Ripstick Tour 94 is a stable all-around ski putting a smile on our tester’s face in a potpourri of Alaskan conditions.

Bill Briggs biography: a ski mountaineering pioneer who made first ski descent of Grand Teton as well as traverses and history first ascents.

A person’s best friend. You know where we are going: dogs in the backcountry. Many words come to mind, like liability, poop, sit, stay, treat, dog-person, and cat-person. But damn, they are lovable. Do they belong out there with us?

Riser options — the debate rages on. Let’s agree that personal preferences are ok when it comes to riser heights. But to build efficiencies at transitions, sometimes it makes sense to skin with riser flipped over a tech binding’s pins. Learning about tech bindings 101.

Sans adjustment plate sub 200g- check. This small unit has an adjustable vertical and lateral release, clean lines and a solid build. Another sweet binding option from Italy? Check. The high-functioning and minimalist Kreuzspitze GT 2.0 looks to be a…

Proof of concept is laid bare in the mountains. Slovakia’s Grizzly ski bindings has made inroads with the skimo set and have their eyes set on bringing a rethink to how a tech binding should look and operate. We’re checking…

In a somewhat crowded marketplace for lighter and skinnier skis, the Fischer Transalp 86 Carbon stands out, not in a flashy way, as a can-do stable ski. Spring corn and firm steeps anybody?

When it comes to traveling in avalanche terrain when the weather is extremely cold, things get a little more complicated and we need to weigh certain steps of our daily process more heavily. Here’s some advice to keep it safe in extreme cold from Avalanche Canada.

Black Crows arrived on the freeride scene in 2006. With savvy marketing and an emphasis on building skiers’ skis, the Chamonix-based company spread its wings. Here’s a peak under the Black Crows’ hood with product lede Kenji Teshima and skiers Christina Lustenberger, and Adam Fabrikant.

Thoughts on social media and the backcountry scene: Social media is entertainment, not connection. It can be great entertainment, whether a post is authentic or not. Social media is also an unnecessary, but powerful tool. No matter how you feel about it, that power is worth careful consideration.

Blizzard adds to the Zero G lineup with the skinnier yet capable Zero G LT 80. Here’s our first look at this 1kg go-long-and-far ski.

Gift guide number two: Hopefully, these guides prompt us all to think of others and what they might like to receive as a gift. Also, it’s OK by us to show some self-gratitude and buy something for yourself. We have included replacement binding heel or toe units.

The 4-Quattro SL promises and delivers legit stiffness. The sole is GripWalk compatible for the 50/50 skiers out there. Don’t be fooled by the 50/50 … it could go 100/0. Here’s a first look.

It is that time of year: Gift Guide season. Sales abound, Black Friday extends to Monday, and there’s a scurry to infill gifts for those who made the short-list. In the build-up to no matter what you celebrate, the solstice, which we suppose from an available daylight metric is something to observe, goes down in the Northern Hemisphere at 1:47 PM Dec. 21. You still have time to think of others. Let the gifting begin.