This year’s Winter Outdoor Retailer / Snow Show was a bit underwhelming. There wasn’t as much new and innovative kit to check out as I’ve come to expect. And unfortunately footwear was no exception though there were definitely a few highlights. Five Ten and Lowa, didn’t have anything new for winter while other brands such as Salewa weren’t even at the show. However, that’s not … Continue reading Winter OR 2019: Footwear
Mountains are a place we go to get away from it all. No cell service, less people, just you and maybe a few close friends to get up to some adventure. Over the past few years, social media has had a large influence on what happens in the mountains. Not to get into that too much, but what we wear is something most people take … Continue reading Review: Mountain Hardware Exposure/2™ Jacket and Pants
This final installment of our gift guide series for 2018 provides some great ideas for the backcountry skiers out there. This includes ski touring, ski mountaineering, split boarding and even the snowshoeing enthusiast—though I question their sanity. Be sure to check out our other gift guides as well and have a great Christmas season! 1. Arc’teryx Alpha SK Pack: The newest addition to the Arc’teryx … Continue reading Christmas Gift Guide for Backcountry Skiers: 2018
Christmas is just around the corner yet again. But don’t worry if you’ve no idea what to get that hard-to-shop-for climber in the family. We’ve got you covered! In this first installment of the 2018 guide we’ll look at 10 great ideas for smaller “stocking stuffer” type gifts. Basically, cool stuff that won’t cost too much. Click here if you want to look at some … Continue reading Climber’s Gift Guide 2018: Stocking Stuffers
Black Sheep Adventure Sports’ first annual guide to stocking stuffers for ski touring & splitboarding fanatics. We’ve compiled a list of 5 great stocking stuffer ideas for anyone that loves touring around in the hills come winter. Gifts that they likely won’t expect, but that will definitely put a smile on their face. Of course we’ve tried to keep prices low and the size down … Continue reading Christmas Stocking Stuffer Guide for Backcountry Touring 2018
The Tantalus Traverse is a beautiful breath taking adventure through some of Squamish’s local Mountains. Depending on your route it will be anywhere from 36km – 45km with 3600m – 5000m of elevation gain. Most commonly done from North to South, the full traverse starts at Sigurd Creek and finishes at Lake Lovey Water trail head. Some parties will take a helicopter to the Zenith … Continue reading Beta / Trip Report: Tantalus Traverse – Fast and Light
There were some really cool alpine and mountaineering packs to check out at OR this summer though not as many as usual. Companies like Osprey, Deuter, Gregory, etc. seemed to have focused their efforts in other areas such as cycling and hiking this year. However I met up with the Arc’teryx crew in Vancouver before the show so I can include their new alpine climbing … Continue reading Summer OR 2018: Packs
There were a bunch of new bivy bags, tents and tarps to check out at OR Show this summer. A sic new line of ultralight Dyneema/Carbon Fiber based shelters from Big Agnes, new additions in the BD and MSR line-ups, a redesign of Mountain Hardware’s entire alpine/mountaineering line and an overhaul to OR’s bivy line. So in no particular order lets take a look. Big … Continue reading Summer OR 2018: Tents & Shelters
This Outdoor Retailer Show Report focuses mainly on equipment for mountaineering and alpine climbing. However, it also has a bit of a hodge-podge of gear that could fit into several categories or none. It’s all great gear though! So in no particular order… Mammut Glacier Cord Dry: Much like Petzl’s Rad line, Mammut’s new Glacier Cord is a high-strength, low-stretch glacier travel and crevasse rescue … Continue reading Summer OR 2018: Mountaineering & Alpine Equipment
There were quite a few new and updated helmets and harnesses to check out at the Outdoor Retailer show this year. And while the changes mainly followed innovations in materials and technology there’s also a new player in the market that has some really nice equipment. Lets start with helmets and move on from there. If you haven’t checked out the other OR Reports from this … Continue reading Summer OR 2018: Harnesses & Helmets
