Backcountry Magazine September 2016 - 2017 Gear Guide

FEATURES 2017 SKI TEST & GUIDE Last March, and for the ninth year running, the annual Gear Test Week reigned over Powder Mountain, Utah. Three days of furious flakes welcomed our 40-person tester team as we mowed through more than 200 skis and almost every backcountry boot and binding available. And after ripping, railing and hiking on the latest, our testers produced 1,300 test forms from which we've designated the best 140 skis, boots and bindings for this season. Find out what to add to your quiver beginning on p. 46. 2017 BOARD TEST & GUIDE Splitboarding is transitioning from niche to mainstream— that's a good thing and that's what 30 testers found last March at Crested Butte, Colo., where they celebrated a splitboard superabundance. Over the course of a week, and while riding at Crested Butte Mountain Resort and its surrounding backcountry, the crew threw down on a diverse selection, testing and reviewing everything from top-rated, all-mountain boards to playful, freestyle