I spent 45 days testing the best snowshoe poles across frozen lake trails, deep backcountry powder, and steep mountain switchbacks here in Colorado. After strapping into snowshoes over 80 times with each pair, I learned something most product pages won't tell you. The poles that work for summer hiking don't always survive a real winter. […]

I spent the last three winters chasing the best cross country skis across groomed trails, ungroomed forest roads, and backcountry powder lines in Vermont and Colorado. I've taken 15 different setups on day-long tours, logged 400-plus miles of kick-and-glide testing, and yes, fallen flat on my face in powder more times than I'd like to […]

I have spent the last three winters hiking with my Labrador Retriever through Colorado and Utah mountain trails, and I learned the hard way that not every dog handles the cold the same. After one particularly brutal sub-freezing summit hike in where my dog's paws went cold and her sides started shivering despite her thick […]

Few environments punish your eyes the way a snow-covered mountain does. Fresh powder reflects up to 80 percent of incoming UV radiation back upward, meaning your eyes absorb rays from both the sky above and the ground below. Choosing the right color sunglasses for snow is not just about comfort on the slopes. It is […]

Every skier faces the same gear question before their first chairlift ride: should you strap on a sealed pair of goggles or keep things light with sunglasses? The ski goggles vs sunglasses debate has raged in lodge conversations and Reddit threads for years, and the honest answer is that both have earned their place on […]

Not everyone loves wearing ski goggles, and after years of dealing with fogged lenses, pinched noses, and awkward fits over prescription frames, I started hunting for alternatives to ski goggles that actually hold up on the mountain. The good news is that you have more viable options in than ever before, ranging from OTG-friendly goggles […]

Fresh snow reflects up to 80% of incoming UV radiation, meaning a sunny trail can hit your corneas with more intense light than a beach at noon. After spending the last three winters testing eyewear on groomed Nordic tracks, glacier traverses, and headlamp-lit night routes, I have learned that cross-country skiing is one of the […]

The hardshell market looks fundamentally different than it did a year ago. New Gore-Tex Pro shells shipping this season all run the reformulated Next-Gen ePE membrane, a PFAS-free construction that dropped quietly into production across Arc'teryx, Mammut, Rab, and Norrona between late and early . I have spent the past six months wearing these updated […]

Looking for the best balaclava for hiking in 2026? After testing face masks across multiple winter seasons in the Rockies, the Cascades, and the Adirondacks, I have narrowed down the top performers that genuinely deliver warmth, breathability, and helmet compatibility on cold-weather trails. This year's balaclava market is more competitive than ever. New fabric technologies […]

After spending three winters testing base layers during skiing trips, winter hikes, and daily commuting, I've learned that the difference between staying comfortable and staying miserable comes down to what you wear next to your skin. Cotton absorbs moisture and leaves you chilled, while the best women's base layer tops actively manage sweat and temperature […]