August 2015 archive

Rerun: Backcountry Economics 101

  In these strange economic times most people I know are sticking to basics and any money for frills is very judiciously spent. If it’s not a necessity, it needs to act like an investment with long-term benefits and quick paying dividends. Which is why, even though skiing has always been a luxury, you need …

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Review: Marker’s Kingpin

Marker Kingpin managed a season and, aside from some production issues with the toe pins falling out, the overall impression of the binding is positive. In fact, thanks to Lou Dawson drawing attention to the pins falling out, that’s one thing you can count on not failing from here on out. Cross your fingers just …

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Review: BCA’s Tracker 3 avalanche transceiver

  In case you hadn’t noticed, there hasn’t been any earth shattering news in the world of avalanche transceivers lately. By and large, the revolution in digital processing and multiple antenna technology begot by Backcountry Access’ original Tracker DTS appears to have run its course. In the last five years, most of the improvements to …

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Redux: Ortovox recalls S1+ (again!)

While cruising the recent Outdoor Retailer Summer trade show, Ortovox reps asked me to remind S1+ users to observe the ongoing recall and the need to send their beacon in to be fixed. Based on results so far, very few actual customers have returned their S1+ beacons to be fixed. All the S1+ beacons pending …

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Notes from Outdoor Retailer Summer 2015

  Another Summer Outdoor Retailer show has come and gone. For the second year in a row it was not sweltering hot in Salt Lake City during the first week of August. Whew. As a backcountry skier there isn’t much product to be dazzled by at the summer show, but there’s always stuff worth checking …

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It’s about the Tour, NOT the Turn

It didn’t take long to figure out that turns taste sweeter when you earn them. After all, the more you pay for something the better it is supposed to be, even if you have to trick yourself into believing that to justify the cost difference. On the whole though, a product cannot sustain a higher …

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