G3 Minimist Universal
Packable climbing skins
Author
Ryan Horjus
My Stories
mountainFLOW Skin Wax
Eco-friendly wax
Smith Level/Liberty
Feature-rich helmet
Black Diamond JetForce Tour 26L
Easy avalanche pack
The 4 Best Satellite Communicators for Backpackers
The latest generation of satellite communicators is better than ever, ensuring that you can stay informed, connected, and safe wherever you go. Here are our favorites.
Somewear Global Hotspot
Easiest to use
Bivystick
Biggest battery
Garmin inReach Mini
Best in test
SPOT X
Most affordable
Salomon QST Lumen 99
Best women's ski
Black Diamond Helio Recon 95
Best stability
LINE Vision 108
Most fun
Blizzard Zero G 95
Lightest
G3 FINDr 102
Best feature
The Best Piece of Gear I'll Never Use
I've never triggered my personal locator beacon. But I'm going to keep carrying it all the same.
Jaybird Tarah Pro Wireless Sport Headphones
Best headphones
Apple Watch Series 4
Best smartwatch
Garmin Instinct
Best GPS watch
SunSoaker 10W Kit
Best solar panel
Bivy Bivystick
Best emergency communication device
The 8 Best Hiking Gadgets of Fall 2018
Stay safe and connected on the trail with these lightweight, durable electronics.
First Look: Garmin inReach Mini
Our favorite satellite messenger gets even smaller.
Slopes
Make your Apple Watch into a ski day-tracking command center with this free app.
The Best Backpacking Electronics of 2018
These smart gadgets help you make the most of your hike without keeping you too connected.
DPS PHANTOM Base Glide Treatment
A new ski treatment could make wax a thing of the past.
Petzl Ride
This ultralight ice axe is a useful companion on long tours.
Mammut Barryvox S
This full-featured beacon is easy to use.
Pieps Micro
This light avalanche beacon is easy to carry.
Backcountry Access Float 27 Speed
This intuitive avalanche pack gets an upgrade.
Fritschi Tecton 12 Binding
Versatile binding
DPS Alchemist Wailer 99 / Nina 99
Best all-around
Salomon S/LAB X Alp
Lightest
Elan Ripstick 106
Best ride
Atomic Backland FR 109
Hardest charger
Dynafit Speed 90
Best for touring
Garmin inReach Explorer+
Satellite communicator
ECOXGEAR EcoSlate
Bluetooth speaker
Casio Pro Trek WSD-F20
GPS smartwatch
INO Weather Pro
Weather detector
360Fly HD
360-degree camera
ToughTested 16,000mAh Solar Power Bank With Flashlight
Weatherproof battery pack
Black Diamond ReVolt
Rechargeable headlamp
Apple Watch Series 2
Active smartwatch
Garmin Rino 755t
Do-it-all GPS
GoPro HERO5 Session
Ultralight POV camera
ViewRanger Skyline
Hiking app
AMPware Crank Case
Power-generating phone case
Goal Zero Nomad 7 Plus
Slim solar charger
Biolite BaseLantern XL
Feature-rich lantern
Casio WSD-F10 Smart Outdoor Watch
This smartwatch is primed for crushing some trail.
goTenna
It lets you text your friends in the backcountry.
Lander Neve Cables
These ultradurable cables pack small and withstand abuse.
Suunto Ambit3 Vertical
Finally, a full-featured GPS watch that cares about vert as much as you do.
Garmin Oregon 750t
This compact touchscreen GPS unit is beautifully simple.
SmartWool PhD Outdoor Mountaineer
This sock was designed with the ski tourer in mind.
Bridgedale Control Fit II
This light sock doesn’t skimp on features.
Petzl RAD System
It has everything a mountaineer needs to stage a crevasse rescue.
BCA Float 42
We hauled big loads with this avy pack.
Arc’teryx Voltair
It’s the smartest avy pack to date.
BCA Shaxe Tech Avalanche Shovel
It’s a shovel. It’s an axe. It’s a . . . Shaxe!
Mammut Carbon Probe 240 Light
Check out Ryan Horjus's author page.
Mammut Alugator Light
Check out Ryan Horjus's author page.
La Sportiva Vapor Float
When it gets deep, there’s no better rig.
Black Diamond Helio 105
These skis delivered a best-in-class ride.
Dynafit Dhauligiri
They can handle all conditions, top to bottom.
Black Crows Anima Freebird
We dug these hard-charging fat skis in the sidecountry.
G3 FINDr 94
We loved technical descents on these light-but-stable planks.
K2 Wayback 96
Don’t carry more weight than you have to.
DPS Wailer 106 Tour1/ Zelda 106 Tour1
It’s a true one-ski quiver.
Jaybird X2
Bluetooth earbuds
Sony X1000V 4K Action Cam
POV Camera
Suunto Traverse
GPS Watch
Outdoor Tech Buckshot Pro
Power Pack
Garmin Etrex Touch Series
Touchscreen GPS
Petzl MYO Headlamp
This powerful headlamp is the brightest option in its weight class.
myCharge All Terrain Charger
This is the most durable (and waterproof) portable battery we’ve seen.
Catalyst Waterproof iPhone Case
Get total protection for your iPhone without compromising sound quality.
GoPro HERO Video Camera
This lightweight helmet cam brings quality POV filming to the masses.
Backcountry Access Float 32 Airbag Pack
Get your favorite backpack features in an avy pack.