A Ski Guides Backcountry Ski and Ski Mountaineering Kit 2024/2025
Summer seemed to never end this year but with winter finally insight, I figured I’d make a post about the backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering kit I’ll be rocking this season.
I’m an AMGA Certified Ski Guide, Avalanche Forecaster and owner of the Mountain Training Center. I’ve got about a decade of backcountry experience and have skied all over the world from peaks topping 18,000’ to steep backcountry couloirs.
This list will reflect what I bring as a recreational skier on the days I’m not skiing lines with clients. Additionally, the only thing I have received for free is a ski pack from Raide Research. That being said, I’ll list another option that I have not gotten for free that I find to be similarly strong in performance.
Avalanche Safety Equipment
Nothing is more important than coming home safe and that’s the reason these tools are at the top of the list.
Avalanche Beacon: Mammut Barryvox S2 Avalanche Beacon
I’ve owned a Mammut Barryvox for years, essentially since they came on the market. They have consistently outpaced other brands in terms of build quality and feature development. New this year is the Barryvox S2. It’s one of the thinner beacons I’ve ever held, which is a big plus as nothing bugs me more than my beacon bulging from my pocket. They’ve also fine tuned a lot of the interior tech increasing the fine search capabilities and audio cues.
Avalanche Probe: Mammut Speed Lock Probe
Generally, a probe is a probe. The major differences you’ll see are length & material. I don’t like the idea of critical pieces of gear breaking so I usually opt for an aluminum probe instead of carbon. That being said, I’ll bring a carbon probe if weight is a critical factor ie. big mountain ski line or multi day traverse. I carry a 320cm probe and do so in every regional snow climate. There has been a lot of talk about the minimal probe length for continental, intermountain or maritime snowpacks. Generally, you want a long probe for maritime since the snowpack is deeper and the inverse is true for continental. That being said, I cannot imagine a more shitty situation than trying to probe for a victim and the probe being too short, leading to a death. So I suck it up & carry a longer probe year round and I think you should too.
Now that doesn’t mean you should search for the world's longest probe. The reason for this is that in a one to one rescue, digging somebody out in under 10 minutes that is buried 3m+ is an almost impossible task. At that point, it’s looking more like a body recovery.
Avalanche Shovel: Black Diamond Transfer LT Shovel
Shovels hold more opportunities for differences between brands than probes. For years, I used the Ortovox Pro Light Shovel and it never failed me. That being said, I’m not perfect and I do like shiny new things and when I saw the BD Transfer LT come out last year, I was a bit jealous. I used a couple of client’s for pits and rescue demos and found the build quality to be similar to the Pro Light. The major difference was the weight savings (406g for the LT) and the increased shovel head size. It was both lighter and more efficient at moving snow. Easy choice.
Ski Equipment
Backcountry Skis: Black Crow Navis Freebird
I have skied these skis for around five years. In that time, I’ve had three sets and logged close to 600 days on these things. They are incredibly reliable and predictable. Heavier than the feather light options and lighter than the beefy options. There is endless debate on the heavy ski vs. light ski for touring, but like most things, I find the sweet spot is near the middle. I’ve skied from high altitudes and climbed ice routes with these on my back. The 102mm width is also pretty much the perfect all around mountain ski for the Western US.
Backcountry Bindings: ATK Haute Route Plus
I say this with utter confidence, skip every other binding and just go straight to this. Very few items actually tick the boxes of light, durable and full of features. This ticks them all. I’ve skied close to every binding on the market seeing as I used to work at Skimo Co back in the day and now the ATK Haute Route is on almost every ski I own. I don’t believe a company should monopolize a market but I wouldn’t be angry if ATK did.
Very original, bunch of ski guides with the same skis and boots.
Ski Boots: Whatever Fits Your Foot
Don’t take this lightly, get a pair of boots from a ski shop that actually fit your feet. Don’t fall for internet marketing and buy something that won’t work for your foot shape. I’ve got narrow, low volume feet so the Tecnia Zero G Tour Pro works very well for me. If you have a wide foot, this will not be a fun boot to ski. That being said, the Zero G has one of the best weight to performance ratios.
Climbing Skins: Pomoca Free Pro 2.0
Hot pink? Yes please. In all seriousness, these are some of the lighter skins on the market and are made with a quality glue. The biggest selling point for me has been the size when they’re packed up as they’re incredibly thin. I’ve got a pair for every ski, do with that what you please.
Ski Poles: Black Crows Furtis Pole
I don’t like adjustable poles. Too many have broken on me throughout the years whether that is in the field or rolling around in the back of a truck. I prefer an extended grip and no hand leashes. Also, carbon is the way to go since it isn’t a piece of critical rescue equipment. But if you don’t want to spend so much, just opt for an aluminum option.
Ski Pack - Raide Research LF 40L
I’m excited to be joining the Raide Research team this season after trying out their packs a couple of times last year. They do a proper job at combining functionality and lightweight-ness. From unique features like the avalanche equipment access pockets to the molded back panel, they’ve definitely got innovation on their mind. That being said, the packs do cost a pretty penny. I’d recommend looking at this purchase as an investment.
As I mentioned in the intro, I’ll list another pack I’ve used heavily which compares pretty well to the Raide packs but has it’s own cool feature set. For years I’ve used a Sac.Ski from Apocalypse Equipment. Really light, pretty durable and available in custom colors. My favorite thing about these packs is the really wide shoulder straps and the slick ice axe carry.
Ski Mountaineering
Ice Axe - Blue Ice Hummingbird Axe
I’d argue this offering is more stable and lighter than most other competitors. In the base configuration, listed in that link, it’s great for steep snow and firm snow. Where it really shines is when you pair it with the Blue Ice Sliding Pommel. This turns it into a bit more of a vertical climbing tool similar to the Petzl Gully.
Harness - Blue Ice Choucas Pro
I haven’t found a better combination of lightweight and durable in a harness yet. Lots of folks enjoy the new offerings that lack a dedicated belay loop but I really prefer having one for crevasse rescue and rappelling. The key to a great ski harness is being about to take it on and off while on skis. This allows for that.
Crampons - Petzl Irvis Hybrid Crampons
Crampons have gotten really cool in the past couple of years. While I have some experience with the Blue Ice Harfang, I’ve got a lot for vertical feet logged with the Petzl offering, hence why they’re listed here. Ultimately the two products are similar in stats so it’ll come down to personal preference. I also always recommend getting a crampon where the front points are steel (they’ll last a lot longer).
Ropes - Petzl RAD Line
It’s been a couple years since Petzl came out with the RAD line and I have yet to see a quality response from other manufacturers. Nothing is a similar weight in the same diameter. The only qualm is the slippery nature of the rope but that is easily mitigated. I should also note that I frequently use the Edelrid Rap Line Protect Pro which is heavier but has the ability to catch a lead fall if doubled up. Just depends on your use case.
Belay Device - Petzl Reverso
Again, another simply better product from Petzl. Not another manufacturer has really nailed another belay device (in my opinion) in terms of rope diameter minimums and overall weight.
Rock Gear - Black Diamond Camalot Ultralight
Ultralight! I stick with the smaller sizes and only bring them out when I know I need them.
Ice Screws - Blue Ice Aero Lite Ice Screw
Petzl used to own this category but now Blue Ice holds the lead. You’ll hear some complaints from hardcore ice climbers that this screw isn’t as durable as the Petzl offering but for the skiers out there, it’s the best option as it’s the lightest and will be rarely used. I personally have experienced no failures with these nor do I know anybody that has.
Accessory Items
Helmet - Mammut Haute Route Helmet
Big fan of this. Looks good and is quite lightweight. Easy win - win. Also, it fits a solid variety of goggles.
Goggles - Julbo Lightyear Goggle
I prefer the 0-4 lens as it covers basically all types of lighting conditions. Other brands have versions of this type of transition lens but I have yet to find one that is comparable in terms of the end result. These also fit quite well under the traditionally smaller backcountry skiing helmets. Also the magnetic lens is sweet but not really needed since the lens is so broad in the condition it covers.
Radio - Rocky Talkie 5W Radio
Further range than the Mountain Radio offering from Rocky Talkie which I find critical for skiing. The original radio was designed for climbing and it worked really well for that. But with the 5W range, you can easily talk from drainage to drainage. Plus, it’s a cooler color now.
