By Will Rietveld
Please note that this article simply highlights new
lightweight gear of interest, and by no means is it comprehensive of the
category or constitute a review of the item. It’s simply a collection of new interesting gear for lightweight
backcountry travel.
Items featured will
be available in spring 2016 unless stated otherwise. Weights are for men’s size
Medium apparel or size 9 footwear.
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| Northern
Lites Snowshoes. I
was pleased to discover Northern Lites
snowshoes at the demo event; with new company owners at OR for the first time.
I have a lot of experience with these snowshoes, having reviewed the Elite and
Backcountry models for Backpacking Light Magazine. The snowshoes are
essentially unchanged from the ones I tested. The 8x25-inch Elite is their
lightest at 2.5 pounds/pair and $249; the 9x30-inch Backcountry provides more
flotation at 45 ounces/pair and $269. Northern Lites
have retained their distinction of being the lightest snowshoes available
(other than a race shoe). |
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Black Diamond Helio
Ski Poles. These fixed-length poles are bladder molded carbon fiber, and
have ski baskets. As you can see in the photo, the handle is molded-in and
hollow. The lower part of the pole is thicker carbon fiber for extra strength. Weight
is 9 ounces per pair and MSRP is $299/pair.
|
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Black Diamond Cirque
35 Pack. This Dyneema Gridstop ski pack has ski loops on the sides, top and
side access, and tool attachments. Weight is 2 pounds 4 ounces and MSRP is
$200. It will also be available in 30 and 45 liter sizes.
|
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| CAMP Kristal Gaiter. These 16.5-inch tall gaiters
weigh just 3.2 ounces/pair. They’re made of silicone coated B-Dry Evo ripstop
nylon with taped seams, so they are completely waterproof. Features are a front
water-resistant zipper, adjustable Dyneema cords underfoot, and elastic
tensioners at the top and lace hook. MSRP is $60; available now. |
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| Louis Garneau Phenom
Snowshoe. These 25-inch long snowshoes have a Boa closure on the binding
for quick in/out and precise tightening. Weight is 3.1 pounds/pair and MSRP is
$300. |
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| Louis Garneau
Transition Boa Snowshoe. Length is 23 inches, 2.4 pounds/pair, $200.
Available now. |
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Polaris eBikes. Polaris
(the snowmobile company) had several electric snow bikes available for testing
at Outdoor Demo. They have a 750 watt motor and Lithium ion battery. Simply pedal
to get started and shift gears as needed; the electric motor and computer kick
in to provide as much power as needed. The rider can pedal as much as he wants
to generate additional power to extend battery life and speed. Several versions
are available for travel on urban trails, mountain bike trails, and packed
snow. MSRP ranges from $2,500 to $5,500 depending on the configuration.
Available now.
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Scarpa Alien Series
Ski Boots. The Scarpa Alien 3.0 (left) is a minimalist carbon fiber ski
boot weighing just 1 pound 4.3 ounces per boot. The cost for these uberlight
boots is just $2,999. The Alien 1.0 (center) is a combination of carbon fiber
and plastic, weighs 1 pound 8 ounces/boot, and costs just $1,799. The
all-plastic Alien (right) weighs 1 pound 15 ounces/boot and costs $799. The
venerable Scarpa F1 (not shown) is updated for fall 2016; 2 pounds 11
ounces/boot; $699. All have a Boa tightening system on the lower part of the
boot, which saves weight and provides easy and precise adjustment throughout
the day. The Alien and Alien 1.0 are available now.
|
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| Snow Gliders.
These are basically a snowshoe alternative, enabling faster travel over snow
once you master the technique. They are claimed to provide the traction,
stability, and control of snowshoes with the speed of skis. The underside has a
climbing skin strip on the length of the glider, so you can kick and glide over
more gentle terrain. Two models are available with numerous binding options. Optional
adjustable cleats slow you down on steep downhills. Expected MSRPs are $299
without cleats and $399 with cleats; this is a product looking for a
manufacturer. |
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| Yukon Charlie Carbon Flex Snowshoe. These
9x28-inch injection-molded snowshoes have some rocker, lots of flex, an unusual
honeycomb pattern, Northway Spin binding, and heel lift. Weight is 4.9
pounds/pair and MSRP is $199. The honeycomb pattern is innovative, but I wonder
if they might have a problem with wet snow packing into the pockets. Note:
these snowshoes do not contain any carbon fiber; they just have a carbon fiber
appearance. |
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Fischer Traverse
Carbon Ski Boot. This makes use of carbon fiber to bring the weight down to
34.6 ounces/boot, which is pretty good for a full-featured downhill ski boot.
Tech binding only. They have a Boa closure system on the lower boot and one
buckle at the top. $900.
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