Switchback Travel | Outdoor Gear, Photography & Adventure

Ski Gear Guides

We pick the best ski gear for the 2018-2019 season, from new all-mountain skis and goggles to the coziest jackets and baselayers

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On Location: Ski Portillo

Finding August turns and a unique vibe at Chile’s oldest ski resort

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The Best Winter Jackets

For extreme cold, these jackets bring the warmth

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Artist, Activist, Joy Evangelist

Using art to inspire environmental stewardship and love for the natural world

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Review: Arc'teryx Firebee AR

We put Arc’teryx’s down parka through a harsh winter in British Columbia

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The Best Ski Helmets

From teched out and ventilated to simple budget options that still get the job done, we break down the best ski helmets on the market

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Look Up, Stand Still, Breathe

An interview with Quinn Brett on the risk of climbing, fear, and the long road to recovery

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The Best Trail Runners

For smooth local trails to serious mountain terrain and racing, we break down the top trail-running shoes on the market

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The Best Backpacking Tents

From ultralight models for moving fast and light to budget options for weekend trips, we break down the year’s top backpacking tents

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A shadow passes over. “What was that?!” “I don’t know. But it was big. Not big. HUGE. And it was close.” “Did you hear that rush of wind?” “Yeah… like a parachute opening!” “But where did it go?” Megan and I look around...

On Location: Ski Portillo

It’s summer in Colorado, and we’re smack dab in the middle of a heat wave. The mountain bike trails are dry and cracking, and monsoonal rains provide only a short relief on most afternoons. For dedicated skiers like myself, there are...

On Location: Dark Canyon Wilderness

I was poking around the internet, wasting time as usual, getting too steamed about a world too far beyond my control. Bears Ears. Politics. Scanning through an uplifting article...

On Location: Salt Creek Canyon

Tracing canyon bottoms and following passageways carved by water and time, Utah’s trails meander across the state, connecting one dramatic landscape to the next...

10 Great Day Hikes from Seattle

From the peaks of the Cascades, across the coastal rainforests of the Olympic Peninsula, to towering volcanoes like Mt. Rainier, hiking Washington’s diverse landscapes...

On Location: The West Coast Trail

I can’t think of a better way to experience a unique coastal landscape of crashing waves, tide pools, rock formations, old growth forest, birds, and wildlife than to meander along a beach for a week and soak it...

New Zealand's Best Adventure Towns

New Zealand firmly has established itself as one of the world’s top adventure destinations. Queenstown receives much of the attention—it is indeed chock-full of adventure opportunities—but a host of other...

Lofoten Islands Hiking

The Lofoten Islands are a grand stage for hiking. Many of the trails have far-reaching views of the mountain spires and sea, and they range from easy beach walks to steep, challenging treks into the Lofoten backcountry...

Lofoten Islands, Norway

Norway’s Lofoten Islands are referred to as the Lofoten Wall because, quite literally, they are vertical rows of granite shooting out of the Arctic Sea. A number of colorful fishing villages hug the shoreline and a majority...