Switchback Travel | Outdoor Gear, Photography & Adventure

Ski Gear Guides

We pick the best ski gear for the 2020 season, from new all-mountain skis and goggles to the coziest jackets and baselayers

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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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Review: Arc'teryx Cerium LT

Featuring premium materials and a hybrid insulation design, we break down Arc’teryx’s versatile Cerium LT

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The Best Rain Jackets

Tested in the rainy Pacific Northwest, we break down the year's top rain jackets from ultralight shells to versatile jackets for hiking and everyday use

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Review: Smith I/O Mag

We put Smith’s premium snow goggles to the test throughout a variable winter in the Pacific Northwest

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Among Giants: The Alaska Range

A human-powered journey by land and water through Denali National Park

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The Best Ski Resorts in Colorado

From challenging, expert-level terrain to gentle groomers, below we break down Colorado's top ski resorts

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Free Range Equipment

A young backpack designer from Bend, Oregon uses his small business to support artists, host pop-up events, and create community

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Review: Feathered Friends Eos

We take Feathered Friends’ signature lightweight down jacket on a trekking and biking adventure in the Peruvian Andes

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An Alpine State of Mind

We chat with top adventure photographer and ski mountaineer Jason Hummel

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Ski Gear Guides
See Our Picks
The Best Ski Helmets
See Our Top Picks
Review: Arc'teryx Cerium LT
See The Review
The Best Rain Jackets
See the Review
Review: Smith I/O Mag
See The Review
Among Giants: The Alaska Range
See The Article

Adventure Travel

Bikepacking in Colorado's San Juan Mountains

Hut-to-Hut Bikepacking from Durango To Moab

“Remember: sea level is for sissies,” we call out, referring to a sticker we’d purchased the previous day as a nod to our North Vancouver home that sits across the street from the ocean. We repeat this mantra...

A Guide to Patagonia’s Huemul Circuit

The Huemul (pronounced [wey-mool]) Circuit is a challenging, 40+ mile hike located in Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, just outside of the Patagonia trekking mecca of El Chaltén, Argentina...

On Location: El Chaltén

We wake at 6am to the faint jingle of Lorna’s watch muffled by her sleeping bag. My body creaks as I pull my sore arms from my sides, grab my headlamp, and light the JetBoil that I had carefully placed outside our tent the night before...

Trekking Mongolia's Altai Mountains

Don’t undo your bootlaces until you have seen the river. As we sit in dusty, windswept Ulgii, one of Mongolia’s westernmost cities, and await our delayed flight back to the capital city of Ulaanbaatar...

Best Ski Resorts in Colorado

Colorado is one of the most iconic ski destinations in the Unites States. Every year, millions of skiers flock to the slopes to bask in the epic mountain terrain, abundant snowfall, and claimed 300+ days of sunshine (we haven’t counted, but that seems...

Bikepacking Peru's Huascarán Circuit

Peru has always peaked our interest, with towering whitewashed mountains, the Amazon rainforest, and more ancient history than we Canadians know what to do with. However, after seeing a few pictures...

A Guide to the Grand Canyon’s Escalante Route

Adventure in the Grand Canyon is most often associated with rafting the Colorado River. But while there’s much to be seen from the canyon floor, the vast and undulating walls of The Big Ditch hold...

Among Giants: Climbing and Packrafting the Alaska Range

“No!” I groan, a wince breaking across my face. I’m in the middle of a swiftly flowing river, but my raft sits immobile as water rushes past me on both sides...

A Guide to Peru's Ausangate Trek

Peru’s Ausangate Trek is epic, and we aren’t throwing that term around lightly. The region is loaded with glacier-capped peaks that reach over 20,000 feet in elevation, yet despite good infrastructure...