My assignment was to shoot the new MSR Revo Explore snowshoes in their element: long distance treks without a defined trail, without getting into the realm of technical terrain. I pulled together a group of outdoor athletes with some serious snowshoe experience, and booked a yurt in the Oregon backcountry to make the most of a late spring snowpack.
By Ali Carr Troxell Picture this: a bunch of svelte mountain athletes rabbiting between slack-lining, base-jumping, paragliding, and free-soloing…wearing clown shoes. All at a frenetic pace set to music that’s better suited to a big top than an outdoor film. This mash up of skilled athletes and acrobatic circus performers is the premise behind the French film, Petit Bus Rouge (or Little Red Bus, as it translates). It’s a sure audience-pleaser scheduled for this year’s Radical Reels tour.
MSR is known for high-quality, reliable outdoor hardgoods. But did you know that in the company’s early years, MSR also made clothing? In fact, over the years, MSR offered such items as waterproof rain jackets to insulated footsacks that converted into puffy overpants. But our first foray into clothing started with the MSR Mountain Parka, which debuted in the April 1973 Mountain Safety Research Newsletter written by MSR founder and professional inventor Larry Penberthy.
By Ali Carr Troxell Up until now, technology didn’t really exist in the realms of snow safety and weather prediction. Inclinometers, paper topo maps, online weather websites and walkie talkies aren’t what we’d exactly call 2.0. Be a Luddite no longer and grab that smartphone—the app world has stepped up with a handful of ways to make your life easier when it comes to staying safe on the snow. WEATHER PREDICTION
From technical articles to gear lust and backcountry education, take a look at our top five most-read posts of 2014! #1 Reinventing the MSR Hubba Hubba™ NX Tent
Winter weather is here and in many places snow has already blanketed the local hills. Here’s a dose of inspiration to get you excited for the snowshoeing season. Whether your mission this year is to complete a backcountry camping trip, a hut-to-hut, or simply enjoy many days of fun winter adventure and hiking, MSR snowshoes are engineered to back you up with confidence behind every step.
By Eric Larsen In the fall of 1994, I was living in a remote cabin in northern Minnesota and working odd jobs. I stopped in a local lodge looking for work and was hired as a dog musher on the spot. At the time, I had never even seen a sled dog let alone driven an entire team of them. I dropped everything I was doing, drove 10 hours back to my parent’s home and grabbed as many base layers as I could find. For good measure, I rented the Disney movie Iron Will to glean a few pointers before my job started.
From the rocks to the open road, see why our new WindBurner Stove System makes the perfect boiling and brewing machine to always have with you. Its fast, windproof performance lets you quickly brew your morning cup of joe to start the day, then warm up with a midday ramen snack, and later enjoy a hot chocolate in the backcountry—no matter the conditions. Take a few minutes to escape the cold with our crew as they venture to Bishop, Ca, for some camping and bouldering.
Choosing the perfect gift for a gear head can be tough. Fortunately MSR employees are experts on gear—and gear giving. So we tapped a few to find out which products they think make the smartest gifts for everyone from backpackers to backcountry skiers—and why. Steve Grind, category director Cook & Shelter: The Alpine Deluxe Kitchen Set
