How to Find a Compatible Backcountry Ski and Snowshoe Partner  

I thought I had clearly communicated which slope I wanted to avoid. It had dumped snow the night before, I was in an unfamiliar area, and I wanted to play it safe that day. So when my backcountry ski partner headed straight for the steeper line, I was furious. After he committed, I had to follow him or risk losing him in the forest. Sound familiar? Solid adventure buddies can make or break a trip in any season. During the summer, we might be crammed in a tent with them for hours, as we await a weather window or escape a swarm of mosquitoes. We have to solve problems, resolve conflicts, and make decisions together in remote settings. They share our highest highs and lowest lows, high fiving us on…

Read More

Gear Archives: The Evolution of MSR Avalanche Probes

MSR was founded on mountaineering and snow safety, and our MSR Striker™ probes not only continue that legacy but also deliver on our founding promise to build better, more reliable and easier-to-use gear. Vastly different from the MSR probes of 40+ years ago, the Striker probes’ unique construction and features meet the needs of everyone from mountaineers and professional guides to backcountry skiers, snowboarders and snowshoers. Here’s a brief look at past and present MSR probe innovations. The History of MSR Avalanche Probes In the 1970s, before snow science was standard practice for the typical backcountry traveler, probes were primarily used in avalanche rescue situations to help locate buried skiers or climbers, as well as by mountaineers to detect voids, crevasses and other hidden dangers lurking beneath the surface of…

Read More

Your Guide to Paraglide Snowshoe Bindings

Meet the Paraglide™, our newest snowshoe binding featured on all Trail series snowshoes: Evo, Revo, and Lightning. (Pro tip: if our site is out of stock, use the Find In Store or Find Online buttons on the product page to see MSR retailers with inventory.) Based on the materials and design principles of the award-winning Paragon binding (found on Ascent series snowshoes), the Paraglide was designed to be easy to use and incredibly comfortable for newer snowshoers while still providing a secure fit and high-quality performance. Using the Paraglide Snowshoe Bindings To put on the Paraglide snowshoe binding, simply pull the outside strap forward over your foot. Then tighten and secure the rear strap. Roller buckles make tightening the straps easy and intuitive by holding them in place without slippage….

Read More

5 Awesome Alternatives to Ski Resorts This Winter

Let’s face it: resort skiing can be great, but it’s not for everyone (or the planet). With single-day lift tickets cracking the $200 mark and mile-long parking and lift lines at many mountains, maybe­—just MAYBE—sitting in a dank, humid lodge or getting turned away at the parking lot just aren’t on your to-do list for this year.  Lucky for us, winter is a total playground and there are a ton of alternatives to ski resorts for winter fun. Here’s a quick reminder of some fun to be had that doesn’t involve a chair lift. Snowshoeing I know, big surprise coming from MSR, but snowshoeing is arguably the easiest and most accessible way to embrace winter away from the crowds. You can literally go anywhere there is snow. A good dump…

Read More