Backcountry Skiing Gear Guide – The Best Skis of 2020

Choosing a backcountry ski is a time consuming and difficult task. It presents a conflict of interest: weight vs. performance. But you shouldn’t have to compromise. Backcountry skis should be light for the uphill without making too many concessions on downhill performance in the process of shaving grams. Here is a guide to buying your next backcountry set up. Below are what we consider the top 5 backcountry skis of this season. And don’t forget, you can find all of these skis in our shop, Tahoe Mountain Sports.

The Blizzard Zero G 95 is a timeless favorite of ours. It skis well in a variety of conditions and is the lightest on this list. At under 6 lbs per pair, you’ll float up the skintrack with these on your feet. It’s designed with the uphill in mind and if you pair it with a light binding like G3’s Zed, you’ll be unstoppable.

The 95 mm waist makes this an extremely versatile ski that can handle soft and firm conditions. With camber underfoot, it charges in firm conditions and maintains a strong edge hold. It excels in firmer conditions, making it one of our favorites for springtime corn skiing.

If you’re new to backcountry skiing, this ski is a great option. It’s light on the uphill and responsive on the downhill. It’s can make quick, tight turns giving you confidence in unfamiliar terrain.

The Bottom Line: If you are looking to cut down on weight, pick up this ski. We are impressed by its balance between weight and performance. It’s ideal for someone who’s looking for a lightweight backcountry performer.

Lightweight and powerful, just like it’s little brother the Zero G 95, the Zero G 105 is a great choice for those looking for a hard charging backcountry ski. It’s quick, nimble, and will hold an edge when you need it. This ski wants to be taken on committing lines, it’s aggressive and demands that you ski it. It’s stable and predictable at speed and in variable conditions (chop, breakable crust, etc.)

The 105 mm waist is incredibly versatile and can be used as an everyday ski. The extra width underfoot gives you more float, especially on deep powder days. The traditional camber profile of this ski gives the ski power and precision. Once engaged, this ski offers a strong edge hold. With this ski, Blizzard has created a lightweight tool that doesn’t sacrifice performance for weight.

The Bottom Line: This is a great option for advanced backcountry enthusiasts who are looking for a confidence inspiring, aggressive ski. It will excel in powder but can handle many different conditions. It’s a ski that wants to go steep and fast.

This ski is all you need for a one ski quiver. At 102 mm underfoot, it has a versatile waist that can hold an edge in firm conditions or float on deep powder days. It’s a playful and responsive ski that likes to pop in and out of turns. You can certainly use the Navis Freebird as a daily driver at the resort and in the backcountry, it does well in and out of bounds. You never really know what to expect in the backcountry but you can feel confident that these skis can handle it all – steep stuff, hippy pow, chop, icy firm days, you name it.

At 1675 g, it’s just a touch heavier than the Zero G 108 but still in the category of lightweight touring skis. Pair it with the Fritschi Tecton as a one ski quiver or the G3 Zed to fly uphill.

The Bottom Line: This is a great one ski quiver for those looking for a light setup that they can ski in all conditions in bounds and out of bounds.

WNDR Alpine is raising the bar for sustainable gear and design in the outdoor industry. To avoid the slew of environmentally harmful, toxic chemicals and materials involved in ski manufacturing and they developed a new algae-based composite. That’s right, these skis are made from microalgae, a renewable, biological resource! They also have a great takeback program where they refurbish the ski or reuse materials at the end of that WNDR ski’s lifetime. You can customize the Intention 110 by choosing from a camber or reverse camber profile. Or get one of each and experience the best of both worlds, versatility and off-piste charging!

The Bottom Line: This is a great all mountain touring ski that is designed for folks who want to see a change in the environmental impact of ski manufacturing. We are excited to support WNDR as they lead the charge in eco-friendly skis.

This fun ski will be your new favorite for inbounds and out of bounds skiing. It’s designed for freeriding and you’ll love the way it handles different conditions and terrain. It’s good at carving, super surfy, and has exceptional floatation on powder days. This is a great choice for skiers who want to have a little more fun on their tours or for folks who want to shed some weight from their inbounds set up. Pair this ski with the new Salomon Shift and you’ve got a fun, one ski quiver that can go anywhere. Plus, we can’t help but love Icelantic graphics. All of their skis feature artwork by Travis Parr.

The Bottom Line: The Nomad Lite features Icelantic’s signature durable construction and is a great one ski quiver choice. You’ll enjoy taking this ski on long tours or bell to bell at the resort. It’s lightweight, responsive, fun, and stable.

The Icelantic Mystic 97 is a great choice for a women’s one ski quiver. It’s versatile, light, and excels in a variety of conditions, from chop to corn. It’s especially playful in soft conditions and you’ll find yourself reaching for on the next powder day. The durable top sheet will withstand whatever you put it through so if you’re hard on your gear, this is the ski for you. New backcountry skiers will enjoy the solid feeling of this ski underfoot while seasoned backcountry skiers will appreciate how it strikes a great balance between weight and performance. It’s light on the uphill and confident on the downhill.

The Bottom Line: This playful ski can handle many different conditions and withstand getting put through the wringer. It turns on a dime and is versatile one ski quiver, thanks to its profile and shape.

Here is our top pick for a women specific backcountry ski. The G3 Seekr Elle is fun and playful and excels at the uphill. It’s ultralight, weighing in at 1310g, which makes it a great pick for long days on the skintrack. Soft powder is where this ski shines thanks to early rise in the tip and tail and a nice, big shovel. The shape and 100 mm waist will help you float effortlessly on deep powder days.

Even though this is considered an ultralight ski, it’s also designed to perform well on the downhill in a variety of conditions. It’s constructed with a polyurathane sidewall which adds dampening qualities and absorbs energy. There is 2 mm of camber underfoot to help maintain stability at speed.

The Bottom Line: This ski is playful, powerful, and ultralight. It’s a great all mountain backcountry ski for lady shredders who want something that can handle a little bit of everything. It excels in soft conditions so make sure to bring it out on the next pow day.

Choosing the Right Size

The general rule of thumb for ski sizing is to choose a ski that measures anywhere from your chin to the top of your head. There are many reasons to size up or down from there – weight, skier ability, rocker profile, etc.

If you are new to backcountry skiing, we recommend sizing your backcountry ski slightly shorter than your alpine ski. A shorter ski will be more responsive and make quicker turns. This helps keep you safe as you adjust to different terrain (tight trees, obstacles, etc) in the backcountry.

In Store Perks

Have you heard about our package deals? If you’re going to purchase a new setup – skis, boots, and bindings – we have a great deal for you. We’ll give you 15% OFF everything! We will also mount your skis and heat mold your boots for free!

If you’re still not sure which ski is the one for you, why don’t you try some out? All of the skis in the list above are available to demo, so come on by to take them out for the day.

We also rent snowshoes and a variety of backcountry gear. Check out our selection of backcountry gear for rent using the link below and let us help you get geared up for next adventures!

Check out our Backcountry Gear Rentals

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