After seasons of ripping laps at the resort, you decide it’s time to upgrade and feel the satisfaction of earning your turns. It’s time to start backcountry skiing. What you wear resort skiing is different than what you wear for backcountry touring. Touring is a more aerobic activity, and you experience greater temperature fluctuations from the skin up, or while transitioning on a windy ridge, or digging a pit for observations.

At Black Diamond Equipment, ski touring is a part of our DNA. We live for dawn patrol starts, booting up steep couloirs, and floating through untouched, knee-deep powder. Here are our picks for the perfect backcountry touring kit.

  • BASELAYERS: Have a merino wool top and bottom as the foundation. You can use other fabrics, such as silk or synthetic blends, but avoid cotton, as it will make you colder when wet.

Choosing your base layer is a crucial step. You should be wearing your beacon on top of your lowest layer. If your baselayer is too warm, you risk having to take your beacon off in the backcountry—an avoidable risk to you and your touring partners.

  • SOCKS: A good merino blend, compression ski sock with minimal cushioning is your best option. A thick ski sock can cause hot spots and overheat your feet. Something lighter, like the BD Touring Compression Ski Socks, is a better option for touring.

  • FLEECE: Wearing a fleece over your baselayer is recommended when touring. Fleece adds another layer of warmth, but it is extremely breathable. Our top pick is the Coefficient Hoody, or a warmer option is the Factor Fleece if you run cold. Some folks run warm, or it’s a warm day, and then we recommend wearing a lightweight fleece as a baselayer, like the Coefficient LT Hybrid Hoody—it’s the perfect balance of warmth and breathability and can be worn on its own.
  • INSULATION: A puffy is important to bring while out backcountry skiing, even on warm days. If you get lost on your tour, injured, or are stuck out after dark for any reason, a puffy becomes a piece of rescue gear, not just a nice-to-have. A great touring puffy is lightweight, packable, and ultra warm. The Deploy Down 1.0 Hoody is an 800-fill down puffy that checks these boxes: a slim, lightweight puffy that stuffs into the hand pocket. If you want your puffy to be a bit more versatile, the Access Down 2.0 will be a bit bulkier in your pack, but it is a great option if you want your puffy to transition from the skin track to the après with ease.

A pro tip we learned from guides and avalanche instructors is to have a ‘trailhead puffy’. Basically, it’s your biggest and warmest puffy that you wear while getting ready for your tour. Then, right before you hit the skin track, you ditch the extra-large puffy and you start the tour warm. It is also nice to come back to your car to a dry, warm layer you can throw on as you pack up your truck. Guide picks for the ‘trailhead puffy’ are the Solution 4.0 Parka or Mission 4000M Hoody.

  • SHELLS: Unless you are touring in a 2-inch-an-hour storm or windy conditions, most of the time you won’t be wearing your ski shell until after you transition and are starting your downhill lap. We offer three outerwear lines for backcountry skiing. Choosing one will depend on your needs and preferences.

Recon Outerwear: This kit excels in the backcountry and the resort. Featuring BD.dry™ 3L stretch nylon fabric that's breathable and waterproof, this is your pick for when you only want one ski shell for touring missions and resort days.

Factor Outerwear: Our Factor shell also features BD.dry™ 3L, plus a fleece-lined face for extra warmth and a luxurious feel. Bulkier than our Recon line, the Factor is a great option if you want top-of-the-line features and are headed out for shorter tours. The Factor also has a higher waterproof rating than the Recon, making it a popular option for tourers in wet and cold areas, like the White Mountains or the Cascades.

Dawn Patrol Outerwear: If you revel in the uphill as much as (if not more than) the downhill, our Dawn Patrol outerwear is breathable and stretches and moves with you on the skin track. Offering a slim fit in a softshell package, the Dawn Patrol is our most packable ski shell, and it is a favorite for tourers in continental snowpacks.

  • PANTS VS. BIBS: Deciding between ski pants or bibs is personal preference. Some people prefer the extra coverage and pockets that come with bibs, while others prefer the simplicity, look, and easy on-and-off of pants. We offer a line of ski pants and bibs from fully featured bibs, like the Factor Bibs, to streamlined pants like the Recon LT or Dawn Patrol Hybrid Pants.

  • GLOVES: When touring, it is a good idea to bring 2-3 gloves. That may sound like a lot, but here is how to think about it—you want to have a lightweight pair for when you are working hard on the uphill, a do-it-all durable leather glove for the downhill or colder skinning, and an ultra-warm option for the frigid days or for when you are standing in a pit taking observations. Our line of touring gloves offers a selection of gloves tailored for touring needs. Plus, our glove guide and article for choosing the best gloves offer suggestions to dial in your glove trifecta.

  • ACCESSORIES: A beanie and a buff are small parts of a backcountry kit, but they are some of the most important. Forgetting a buff on a tour can be a heartbreaker—you have a dialed layering system that has a weak point right at the neck, letting cold air in with every kick turn. The same goes for a good beanie; we lose a lot of heat from our head, and being out in the cold without a way to lock in the warmth can cut a day short. Another small necessity is a pair of sunglasses, no matter the tour. It can be a cloudy day, and the UV is still strong enough to strain your eyes.

CONCLUSION

After a beacon check, the second most important thing to think about at the trailhead before starting your tour is, “Be bold, start cold.” Outlined above are many different layers, but the best thing to do when you’re heading out from the car is to leave your puffy off and start a little cold. When the snow is fresh and you want first tracks, no one wants to stop for the ‘¼ mile strip’ and get passed by someone brave enough to start chilly.

Like any layering system, dialing in what to wear backcountry skiing will take some trial and error, treat it as an art, not a science, and find pieces of gear that become staples in your kit. Enjoy earning your turns, and we’ll see you on the skin track.

Molly climbs The Thumb on Lone Peak.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Molly is Black Diamond Equipment’s copywriter. Her expertise in outdoor apparel and equipment comes from a decade-long love affair with backcountry splitboarding and climbing. She likes low-angle powder laps on high-avy days and sending long desert splitters.