Read This First: Gear Does Not Replace Training
Ski touring takes place in avalanche terrain, and avalanche safety equipment only helps if you and your partners know how to use it. Before heading out, consider taking an avalanche safety course from a recognized provider, learning to read avalanche forecasts, and touring with experienced partners. This list covers what to carry, but it is not instruction in how to assess or manage avalanche risk.
Rent Before You Buy
Touring equipment is expensive and specialized. Many shops rent skis, bindings, boots, and skins. Renting for a few outings lets you work out what you like before you commit. If you do buy, boots and a well-fitting pack tend to be the pieces where comfort matters most, but a shop can advise on the best order for your situation. Once your kit is dialed in, 50 classic ski descents is a source of objectives.
Core Uphill and Downhill Equipment
- Touring skis or a splitboard with touring-compatible bindings.
- Boots with a walk mode, which lets your ankle move more freely on the climb.
- Climbing skins that match your ski width and length.
- Adjustable poles, which are handy for changing slope angles.
- Ski crampons (sometimes called couteaux), which can help on icy or hard snow on the way up, if they are compatible with your bindings.
- Helmet for the descent, and sometimes for the climb.
- Goggles and sunglasses for changing light and conditions.
The Avalanche Safety Kit
Each person in the group generally carries all three of the following items, and knows how to use them:
- Avalanche transceiver (beacon): Worn on your body under your outer layer, and turned on and checked at the trailhead.
- Avalanche shovel: A sturdy, collapsible shovel, ideally with a metal blade.
- Avalanche probe: A collapsible probe used to locate a buried person.
Some skiers also carry an avalanche airbag pack. An airbag may improve the odds in some situations, but it does not eliminate the risk, and it is not a substitute for good decisions. Practice with your kit regularly rather than only at the start of the season.
Choosing a Pack
Day tours often use a pack in the range of roughly 30 to 45 liters, though this depends on how much you carry. Useful features include:
- A dedicated pocket or compartment for the shovel and probe
- A way to carry skis on the pack, for example in an A-frame or diagonal arrangement
- A helmet carry option
- A hip belt that sits comfortably over layers
- Easy access to water and snacks
Clothing: Layers for Climbing and Skiing Down
Touring involves strong heat output on the climb and quick cooling on the descent, so most skiers manage layers carefully.
For the Climb
- Wicking base layer, synthetic or merino wool
- Breathable midlayer or lightweight softshell pants
- Thin gloves
- Sun hat, buff, or headband
- Sunglasses and sunscreen
Packed for the Descent and Emergencies
- A warm insulated jacket, down or synthetic, large enough to fit over your other layers
- Waterproof shell jacket and pants
- Warm gloves or mittens, and a spare pair of liners
- Warm hat
- Goggles
- Extra socks
Removing layers before you sweat heavily, and adding them before you get cold at a stop, is a habit worth building early.
Day Essentials
Beyond the avalanche kit and clothing, a typical day tour pack includes:
- Water and food. Insulated bottles or a hose protector can help keep liquids from freezing. Easy-to-eat snacks are helpful when your hands are cold.
- Navigation: Map, compass, and a phone or GPS device with downloaded maps. Know how to use them.
- First-aid kit and a bivy sack or emergency blanket.
- Repair kit: Items such as a multi-tool, spare strap, and a small amount of tape to deal with common equipment problems in the field.
- Headlamp with spare batteries.
- Communication device: A phone may not have service. Some tourers carry a satellite messenger or personal locator beacon.
- Sun protection. Snow reflects UV strongly.
- Spare skin or skin wax, depending on conditions.
Before You Leave Home
- Read the local avalanche forecast and plan a route that matches the conditions and your group’s skills.
- Tell someone your plan and expected return time.
- Check your beacon batteries and make sure all gear is in working order.
- Agree on communication and decision-making with your partners.
Extras for Overnight Trips
If you are planning a hut trip or overnight tour (California’s backcountry ski huts are covered in hut-to-hut hiking in California), you will need more food, a sleeping system or hut-appropriate items, a stove if required, and additional clothing. The general principles in the mountain vacation packing list apply to the non-technical parts of your kit, such as casual evening clothes and electronics.
Quick Checklist
- Skis or splitboard, skins, boots, poles
- Beacon, shovel, probe
- Helmet, goggles, sunglasses
- Layers for climbing and for descending
- Water, food, navigation, first aid
- Headlamp, repair kit, communication device
- Sun protection