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Mountain Hardwear Microclimate Zoning

If you're already a fan of Mountain Hardwear's indispensable wind-stopping fleece vests, check out the new GTX 2.5 jacket ($299), built for bad-to-the bone backcountry and Alpine pursuits.

You already know that the GORE-TEX PacLite laminate provides max waterproof breathability. And the FTX shell wards off abrasions from rock and ice.

The newest advancement is "microclimate zoning." Mountain Hardwear welds fleece on the inside of the jacket only where you need it - the neck and arms, for example.

The bottom line is a reduction in garment weight and bulk without a loss of comfort.

Oh yeah, Mountain Hardwear has offices in Steamboat. Show Paige and Weeds some love.

Garmont Alpine Touring boots for women

The next big thing on two skis may be a set of equipment alternately referred to as Alpine touring or, in the Euro tradition, "randonee."

Think of it as a cross between Alpine skiing and Telemark skiing.

Alpine touring or "AT" bindings can be used with a fixed heel for descents or a loose heel for ascents and climbing.

New and lighter equipment is generating more interest in this style of skiing. An example is the Garmont Dynamite G-fit boot for women ($499). The boots have less flex in the sole than a Telemark boot but are light enough for backcountry powder addicts to make multiple laps. The boots are stiff enough and transfer enough power to the ski to allow athletic skiers to have fun on lift-served slopes.

Safety on Snow SOS avalanche beacon

Avalanche incidents aren't the rarity they were in the mountains surrounding Steamboat even a decade ago. We won't dwell on the tragedies, just the safety measures.

The SOS (Safety on Snow) F1-ND avalanche beacon ($300) is among the least complicated and most effective transceivers available for locating skiers buried in the snow.

A row of direction sensing LEDs point out search direction at ranges up to 90 meters. The visual directional instruments are backed up by an audible signal.

It weighs less than 8 ounces and is automatically turned on to the transmit mode as soon as you strap it to your chest.

What are you waiting for?

Big Agnes sleep system

Steamboat's own Big Agnes is getting rave reviews from the Sand Man for its ingenious solution to a pair of backcountry gripes all in one sleep system.

The Big Agnes System replaces the insulation closest to the ground in its sleeping bags with a sleeve designed to accommodate foam sleeping pads.

Bottom line: The sleeping pad prevents backcountry travelers from rolling off their pads in the night, and the bags fit into smaller stuff sacks, freeing up precious space in the pack.

Big Agnes has headquarters in Steamboat, and many of its products are named after local backcountry landmarks.

Big Agnes' classic bags cost from $150 to $300, and the pads go for $40 to $145. In this case, brand loyalty equals swell karma.