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Our team of seven testers share their personal experiences and apparel tips, and our editors match them up with prescriptions for their powder fever.
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Paul LaPerriere
British Columbia
Home: Courtenay, British ColumbiaAbode: “Finally, a house after eight years on and off in my van.”
Range: Vancouver Island/Coast Range
Tool of choice: Telemark
Age: 30
Weight: 165
Height: 5’ 7”
Work: Avalanche Awareness Course Instructor; Ski Guide; Wilderness Guide
Backcountry Days: 30 (typically, a lot more in a better season than last.)
Resort Days: 30
Cross-country days: 20
Ideal Group Size: 3
Favorite apres-ski event: Ping-pong sessions
Theme music: Led Zeppelin (the early years) and AC/DC
Big-Day Breakfast: Banana, berry smoothie and eggs over-easy, doused with Louisiana hot sauce.
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Last Season’s Best Day: “I was working in Alberta, teaching five military guys how to backcountry ski. One and a half feet of new snow had just fallen where we were at Westcastle, and the skiing was really great. The military guys are usually not the greatest skiers, but they were pretty keen when there was a lot of snow.”
Body Climate: “Overall, I’d have to say I sweat more than the average person, and it doesn’t take much to get me sweating. Typically, I like to start warm so I’ll throw on tons of layers in the morning. But before I know it, I’ve stripped down to a t-shirt. Once I’ve started moving, if I stop for too long I get chilled. Also, my hands and feet are often much colder when the rest of my body is warm.”
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Prescription:
Smartwool’s Vortex Crew (smartwool.com) layers well, dries quickly and its natural fibers keeps body odor at bay, while Helly Hansen’s Lifa Fly Pant (hellyhansen.com) provides great breathability and warmth downstairs. Paul can throw on Montbell’s UL Thermawrap Parka (montbell.com) when holding class in a snowpit, and keep his digits warm with
Black Diamond’s
Prodigy Glove(bdel.com)
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Smartwool’s Vortex Crew
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Helly Hansen’s Lifa Fly Pant
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Montbell’s UL Thermawrap Parka
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Black Diamond’s Prodigy Glove
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Mountain Climate: “When I leave the house in Courtney, it’s typically pretty warm (-5ºC). It’s usually much colder (-10ºC) when we get to the mountains in the early morning, so I’ll have thrown on more clothes during the drive. But the days warm up quickly here, so whatever new snow has fallen (and we usually get a lot of it) gets wet and sloppy. It’s too mild to find many dry powder days here.”
Prescription:
Patagonia’s simple Stretch Element Pants (patagonia.com) worn with The North Face’s Freethinker Jacket (thenorthface.com) create a storm-proof exterior that will keep Vancouver’s damp climate at a safe distance when Paul is studying the snowpack, skinning or skiing.
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Patagonia’s Stretch Element Pants
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North Face’s Freethinker Jacket
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Aaron Gams
Wyoming
Home: Jackson, WY
Range: The Tetons
Tool of choice: AT
Age: 34
Weight: 170
Height: 6’3”
Work: Professional Ski Patroller, Neuromuscular Therapist
Backcountry Days: 30
Resort Days (including work): 50
Worst ski movie he’s ever seen: “Generally speaking, any of the Huckfest Gnarly Brah films.”
Theme music: For uphill, Marley’s “Concrete Jungle,” and Guns N’ Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle” for the way down.
An interesting fact: “I have only two toenails.”
Big-Day Breakfast: “Half an avocado, with pepper jack cheese and cracked pepper on toast, and back it up with granola and rice milk.”
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Last Season’s Best Day: “I was looking at the mountains through binoculars at work last winter and noticed a subtle but steep line off one of the more notable Teton peaks. The next week, two of us sought it out and were lucky to nail it in good style, with great conditions, and thankful we brought a rope.”
Body Climate: “I usually find myself warmer than others in the backcountry. I sleep warmer than most of my friends and wind doesn’t cool me down as fast as most of my skiing and climbing partners. When I exert myself, I sweat a lot. Proper layering is really important for me to keep dry. If I don’t have my system dialed, I have to stop and dial it.”
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Prescription:
Because Aaron finds himself warmer than most, we recommend the CW-X Insulator Tights (cw-x.com) worn under Cloudveil’s simple Koven Pants (cloudveil.com). And Cloudveil’s Highline Top is a good starting point for his upper half.
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CW-X Insulator Tights
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Cloudveil’s
Koven Pants
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Mountain Climate: “The Tetons are known for their alpine appeal. It’s easy to get above treeline where a variety of conditions exist. For day trips, I bring medium long underwear and hard shell pants. I’ll wear a mid-weight base layer, depending if I’m going up or down, and a fleece or Schoeller jacket with regards to ambient air temps. I stow a down piece for changeovers, and if it’s really nuking I’ll throw on an ultra-light hard shell.”
Prescription:
When Aaron is skinning, Moonstone’s Nordwand Jacket (moonstone.com), worn in conjunction with Millet’s Airstretch Fleece (millet.fr) allows him to peel and put on layers that accommodate a large gamut of Teton conditions. Mountain Hardwear’s ultra-light Swift Jacket (mountainhardwear.com) and Millet’s Rescue Down Hoodie (millet.fr) stow well in his pack, so if a storm picks up or the temp drops, Aaron has choices.
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Cloudveil’s Highline Top
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Moonstone’s Nordwand Jacket
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Millet’s Airstretch Fleece
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Mountain Hardwear’s Swift Jacket
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Millet’s Rescue Down Hoodie
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Becky Stirling
Colorado
Home: Basalt, Colorado
Abode: a rarely seen home, many couches, hotels and tents
Range: Colorado Rocky Mountains
Tool of choice: AT
Age: 33
Weight: 125
Height: 5’4”
Work: Property Investment (ex ski racer and ski coach)
Backcountry Days: 20
Resort Days: 30
Ideal b.c. group size: 3
Favorite apres-ski event: stretching by a fireplaceWorst ski movie ever seen: The video from my college ski team’s training camp!
Theme music: B-52’s
Big-Day Breakfast: Beet/carrot/apple/berry/yogurt/etc. smoothie, scrambled eggs and toast, COFFEE.
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Last Season’s Best Day: “I was on an already incredible ski trip in Alaska, and someone pointed us towards Hatcher Pass. We arrived in time to take a sunset backcountry ski. At the top of the peak, we could see that the mountains never ended. The snow was perfectly untouched, knee deep fluff, that lay waiting on a steep, stable pitch. I could let ‘em rip! The smile never left my face, though it became buried with powder. I knew that a warm A-frame with hot drinks and good food waited below, and that the next few days of our stay had endless possibility for adventure.”
Body Climate: “I usually stay pretty warm. My hands and feet usually are in tune with the rest of my body climate. I like to wear a few essential and practical layers, but sometimes end up too warm. When this happens, I have a tendency to sweat, hands and feet included, and subsequently I get cold.”
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Prescription:
Since Becky likes to keep her layering system simple, we recommend Helly Hansen’s Lifa Hybrid Zip Turtle (hellyhansen.com) worn under Marmot’s stalwart Driclime Windshirt (marmot.com), which will work well in the cold, arid climate. When skiing those shaded, cold northern aspects, she can button up in Montbell’s UL Down Inner Vest (montbell.com) —insulation that weighs next to nothing and is intended to layer beneath a shell.
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 Helly Hansen’s Lifa Hybrid Zip Turtle
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Marmot’s Driclime Windshirt
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Montbell’s UL Down Inner
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Mountain Climate: “Colorado spoils us with sun, but bad weather can creep in instantly. Usually, mornings are brisk and cold, the days are warm and then cold sets in again when the sun goes down. It is dry here, so the light powder snowfalls are common. Our moisture comes in the spring and fall, when we need to be prepared for slushy, wet snow or rain. In essence, our climate gives us a bit of everything except for humidity, and we need to be prepared for all that hits us!”
Prescription:
Marmot’s Silkweight Infinity Bottoms (marmot.com) worn beneath Patagonia’s Powderkeg Pants (patagonia.com) will help Becky comfortably regulate her own personal climate as the temperatures fluctuate from morning to night. And when it’s not just another sunny powder day, Becky can hide from the elements inside Mammut’s rugged Sentry Jacket (mammut).
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Marmot’s Silkweight Infinity Bottoms
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Mammut’s Sentry Jacket
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Patagonia’s Powderkeg Pants
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Chris Gallardo
California
Home: Rescue, California
Range: Tahoe, Eastern and Southern Sierras
Tool of choice: Splitboard
Age: 33
Weight: 155
Height: 5’ 7”
Backcountry Days: 50
Resort Days: 3
Ideal Group Size: 4-5
Powder or Corn: Powder
Big-Day Breakfast: “Depends where I’m headed, most days I’ll just grab something quick and easy from home like coffee, bananas and some oatmeal. Other days I’ll stop at the local coffee house or greasy spoon for a big breakfast.”
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Last Season’s Best Day: “My friend Drew Haas came out west from the Adirondacks (NY) and only had one free day to spend in the Tahoe backcountry. An unusually cold storm came through and dumped 18–24 inches of light powder overnight. The storm also blew out quickly and the sky was bluebird by the morning. After a great skin up the mountain and a check of the avalanche conditions, we got first tracks in the bowl. We met up with Joe Stewart at the bottom of the run and headed back up for a look down one of the steep and tight couloirs on the east face. Joe and I had been eyeing this somewhat infamous line all season and it was finally the day to give her a go. At end of the day, we logged 6,000 vertical feet of perfect powder.”
Body Climate: “I’m pretty average. It s all about proper layering and setting a pace your body is comfortable with.”
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Prescription:
The mid-weight R1 Superfly Pants from Patagonia (patagonia.com) and Burton’s Lightweight Shirt (burton.com) will provide Chris with a solid foundation to build his layering system.
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Patagonia's R1 Superfly Pants
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Burton’s Lightweight Shirt
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Mountain Climate: “Our typical winter daytime temperatures range in the mid to upper 30s, but in the mornings or during a storm it can be much colder—20 degrees and single digits are not uncommon. I definitely carry an insulation layer like a down jacket in my pack, but weight and simplicity are huge for me. I need a system that works together, whether I wear the pieces individually or together. I don’t need a windproof mid-layer if I have a windproof shell.”
Prescription:
Mountain Hardwear’s Alchemy Jacket (mountainhardwear.com) and 66º North’s Glymur Jacket (66north.com), are two simple, no-brainer ingredients for Chris. Marmot’s compressible Tarn Down Sweater (marmot.com) stows away well in his pack, but remains a bastion of security and warmth should he need it. And Burton’s Pinnacle XCR Glove (burton.com) is a good fit so Chris can keep his hands warm on the cold mornings.
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66º North’s Glymur Jacket
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Mountain Hardwear’s Alchemy Jacket
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Burton’s Pinnacle XCR Glove
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Marmot’s Tarn Down Sweater
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Margaret Wheeler
Washington
Home: North Bend, WA
Abode: Hoping to build a green one someday, even though solar panels only work three months of the year in western Washington.
Work: Ski, Rock, and Alpine Guide; AIARE Instructor, AMGA Ski Discipline Instructor
Range: Cascades
Tool of choice: AT
Age: 31
Weight: 155
Height: 6’
Backcountry Days: 50 (guiding and personal together)
Resort Days: 20
Climbing days on ice/rock: 40…and counting.
Ideal b.c. group size: 2 or 3
Favorite apres-ski event: Disco dancing. Techno dancing. Both.
Interesting facts: I own a disco ball…and I work as a mechanical engineer part-time.
Theme music: Remember the Barbie Song from Aqua?
Big-Day Breakfast: Those country-style breakfasts, where you get two of each food group; i.e. sausage, eggs, pancakes, potatoes. Except the truth is a guiding breakfast usually falls way short and lands somewhere in the oatmeal/breakfast bar regime.
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Last Season’s Best Day: “Last season was rough in the Northwest—winter showed up for three weeks in April and then we went straight into spring touring season. However, we did manage to reap some rewards. Guiding a ski mountaineering trip in the North Cascades on a bluebird day in May, we hit perfect corn all the way down the Quien Sabe Glacier…so sweet that fellow guides saw our tracks a week later and coveted them.”
Body Climate: “I warm up quick and cool off even quicker—High Metabolism Girl strikes again. I’m somewhere between perspire and glow in the ‘horses sweat, men perspire, women glow’ spectrum…meaning I don’t sweat too much. In the winter, I don’t ever travel without my down puffy, even in the Northwest, and in this climate if I can keep my fingers and toes dry I have no problem keeping them warm.”
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Prescription:
To help keep the High Metabolism Girl balanced between high exertion skins or at rest, we’ll start her off with Ibex’s lightweight Woolies Top and Bottom base layers (ibexwear.com). And since she’s in the Northwest where staying both warm and dry is often a major challenge, she can stash away the synthetic-filled Red Point by The North Face (thenorthface.com).
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Ibex’s Woolies Top base layer
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Ibex’s Woolies Bottom base layers
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Red Point by The North Face
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Mountain Climate: “Early mornings in the mountains are never much colder than 30ºF if I’m doing day trips because we start at relatively low elevations. Often it will be raining when I leave the house and snowing when I get out of the car at a trailhead or parking lot. Even then it is a humid cold—we have no dry sub-zero temperatures on the west side of the mountains. Temperatures can fluctuate drastically in the Cascade Passes, and warming/cooling trends can happen in a matter of hours during a given day.”
Prescription:
The Synchro by Mountain Hardwear (mountainhardwear.com) will provide Margaret with the versatility to handle both the wet and cold she encounters daily. If it’s not pouring, Ibex’s Neve Soft Shell (ibexwear.com) can be left on all day. And the 66º North’s Askja Hard Shell (66north.com) is great for when the weather isn’t.
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Ibex’s Neve Soft Shell
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The Synchro by Mountain Hardwear
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66º North’s Askja Hard Shell
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Hayes Buxton
Montana
Home: Bozeman, MT Work: Professional ski patroller, full-time student
Range: Madison, Bridger, Flint
Tool of choice: Telemark
Age: 33
Weight: 185
Height: 6’3”
Backcountry Days: 25
Resort Days: 25
Theme music: Widespread Panic’s version of “Travelin’ Light” or “Diner.”
An interesting fact: “The way I rant about traffic in Bozeman.”
Big-Day Breakfast: Oatmeal and English muffin with jam. “I’m better off eating light and then snacking all day.
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Epic day: “There was one backcountry day with a buddy of mine from Scandinavia that stands out. We climbed up and over Bacon Rind Ridge, then Earnest Miller Ridge just outside Yellowstone National Park. EM Ridge slides every year, but almost always has excellent skiing."
Body Climate: “I usually find myself wearing fewer layers than most folks so I’m colder when stopped. So overall, I’d say I have a tendency to be warmer when wearing equivalent clothing. With fewer layers on, I tend to sweat less than most folks. I have a tendency to wear an untreated soft shell or just a thick shirt when I can get away with it, even when it’s quite cold out. I’d rather be drier and slightly chilled than wet and warm. The stench on my poly-pro tells me I definitely perspire though, especially on warm spring days.”
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Prescription:
To split the difference between being too hot or cold, Hayes might do well skinning with Marmot’s Infinity Silkweight Crew (marmot.com) under Eider’s Epsilon Soft Shell (eider-world.com). On cold days, he can throw on OR’s Trance Down Sweater (orgear.com) when he stops, then stuff it easily back into his pack.
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Marmot’s Infinity Silkweight Crew
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Eider’s Epsilon Soft Shell
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OR’s Trance Down Sweater
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Mountain Climate: “I pretty much work, ski and hike in Southwestern Montana—the Madisons, Bridgers, Tobbaco Roots, Beartooths and the Flint Range near Discovery Ski Area. So the overall climate is semi-arid, dry most summers, wet in the fall and spring and with lots of snow usually. Relative humidity is generally pretty low with average temperatures anywhere from the teens to mid sixties depending on the time of year.”
Prescription:
Millet’s Gore-Tex XCR K Pants (millet.fr) are light for touring but rugged enough for patrolling and will suit Hayes well both in resort and out. For the same reasons, Eider’s Twiller Jacket (eider-world.com) is a solid go-to piece for inclement weather, but is lean enough to leave in the pack. So he doesn’t get too hot patrolling, Hayes could do well with Smartwool’s Microweight Bottoms (smartwool.com), which are light, warm and breathable.
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 Eider’s Twiller Jacket
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Millet’s Gore-Tex XCR K Pants
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Smartwool’s Microweight Bottoms
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