Skis, boots, poles and helmets
All-mountain skis, boots and protection, from first rentals to owning a full setup.
Ten current-production all-mountain skis compared on waist width, rocker profile, sizing and published pricing, spanning approachable frontside carvers to wider freeride-leaning models.
This guide compares 10 currently sold men's ski boots by published flex, last width, walk mode and sole standard so you can shortlist boots before a bootfitting.
This guide compares ten currently sold women's ski boots by published flex, last width and stated women's-specific fit features to help you narrow the field before a bootfitting.
This guide compares 10 currently sold beginner ski-and-binding packages by published waist width, construction, stated skill level and price to help first- and second-season skiers pick a first pair.
This guide compares 10 currently sold powder and freeride skis (roughly 104mm–121mm waist) by published construction, rocker profile, weight and price to help resort and backcountry skiers pick a deep-snow ski.
This guide compares 10 currently sold women's-specific skis — from frontside carvers to a wide soft-snow option — by published waist width, construction, brand-documented women's differences and price, for confident intermediate to expert skiers.
This guide compares 10 currently sold men's and unisex skis for the 2026/27 season by published waist width, construction and price, from a groomer-focused frontside carver to a wide powder ski, based on verified manufacturer and retailer specs.
This guide compares 10 currently sold men's, women's and BOA ski boots that brands explicitly market at beginners, by published flex, last width, walk mode and price.
Ten real cost line items — lift tickets, season passes, rentals, lessons and lodging — pulled directly from resorts' and rental shops' own official pages, to show what a ski trip actually costs.
A region-by-region look at typical ski-season opening and closing windows, plus the specific 2026/27 opening dates that resorts and operators have officially published so far.
Ten sourced facts from ski schools, PSIA-AASI and peer-reviewed injury research comparing skiing and snowboarding for first-timers — learning curve, published beginner package pricing, and injury patterns, no ratings or opinions.
The 10 concrete items of a ski outfit — base, mid and outer layers, socks, gloves, headwear, eyewear and a helmet — drawn from REI, NSAA, Vail Resorts and CDC guidance, with what to skip and why.
How Salomon, Nordica, Blizzard, Atomic, and Rossignol each publish their own official ski-length, waist-width, cross-country, and kids' sizing guidance — compiled from their own size charts and sizer documents.
New guides, revisions to existing ones with a note on what changed and why, and price moves worth knowing about. One email a week, unsubscribe anytime.
