Backcountry, Alpine Touring, Telemark & Couloir Mag

Just picked Couloir (2006 buyer's Guide) and it's a feast for the eyes. The other mags ski equip. reviews have one or two telemark or AT pieces tossed in for good measure.

This thing has just tons in every category....including almost 100 ski reviews. Some companies I've never even heard of.

I like Couloir, though the articles, surprise, are pretty focused on the skiing out West with an occassional chic-choc, etc. Eastern article.

i just subscribed to couloir and the gear issue was my first mag to be shipped. i was a little disappointed at most pages simply feature the manufacturers' quick blurb. in the intro, they clearly state why they take this approach. this gear issue should be looked at as a survey of offerings and does not contain much for reviews and product tests with a few notable exceptions such as beacons. i think printing a brief blurb of what the manufacturer says is worse than useless because they are generic wastes of print. the south america feature at the back of the mag is classic summer porn though, it's going into the bathroom.

backcountry magazine has a killer gear review for tele and at setups... I have last years and this years and I use them kind of like the bible, well, i don't put all my stake in them, they are semi biased as the shop employees that run the review don't sell some of the gear reviewed, ie, atomic, and volkl... but other than the reviews are pretty spot on. I'd say pick up the most recent copy of backcountry if you really want some good inside info.. plus they use seperate body types to review the gear, light and quick & heavy and powerful