“The Essential Outdoor Gear Manual”

Subtitled “Equipment Care, Repair, and Selection.” Authors Annie Getchell and David R. Getchell address the maintenance and repair of clothing, footwear, and equipment for backpacking, climbing, snowsports, and paddling. You’ll learn about design, materials, fabrics and adhesives. The text is rich with specific products and sources. You will not only be able to care for and mend your outdoors gear, but you’ll be empowered to make sound purchasing decisions. Published by Ragged Mountain Press (2000).

“Allen & Mike’s Really Cool Backcountry Ski Book”

Subtitled “Travelling & Camping Skills for a Winter Environment”, Allen O’Bannon’s text and Mike Clelland’s art inform and entertain the winter backcountry skier. You’ll delight to chapters on safety, gear, technique, shelter, cooking, and minimal impact. An appendix directs you to further resources. This is like a Mountain Travel and Rescue course in 114 pages. See Kevin Kelly’s reviews of this book and of the same authors’ “Allen & Mike’s Really Cool Backpackin’ Book” and “Lighten Up!”. See also “Allen & Mike’s Really Cool Telemark Tips”.

Published by Globe Pequot Press

Gear Sleds and Pulks

For those long backcountry treks, many skiers tow a sled or pulk for their gear. If you’d like to try making one, here are a few sources of instructions:
Mad River Rocket Pulk, GearJunkie, and The Inquiry Net! - Traditional Scouting Activities. Take a look at page 35 in “Allen & Mike’s Really Cool Backcountry Ski Book”.

If you prefer to buy one ready-made, you can’t do much better than Kifaru. Whichever way you choose to go, check out Kifaru’s tips on use and care.

Other brands:

Acapulka
EWS Pulks and visit Links.
Fjellpulken
Segebaden Pulks See Pulka Transport and Pulka Glasfiber.
Wilderness Engineering
Granite Gear
Snowsled Ltd.

Popular Mechanics Articles

You might not think of reading Popular Mechanics magazine for information related to ski patrolling, so we picked several relevant articles for you.

After you get the article on the screen, click the "PRINT THIS" ikon on the line below the article’s date.

Alpine Heroes, March 2000
On America’s most extreme terrain, ski patrollers guard the line between scared, and dead.
Would You Survive?, August 2005
Strategies and gear for surviving the unexpected outdoors emergency.
To Build a Fire, August 1998
Evaluating 12 fire starters and tinders.
Survival Tools, January 2001
A dozen multi-tools are compared.
Next-Gen Avalanche Transceivers, March 2000
Comparing the the Ortovox S1 and the Barryvox Pulse.

Winter 2006 Ski Patroller Magazine

The Winter 2006 issue of Ski Patrol Magazine has several articles related to nordic patrolling.

A special section is devoted to avalanche safety: avalanche control, the RECCO radar system, and snow slides in Michigan. Two other features describe and illustrate the contents of a patrol pack and of a repair kit. Here’s the list of articles:

	pp 14-25	Avalanche Zone Special Section:
		Control Freaks: Taos Ski Patrol Stars in Taming of the Snow
		Radar Comes to the Rescue with RECCO Technology
		Avalanches in the Midwest
	p 46	Revisiting the Ten (or more?) Essentials
	p 56	Kit and Caboodle: Be Prepared to Repair

Any NSP member can download an electronic copy of this or any other issue published since 1997 by following these instructions.