Subscribe

THR Gear Shed Podcast EP 4: Gavin and Slator and the Language of Backcountry Gear

By

The High Route Editors

Slator Aplin (left) and Gavin Hess (right): two engineers who masquerade as ski tourers. It's a privilege to have them involved with The High Route.

Slator Aplin (left) and Gavin Hess (right): two engineers who masquerade as ski tourers. It's a privilege to have them involved with The High Route.

 

Gavin Hess, and go-to tester/reviewer, Slator Aplin, discuss the highly developed language they use to ponder backcountry gear…on the podcast.

 
Come one and come all for the center ring of what is definitely not a circus. In this episode, we get a front-row seat for a chat between two friends who have a problem—a gear problem. But it’s the good kind of problem where two individuals develop a way of conversing about what they like and don’t like regarding gear. In other words, our Gear Editor, Gavn Hess, and go-to tester/reviewer, Slator Aplin, discuss the finer points of the highly developed language they use to discuss some of the backcountry goods we’ll be on this winter.
 
 
 

 
 
As Gavin and Slator build out the assortment of skis, boots, and bindings to review this year, they zero in on some of the early season arrivals we’ve already posted first looks about. Gavin and Slator discuss skis, boots, and an interesting set of bindings from Slatnar. (Oh my!)
 
The theme music for The High Route Podcast comes from Storms in the Hill Country and the album The Self Transforming (Thank you, Jens Langsjoen). You can find a link to the album here—there are so many good songs on this album. And if you think you’ve spotted a UFO in the past or visited the 7th dimension, “Beautiful Alien” is a good tune to begin with.

Responses

  1. Slim

    Please have Charlie test all the skis! I am with him, easy to turn, without thinking about it is very high on my wishlist for a backcountry ski. For some reason, the otherwise excellent Skialper reviews (now online and in English, hurray!) do not include this Charlie score.

    1. Slim

      And on that note, can you get on a pair of the Wayback 98? K2’s Jed Yeiser said they made the tips and tails softer, and the rocker lines deeper, which, at least in slush, low speed powder and crusts, usually tends to make skis turn with less thought. Let’s find out if that’s true and if they get a high CS

  2. Slim

    And speaking of airbags, how about checking out the Millet Trilogy E2?
    One of the very few airbags designed like a minimalist climbing pack. Claimed weight under 2500 grams and 35 liters.

    https://www.millet.com/eu_en/mis2291-7317-trilogy-35-e2-unisex-navy-blue.html

Leave a Reply

Latest Features

We are a reader supported independent project. You are beginning your free-article count on The High Route. Thanks for stopping by.