Reading Time: 6 minutesEvery winter I spend in Utah, I seem to ski the resorts less and the backcountry more. It’s to the point that I don’t really ski in-bounds at all, except to get a lift up to a backcountry access gate. After years of touring and tinkering around with my gear, I’ve found that backcountry skiing requires a completely different set of gear and outerwear compared to resort skiing. Skinning uphill creates a lot of heat, so backcountry outerwear needs to be able to breathe while, at the same time, providing enough warmth and protection for powdery descents—a tough task for any waterproof shell.