Learn to enjoy snow and the out of doors during the winter months and enjoy life more. It’s not hard to do and one New Year Resolution should be to learn a new snow sport. Here are a few winter sport options.

Nordic (Cross-country) Skiing

This was probably the first snow sport, or rather a sport born of necessity. Scandinavian peoples have long used long skis as a means of transportation and sport. Those skills transferred to the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Today thousands of people enjoy the sport as a means of exercise, but also as a quiet way to breath fresh air and enjoy quiet snow-covered forests. In New England, the Rocky Mountain states, Canada and anyplace where snow is a part of life for more than a week or two, there are cross-country ski areas with equipment rentals instruction and trails for all skill levels.

Alpine (Downhill) Skiing

Forget the crazies you see on TV and skiing magazines. This is not a death defying sport. It’s about freedom, movement and control. It is to winter what kayaking is to summer. An offshoot of Nordic pastimes, downhill skiing took root in New England in the 1930s at Cranmore and Black Mountains in New Hampshire, at Suicide Six and Bromley in Vermont. Today’s equipment has made it a very safe sport, easy to learn and with a big reward for the effort. California, Utah and Colorado in the west are famed for their ski resorts as are New Hampshire Vermont and Maine in the east. But as a beginner, look closer to home. There are ski hills as far south as Maryland and Virginia. All of these places have specials for beginners and have equipment rental facilities. These smaller, close-to-home areas are prefect places to learn the sport.

Snowboarding‘Boarding has most of the attributes of alpine skiing, but a different feel to it. Rather than two skis, the rider has both feet on what amounts to a single wide but short ski. Its feel and sensation is different and requires a different skill set. Almost all of the ski areas that provide alpine skiing are equipped to outfit and instruct boarders. Think of it as a different way of skiing.

Snowshoeing

This activity is the least expensive and provides perhaps the most freedom of any of the winter sports because it doesn’t rely on trails (although there are places with wonderful trails for snowshoers) and the sport allows the greatest access to wilderness areas. It’s rather like a human adapting him/herself to becoming a winter hare.

nowshoes are nothing more than a device to make bigger footprints in the snow, distributing weight over a greater surface to allow one to float above the snow rather than sink in. Areas that provide groomed trails for cross-country skiing almost always encourage snowshoeing. But you do not need to go to a specially prepared place for this sport. Most summer hiking trails, woods roads, country paths and even city parks are perfect places for the sport. A word of caution however: Travel into wilderness areas only with a companion, with appropriate clothing, water and safety gear. New metal-framed snowshoes can be rented or bought inexpensively and the only other equipment needed is warm clothing and boots.

Whatever Your Choice Learn a Snow Sport for Health

In winter it’s easy to stop exercise but one way to stay in top shape is to get out doors. Most cities have programs that open their parks to snowshoeing and cross country and often there are ski areas within an hour or two of major population centers. Overcome the inertia that holds you back and you could just find a whole new world of fun.

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Van Nuys sporting equipment maker Easton-Bell Sports has acquired lacrosse goods manufacturer Talon Lacrosse for an undisclosed amount, the companies said today.

The deal will result in a new Easton Lacrosse division, to be based in Scotts Valley, Calif. The more than 2,000 employees at Easton-Bell currently produce equipment for sports including baseball, ice hockey, cycling and football.

Talon co-founders Doug Appleton, Cort Kim and Blake Kim, who launched the private firm in San Carlos in 2005, will move to the new division, where Appleton will serve as general manager. The company produces items such as shafts, heads and endcaps, which together form the lacrosse stick.

Easton-Bell markets and licenses products under brands including Easton, Bell, Riddell, Giro and Blackburn. It has about 30 locations. Net sales totaled $775.5 million in 2008 and $724.6 million in 2007.

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Some people find winter sport activities to be more fun than their summer counterparts. It surely depends on one’s opinion, but one thing is for sure – also many photographers prefer to shoot winter sports.

Let’s start with proper specification of a problem – all winter sports are very dynamic activities: Bobsleigh, ice hockey, ski jump and other are surely sports, which do not let photographer to be too hesitating or there will be no nice photos. On the other side, common winter photographing is usually not very hard thanks to excellent reflected light.

As usually, when taking shoots of winter sport, one must decide whether he or she wants to capture it statically or in motion. It is absolutely on preferences of author – someone may need excellent detailed photo for sport magazine and other needs action (moving postures) for sporting blog.

Because people are very slow beings, it is recommended to shoot sport actions with sequence regime. It is absolutely needed with one-action sports like ski jump, ski acrobatics orbobsleigh. On the other side, with ice dancing, ice hockey or ice sculpting you may take your time.
How to set your camera for winter sports photo

Because we want usually perfect photos of persons, not snow, do not forget to switch from “Program AE” or “Auto” to “Shutter Priority”, “Aperture Priority” or full “Manual”.

Note, check our article Differences between Automatic and Semi-Automatic Camera Modes.

There is also important to set exposition to “Center Weighted” or “Center”, because if you would use “Average” you’ll get whole scene (i.e. snow, persons, billboards, …) averaged on middle gray which result in too dark scene.

Well, you may use “Exposure Corrections”, however this will not guarantee time as “Shutter Priority” will.

For emphasis on move use slower times (1/50 s – 1/100 s), for accentuation of posture use faster times (1/250 s – 1/500 s or less). If you want to use extremely good times on telephoto end of your objective (i.e. you shoot from afar, across river etc.), you’ll need also objective with great aperture (they usually cost so much more, that we recommend simply just going nearer).

Winter sports photography

And one last thing – do not also forget, that batteries in frozen air behave differently, which usually means less energy gathered from them. It is not bad idea to store replacement pack in your poke, so it has temperature above zero and then behave smoothly when needed.

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When you talk about sports fitness, what comes first in your mind? It is, basically, the different sports activities, right? This is because sports fitness has always been referred to as the sports itself.

Generally, sports entail physical activities that are usually carried out for some recreational functions such as self-satisfaction, entertainment, competition, etc. It uses physical activity that is why most fitness experts regard sports as one way of staying fit and healthy. It can also be considered as one way of physical fitness; the only difference is that sports fitness is more inclined to the development of skill or ability.

However, like physical fitness, sports fitness is also capable of toning down the body fats of a person. Because of its rigid and strict health program, a sports enthusiast is able to maintain a well-balanced lifestyle in order to cope up with the strenuous demands of sports.

In sports, people should learn how to value their health. Otherwise, they can never endure the kind of energy that is required when playing sports activities.

Therefore, for people who are into sports fitness, here are some tips that you could use in order to stay healthy and be active on whatever sports you want to pursue:

1. Drinks Lots of Water

Humans can survive days, or even months without food, but they can never last a day without water.

Water is, indeed, the most important element needed by the body. Excessive perspiration, without any means of replenishing the lost fluids will result to serious health problems, and even death.Therefore, for people who are into strenuous exercises and trainings, it is best to always drink lots of water.

However, for sports enthusiasts, water may not be enough to replace the kind of fluid lost. Hence, it would be better if they would have sports drinks instead. Aside from the fluid, sports drinks have tow additional important ingredients needed by a person who is into sports fitness: carbohydrates and electrolytes.

Electrolytes are usually lost during strenuous physical activity, and this can only be replaced through sports drinks. Carbohydrates, on the other hand, are also needed by the body during rigid workouts to provide more energy so that the body can cope up to the demands of the activity.

2. More Veggies

People who are into sports fitness require more intakes of vegetables and fruits. This is because the body is craving for more vitamins and mineral supplements. It makes the body stronger and healthier enabling it to cope up with demands of the activity.

3. Calcium Intake

People who are into sports fitness should have calcium present on their diet. This is to provide stronger bones to the body.

Since the body is more exposed to greater physical activities, it is important to have stronger bones in order to avoid fractures or certain bone diseases like osteoporosis.

Calcium can be found in different vitamin and mineral supplements. They are also abundant in foods like sardines, tofu, dairy products, etc.

4. Warm Exercises

Warm exercises are always important before any kind of strenuous activities.This kind of activity is needed in order not to strain the body. Hence, before playing the sports that you have always love, it is best to do some warm-up exercises first.

Indeed, engaging into sports activities is one great way of being physically fit. The best thing about it is that in sports, you get to enjoy the best of both worlds.

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Whether or not you are a regular workout fanatic, a casual exerciser or just a woman that enjoys comfort a good quality sports bra is one piece of clothing you should never be without. Once you try the comfort of a sports bra you will want to wear them for more than just working out.

Deciding on a sports bra

When purchasing a sports bra there are several things to keep in mind. While they may seem obvious it is important to consider each factor before determining what type of sports bra will suit you the best. The following are points to consider:

Correct size

Color

Fabric blend

Moisture wicking vs. regular fabric

Once you have determined what options suit you best, the only thing left to do is to head on out to the gym and get ready to work out in comfort.

Size

If you find that your sports bra is not comfortable, it may be that you are not getting the correct size. When shopping for a sports bra start with the size that you wear in a traditional bra. Put it on and move around. Dont just move your arms or jog on the spot, really put it to the test. Jump up and down, bend over and jump up, generally really move about. If you feel like your breasts are not supported, or if they seem to change locations in the bra as you are moving you have a bra that is too large. Try going down a size and repeating the test. A sports bra that squeezes your chest too tightly will be uncomfortable to work out in and is definitely too small.

Try several different brands as well, as each brand will have a slightly different fit. For example Nike sports bras come in both a size, for example 34, and a size designation, for this example small. The same is true for Under Armour sports bras as well as other brands. The key is that the Nike sports bra small may not fit the same as the Under Armour sports bra so it is important to actually try the different brands on.

Color

Once you have found the correct size, the next major hurdle is what color. Sports bras come in a wide variety of solid, patterned, mesh, contrasting or muted colors. Really the sky is the limit when choosing a color. It is important to consider if you will be wearing the bra on its own or simply under other t-shirts. Remember that lighter colors and whites will eventually stain from sweat and deodorant, no matter how quickly you wash them after a workout.

Fabric blend

Most sports bras will have a blend of polyester and spandex as the base. Nike offers a sports bra with an 88% polyester and 12% spandex for the body. This combination is known as Dri-Fit Fabric which wicks away moisture to provide a cool and dry effect during workouts. Under Armour sports bras offer a HeatGear fabric that is designed to move moisture away from your body. HeatGear is a unique product that is designed to keep the athlete cool even in hot and humid workout conditions. Avoid sports bras that have high cotton content. Not only will they provide little support but also they will trap the moisture close to your body leading to chaffing and that uncomfortable sticky feeling during your workout.

In addition to the blend of fabric in the bra itself, check the texture and softness of the straps and the closure. Make sure that they dont dig into you when you move or bend. The whole purpose of a sports bra is to be lightweight and comfortable, not to feel like you are wearing a chest protector to your workout.

Moisture wicking bras

If you have always worked out with a conventional or traditional sports bra you dont know what you have been missing. A moisture or sweat wicking bra is the answer to a cool and temperature regulated workout. The fabric blend used by both Nike and Under Armour works to actually pull the moisture away from your skin. Not only does this help increase evaporation and allows the body to keep cool but it prevents chaffing and rubbing as the moisture is not allowed to build up between the fabric of the bra and your sensitive skin. Moisture wicking bras have no cotton in the fabric blend, and therefore dont hold any moisture. The smooth and sleek fabric of both the Nike sports bra and the Under Armour sports bra is designed to provide maximum support and maximum moisture movement.

After working out in a conventional sports bra you will notice red lines and indentation where the fabric literally rubbed or cut into your skin. This happens because the bra needs to be tight to provide support. Moisture wicking bras have the support built right into the fabric, and dont rely on that band at the bottom to hold them tightly in place.

If you sweat at all during your workout it is well worth the additional expense to invest in a moisture wicking bra like the Nike Dri-Fit fabric or the Under Armour HeatGear lines of sports bras. Once you try these lightweight, high quality and excellent support sports bras you will be hooked forever.

After making all these choices there are still a few basic dos and dont when purchasing sports bras. To summarize:

Do

Try on the sports bra before you buy it

Jump around and make sure you feel supported

Check for any chaffing or rubbing when you are moving around

Watch for any hooks or zippers that seem to rub or scrap

Make sure that you have the correct cup size, nothing pushing up or out

Take a couple of deep breaths to make sure you are not too restricted

Make sure it is a moisture wicking bra that will keep you cool and dry during even the most intense workouts

Check the cut under the arms to make sure it is not rubbing your armpit area or cut too low to provide insufficient support

Dont

Buy a sports bra just because it is the right color or pattern, or matches your workout gear

Buy a size too small expecting that it will stretch. Nike and Under Armour sports bras will hold their shape and will not stretch or sag even after numerous washings.

Buy a sports bra that rubs or irritates you when you move

Is difficult to get on and off

Buy a sports bra that you feel uncomfortable in. Comfort is important when you are working out.

Get a sports bra that is not moisture or sweat wicking, especially if you sweat even lightly during your workout

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Imagine throwing yourself down a snowy peak with nothing but a board strapped to your feet. As you hurtle toward the base of the mountain, you swerve your body back and forth to avoid trees and rocks. You fly into the air as you launch off small swells and bumps. You pray you won’t fall and tumble down to the bottom, turning into a human snowball.

Depending on what kind of person you are, the above sounds either terrifying or completely exciting. For many, it’s the latter. Increasing in popularity all the time, snowboarding combines elements of skiing, surfing and skateboarding.

Think of snowboarding as surfing on snow. You strap your boots onto a board and count on the laws of gravity to pull you down a snowy slope. The most challenging part of snowboarding is maintaining your balance. You control the direction of the snowboard by shifting your weight backward or forward, left or right.

The origins of snowboarding date back to the late 1920s with a man named M.J. Burchett. He rode down a hill on a plank of plywood, securing his feet with rope and holding himself up with horse reins. Then, around 1965, Michiganite Sherman Poppen created a homemade toy for his daughter to use in the snow. Bolting two skis together, he called his invention the “Snurfer” — a play on “snow” and “surfing.” The toy became quite popular. The Snurfer featured a rope on the front to help the user stay upright and to steer the board. The Snurfer remained a children’s toy for quite some time.

The modern snowboard showed up in the 1970s. Modeling his idea after watching students sliding down snow-covered hills on cafeteria trays, Dimitrije Milovich developed his own version. He manufactured his boards under the name Winterstick, a brand still popular today. Jake Burton, of famed Burton Snowboards, also developed his own brand and style. Snowboards quickly caught on with a small group of people who learned to perform tricks.

For a few years, snowboarding remained in the realm of extreme sports fans. However, as more snowboard designs and brands came on the market, snowboarding slowly started to build momentum. National and worldwide snowboarding competitions began cropping up in the 1980s. Pro surfers and skateboarders started snowboarding, bringing the sport even further into the mainstream. In 1998, snowboarding made its first official appearance as an Olympic sport — at the winter games in Nagano, Japan.

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I’ve been talking about how my Twitter bud @kokogirl started up the Twitter Trim Up Challenge (#TTUC) this month. At first I didn’t really think about it but have been quite interested and excited to fully commit!

On Monday I wrote about my goals and some of the smaller goals that would get me there. First off, I neglected to mention that my time frame for these goals is the summer. I don’t have a specific date per say but somewhere around July for the most part. To me, I need an actual deadline but I also need some flexibility so I don’t set myself up for failure.

Next, as the title alludes I do have an injury or two to address. The most pressing that interferes with my goals (among other things) is a neck injury that was sustained in a car accident when I was a teen. The effects have become more pronounced over the years but I am being fairly diligent in treatment. For the most part.

The second injury also started from the aforementioned collision but has only recently re-surfaced. After playing the worst round of golf in my life on Christmas Day, I woke up the following day unable to move my right knee without excruciating pain and discomfort. On one hand, I was excited that I really hadn’t lost my swing but on the other I knew that meant no surfing the rest of the weekend.

Okay, let me get to the point – I had a visit with the sports medicine doc yesterday. I got a cortisone shot for the first injury’s effects and the second will be further investigated by an MRI this afternoon. In the meantime, I was told that twisting motions would not be advised until the results come in. No twisting motion = no golf until further notice. I can use the elliptical trainer and surf on gentle waves with a longboard. The latter he relented after asking me where and what I surf (it rules having a surfing doc). No rough waves and no riding the shortboard. I can live with those terms for now.

So – to make this post even longer – here are my modifications to my smaller goals in order to reach my larger goals. Modifications are italicized:

1. Be able to participate in a 20 minute surf competition heat without being so winded that I feel like I am going to pass out.
a. Work on endurance by using elliptical trainer at least 4 times a week
b. Do exercises targeted to the upper body and core
c. Surf at least three times a week on a longboard in gentler breaks until cleared by the doc

2. Be able to paddle out into the 10 foot faces of my favorite swell and catch waves without taking a 20 minute break in between the two!
a. Work on endurance by using elliptical trainer at least 4 times a week
b. Do exercises targeted to the upper body and core
c. Surf at least three times a week on a longboard in gentler breaks until cleared by the doc

3. Consistently drive a golf ball 200 then 250 yards (right now I can get 225-240 once or twice a round).
a. Work on endurance by using elliptical trainer at least 4 times a week
b. Do exercises targeted to the upper body and core
c. Practice at the driving range at least twice a week after cleared by the doc

I’ll elaborate on my eating habits to give you the full picture. The only new item is #4. I’ve gone without adding salt for 3 days now and it’s a snap! I think I even feel a little less lethargic? Maybe? Here are my rules for eating:

1. Don’t eat when not hungry
2. Stop eating when full
3. Don’t add sugar to anything
4. Don’t add salt to anything
5. If it wasn’t food 200 years ago, it probably isn’t food today
6. If it comes ready-made and frozen in a box, it probably isn’t food
7. If it contains more than 8-10 grams of sugar don’t eat it (total in what you are eating, not just a “serving”)
8. Keep hydrated
9. Don’t eat any dairy products whatsoever
10. Carefully read the label and truly understand what you are consuming if the case arises that you are going to consume any “processed” foods

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Many thanks to the whole Prawfs crowd for having me here. Throughout the month I’ll try to blog a bit about constitutional law and being a first year law professor, but I’m going to start with a question of much broader significance: Why are instant replays in the NFL (or in any other sport) subject to a heightened standard of review that requires “conclusive” or “indisputable” evidence to overturn an incorrect call?  Why not review them de novo?

These are familiar questions for lawyers, of course. Standards of review insulate factfinders’ decisions from being overturned on appeal, even when reviewing judges disagree with them. A decision about trial management, for example, can be in some sense “wrong” without being an abuse of discretion. As long as it’s not the latter, it’ll stand.

And there may be good reasons for this. If standards of review are essentially a way of allocating decisionmaking authority between trial and appellate courts based on their relative strengths, then it probably makes sense that the former get primary control over factfinding and trial management (i.e., their decisions on those matters are subject only to clear error or abuse of discretion review), while the latter get a fresh crack at purely “legal” issues (i.e., such issues are reviewed de novo). Heightened standards of review apply in areas where trial courts are in the best place to make correct decisions.

But I don’t see how those arguments apply at all to instant replay in sports, which after all are just appeals of a different kind. An umpire or referee operating in real time is not in a better place to make a correct call than another referee (or even the same one) viewing the same play, from multiple angles, in slow motion, on a monitor. Am I missing something, or aren’t the usual arguments for having a strict standard of review—primarily, the relative competence of the factfinder—absent in the context of instant replay?

While puzzling through this momentous issue during last night’s Saints-Pats blowout, I learned that illustrious (aren’t they all?) Prawfs alumnus Chad Oldfather has done some actual, longer-than-a-blog-post thinking about it. He and Marquette 3L Matthew Fernholz have co-authored an interesting new piece called Comparative Procedure on a Sunday Afternoon: Instant Replay in the NFL as a Process of Appellate Review, __ Ind. L. Rev. (forthcoming 2010), which as I read it doesn’t take a stand in favor of de novo review (see n. 97) but does use the process of instant replay in the NFL to elucidate some general principles of appellate review.

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The University of Virginia soccer team won the national title last weekend which, given the school’s performance in football and basketball these days, was a welcome gift for the Wahoos and their long-suffering alumni, of which I am one.

The way that UVA beat Akron, however, leaves something to be desired. The game for the national championship ended in a 0-0 tie, and was decided by that worst of all inventions, a shoot-out. Even when my team wins, it has always bugged me that a national or world championship should be rewarded, after a masterfully played game, through such a fluky contrivance.

I have a better solution: Enlarge the soccer goals, and allow more substitutions, in a sudden-death overtime. I call it Super Sudden Death. With a bigger net to defend, and more fresh legs running around, the goalies will allow more scores and the games can be decided properly.

All our sports need tending to. Wisely, the baseball commissioner has appointed a special committee to fix what ails the national pastime. The BCS system is an obvious failure that the lords of collegiate football need to correct with proper playoffs. In the spirit of the season, here are my suggestions:

* Tie games are fine. There is no reason why any game (aside from baseball, where the absence of a clock is part of the sport’s DNA) cannot end, after an overtime period, in a tie. In golf, the President’s Cup ended in a tie a few years back, and people still talk about what a terrific finish that was—long after they’ve forgotten who won in other years. If UVA and Akron had played for another scoreless 90 minutes, with tension building and great saves and players dropping from exhaustion, and had to share the trophy, the game would have gone down among the best of all time.

* If you can’t stomach ties, overtime is always better than a shoot-out. Basketball has it best: They keep playing through overtime periods, each one packed with drama, until somebody emerges as a winner. In other sports, where scoring is more difficult, make goals in the overtime period easier. In a hockey overtime, for example, expand the offensive zone from the blue line out to center ice. Or take away the goalie’s blockers, or make him play with a normal hockey stick.

* Shorten baseball games. Tom Boswell suggests that relief pitchers be made to face at least two batters—great idea. He also suggests that we get rid of all ceremonies at the 7th inning stretch and cut the visits to the mound by coaches. To these I would add: Limit the number of warm-up pitches a reliever gets to throw and, from the 12th inning on, allow each team to go to bat with a player already on first base.

* End season creep. Champions should be decided in a sport’s proper season. No baseball in November. No hockey or basketball in May.

* Change the overtime rules for pro football, which unfairly reward the team that wins the coin toss. Each team’s offense should be guaranteed the ball for one or two possessions.

* Reduce the vagaries in the rules of golf. Players should be allowed to clean a mud-coated ball in the fairway. And what about poor Padraig Harrington, getting penalized at the Masters when the wind moved his ball on the green? On the other hand, why do professionals get a free drop when they hit the ball behind a grandstand or television tower?

* Eliminate the sanctioned fighting in hockey. No other sport has paid goons.

* Make sure the regular season counts. Pro football gets it right—division champs play fewer games than wild-card entries. Hockey should follow suit. Being a Red Sox fan, aghast at the Yankees money, I hesitate to recommend this for baseball.

* Let American League teams keep their designated hitters in the lineups for all World Series games and, to compensate, give the National League team the choice of home field advantage, or their own DH.

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Modern ruck sacks are more than a picnic satchel with a couple of shoulder straps. Depending on the activity, sought after features of a back pack may range from a ventilated back panel, insulated hydration system, ultra light-weight fabric to built-in avalanche safety devices. A backpack is the perfect gift for devoted skiers and other winter sportsmen and sportswomen.
Features of Day Packs for Skiing, Snowboarding and Winter Hiking

Often referred to as free ride or multi-purpose day packs, these sacks will have a capacity of about 15 – 30 litres. Items carried by the user may include avalanche safety equipment (shovel and probe), water and snack food, spare clothing and accessories. Features of day packs to look out for are back loading compartments, specific compartments for avalanche probe and shovel, back ventilation, a non-scratch pouch for sunglasses / goggles, a secure pocket for items such as wallet and keys, a hydration system (keep in mind for winter that this will require an insulated tube), a system for attaching skis, snowboard or snow shoes and a helmet to the outside of the pack.
ABS Avalanche Airbag System Backpack for Powder Skiing.

The ABS Air Bag System is a specialized, heavy duty back pack fitted out with emergency inflatable air bags. The idea is that the wearer of an ABS backpack has a much greater chance of avoiding burial in the event of being caught in an avalanche since once activated the airbags add 150 litres of volume and hence flotation to their body in the form of two 75 litre side ‘balloons’. The airbags are activated by pulling a chest level, trigger handle which initiates the release of air from the gas/ air cartridges. After use, the airbags can be repacked in internal pouches and the gas canisters refilled for future use.

ABS backpacks come in a range of sizes ranging from 2400 grams with no storage capacity (suitable for heli skiing) to the 50 litre Model Escape designed for backcountry touring.

Other avalanche back pack safety features include the Avalung.

Back Packs for Multi-day Touring Trips

The comfort and fit of a multi-day back pack is important to ensure the weight of the equipment carried does not override the enjoyment of the backcountry journey. In addition to features typically described on a day pack; a multi-day pack will typically include a wide, form-fitting, load transferring hip belt. Osprey have taken this idea one step further with a patent pending hip belt system known as the BioForm CM and IsoForm CM. This follows the well established concept of foam fitted ski boot liners by offering custom fit hip belts. These heat moulded hip belts are provided by CM certified dealers.

A multi-day pack ranges in capacity from 30 to 55 litres and is usually a top-loading style. Worth looking out for are packs made of durable material, top-lids that are adjustable rather than fixed to accommodate the packs full volume, back ventilation or padding, hip belt gear loops, ice axe, ski loops and compression straps.

E.g. Marmot Women’s Diva Back pack, 35 litre capacity.
Ultra Light Multi Sport and Competition Backpacks

These lightweight back pack models also known as ski alpinism back packs typically feature systems that enable the wearer to load skis or crampons on and off their back pack without removing it from their back.

E.g. the Dynafit RC 20 is a 20 litre backpack made of rip stop nylon weighing only 430 grams designed for ski touring competitions.

Winter sports back packs are very personalized items of equipment which, depending on the user can range from functional load carrying satchel, to a fashionable accessory or a life saving technical device. Choose a pack accordingly.

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