On this page, you will find our suggested general equipment lists for backcountry skiing and splitboarding, ski mountaineering and avalanche courses. Please see the individual course page for your course’s specific gear requirements, as some specialty courses may require additional equipment. If you own equipment, feel free to bring it so you can practice with your gear. Please see below for UMA-provided gear and equipment available for rent.
Backcountry, Ski Mountaineering & Avalanche Gear Lists
- Non-cotton top and bottom base layer
- Puffy overcoat and/or other insulation layer (fleece, synthetic or down)
- Waterproof/windproof outer shell jacket and pants (or bibs)
- Wool socks
- Waterproof snow gloves and mittens (or a second pair of gloves)
- Lightweight gloves for uphill travel
- Warm hat and baseball cap
- Helmet (recommended)
- Sunglasses and goggles
- Sunscreen
- 1-2 liters of water (water bladders not recommended for winter use)
- Thermos of hot drink (optional)
- Sack lunch and snacks
- Ski touring, snowboarding, mountaineering or snow boots (UMA does not rent boots)
- Alpine touring or telemark skis, splitboard or snowshoes
- Ski poles with powder baskets
- Skins, if using skis or a splitboard
- Beacon
- Shovel
- Probe
- Backpack
- Non-cotton top and bottom base layer
- Puffy overcoat and/or other insulation layer (fleece, synthetic or down)
- Waterproof/windproof outer shell jacket and pants (or bibs)
- Wool socks
- Waterproof snow gloves or mittens
- Lightweight gloves for uphill travel
- Leather-type gloves for climbing rock and clipping through carabiners
- Warm hat and baseball cap
- Helmet (climbing or ski type)
- Sunglasses and goggles
- Sunscreen
- 1-2 liters of water (water bladders not recommended for cold days)
- Sack lunch and snacks
- Ski or snowboard boots
- Alpine touring or telemark skis or a splitboard
- Ski poles with powder baskets
- Climbing skins
- Beacon
- Shovel
- Probe
- Backpack (~25-45 liters) that can carry skis or a splitboard
- Ice axe (preferably light and short)
- Crampons (lightweight, 10-point style preferred)
- Ski or splitboard crampons (depending on conditions)
- Harness (preferably one that can be put on with skis on)
- Belay device/locking carabiner
- Non-cotton top and bottom base layer
- Puffy overcoat and/or other insulation layer (synthetic or down)
- Waterproof/windproof outer shell jacket and pants (or bibs)
- Waterproof snow gloves and mittens (or a second pair of gloves)
- Lightweight gloves for uphill travel
- Warm hat and baseball cap
- Helmet (recommended)
- Sunglasses and goggles
- Sunscreen
- 1-2 liters of water (water bladders not recommended for winter use)
- Thermos of hot drink (optional)
- Sack lunch and snacks
- Alpine touring, telemark or snowboard boots
- Alpine touring, telemark skis or splitboard
- Ski poles with powder baskets
- Climbing skins
- Slope meter, snow saw and snowpit kit (optional)
- Beacon
- Shovel
- Probe
- Backpack (25-40 liters)
Guidebooks
Backcountry Skiing Utah: A Guide to the State’s Best Ski Tours (Backcountry Skiing Series) by Tyson Bradley
The Chuting Gallery: A Guide to Steep Skiing in the Wasatch Mountains by Andrew McLean
Resources
Snow Sense: A Guide to Evaluating Snow Avalanche Hazard by Jill Freestone & Doug Fesler
Avalanche Essentials: A Step-by-Step System for Safety and Survival by Bruce Tremper
Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain by Bruce Tremper
Maps
Hiking The Wasatch: The Official Wasatch Mountain Club Trail Map for Tri-County Area by the Wasatch Mountain Club & University of Utah Press
Wasatch Backcountry Skiing Map by Steve Achelis
Local Gear Rentals & Retailers
Salt Lake City is a mecca for the latest and greatest, with access to top-notch gearheads. While we prefer UMA’s rental gear for certain circumstances that benefit traveling guests, we encourage guests to demo or rent from local retailers because there are so many great options to try out, and everybody’s gear preferences vary. We recommend connecting with local gearheads at Backcountry.com, Black Diamond Retail, Wasatch Touring, IME Utah or REI to learn about your rental or buying options.
UMA-Provided Gear & Rentals
NOTE: UMA DOES NOT rent boots. We highly recommend renting AT ski setups or splitboard touring setups elsewhere (see local rental locations).
If you need to borrow or rent gear from UMA, please reserve it through your account in the UMA portal.
To borrow or rent from UMA, log in to your account and navigate to “Trips”, then select the specific trip and choose the items you need. Please indicate the size, if suggested, and be sure to save your entries.
Your guide will deliver and adjust your UMA rental gear for you on the morning of the trip. All guides conduct a gear check at the trailhead or meeting place to ensure everyone has what they need. Please arrive prepared with everything on the gear list. Guests are expected to provide their own lunches, water and snacks.
BEACON, SHOVEL, PROBE, PACK (BSPP)
First things first: safety equipment. UMA can provide a beacon, shovel, probe and pack at no charge.
Beacon: BCA Tracker S
Shovels: Evac 7 or 9 Shovel & Voile Telepack Shovel
Probe: Black Diamond Quickdraw Carbon Pro 300 (min of 240cm in the Wasatch)
NO CHARGE
ALPINE TOURING SKIS
Alpine Touring Skis: Voile V8’s (165-186cm) & Voile Supercharger (154cm)
Sizes (cm): 154, 165, 176, 186 (powder ski 100-108mm underfoot depending on length)
Skins: Black Diamond Ascension Nylon Climbing Skins
Bindings: Fritschi Diamir Freeride+ Frame Touring Bindings *You must provide your boot sole length (3-digit number on the side or bottom of your boot sole) so we can ensure you have the proper binding attached to the ski.
Poles with Powder Baskets: Black Diamond Traverse Ski Pole
$40/ per tour
SPLITBOARDS
Splitboards: Voile Backcountry Revelator & Women’s Voile Backcountry Revelator
Sizes (cm): 149, 154, 159, 162, 165, 171
Bindings: Lightspeed and Light Rail *You must provide your snowboard boot size to ensure we attach the correct binding size to the board (sm: 4-7.5 USM, med: 8-10.6 USM, lg: 11+ USM) on your setup. Regular snowboard boots are compatible with the touring splitboard bindings.
Tri-sectional Poles with Powder Baskets: Expedition 3 or Traverse 3 Ski Poles (Tri-sectional poles allow riders to easily stow their poles in their pack for the downhill.)
$45/ per tour
Utah Mountain Adventures Proudly Partners With
