Make no mistake it’s what’s inside you that really matters. Having the latest and greatest new color of over-hyped gear can’t replace true skill, experience and will. However, the right tool for the right job is critical and It takes a lot of gear (toys) to travel safely and play hard in the mountains. Everyone’s needs and wants are different, it’s key to know what they are and make your own decisions. My experience has led me to chose the following companies I know and trust and the products they have created. Check out reviews on some of the items in my gear closet HERE. Feel free to contact me at noah@powderwhore.com if you have any specific gear questions.

Picking up a major clothing sponsor to help fund the fun is ultimate confirmation that I am indeed living a dream. Last year I officially joined the MHW Team. Working with these guys has been great! Their demands are few, they just want me to keep doing what I’m doing, but with a little more freedom to do it. And they style me out in the latest and some of the greatest gear out there. The joy and excitement of Christmas has been replaced by the arrival of tents, sleeping bags and outerwear for the upcoming season. They now have the option to buy direct on their site, just click on the logo above.

I remember stopping by this little “store” outside of Heber many years ago. You couldn’t buy anything unless it was online and I didn’t own a computer. This seemed like a really stupid idea that was sure to fail. Fast forward to the present day where I’m sitting in front of 5 computer monitors editing movies and Backcountry.com has become THE PLACE to buy your outdoor gear online. They have a huge selection that regularly goes on sale. Most important are their many resources in researching the products you want and great customer service once you’ve made the purchase. When you link directly through this site and shop they kick back %10 to fund my endeavors.

For 5 years I lived literally just over the fence from BD and e’ve had a really close relationship ever since. I’ve been product testing the O2, O1, gloves, poles, skins, tents, Avalung packs, shovels and skis since then. The quantity and quality of gear coming out of this single company is pretty amazing. The innovations like the O1, Megawatt and Avalung have done more than any other company to push the limits of  what’s possible in backcountry skiing in the last several years. Black Diamond was the first big company to back Powderwhore Productions and we’ll always be grateful for that partnership. I consider myself very lucky to be affiliated with BD and to have such a good friendship with many of the folks there.

I started in leathers, but went to plastic Scarpa’s over 10 years ago. They continue to be the boot of choice for me and 99% of the Powderwhore crew. Fit is key and these are like slippers. I rarely even get the boots thermafit since they fit so well out of the box. Performance is even more important and there’s nothing else like the T-race.

This is my baby, Powderwhore Productions. It started with my brother, Andy Jacobsen and Andy Rosenberg skiing and filming powder in 2005. When I’m not skiing I get to edit music and images together. We have produced 6 films of which we are all very proud. It’s my full-time “job” now and I love it.

I would love to know how many calories have been burnt up hiking for turns. What I do know is GU will supply the right energy for the objective. Mark Twight introduced me to the stuff in his book “Extreme Alpinism”. A bit skeptical, I gave it a whirl on Mt Shasta. A handful of GU packs got me to the summits of Shastina and Shasta in a little over 5hrs. I never bonked and still had plenty of juice for the ski descent. It’s been with me on every major outing since.

Zeal may seem knew to the world of sunglasses and goggles, but they have been making quality optics for years. I bought some “woody’s” on pro form back in the late 90′s. Vision is clearly very important in skiing. If you can’t see over it, you can’t ski over it!