What to Wear Splitboarding in the Backcountry — Men's Guide
Skinning up an untracked alpine ridge before dawn on a backcountry splitboarding tour surrounds you with glowing mountain summits, powdery snowpacks, and crisp alpine air. Riders climb steep switchbacks on touring skins, transition splitboard halves into snowboards on windy saddles, and drop into deep untouched powder bowls.
The necessary dress code is modular high-output mountain touring performance: breathable waterproof hardshell jackets, ventilated stretch softshell pants, lightweight thermal base layers, and compact packable puffy coats. Because climbing uphill generates intense body heat while riding downhill exposes you to freezing wind, quick-venting modular garments are essential.
From setting kick turns up steep icy skin tracks to surfing waist-deep alpine powder through pine glades, here is your definitive backcountry splitboarding guide.
Outfits that work
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- ✓Wear a lightweight, breathable technical shell jacket with large underarm ventilation zips for the uphill skin.
- ✓Choose articulated softshell touring pants with thigh vents that release heat during steep skinning climbs.
- ✓Select specialized splitboard snowboard boots with walk-mode collars that allow extended backward stride.
- ✓Pack a lightweight down or synthetic puffy jacket inside your touring pack to throw on during summit transitions.
- ✓Carry thin climbing gloves for the warm uphill climb and waterproof insulated mittens for the descent.
Don't
- ✗Avoid heavy insulated resort jackets on the skin track that cause you to sweat heavily within ten minutes.
- ✗Don't wear standard cotton underwear or socks that become soggy with sweat and cause severe blisters.
- ✗Avoid loose dangling backpack straps that can catch on tree branches when descending through backcountry glades.
- ✗Don't travel in avalanche terrain without an avalanche beacon, probe, and shovel carried directly on your person.
Style tips
Uphill Skinning Heat Regulation
Skinning uphill burns massive calories and produces intense body heat even in sub-zero alpine temperatures. Stripping down to a breathable grid-fleece hoody and opening thigh vents prevents soaking your clothing in sweat.
Ridge Top Transition Windbreak
Converting splitboards into snowboard mode on windy mountain ridges takes five to ten minutes of static hand work. Pulling a packable down jacket over your base layer stops windchill from stealing core heat.
Snowboard Touring Pant Cuff Reinforcement
Sharp splitboard metal edges easily slice open the inside hems of pants during touring strides. Touring pants with heavy Cordura instep patches prevent jagged steel edges from shredding technical fabric.
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