This is about the highest standard of specialist apparel to keep you warm, dry and ultimately safe whilst off the beaten track

Our backcountry guru – Andy Malton from thegemsstock – has put together a buyer’s guide for serious technical outerwear for proper backcountry exploring. No off-the-peg TK Maxx jackets here, this is about the highest standard of specialist apparel to keep you warm, dry and ultimately safe whilst off the beaten track, as well as his personal recommendation as to what equipment will be best.

A good clothing system for backcountry snowboarding should keep you dry and comfortable across a variety of conditions, from mid winter storms to spring sunshine. Whether it’s a quick hike to access an out of bounds stash, or a full on multi-day splitboard tour, it’s what you wear that ultimately determines how comfortable you are. Good backcountry snowboarding threads will be light yet warm, offer complete protection yet also breathe well and be durable enough to withstand tree snags, pack straps and 100 day seasons. Here’s our guide to some of the best technical snowboard clothing out there.