Back country Skiing Gear 

Skinning: The use of ascension skins on the base of your skis or splitboard as well as a touring binding or adapter to climb a snow covered slope or ridge.
 
 
Backcountry touring, Alpine Touring or Randonee: The use of the skinning technique to reach the top of each run. The day may start from the top of ski lifts or in a wilderness mountain environment.
 
 
Alpine Touring or Randonee binding: A special ski binding that allows you to release your heel so you can walk normally for skinning, and then lock down so that you can descend with your heel fixed to the ski like any normal alpine skier. (Fritschi Freeride, Silvretta Pure, Naxo, are well known bindings).
 
 
Alpine Touring ski (Randonee ski): A ski set up with skins and an alpine touring binding
 
 
Splitboard: A specially designed backcountry touring snowboard. It has the ability to split in half to be used as skis with ascension skins for the climb. Voile, Burton and Prior make quality splitboards.
 
 
Snowshoes: A walking device, generally with aluminum or plastic frame, a binding system to strap your boots into, and crampons. Helps in distributing the weight of the person over a larger area so that the person's foot doesn't sink completely into the snow.
 
 
Avalanche Transceiver 457 KHz: Small radio transceivers worn strapped to your body specialized to the purpose of finding people or equipment buried under snow. Often called ARVAs or beacons.
 
 

Avalanche snow shovels: Snow shovels designed to be light, compact, and easy to carry in your backpack and are used to dig in variable snow types.
 
 
Avalanche probe: Probes look and work like a lightweight tent pole and can be used to pinpoint avalanche victims you have located with a transceiver or to feel the buried snow layers in the snowpack.
 
 
Ski crampon: Claw-like teeth that fit on the bottom of your ski or splitboard used in combination with skins for better traction in hard snowpack and icy conditions. Some lift up and down with your bindings, others stay fixed to your ski.
 
 
Collapsible trekking poles: Similar to regular trekking or ski poles that help you with balance and save energy when skinning. They are collapsible for easy carrying on or in your backpack upon your descents. Great knee savers for snowboarders on traverses and flat sections as well.