Editor's Picks: Best Backcountry Touring Skis of 2026

How We Think About Weight

Weight is the simplest and most objective factor you can measure in ski design. We wrote a whole piece about how to think about ski gear weight, but here’s a quick reminder about how we contextualize ski weights for backcountry skiers, generally based on the listed reference size of a 180-185cm ski.

• Sub-1000 grams: A skimo race ski, or something similar that’s probably too small for everyday touring for most people.
• 1000-1500 grams: Lightweight touring skis
• 1500-1800 grams: “Average” touring skis
• 1800-2000 grams: Heavy touring skis or light inbounds skis
• 2000+grams: Sure, you could put touring bindings on them, but why?

Most of the skis on this list weigh somewhere between 1600 and 2100 grams. 

What Conditions Will You Be Skiing In?

The second factor to consider is snow conditions. Are you planning on hotlapping your favorite tree zone covered in a lot of low-density powder in the backcountry? Or are you buying a touring ski to keep skiing steep technical lines late into the spring long after the resort is closed? What about a 50/50 resort/touring setup? The conditions you’re planning on skiing in will make a big difference in what ski makes the most sense for you. 

In this list, we cover skis that are appropriate for everything from huge powder days to long spring missions, and we break down which skis will work best for any sort of conditions.

Where Are You Actually Skiing?

Finally, location. And no, we don’t mean where you live, but instead, where you plan to use these skis. Lots of folks have their skis do double duty between the resort and the backcountry, and that’s perfectly fine. Others prefer to only tour on their touring skis and never ride a chairlift with them, opting to own multiple pairs of skis. And that choice affects what sort of bindings you’ll want to use, as well as which skis you should be shopping for. 

So think about where you’re going to be using these skis. Only touring for untracked powder? Awesome, go light and wide. A little bit of everything? Go a bit narrower and heavier. Breaking out the ropes and heading into steep ski mountaineering terrain? Light, stiff, and probably a bit shorter than what you’d normally ski. Again, we’ll discuss what sort of bindings we think pair nicely with each of these skis in their descriptions.

About Powder’s Editor’s Picks

Our Editor’s Picks lists are collections of the skis, boots, outerwear, and other gear that stood out to us while testing. If you want to learn more about how reviews work at Powder, we’re very transparent about our process.

These lists are constantly growing and evolving as we try new gear, all season long. If you’ve got a favorite piece of equipment that you think we should write about, let us know here. And, if you represent a brand or company and think your gear deserves a writeup, we’d love to get in touch. 

4FRNT Nevar - Best for aggressive backcountry skiers

• Waist Width: 104mm
• Weight (184cm): 1820g
• Best for: Skiing fast all the time
• Best binding option: Marker Alpinist 12

4FRNT’s newest ski, the Nevar is more than just a Hoji or Raven with camber–it’s a different way of thinking about skiing coming from the man himself (Eric Hjorleifson). It’s clear 4FRNT really wanted to improve upon the usability and versatility of the existing reverse-camber skis in the Hoji line. It’s a ski that’s still really fun to ski, but fulfills the needs of a more utility-minded touring ski, especially for skiers who prefer to arc long-radius turns at high speed in firmer conditions. 

We often talk about having the appropriate quiver of skis for where you tend to ride, especially if you’re lucky enough to ski enough days a year to be picky about conditions. That being said, 4FRNT’s Nevar would work either as a quiver ski, or a quiver-killer ski, depending on where you live.

If you’re an advanced to expert skier who lives and backcountry skis in a place with a thin or dry snowpack (like Colorado, the Eastern Sierra, or the East Coast), the Nevar would be an excellent one-ski-to-rule-them-all option. Otherwise, if you live in a place that frequently gets deep snow (think the Tetons, BC, or the PNW), consider it as a great quiver option for adventure skiing, exploring technical lines in the high alpine, or anything that requires longer walks to potentially questionable snow.

Atomic Maverick 115 CTi - Best for big-mountain terrain

• Waist Width: 115mm
• Weight (193cm): 2150g
• Best for: human-powered big mountain riding
• Best binding option: ATK Freeraider 15 EVO

While Atomic doesn’t market the Maverick 115 CTi as a backcountry ski, we’re convinced it’s one of the best backcountry skis in their lineup, especially if you’re looking to ski big terrain in deep snow under your own power. It’s won FWT titles and topped the NST Ski podium under the feet of Atomic’s pro athletes, but slap a pair of touring bindings on it and you’ll find yourself able to cover serious ground on these on your way to skiing the lines of your dreams.

The ski is a bit of a genre-bender when it comes to design and construction. With a wide 115mm waist width, it’s undoubtedly a powder ski, but the medium-stiff flex and directional shape hides a very freestyle-friendly character. The shape takes some cues from both the current Bent 120 and the older Backland 117 freetouring skis. However, the surprisingly centered mount point pairs with a short-ish 18-meter turning radius to make the ski feel loose and playful in pow, and a charger on firmer snow.

Turns out, the Maverick 115 CTi isn’t just a resort charger. It’s a remarkably good ski for backcountry touring when you want to take advantage of hero conditions and ski that remote line you’ve been eyeing all season that’s filled with airs, technical moves, and just begs to be shredded. Mount a pair of freeride touring bindings on it, and unleash this ski’s true potential.

Blackcrows Navis Freebird - Best adventure ski 

• Waist Width: 102mm
• Weight (185cm): 1625g
• Best for: skiing long after the resorts have closed
• Best binding option: ATK Raider 13 EVO

There’s a few skis on the market today that have gained a certain notoriety, perhaps even cult status. The Blackcrows Navis Freebird (the green touring skis you’ve seen literally everywhere) is undoubtedly among them, and for good reason. Simply put, the Navis Freebird is a ski that’s purpose built for ski touring in big mountains. It’s not really a powder ski, it’s not really a lightweight uphill-focused ski, and it’s not a backcountry freestyle ski. It’s meant to ski up and down mountains, in really any conditions. I like to call these kinds of things “adventure skiing” skis.

The most immediate thing that stands out about the Navis Freebird is how easy it is to ski. It offers the kind of ride quality that’s absolutely surprise-free. They are very quiet, but not so damp you can’t feel the snow–there’s just enough suspension to take the edge off weird and variable snow conditions you might find in the backcountry, especially in the springtime when hunting corn snow on high peaks. As a relatively lightweight touring ski, the very composed and predictable ride quality is a bit surprising–they ski downhill as if they are much heavier.

The blackcrows Navis Freebird is a true quiver-killer, and will make just about any backcountry skier happy, no matter your ability level, intentions, or skiing style. Unless you’re touring to go ski more than a foot of cold, dry powder, these would be very appropriate just about any day of the year from early-season until the snow melts. It’s the ski I’ll be grabbing when I’m heading up a 14er or PNW volcano for some human-powered adventure skiing and know that I’ll face all kinds of conditions: good, bad, and ugly.

Salomon QST 106 Echo - Best all-round versatility

• Waist Width: 106mm
• Weight (181cm): 1800g
• Best for: making any skier happy
• Best binding option: Salomon MTN Pure binding

We’re dreading the day Salomon changes the QST Echo 106. This was the backcountry ski we loved most last year, and for good reason. It’s one of the cleanest encapsulations of what a modern, do-it-all touring ski can be. Light (enough), yep! Capable in most conditions? Absolutely! Ready to be skied inbounds, or out? Definitely! 

The Salomon QST Echo 106 is one of those skiers that almost any skier can ride on almost any day in the mountains and have a lot of fun. A lot of that comes down to how it handles in variable, inconsistent snow. The QST Echo 106 does a good job of absorbing chatter while still being lightweight and lively.

The wide shovel helps it float very well for its waist width in fresh snow while also being narrow enough for hop turns in spring snow. The Salomon QST Echo 106 isn’t necessarily a class leader in any one category; instead, it ranks highly in all of them. So, if you’re looking for one touring ski to do it all, mounted with either a crossover binding like Shift or a full pin setup, look no further than the QST Echo 106. This is one of those rare skis that you can reach for without reading the weather report and never be disappointed.

Faction La Machine 2 Mini - Best high-mountain ski

• Waist Width: 99mm
• Weight (183cm): 1450g
• Best for: ski traverses, expedition skiing, technical ski mountaineering
• Best binding option: ATK Kuluar 12 SL

The French have this really cool term for ski touring in big mountains: ski de haute montagne. It literally translates to “high-mountain skiing,” and encompasses everything you might encounter when skiing in the high alpine thousands of feet above treeline. That might take the form of a hut-to-hut traverse through the Swiss or French Alps, swinging tools on the Grand Teton, ripping a big glaciated line on a PNW volcano, or heading deep into the unknown somewhere far more exotic like the Himalaya or the Andes. 

Faction’s La Machine 2 seems to be pretty much purpose built for that kind of mission. It sports a moderate 99mm waist width and a long turn radius for stability in the steeps, features a decent amount of tip and tail rocker for agility, and is constructed almost entirely of carbon to keep the weight at an impressive 1450g for the largest size. The best part? Unlike many ski mountaineering-focused skis, it’s actually incredibly fun to ski and will jive with anyone already a fan of Faction’s playful shapes.

Mount these up with a pair of ultralight touring bindings and go as deep and high as you dare to in the mountains.

Atomic Bent 110 - Best for backcountry freestyle

• Waist Width: 110mm
• Weight (180cm): 1750g
• Best for: turning the backcountry into a terrain park
• Best binding option: CAST Freetour 2.0

Now going into its fourth year, we’ve had A LOT of time collectively on the Bent 110 here at POWDER. For me, it was a daily driver resort and sidecountry ski at Jackson Hole for two full seasons. For former editor Cy Whitling, it was both a touring ski and resort ski for the PNW and the Tetons. Our crew of POWDER testers has also skied it at Sunshine Village two years running now, so we’d say we have a pretty good idea on what’s going on.

In deep snow, the Bent 110 pivots and slashes with the best of them, offering a really fun slow to medium-speed ride. In resort conditions, it had plenty of edge grip and a ton of pop and rebound on hardpack, making for a very energetic and fun ski when laying it on edge. It wants to spend the day playing around, jibbing natural features, landing switch, and hitting backcountry jumps into pow. One thing is certain, though, we never got tired of skiing it and it always left us with a smile on my face.

What does the the perfect day on these look like? Click into your hybrid bindings (the Shift, Attack Hybrid, or CAST Freetour makes a lot of sense for this ski), and grab first chair. Head out the gates, and ski shin deep pow all day. Maybe drop a few cliffs, duck through a few chutes, straightline out onto the apron. Then head back inbounds, and ride chairs for a few hours, making sure to jump off of everything, finishing up with a few laps in the park.

Salomon QST X - Best for manky snow 

• Waist Width: 116mm
• Weight (184cm): 1900g
• Best for: skiing heavy and wet backcountry powder
• Best binding option: Salomon Shift 2.0

Salomon’s QST X is a pillow-smashing, deep snow freeride weapon. As the backcountry-focused counterpart to the popular QST Blank, the new QST X is a shockingly nimble, floaty, and fun powder freeride ski that breaks the mold of what a typical “athlete” ski might make you think of. With a very surfy twin-rocker shape, 116mm waist, and a very damp ride, it’s an excellent choice for deep days where cliff hucks, pillows, and maching through tight trees are on the menu, especially when the snow came in a bit heavier and wetter than forecasted.

At 1900 grams, these are on the heavier end of "light enough to warrant taking out on a long day," but that extra weight is exactly what gives these an edge in variable conditions. The long turn radius means plenty of edge contact despite the pronounced rocker lines, making skinning surprisingly comfortable for this wide of a ski. 

The QST X’s versatility in deep snow is astounding, but it excels in catering to playful skiers looking to ski fast through technical terrain. Think subalpine pillows, trees, and chutes—you know, the kind of terrain many of us actually spend the winter riding in the backcountry. Will you feel like Cody Townsend? Maybe. Will it be stupidly fun? Absolutely.

Line Vision 114 - Best lightweight powder ski

• Waist Width: 114mm
• Weight (183cm): 1850g
• Best for: sidecountry powder skiing
• Best binding option: Salomon Shift 2.0

Line’s Vision 114 is a lightweight touring ski that’s masquerading as a freestyle powder ski. The smaller-length size run might suggest it’s a women-specific model, but we’d consider this a great unisex choice for smaller or lighter skiers. It’s got a ton of tip and tail rocker, features a soft and forgiving flex, weighs nearly nothing, but still inspires confidence to charge that big backcountry line you just worked your ass off to stand on top of. 

The wide 114mm waist width, paired with the huge amounts of tip and tail rocker give the Line Vision 114 impressive amounts of flotation, even in heavy and dense snow. Line Skis are designed in the PNW after all, so that surfy, floaty feeling is no surprise. The nearly centered mount point and super-low swing weight make these really easy to toss around in tight terrain and slarve turns, scrubbing speed with your tails. If you’re a front-of-the-boot kind of skier, the loose nature of these skis might take a few runs to get used to, but you’ll soon learn that it’s exceptionally fun.

The light weight makes these an excellent choice for big-mountain and powder touring, especially the kind that is accessed via some mechanized help like a chairlift or snowmobile. The Salomon/Atomic Shift 2 seems like the perfect binding for a ski like this, but we wouldn’t hesitate to put a lightweight pin binding on there and use it as a big-vert-day powder ski. The weight and versatility also make this a great option as a one-ski quiver for traveling to ski pow, when you plan on doing a split of touring and resort riding. 

4FRNT Renegade - Best for the deepest days

• Waist Width: 122mm
• Weight (184cm): 2050g
• Best for: freeriding bottomless pow from BC to Japan
• Best binding option: Marker Alpinist 12

4FRNT’s Renegade has been in their lineup since the early days of their collaboration with powder skiing mastermind Eric Hjorleifson. It’s his take on what a freeride powder touring ski should be–and turns out we agree with him. Simply put, the Renegade is one of the floatiest, surfiest, and most confidence-inspiring skis for deep powder ever made. For 2025/26, 4FRNT revised the ski with a bit more gradual rocker in the tip and a slightly stiffer tail, per Hoji’s wishes.

What sets the Renegade apart from other super-fat powder skis is undoubtedly the shape. The full reverse camber construction, paired with a massive 30m turn radius and super-tapered pintail rear end allows you to lay these over the super-high edge angles in the 3D medium that is deep powder, and effectively carve in soft snow. 

Hoji seems to spend most of his time ski touring to waist-deep blower pow in interior BC, and that’s exactly the type of terrain and snow quality where these skis truly come to life. If you’re lucky enough to have that on tap regularly, these are a must-have in the quiver.

Blackcrows Solis - Best for technical steep skiing

• Waist Width: 100mm
• Weight (180cm): 1800g
• Best for: navigating no fall zones
• Best binding option: ATK Kuluar 12 SL

The Blackcrows Solis isn’t for everyone. In fact, it’s probably the single most specialized ski on this list, but it does what it’s designed to do better than anything else: really steep skiing. It’s meant for skiers riding firm snow in extremely steep and narrow couloirs, like what you might find in Chamonix, the Tetons, Patagonia, or the Eastern Sierra. 

The 100mm waist was found to be the exact right size to give extremely precise edge control without having your boot hang over the side of the ski (a real issue when slope angles start to exceed 45 degrees). That width is paired with some subtle tip and tail rocker and a long turn radius to allow for predictable hop turns and no oversteering (you don’t want to have your skis shoot out from underneath you in no-fall terrain). Finally, the 1800 g weight offers enough mass to smooth out variable snow, but is light enough for big days on the skintrack.

If you’re looking to channel your inner Vivian Bruchez or Jim Morrison, and push your skiing into extreme places, the Solis is an excellent ski to keep in the quiver.