Essential Gear for Spring Multi-Sport Missions

The Art of the Transition

At the critical juncture of our shred-to-climb day, I bobbled barefoot across the talus field to scope out some climbing routes. With my feet now frozen and my face toeing the line between tan and toasted, I laced up my climbing shoes with a sense of urgency. Transitions like these define multi-sport days–there’s no warming hut or lounge chair, just a fast gear swap and you're back into the elements.

Whether you're swapping boots for bike shoes, skins for sandals, or crampons for chalk, smooth transitions rely on compact, modular gear that keeps your momentum rolling.

Gear Picks:

• Lifestraw Go – fast water purification when switching zones (electrolyte tablets a plus)
• Ski straps – secure anything to anything (just avoid bushwhack snags!)
• Lightweight multi-towel – for mid-mission transitions. Dry off, clean up.
• Softshell ski pants – skip the bibs for easier layering and quicker bathroom breaks
• Petzl Whisper Harness – ultralightweight, easy-on. You’ll thank yourself when switching out of ski boots
• Slides or slip-on shoes – belay-ready, hike-out friendly (they’ll at least get the job done)
  

Your Pack Is Your Command Center

Your backpack is the brain of your operation–loaded with layers, skins, snacks, gear, and emergency cocoa kit. It has to fit your avy gear, a rope, and whatever other panic-packed items you threw in there at dawn (don’t forget you need to stay upright on the descent too).

Gear Picks:

• BD Mission 75 Pack – no mission too big for this weapon
• Hyperlite Mountain Gear Headwall 55 – ultralight but built for alpine and ski objectives
• Shimoda Designs Action Pack – For our cameramen and women

Organization Saves Time (and stoke)

Spring missions always take longer than expected. That "quick" ski out? Feels more like a pilgrimage when you’ve already sent three pitches. Take your day’s estimate and tack on two hours–that’s your new ETA.

Organization is your best friend. Most multi-sport missions begin at your car, which means your trunk becomes mission control. No matter how much you and your crew text about it the night before, you’re likely going to play some jenga with your gear before it all comes together. Having the right systems in place out the gates will save you sanity (and daylight) later on.

Gear Picks:

• REI Co-op Camp Roll Table – lunch spot, gear zone, change station, footrest
• Rubbermaid ActionPacker – organized chaos for gear storage
• Dry bags or packing cubes – separate snacks, layers, gear

Gear That Pulls Double Duty

If you’ve ever spent a whole mission managing your pack, you know the misery. Cut weight where you can–your spine and stoke level will thank you. Some discomfort is inevitable (you’re cramming three sports into one day), but you can minimize it with smart packing and items that serve dual-purpose.

Gear Picks:

• Hyperlite Versa Fanny Pack – modular carry, maximum steeze.
• Black Diamond Transfer Shovel – Avy-safe and works for jump builds
• Petzl Meteor Helmet – triple-certified for climbing, ski touring, and biking (240g)
  

Weather Ready Essentials

If you think you’ve got commitment issues, let’s talk about Spring. Freeze in the morning, fry at noon, thunderstorm by 3pm. Weather forecasts can only take you so far when we’re talking late May in the high alpine. You’ve got to be ready to roll with the punches.

Spring conditions demand extra vigilance when it comes to protection and layering. Between windburn, snow glare, and UV rays bouncing off both rock and snow, your face takes a beating–and so does your stoke if you’re sweating through your baselayer by noon. Goggle tans are cool; goggle burns, less so.

Gear Picks:

• Julbo Shield M sunglasses – polarized and glacier-ready
• SunBum Mineral SPF 50 Sunscreen – zinc=your friend
• Mountain Hardwear Polartec® Power Grid™ Full Zip Hoody – breathable warmth
• Rab Phantom Pull-On Windbreaker – ultralight shell for wind/spray
• Outdoor Research Sun hoodie – for alpine sun sending.
• Patagonia Capilene Midweight Crew – versatile base layer
• Brimmed Hat – straw hat for style points

Pro tip for climbers: Skip the greasy sunscreen on your hands and throw on a sun hoodie instead–your paws will stay dry, grippy, and ready to send. (Just hit your face with some stick sunscreen and you’re golden.)

Footwear Trifecta: Shred, Send, Stroll.

Let’s talk footwear. One moment you're edging on granite, the next you're charging corn, and finally you're bushwhacking home. Your feet deserve a little love (and maybe a gear change).

Where you can overlap use-cases without sacrificing too much performance–do it! Plenty of approach shoes with Vibram rubber can go from trail to toe jam. Plus, you’ll look extra sick when you start tearing up a 5.7 in your approachies. Remember, on days like this, there are no rules–just a whole lot of creative problem-solving. Think less blueprint, more trail-hack.

Gear Picks:

• La Sportiva TX4 Approach Shoe – sticky rubber, comfy ride
• FiveTen Hellcat Cycling Shoe – bike and hike in comfort
• The North Face Down Booties — compact pillows for your feet
• Salomon XA Pro 3D V9 Gore-Tex Shoes — good for “wet socks” days with a quicklace system for quick transitions
• Rapid Pro Adventure Chacos — grip-happy Vibram rubber sandals meant for the elements
  

Snack Smarter, Sip Often.

Hydration is non-negotiable–and hangry halfway up a couloir isn’t the vibe. Keep your hydration station flowing and your snacks quick and accessible. Spring days bring strong sun, reflective snow, and long hours on your feet, which means you’re losing fluids faster than you might think. Between shifting zones, changing gear, and focusing on logistics, it’s easy to forget to sip water until that dreaded altitude headache hits. Don’t wait for your sign–hydrate early, often, and with intention.

Snack Picks:

• GoMacro Plant-Based Protein Bars – easy access protein
• Nuun tablets – for extra hydration
• Neve – delicious, real food in tiny packages to go
• DIY trail mix – sea salt, cacao nibs, cashews
• Pre-mission waffle – not the time for a diet
• Foil-wrapped pizza slice – still elite

Always Carry Stoke Insurance

The only thing you can really count on during a spring mission? “Opportunities for improvisation,” as I like to call them. One person’s busted plan is another’s legendary side quest–but sometimes, recovering the stoke takes a minute. Maybe your original zone is wet, the skiing’s gone from corn to mank, or the day just isn’t unfolding how you pictured it. All fair game in spring. That’s when it’s time to rally the crew, hatch a plan B, and lean into the good vibes. Here are a few key items to help flip the script when morale dips or conditions shift.

Gear Picks:

• Kodak Disposable Camera – for capturing old-school memories
• Your “good socks” – emergency dry bliss
• Jetboil Stash – a tiny stove for cocoa or cup noodles
• Flair items – sombreros, jorts, Hawaiian button-ups encouraged

Now, Go Put Your Feet Up

Finally, our long-awaited shred-to-climb day came to a close. We lay flat on the concrete at the base of the mountain, waiting for our on-call ride (Luke’s all-star mom) to whip us back to the main lot. We couldn’t walk another ten feet. As we melted into the pavement, pebbles massaging our knot-ridden backs, the sun softened its hold on Rock Springs Buttress, our turns still etched into the corn above.

We’d bushwhacked, post-holed, and one-footed our way back to civilization. It wasn’t glamorous–but it was exactly what we signed up for. And it wouldn’t have happened without the right gear moving with us through every transition, or a crew willing to carry a rope through thick brush just ‘cause. That’s the beauty of spring missions: part improvisation, part preparation, all stoke.

So my message to you? Don’t overthink it. Pack weird and plan loose. Your gear should be as versatile (and a little chaotic) as your springtime ambitions.