Backcountryoutlet.com Newsletter Articles

If you’re trail running in Utah’s Wasatch Front and get passed by a 5ft 4in woman on her pre-work run, you’ve just met Katie Gold. As the Product Manager at Backcountry.com, Katie spends her day making our website easy to use, so you can spend less time shopping and more time in the outdoors. Katie is an avid skier and trail runner who destroyed the rest of us in a company competition last summer when she logged 138,575 feet of vertical gain in 4.5 months and became legendary for outrunning a charging moose. Not one to let the weather slow her down, Katie chooses her gear based on its ability to keep her dry and warm when she’s blasting through the backcountry. Here’s what she has to say:

Montrail Susitna XCR Trail Run Shoes: These shoes are great because they have a waterproof Gore-Tex outer, and they come with ankle gaiters. When I’m running through the slush and snow and it’s a blizzard outside, my feet stay nice and dry.

Arc’teryx Theta SK Pant: These pants have two key features that keep out the snow when I am shredding the pow-pow in the backcountry: an elasticized internal gaiter that fits tightly over my boot and a suspender style pant with a short bib that makes sure that none of that fluffy white stuff gets inside. They are also made of bombproof materials and haven’t ripped in two years’ of use, despite several encounters with unsuspecting rock cliffs and pine trees.

Icebreaker Bodyfit Long-Sleeve Crew: This shirt is made of Merino Wool, which is the best base-layer material ever invented. It’s soft, dries in no time, and never smells, so I can wear it several days in a row and while having après-ski beverages with my friends.

The North Face Sirius Jacket: This jacket combines the best of everything you could want into a super-tough ski jacket for any conditions: waterproof (Gore-Tex XCR 3-layer), warm (comfy microfleece lining), and flexible (softshell outer). But the best part for me are the several little zip pockets all over the jacket, so I can store everything from my MP3 player, to a few pieces of gum, to my car keys, and even a neck warmer.

Sugoi MidZero Tight: These tights have a soft fleece lining which keeps me toasty and warm on those chilly morning runs in the winter. They are lightweight and flexible too, which helps me run fast and negotiate the treacherous potholes that fill the roads.