“Get the goods.” That’s the mantra for today’s gear, which is more efficient, versatile and lightweight than ever, so that you can get to the good terrain…and the good powder…as easily as possible.

The land beyond the resort has never been more accessible thanks to products like Dynafit’s extremely versatile TLT5 “speed touring” boot and Scarpa’s impressively lightweight, 4-buckle Maestrale boot. With its Efficient series, Black Diamond has shaved notable weight from six new skis and built a greater range of flex and motion to four new boots. And every AT gear manufacturer, including Salomon, has decided to inject a high degree of Alpine performance into new footwear, so going down doesn’t have to be a drag. Even in the tele world, it’s easier to get the goods -- with the new Axl binding from 22 Designs that allows great control over the amount of flex in the binding.

The idea is to break down barriers to a good time, whether it’s Tubbs’ Xplore snowshoe, with a new turned-up tail to give newbies a natural stride, or the new rotating Atlas binding that makes snowshoeing practically effortless for beginners. More and more people have realized the joy of exploring beyond the resort terrain to find something fresh.

But people don’t want to suffer in their quest for the goods. Mountain Hardwear takes the chill out of backcountry travel with its new OutDry gloves that have a fully bonded laminate to eliminate dead space to increase warmth and give your digits greater dexterity. And with all of these products, we’ve noticed that designs are exceptionally clean and free of clutter. Less to block our way as we seek the good stuff. Or as one veteran of the snowshoe world told us, “Maybe it’s out of necessity, but I’m becoming one simple son of a bitch.”  --Marcus Woolf

These boots were made for walking…and hiking...and Alpine skiing. Salomon’s Quest Pro Pebax (MSRP $810) is the company’s first AT boot with true Alpine performance and the ability to shift to a comfortable hiking/walking mode. Booth 32112

Columbia’s Bugatech boot is hot stuff…literally. The Omni-Heat reflective lining material not only reflects body heat to keep feet toasty, but also wicks moisture, adds basically no weight to the boot and feels super smooth against the skin. Booth 28001

Easton knows you beat the crap out of your gear. Enter the new CTR 60 trekking pole (MSRP $99), with an upper section made of carbon to keep the pole lightweight (1.3 pounds a pair) and a lower section of durable aluminum to survive bangs and scrapes. Booth 32121

Is there such a thing as a perfect marriage? Maybe. Kahtoola’s Skyhook Trail crampon straps onto any footwear and sports eight teeth, but it also slides easily into the new Mountain 24 snowshoe (MSRP $279) to take you from the icy parking lot to the backcountry. Booth 6009

It’s pretty kick-ass that Stanley’s new stainless steel bottle has a push-button for one-handed operation. (Cyclists rejoice!) But the wild graphics -- a dragon or coiled snake --give this bottle real Kung Fu attitude. Booth 21017

1. “We have 75 appointments, up from last winter. However, none of our eastern dealers are here. We are booked solid with 50 appointments over three days at the upcoming EORA show. It does seem this is becoming more of a western regional show.” -- Kevin Volz, national sales manager, GoLite
2. “Our appointment bookings for Cascade are down 25 percent, approximately. Some of that is because retailers we normally see in the Rockies are going to SIA, which is in Denver this year, or they are going to regional shows primarily.” -- Bill Conradt, director of sales, Cascade Designs
3. “We have over 40 retail appointments and are totally jammed. We are up from last year and I have no idea why.” -- David Kappele, director of sales, North America, Tilley
4. “I have 35 appointments personally, which is about average for a January show for us. The SHOT Show does affect us, as most all of our hunting and fishing retailers go there.” -- Mike Glavin, director of sales, GSI
5. “La Sportiva appointments are up strongly from last winter, with over 175 appointments and they are coming from all over the country, including New England, which is well represented. The Southeast region has the lowest attendance, but the EORA show in February in the Southeast is extremely strong -- I have 30 appointments there right now.” -- Mark Day, national sales manager, La Sportiva
6. “The numbers of retailers are down for me this year, but it is the same here as at regional shows in the Midwest. However, Sierra Designs now showing our first collection completely designed by Melodie Miller is getting some very strong response, so that is a positive sign.” -- John Horsnell, Midwest sales rep for the Boulder Outdoor Specialty Group
7. “I don’t know what our reps have in terms of appointments, but I know we are up significantly. We have had to create three workstations in the booth where before we just needed one.” -- Peter Duke, president, point6
8. “My appointments are down about 25 percent, with most of the accounts I am seeing coming from Kentucky, simply because there is no regional show close enough for them. The Midwest Reps Association show in December was up and performed very well, so many of the retailers I might have seen simply went there. One good sign here is the increased attendance of running shops that are getting into outdoor footwear.” -- Kelly O’Brien, Midwest sales rep, Lowa