Use the pointy end: If ice climbing is in your blood, then you'll be lusting for Black Diamond's new Cobra Hammer and Adze ice tools. Made with carbon-fiber shafts, the new tools are incredibly light, yet designed so that the head has plenty of swing-weight for sinking into hard ice. Not cheap at $300. But their wicked curve is hard to resist.

Skis, boots, snowshoes: The theme of winter is sliding around on snow, so plenty of gear-makers worked that vein. If you like alpine touring skiing but also do a little telemarking, then Scarpa's new Terminator X ($650) will have the appeal of a cold beer in Death Valley. For telemarking it uses the new NTN binding but also takes Dynafit's TLT alpine-touring binding. It's a tall, three-buckle boot that offers tons of support. Off-piste, anyone?

The Terminator X would work brilliantly with Karhu's new Team 130 ($600), a super-fat telemark/AT ski with a carbon core for light weight and strength. Or, hook them up with the new Black Diamond Kilowatt, billed as a friendly fat ski with a generous sidecut and a solid wood core with torsion box construction.

One would think snowshoes have evolved about as far as they could, but new designs and materials keep pushing the envelope. This fall, Crescent Moon will offer its well-designed snowshoes in a magnesium frame, to save weight and improve durability. Expect to pay $275. Atlas was showing snowshoes with a new Wrapp Pro for more positive fit and easier on/off. The company is also making snowshoes with an elliptical aluminum frame, a process that adds stiffness and strength. The go-anywhere 1230 model will retail for $259.

It's warm out there: Insulated outerwear is making a big comeback as new fabrics and insulations allow a trimmer cut that's still warm. Outdoor Research unveiled the new Megaplume (for men) and Refuge (for women), which combine down filling with light, water-resistant Pertex outers. They'll be $299. Mountain Hardwear's Windstopper Insulated Jacket uses Gore Windstopper for a shell and Thermo Micro synthetic insulation. That will sell for $240. Arc'teryx was showing its new Dually Belay insulated jacket, which uses that company's proprietary ThermaTeka hollow-core insulation ($475).

Pack it all up: Backpacks typically abound at the Summer Outdoor Retailer show. But in Salt Lake City, Gregory was showing its Targhee Ski Pack ($179), a 33-liter pack that carries skis diagonally or vertically. The ski-carry system ties directly into the pack suspension for better carrying. The Targhee also has an insulated hydration system.

A camera on your wrist: The wrist-mounted Digital Hero camera from GoPro isn't brand new, but they will soon be offering a higher-resolution 3-megapixel model for $140. This is a fun gadget. It mounts securely to your wrist, then flips up when it's time to take a picture. Shoots decent video, too.

Peep, peep: Winter sports can be hazardous. If you venture into the backcountry, you'd be wise to carry the newest Pieps DSP beacon ($400), which gives you quick, accurate directions to as many as six avalanche victims. Indispensable.