Guide Pick™ is an annual award program where RMI's professional mountain guides vote on the gear they trusted most during the previous season. The top vote-getters in each category receive the Guide Pick™ badge. It's not sponsored, not algorithmic — just accumulated expert opinion from people who test gear in the most demanding conditions on earth.

No. Brands cannot pay, apply, or influence the vote in any way. The nomination form goes directly to guides and asks a simple question: what gear did you rely on most? We tally the results and award the badge to the leaders. There is no other criterion.

Editor-tested gear is reviewed over days or weeks, usually in moderate conditions. RMI guides use their picks over full multi-month seasons, in whiteout conditions at altitude, with client safety on the line. The stakes are different, which means the standards are different.

We created the Guide Pick™ program. REI and Backcountry may carry the same products, but your purchase here supports Whittaker Mountaineering directly — the organization behind RMI Expeditions and the guides who created this standard. We also stock the complete Guide Pick™ assortment, not a curated subset.

Once a year, following the end of the primary climbing season. We've run the survey every year since 2010. You'll see the year marked on all current Guide Pick™ products.

Yes. The badge reflects the current year's vote. If a product slips from the top rankings, the badge is removed for that cycle. This keeps the list honest and current — and it's why Guide Pick™ means something.