Gear

Lower Your Sights
The Power Forward elevator system ($450 for a unit that can be added to your existing backboard and rim; $350 if you buy it as part of a new unit) is a battery-powered device that raises and lowers your rim between seven feet and 10 feet with the push of a button. Made by Hydra-Rib, the Power Forward runs on a 12-volt rechargeable battery that provides enough juice for 150 three-foot adjustments. The system also contains an override feature that allows you to crank the rim up and down by hand. The Power Forward is only compatible with Hydra-Rib units. Huffy Sports, 800-558-5234; www.huffysports.com.

Packer Backer
Tired of carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders? The GoLite Gust ($99) is one of the lightest backpacks on the market (it weighs one pound, four ounces), but it can hold as much as 25 pounds and has more than 5,100 cubic inches of capacity. This backpack is so stripped down, it doesn't even have an internal frame. GoLite, 888-546-5483; www.golite.com.

Sitting Pretty (and Fast)
The Swiss Bob snow sled ($22) is as speedy as it is simple. Made in Switzerland and distributed in the U.S. by MPH Associates, the Swiss Bob is 18" x 18" and weighs only two pounds. It's constructed of a durable plastic that runs smoothly on snow and comes in blue, red, yellow and silver. MPH Associates, Inc., 800-394-6741; www.eurosled.com.