TAILGATING AND LODGE DODGING
If nothing else, last season taught us that hunting for a table in a packed ski lodge is unnecessary. With the right gear and the right attitude, the parking lot, hell, even your backpack, has everything you need.
OSPREY GLADE 12
It’s amazing what you can fit in a small space. The Glade may be only 12 litres (it also comes in a 5-litre version), but it has room for lunch, an extra layer and the included 2.5-litre hydration bladder. It can also carry skis and has a dedicated avalanche tool pocket. Once on, we didn’t notice it, even skiing the bumps— until we got hungry, hot or thirsty and then we were glad to have it. $160
RACER THE DISTRICT
Normally a chill from a long line or cold, slow ride would send us in for a warm-up coffee. This winter we just turned on The District.
The battery-powered vest heated our core in minutes, providing plenty of warmth to take us from chattering to comfortable without stepping out of skis. And once we warmed up we shut it off…until we needed it again. $400
BIOLITE FIREPIT +
This is a portable campfire, elevated. Weighing less than 10 kg, with foldable legs and burning charcoal or wood, it’s easy to cart as well as set up. A battery fires up a fan that fuels low smoke and less waste burning, ensuring easy cleanup. It also stands in for a phone charge point. With the griddle add-on we cooked our lunch on it, too. And of course, its flames warmed us up. No cozy lodge fireplace can do all that. $300
BUFF CROSSKNIT BEANIE
Our new favourite toque is just what your head (and hair) desires after a morning of skiing in a helmet. Warm insulation combined with a sweat-wicking liner keeps the chill off, and a ponytail pocket manages long hair. Casual looking, comfortable and warm, it became our go-to toque on and off the hill. $40
POLER THE KNAPSACK
This is somewhere between a puffy parka and a sleeping bag, and tossing it on in the parking lot felt like that first step inside the lodge, but more hug-like. There’s a draw cord at the bottom to snug it up around the legs or pull it tight at the waist. A hood adds coziness. Two arm zips keep things dexterous or lock in the heat. Stuffed with synthetic insulation, it was just right for parking lot hangouts, even on -15C days. $130
ALL ABOUT THE GUTS
In cold weather, warm hands are won or lost on the inside. To tilt the battle in your digits’ favour, Swany is adding Aerogel to the Triplex insulation in its X-Change Glove and Mitt 2.1. Originally developed to keep astronauts warm on space walks, Aerogel is one of the least conductive materials. Mixing it into the synthetic Primaloft Gold insulation increases warmth retention by up to 50 per cent, Swany says, which means warmer fingers. $115; swanyamerica.com
ARTIFICIALLY ENHANCED LENS
From sorting through résumés to ordering Alexa to play Billy Eilish, artificial intelligence is helping with all kinds of mundane tasks. Finally engineers at Bollé used it for something useful—designing a better goggle lens. AI helped the company evaluate 20-million different lens pigment options to find the ideal compromise between white balance and depth perception, high contrast and accurate colours. The result is the VOLT+ lens found on its new Torus goggle. It’s a super-wide field-of-vision goggle, with a spherical and cylindrical hybrid lens shape to minimize distortion and glare. $220; bolle.com
SKIING’S B-CORPS
Since 1938, the influential family-owned mountaineering and ski boot manufacturer Scarpa has made life in the mountains more comfortable, precise and safer. By the end of the winter, the Dolomites-based Scarpa will join a select but growing list of skirelated Certified B-Corporations. The lengthy process verifies that Scarpa meets high standards for social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability. There are 4,000 B-Corps worldwide but only a handful in skiing, including Taos Ski Valley, Patagonia, Mountainflow Ecowax and WNDR Alpine. scarpa.com
CARVING MASTER
The Deacon was already a fully loaded, frontside punisher before Völkl ordained it to the next level, the Deacon 76 Master. Upgrades are the same as the M6 Mantra: an ash wood core and tailored carbon tip, which should add energy to the turn exit, smoothness in all conditions, and light but stable turn initiation and exit. $1,350; voelkl.com