Gear & Tech

The must-have gear for the swingingest après-ski party of the season

Let’s be honest — shredding the slopes or gliding through a forest glade is all well and good, but the best part of the day comes when all that snowbound action ends and the après-ski party begins. Here’s a selection of what you’ll need to help make this winter tradition a success at home or out on the town.

1 Sheringham Distillery akvavit

Toast the revelry with this Scandinavian-style spirit, which has notes of dill, caraway, anise, citrus and — wait for it — locally harvested kelp, a nod to Sheringham Distillery’s Vancouver Island origins. $47, sheringhamdistillery.com

2 Copper shot glasses

Pour a splash of akvavit into these engraved copper shot glasses from United By Blue, which removes half a kilogram of trash from waterways for every product sold. $42, mec.ca

3 Crosley Cruiser Deluxe portable record player

No music, no merriment — so pack Crosley’s stylish and compact turntable, which can also stream music via its builtin Bluetooth receiver. $90 on amazon.ca; crosleyradio.com

4 Alvvays’ Anti-socialites and the Après-ski soundtrack

The 2018 Polaris Music Prize-shortlisted sophomore effort from Alvvays is a dreamy, garage-rock-tinged collection of romantic ennui that will keep you nodding along but not have you weeping into your drink. The soundtrack to cult-classic 1970s Quebec film Après-ski, meanwhile, is all retro groovy kitsch — perfect for a party. Anti-socialites, $18, alvvays.com; Après-ski, $23, amazon.ca

5 Granted mountain range sweater

If there’s an après-ski uniform, it’s festive knitwear, and this wool number from Granted scores major style points with its 1970s and ’80s ski jacket-inspired designs. $440, grantedclothing.com

6 Mèreadesso Travel Ease + Kit

Give your weather-beaten skin a little R&R with this all-natural travel-size skincare set, which contains moisturizer, cleanser, body balm and a cleansing cloth. $54, mereadesso.ca

7 Glerups slippers

Kick off the clunky ski boots and slip into these toasty-warm yet breathable wool slippers, which have a durable leather sole. $89.95, glerups.ca

8 Fujifilm Instax SQUARE SQ6 camera

Don’t spend all night on Instagram. Instead, keep things simple by capturing and sharing photos with this vintageinspired camera, which spits out square prints, has three colour filters and shoots in five modes (including selfie, of course). $159.99, fujifilm.ca