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No Season Like The Present Season
It's the most wonderful time of the year! That is, if you like cold weather, short days, ice and snow. This is prime time for skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, ice fishing and just hanging around by the fire with a hot toddy. In addition to it being the season for cold-weather sports, it's holiday time! This means quality time with your family, a break from work and school, and PRESENTS. Here at Inside/Outside Southwest, we don't care if you were naughty or nice. We're not even sure it is better to give than receive. Here are our picks of great gifts of the season that will brighten anyone's holiday.
Leki Poles (Carbon 12 and Project 19)
I've skied with everything from my father's old bamboo cross country poles to World Cup prototypes. This year, we tested a variety of styles, and our two favorites happen to come from the same company. For a weight-conscious skier, the Carbon 12s (shown) have a light-weight but unbelievably strong full-carbon shaft and equally sturdy performance basket. The Air Ergo ErgoMetric trigger grip allows you to unclip the wrist loops from your poles, so you avoid the traditional fumbling with gloves and poles; $110. The Project 19 poles come in both fixed-shaft and adjustable models. The airfoil design reduces air resistance and is sleek and sexy. They are super-light, but equally as strong with 18mm airfoil Aluminum material. The rubber race grip is really responsive. The poles have the best balance of any pole I've ever tried. $69.95; leki.com - NPB
Bridgedale Heel Fit Sock
The Heel Fit sock is named after an innovation that addresses a common problem in skiing and boarding, heel slippage. With increased padding around the heel and ankle and a "slingshot" of lycra knit woven around the ankle, the sock works to counteract heel lift. While wearing the socks during ski and snowshoe excursions and trail running, I noticed not slippage but a discernible feeling of "well being" around my calf and a cradled and cushioned underfoot feel. A patch, or zone, of cushioning is positioned over the shin area, which creates both warmth and protection against shin soreness in ill-fitting boots. Available in mens and womens sizes, $19.95; (802) 658-8322, bridgedaleusa.com - JN
Magna-Tiles
With young twins, our family still spends a good amount of time in the ski lodge. We bring along coloring books and playing cards, but to really keep children entertained, Magna-Tiles are unbeatable. The award-winning educational toy consists of small and big squares and a variety of triangle shapes with magnetized edges. With a set of 32 Magna-Tiles (also available in sets of 48), children (and adults) can build an endless number of neat geometric structures - from houses to spaceships to geodesic domes. In the past seven years we've had kids, Magna-Tiles are the only toy that they never tire of playing with - and there's no mess or cleaning! $49.50-$64.50; (888) 465-8307, magnatiles.com - NPB
Burton Girls Systems Jacket
There are advantages to being able to identify your child on the ski slope. The big diamond patches on the Systems Jacket are easy to spot - even in whiteout conditions. It's also a truly technical piece, with a waterproof/breathable shell and cozy Storm-lite insulation. The lining zips out, so kids can wear the shell and liner independently or as a warm, protective "system." Seams are fully tape, and there are pit zips for ventilation. For big powder days, there's a waist gaiter, plus plenty of pockets for chair-lift snacks. In addition to the performance features, the jacket looks cool - not too adult, but not "Barbie heads to the slopes" either. $169.95; (800) 881-3138, burton.com - NPB
Yakima FatCat 6 Ski Rack
We drove half way down the mountain this winter with our ski rack open. The blizzard, cold, wet kids and exhausted parents were probably to blame, but the bottom line is the rack hadn't closed firmly. Luckily, someone got our attention before anything flew off the roof. The new Yakima FatCat 6 ski mount is beautifully crafted, with a low-profile aerodynamic design. It fits round, square and most factory crossbars out of the box, so you don't need to hire a team of engineers for installation. The FatCat accommodates 6 pairs of fat skis or 4 boards and opens and closes via a large, no-nonsense button with a big-toothed closure that locks firmly in place. The spring opening on the mounts helps keep the bar out of your face when you are messing with gear, and there is a nifty setting that works with bulky bindings. $199; (888) 925-4621, yakima.com - NPB
66° North Eldgja Jacket
It's not only a looker, it cooks. The Eldgja jacket is an amazingly warm softshell that the Iceland company 66�° North markets as "a practical design without being too flashy or technical looking." I differ with that assessment because while wearing the Eldgja I've received enough "oolalas" to make me blush and enough questions about its features to take to a classroom. The jacket's strong point is the fabric Polartec�® Power Shield�®, which combines fleece insulation and waterproof/breathable strengths in a single layer that protects against all but the nastiest weather. The fabric touts durable water repellency, blockage of 98% of wind and extreme abrasion resistance. Other features include a high loft lining, two lower pockets and a chest pocket, a dual slider front zipper with inner storm flap, articulated elbows, reach high sleeves and seamless shoulders. Bottom line: it's warm, stretchy, comfortable and oh-so-cool. $325; (203) 431-1766, 66northus.com - JN
Hot Chillys Men's MicroElite Chamois Zip-T
The Hot Chillys Zip-T wears as good as it looks, and in more activities than winter sports, its intended purpose. Taking a clue from its moisture transport finish and bacteria- and odor-busting antimicrobial properties, mid-November before taking it to the slopes I wore it on a four-day self-support kayak trip down the Colorado River through Utah's Cataract Canyon. That alone sold me on this masterly crafted garment, but as a layering piece for playing in the cold and snow, let's just say I bought two. The fabric, a technical blend of 44% Bio-Silver, 44% Micro Denier polyester and 12% Lycra, is lightly sanded for softness and warmth. It's the teddy bear big kids want close to them for cuddles in the extremes - cootchy, cootchy! $65; (800) 468-2445, hotchillys.com - JN
Outdoor Research ALTI MITTS
I was skiing black diamond runs with my 7-year-old daughter and 78-year-old father over the Thanksgiving Break. We'd worried that Dad wouldn't ski...all last season he'd suffered from frozen fingers. People of all ages, especially those with circulation issues or Raynaud's Syndrome, battle cold hands. What made the difference between sitting in the lodge and skiing for my father were OR's ALTI MITTS. Designed for high-altitude mountaineering, the mittens are arguably the warmest available. The shell is a durable, ripstop waterproof breathable material (Ventia) that is fully seam taped, making them water and windproof. The back of the hand and thumb is a super-warm PrimaLoft, with extra warmth provided by Moonlite Pile fleece in the palm. For grip, the palm is made out of Pittards leather - one of the finest fabrics in the world. The mitten has an anatomical shape and 3-panel thumb, so you have dexterity despite the bulk. The liners are removable for drying or independent wear in warmer, dryer weather. Gloves come in men's and women's sizing. $179; (888) 467-4327, outdoorresearch.com - NPB
Gramicci Alpine Cord Jeans
For me, Gramicci evokes memories of endless multi-pitch climbs on Yosemite granite. By the mid 80s, Gramicci pants, with their trademark gusseted crotch, had ascended most of the hardest rock test pieces in the country. True to Gramicci's heritage, the men's Alpine Jean Cords provide that same rockworthy dependability and fit with an unbeatable profile. The five pockets are usable but discreet and the waist and the "luggage" stitching absolutely bomber. The soft cotton corduroy is super comfortable and doesn't lose its shape after extended wear. My husband, who virtually hasn't taken the pants off since they arrived, says that the gusseted crotch and freedom of movement feels "really, really good" and that it is about time someone made pants that truly did fit his lifestyle! $65; gramicci.com - NPB
Kahtoola FLIGHTSystem
The Kahtoola FLIGHTSystem is a marriage of two products, the FLIGHTboot and FLIGHTdeck, which by simple definition is an alternative snowshoe system. Break it down and the FLIGHTboot ($149) is actually an insulated overshoe with built-in traction (think of flat jagged teeth protruding from the bottom) that allows the user to wear any shoe (that will fit into the overboot) and walk confidently on hard-pack snow or ice. Then, in snow too deep for casual walking, the FLIGHTdeck traction "teeth" click into ports on the FLIGHTdeck (two sizes: $184/$179), and away you go floating over snow as if you're snowshoeing, which is exactly what you are doing. In typical form, on my first test of the system I stumbled into one of the FLIGHTSystem's bonuses. With the system still in the box, I threw my running shoes into the car and wore slip-ons for the drive into the mountains. On a mountain pass, I put on the running shoes and attempted to fit them into the FLIGHTboots. No way, the shoe's heels were too wide. My slip-ons fit, however, and for hours I traipsed through the snow, testing the system on slopes and jogging on flats. The FLIGHTboots fit so securely around the slip-ons I suffered very little slippage, even on steep sidehills. The only weakness I found in the system is the pull tab that releases the FLIGHTboot from the FLIGHTdeck. With cold, snowy gloves, it was hard to grip the tab, which requires a firm pull to release the overshoes. All told, the Kahtoola FLIGHTsystem is fun stuff!; (866) 330-8030, kahtoola.com - JNPost a comment
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