There are a few items which you just can’t do without on the slopes. I’ve found some great accessories that I’ve been using recently, and these are some of my favourites:
Hestra Army Leather Wool Gloves
The range of Hestra gloves are un-beatable in terms of quality and the Army Leather Wool is no exception. The removable wool liner is extremely warm and yet still provides excellent pole grip. A mixture of ‘Army’ goat leather and cowhide provides the exterior, giving a classic and smart appearance in all 5 colours that are available. Little extras like the handcuffs, so you don’t lose your gloves when taking them off, are really cool.
Scott Unlimited OTG Goggles
Like many people, I require spectacles in everyday life and therefore also when skiing. I’m not a fan of contact lenses, so I require a ski goggle to fit well over my prescription glasses. The Scott OTG has a colour changing lens depending on the light available so you only need one pair. When you have them on you would not even know you’re wearing glasses, and neither does anyone else. An award winning product that is certainly essential for the hard of sight.
Icebreaker Ski Socks
The range of Icebreaker products from the South Island of New Zealand uses the finest Merino wool in all its garments. Their ski socks are comfortable and warm and can be worn for several days without smelling (well it works on me so it should on everyone else). Certainly one of my favourite ski socks in the drawer.
Toots McSkibum Beanie and Ski Bandana
This British company manufactures its products in the UK and the USA. Apart from being very warm, the hats are all designed with a bit of fun and love of the mountains. Big bobbles on the top add an extra layer of hedonistic lifestyle attitude, perfect for showing your friends how cool you really are (unfortunately, it still didn’t work for me). The bandanas are very special indeed, just breath on them and they change colour instantly, even my friends thought I was cool after that.
eGlove (e-ski)
If you’re like me, you’ll always be checking your emails or answering the phone when on the ski lift. These gloves are a perfect combination of good quality materials and an innovative idea that allows you to use a smart phone without removing your gloves at all. The inner liner of the glove is designed to slot through the outer thumb and forefinger layer, giving you the ability to use the phone as you would normally. I’ve skied with these in heavy snow conditions for several days without getting wet or cold fingers, great idea.
Comments
3 responses to “Essential Ski Accessories for 2012”
Great article, I especially enjoyed hearing about the Scott OTG goggles, since I wear glasses myself. Thanks for thoughtful product reviews.
Those socks look pretty thin for being warm. Are wool socks pretty bad for snowboarding? I’m kind of new to the sport and looking to learn a little more!
Thick socks don’t always mean warm feet. Good quality material is the most important and merino wool (which has a very tight knit) seems to work well. Synthetic materials can also be excellent, check out Falke.
Do not be tempted to wear two pairs of socks, one is enough. If it’s really cold, then wearing a thick pair of socks will make your feet sweat before you start skiing, then they are damp. You could have real problems. Spend a bit of money on one or two pairs of good socks and just wash them every other day.
You might want to check out our previous article on ski socks.