CATEGORIES
CATEGORIESMaybe your ideal winter is spent curled up by the fire. Maybe it’s going full throttle at your local ski resort. Hopefully, it’s a bit of both. Either way, our gear testers picked out this selection of gifts to get you and your winter adventure partners prepped for the snow.
Win the snowball fight, keep your fingers viable during cold morning starts and own the après. Wool, deerskin and polyester fought back as Active Junky testers battled Midwestern sleet, Swedish rain and Denver cold-fronts; been there, conquered that. Made in the U.S., the charcoal color option wins the style battle.
Tester Quote: “This mitt brought back great memories of making snowmen – but without the cold, wet hands. Tough Mitts saved the day during recent freezing rain north of Stockholm.”
Best For: Commuting, mountain-town wear and cold weather travel
Wind whips across the largest lake in Chile. Water sprays up from the jetboat’s bow, adding to the potential discomfort. Even without a shell, Outdoor Research defied the elements – and odds – with Pertex performance. Testers took it on several trips to Chile, hesitating to leave it in lodge or cabin for fear of being caught short on warmth. No worries, no smell and fast drying time proved invaluable along with a tailored hood, interior mesh pocket and three outside zipped pockets. Tee or baselayer underneath, this made the short list of grab-and-go gear in 2015.
Tester Quote: “Took it on the plane multiple times, to stay warm and make a first-class pillow. Once in Chile, Diode got deployed from early morning to late night. Cuff and hem adjustability meant I could tailor the warmth and wind resistance to every situation.”
Best For: Domestic and international travel, four-season use for colder nights and cooler days
Ultrafine Merino wool argues for luxurious comfort even among men and women who lack Nordic DNA. Styled after the St. Moritz World Championship Sweater, Rondane takes turns leading the run for warm and classic winter styling as a stealth technical base layer top; the ability to machine wash makes it more of a practical daily on-mountain and around-town piece.
Tester Quote: “In Sweden and Chile, Rondane surprised me as a practical travel piece. The flattering fit kept it from bulking up—an athletic-but-modest cling.”
Best For: Travel to cold regions around the world
Cheap, healthy energy in a tin. While Voke will never truly replace coffee for Active Junky testers, it’s a welcome wakeup on those mornings when there’s no time for a cup of Joe. Before endurance races, days into a backpacking trip, staying awake on Sunday afternoon drives back from the mountains—our testers have been loving Voke’s kick all year long. Originally mixed in a college dorm room, Voke’s now been sampled on the highest peaks of the Himalayas. No doubt, these tabs have come a long way: today the mish mash of “Guarana Berry Seed, Acerola Cherry and Green Tea Leaf Caffeine” is in the pockets, hands and gullets of climbers, mountaineers, skiers and snowboarders. In fact, according to Voke, if you replace your daily Starbucks with a Voke tab, you’ll save $972 dollars a year.
Tester Quote: “Taking a tin of Voke into the backcountry saves space and time. But really, they’re an anytime pick-me-up, and certainly cheaper than a cup of coffee.”
Best For: International trips, backcountry missions, anytime you’re unsure of your next caffeine fix
This isn’t the first time Revo’s dabbled in the ski goggle game—but it’s the first time in over a decade. Taking their time to slide back into the market, Revo’s dropping a full line of goggles, all stocked with their photochromatic polarized lenses. Active Junky got a sneak peak of the Revo Echo, a sleek semi-frameless goggle that’s compatible with every helmet we could throw at it and offers Revo’s unmatched lens clarity. Don’t be put off by the lack of an extra lens; with Revo’s Light Management System Lenses, you don’t need one. On backcountry missions in Crested Butte, Colorado, the Revo Echo’s photochromatic lens tech impressed Active Junky gear testers as they skinned from shady slopes to sunny summits. If clarity and style are your top priorities, Revo’s new goggle line is worth checking out.
Bono Bonus: For every pair of Revo goggles sold, the brand gives $10 to “Buy Vision, Give Sight.” This admirable program supports the Brien Holden Vision Institute to provide vision to those “fighting for their sight.” Oh, yeah, and U2’s Bono is lead singing (on the project).
Tester Quote: “Best lenses I’ve ever got my hands on. Now I don’t have to ask ‘What lenses should I rock today?’ anymore.”
Best For: Any skier or snowboarder who hates changing lenses
This brand’s nearly owned the waterproof case market for years. Others have tried to drown their story out with lookalike models with moderate success. FRE takes a lesson from other cases to put a 2,600mAh battery on the back—in a far more streamlined design. Colorado, Sweden, New York City, California, Chile; there’s no stopping the resurrection power of 2x battery life in this cordless world. Rapid recharging keeps the love coming when bouncing between time zones; water, snow, dirt and drop protection are what you’d expect from a leading brand.
Tester Quote: “Apart from needing a deeper connection to the aux port with the supplied extension cable, nothing about the case is odd or bulked up. No matter how many power bars get added to airports, I’m not comfortable putting my phone into the fray for theft and security reasons. Lifeproof is my choice for living in a bigger world.”
Best For: Commuting, travel and outdoor pursuits in unpredictable conditions
Here’s the glove for long cruises or frenetic laps. With a breathable, moisture-managing removable wool terry liner, Narvik goes long and hard. Traditional styling drew Active Junky to this classic glove design sporting Hestra’s upgrades from fingertip to cuff. Resilient-but-malleable goatskin stretches well beyond the palm as the waxed cotton poly back lends expedition credibility. As always, Hestra’s got the cuff covered for superior protection from cold and intrusion while digging pits.
Tester Quote: “An old friend from Day One, Narvik. With enough insulation to handle most days and a liner that stays put, I’m putting this one ahead of more techy – but less practical – gloves I’ve been skiing.”
Best For: All-season ski and ride including backcountry touring
Skier, snowboarder, doesn’t matter. What matters is that you head into the backcountry with this compact tool kit from Brooks Range Mountaineering. We’ve only had our hands on this multi-tool for a couple of weeks, but we can already tell it’s going to be a backcountry staple for seasons to come. At only 3oz., this tool can handle ski binding adjustments and snowboard binding tightening and customization. The included 8 bits: #1 Philips, #2 Philips, #3 Posi-drive, T20 Torx® bit, #4 Flathead screwdriver, #6 Flathead screwdriver , ¼-inch Allen, and 1/8th-inch Allen. Plus, there’s an extension segment for all those hard to reach places. Burly, compact and utilitarian—everything we’ve come to expect from the good folks at BR.
Tester Quote: “In the past week, I’ve tightened my splitboard bindings in the backcountry, put together a new skateboard and installed hooks in my gear closet. At the cost of a burrito, this is one mighty accessory from BR.”
Best For: Skiers, snowboarders, all around adventurers
Peak Design calls the Capture P.O.V. “the most versatile action camera mount ever created.” Compatible with GoPros and all their action cam competitors (even small point and shoot cameras), the Capture P.O.V. turns any strap into a mount—so we’re inclined to agree with them. Backpack straps, slacklines – even ski boot straps – are all fair game with this innovative mount from PD. Always driven by utility, PD hooked up the Capture P.O.V. with a quick-to-lock, careful-to-release interface: a button safety lock engages automatically to avoid inadvertently dropping your GoPro mid turn while a knob on the side tightens the mount to minimize vibration at speed.
Tester Quote: “Easy to use, and it looks way better/is way less obtrusive than a helmet cam or a chest mount. This is definitely the best option I’ve found for snowboarding in the backcountry.”
Best For: Snagging 4K footage all 4 seasons.
