SNOW Gear: Going Ballistic

Photo: Carrie Garcia

The Vantage by Smith is light, sleek, and breezy when you need it to be, but still tough enough to protect your mental faculties.

*Smith Vantage, shown here in matte black, is lightweight (less than a pound), low volume, and — most important — well ventilated, with 21 big vents in two easily adjustable zones. Also features a Boa fit system for a snug and comfy fit, $190. smithoptics.com

G-Form pads are flexible until impact, when they become rigid to protect the outside of the knees you’re ruining on the inside. 

*G-Form body pads flex with your joints but become rigid upon impact thanks to some space-age PORON®XRD™ material, which is miraculous in a Flubber-like way. They’re held on with a Lycra sleeve, so they stay where you put them better than traditional pads. Available for elbows, shins, and knees, $40. g-form.com

The modular R6 Arkiv Field Pack by Mission workshop is completely sealed from the elements, keeping your stuff dry in the most -ferocious of storms.

*The R6 Arkiv Field Pack by Mission Workshop uses a modular system to attach a variety of weatherproof organizers and pockets to the exterior of the bag. Inside, there are multiple weather-proof compartments, urethane-coated YKK zippers, waterproof materials, and an internal frame sheet. As you might expect from its heavy-duty construction, this isn’t a lightweight pack, $373 in this configuration.
missionworkshop.com

The Suunto Core offers facts — of temperature, altitude, barometric pressure, direction, and time — for people who need them. And an alarm for impending storms, just in case.

*Suunto Core digital in Alu Pure White with advanced ABC (altimeter, barometer, and compass) functions, including a depth meter, sunrise and sunset times, and a menu in four languages, $400.
suunto.com

Apex HD video goggles by Liquid image turn a vacation slideshow into a first-person shooter. Offer guests some Dramamine.

*The Liquid Image Apex HD records hands-free photos and videos through a rotating camera lens shooting 136 degrees in one of four modes: 12-megapixel photo mode, HD 1080p video at 30 frames per second, high-action mode of HD 720p video at 60 fps, and a continuous-shot photo mode. An LED indicator inside the goggle and audible beep let you know you’re live. Holds up to a 32GB micro SD card, and ships with ionized and amber lenses, $300. liquidimageco.com

As ski straps, boot cuff upgrades, or lashings for the heli — or the shuttle bus — Titanstraps are meaty strips that could save your bacon.

*TitanStraps are made from a highly durable, stretchy, cut/tear/chemical-resistant material that’s been injected with a 10-year UV inhibitor. We think they’d help making a splint too, should things come to that, $8 each. titanstraps.com

Marmot Hut Tour gloves are burly and -waterproof, and designed to keep hands warm and dry on multiday trips.

*Marmot’s Hut Tour Glove is a waterproof glove built for multiday use. A tough leather palm is durable and grippy, and the liner is removable for quick drying. Gauntlet style, because that’s what knights in shining armor wear, $185. marmot.com