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fiveten.com, 18 ounces
The Five Ten Impact (both the high and low versons) was the shoes of choice when it came to the serious business of shooting and training for the wing suit flying and BASE jumping segments of Transformers 3: Dark of The Moon. The super-sticky Stealth rubber soles provided critical grip as our team of five climbed onto the skid of the moving helicopter in our wing suits amidst the skyscrapers of downtown Chicago. The soles thickness and softness absorbed the impact of our urban parachute landings. The shoe has a rugged design and great durability that proved itself while our team did 70 training jumps in the Swiss Alps. We always jumped five men at a time from spots where failed footing would have had terrible consequences; the man who slipped could have taken out the whole team, or let down an entire production. The Impact in its high top version gives great ankle support, while the low top fits more cleanly under a wingsuit. Lately, I have been using the shoe for its intended use of downhill mountain biking, and it grips the pedal so fiercely that I feel clipped in, but know that if I bail my feet are instantly free of the bike.
-JT Holmes
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www.smithoptics.com, 11.5 ounces
Smith’s Maze is the world’s lightest certified snow helmet. I prefer it to any helmet I have ever used because it looks cool, keeps my ears and head warm, and it can be stripped down for warmer missions or for wearing a beanie or balaclava underneath. It has less venting and airflow features than other helmets, but that adds to its clean look and warmth in storm days. Often, airflow features open and get crammed with snow and ice in the event of blowing snow or high-speed tomahawks in powder. The straps are adjustable and allow me to cinch the forehead down for high-speed use like wing suit flying and ski racing, or to simply be sure to eliminate dorky looking “goggle gap.” We used these helmets during the filming of Transformers 3 while flying wing suits in downtown Chicago and we looked and felt pretty bad-ass when doing so.
-JT Holmes
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www.kiehls.com
This is best sun protection for a mountain man on the face of the planet. I live with five-o’clock shadow and sunscreen creams just don’t rub in well, they make me look like a grey-haired ghost. Keihl’s Cross-Terrain applies quick and clear and comes in a burly hockey puck-style container that I can leave in my pack or pocket to get smashed around during a tumble or a long travel and won’t leak or burst open make a mess. Its viscosity provides protection from extreme winds and is a worthy lip balm, so I don’t have to carry two items. In a pinch, after weather forced a retreat from Half Dome, I used it to lubricate some extremely chaffed body parts and found some clutch relief. SPF 50 means I put it on once, even at the highest altitudes, during the longest surf sessions and in the most extreme elements.
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www.k2skis.com, four pounds, nine ounces
This is a one-ski quiver that will never let you down. Its 108mm waist is coupled with a traditional tail, giving it reliability on firm snow and on the steeps as well as a predictable landing platform, while the all-terrain rocker in the tip gives you enough floatation to hang with any crew on even the deepest powder days. I traveled with the Sidestash as my only ski while competing on the entire Freeride World Tour in 2010, and it got me through steep, boney French competition venues, heavy pow days in Russia, and icy groomers in Switzerland. At home in Squaw Valley, where I have an arsenal of skis to choose from, go still with the Sidestash 95 percent of the time because I know I can charge those first few untracked runs and not have to switch up to a skinnier, less-rockered ski for the afternoon crud.
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Editor’s Note: This is the first post in a running series where we ask professional athletes to highlight a few of their all-time favorite pieces of outdoor and travel gear. First up? JT Holmes–skier, BASE jumper, wing suit flier, outdoor pioneer, and all-around great guy.
www.garmont.com, two pounds, 11 ounces
At 1,150 grams Garmont’s Masterlite is one of the lightest ski boots in existence, and it skis above its weight class. It has a patented Pebax Webframe shell that is thin yet strong, rigid, and ultra-light. It comes stock with a liner that you custom mold easily in your own oven to provide a fit that is comfortable and surprisingly warm for the liner’s thinness. The diagonal placement of the lower buckle eliminates the need for a third buckle and adds to the boots ease of use and simplicity. Since I often tour with the extra weight of airborne toys, it is essential that the rest of my set up be as light as possible, but I can’t sacrifice the reliability on high-speed landings and steep skiing. The Masterlite is the first boot that I have owned that totally kicks ass going uphill, but does not give me “gear fear” for the descent. I credit the shim in the back that gives me just enough support in the back seat as well as the power strap, which they kept fairly normal, so I can crank it down just before I drop to achieve the support I need. The Masterlite won my heart when it provided critical landing support on fast and firm speed riding landings off the North Face of Aguille Du Midi and then allowed me to walk comfortably for a few hours while descending a dry forest and hoofing it back to town to eat and après.
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