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www.bergans.no
Bibs may seem like the kind of ski product reserved for kids, but I love them—they give you really bomb-proof coverage against the snow, especially in the deep stuff, when snow can wiggle its way under your jacket hem. And these bibs from Bergans of Norway pull out all the stops. They incorporate full water-resistant zippers down the legs, easily adjustable suspenders, and removable gators, and two mesh pockets up front. The three-layer water- and windproof membrane kept me safe from the elements, but they had enough stretch to make ‘em comfortable and mobile, especially on long skins into the backcountry (or while pulling tricky moves while mountaineering). The zipper fly also makes attending the calls of nature much easier than I remembered when I was a kid—which is wonderful! A Recco avalanche rescue reflector has been integrated into the pants, offering some comfort when heading into the backcountry, but I’m not a big fan of the mesh thigh pockets. No matter what you have in them, they feel over-stuffed.
-Chris Boyle
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www.hellyhansen.com, 15.6 ounces
This unique variation on the venerable shelled fleece jacket design truly impressed us during recent tests, with its excellent insulation-to-weight ratio, easy venting, and fast moisture transfer in sweaty situations. At first glance the H2Flow looks like a standard hoodless zip-front jacket with a taffeta outer shell, fleece inner, and twin zip pockets. However, the shell fabric isn’t nylon, it’s tougher polyester, which resists UV degradation and doesn’t stretch or absorb water when wet. Beneath that is a 200g Polartec brushed fleece with yet another difference, a Swiss cheese pattern of circular cut-outs that trap air to increase insulation, while also helping to disperse sweat vapor. The cut-outs are body-mapped, with larger holes and closer spacing in high-sweat areas like the central back, while smaller, widely spaced holes cover the chest and midriff.
The side panels and sleeves are lined only with a lightweight brushed nylon, while the fleece torso is further lined with a loose open mesh for slippery layering and free air flow. As if that weren’t enough, two foot-long zippered vents run down the chest, and the pockets are all mesh, forming de facto vents as well.
The overall effect is a jacket that’s nearly as warm as a puffy when zipped up, but resists rain showers, transfers sweat better, and vents far more than either puffies or standard shelled fleece. The weather resistance and wide temperature range made it perfect for humid, chilly camp evenings and soggy autumn trail runs on damp, cold, 11,000-foot Boulder Mountain. It’s already become one of our key layering staples, as fall progresses into winter.
- Steve Howe
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vapur.us
Carrying a hard, rigid, bulky water bottle takes up valuable space, which is why we’re partial to the soft-sided variety. Touted as “the Anti-Bottle,” the Vapur Element is constructed of a durable three-layer, BPA-free nylon plastic, and when it’s empty you can roll it up and slip it into a pocket, purse, or pack (try that with a hard bottle). In fact you can fold, spindle, and mutilate it—and it springs back to its original shape without cracks or dents. The dishwasher-safe bottle has a cap design that delighted our sausage-fingered testers: it flips open with the flick of the hand and seals soundly, with no leaks. What sets it apart from other flexible bottles is that it can be frozen, so you can use it for an ice pack, or fill it half way, freeze it, and then fill it up with liquid in the morning for an icy cold beverage. The free-standing bottle comes with its own carabineer, so you can easily clip it to a pack.
Available in 0.7 liter and 1 liter volumes and three color options
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www.lifeproof.com, 1.1 ounces
You’ve spent a veritable fortune on your new iPhone—only to have it ruined while you answer a call (or text or while taking photos) a snow or rainstorm. We’ve tried a dozen cases for iPhones and most seemed too bulky or provided insufficient protection, until we found the Lifeproof case, which delighted our testers with its sleek design. At only 13.3 mm wide, it’s barely larger than the phone itself. The snap-on, O-ring case has a slick plastic exterior that doesn’t catch on everything when you’re trying to slip it in and out of your pocket. But best of all, the case is 100-percent dirt-, water-, and snow-proof. The case is guaranteed to not leak in up to 6.5 feet of water, a fact that was corroborated by one tester who went for an impromptu swim in the Rio Grande after a hot hike in Big Bend National Park. The phone was completely submerged, with no leaks whatsoever. The case is also guaranteed to protect the phone for short drops on hard surfaces—nice if you have kids with no sense of value; Lifeproof guarantees the case will protect the phone for drops up to six feet—we can attest that the phone and case can fall out of a car onto hard pavement and survive. The touchscreen sensitivity is excellent, with no loss of function or distortion. Included in the package is a headphone adaptor that allows you to use waterproof buds for swimming, snow sports, or running in the rain. Our testers’ only complaint? Plugging the charger in is difficult, and it’s easy to lose the water-sealing screw that covers the cord jack. Boaters should invest in the Lifeproof Life Jacket ($40), a bright orange rubber case that holds the phone firmly and floats to the surface if dropped in the water.
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www.squaw.com/season-pass
Two Mountains, one pass, at a price that is a bargain at either one. I have had a Squaw Valley USA season pass since the ski season of 1982-83. To me, lift access at Squaw Valley is a necessity akin to oxygen, water, or shelter. Suddenly this year, my pass works at a whole other ski resort, the adjacent Alpine Meadows. Alpine Meadows has open boundaries where I can find fresh pow days after a storm, and my choices for groomers and tree skiing just tripled. Squaw’s KT22 will always be my favorite lift with it’s brisk, six-minute-and-42-second ride to 1,700 vertical feet of incredibly playful terrain, but the merger of Alpine and Squaw created a 6,000+ acre playground, making Tahoe Super Pass pass holders very hard pressed to not find what they are looking for.
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