Yahoo Travel
Look Hot in the Cold: the Sweetest Winter Travel Gear
Yahoo Travel
Updated
Compact, flexible, and warm, this multi-tasking light jacket from Smartwool combines comfy Merino wool sleeves in back with a padded nylon front that includes a zipped pouch and hand pockets. It’s great for a hike or a run on a chilly day, or as a middle layer underneath a waterproof shell. Bonus: the lined front panel and collar fabric manages sweat and is antimicrobial, so it can last for a long trip without washing. And it packs down into a tiny space.
This triple-layer Gore-Tex shell is waterproof, windproof, and practically bullet-proof with its sturdy, yet surprisingly supple exterior coating, and a thin yet really warm lining. Its hood is big enough to wear with a ski helmet, or completely hide your head from a nasty winter storm. The jacket is quite breathable, meaning you won’t overheat during winter activities. Weather-proofed zippers hide an assortment of pockets in which to stash accessories. It’s the perfect outer layer for a season’s worth of skiing and snowboarding, or to wear on the deck of a ship in iceberg territory.
Skiing (and snowmobiling, snowshoeing, dogsledding, etc.) is a lot more fun if you can actually see what’s going on. Smith’s newest iteration of their rimless I/O 7 goggles provides a wide field of view, good venting (to reduce fogging), a comfortable fit, excellent lens clarity, and a clever lens-switching “system” of a locking pivot handle and smoothly fitting clips. So when the weather transitions from bright sun to a snowstorm, you can easily change to another lens (included) brought along in a slim hardshell container.
No need to freeze your ears off while you take that call or listen to some tunes. Hi-def speakers built into a pair of Bluetooth-enabled ear-warmers means you can comfortably walk along wind-swept winter streets without missing a beat. The behind-the-head design means you can wear them with an extra hat or ski helmet in comfort. The sound is decently loud, even in wind (the ear-warmers are coated with a wind- and water-resistant fabric). Use them to enjoy a podcast city walking tour in some cold town—but don’t forget to look for traffic!
These Gore-Tex-lined ski pants are lightweight enough to easily pack into your suitcase for a trip, yet boast impressive credentials for being waterproof, windproof, and warm. Articulated fabric throughout the legs means the pants are flexible enough to show off your top tricks in the snowboard park. Since they’re not overly thick, the pants could also be used for some cold- or wet-weather hikes.
A versatile freeride board that’s at its best flying above clouds of fresh powder, but its directional shape and tapered nose give it serious stability on harder-packed trails—key if you’re only bringing one board on your trip. The board can carve some snappy turns on groomed corduroy and holds steady at faster speeds. As part of Burton’s “Family Tree” line of board, the core is made from certified sustainable wood sources, and the topsheet is actually made from recycled Mountain Dew bottles. The board’s Channel binding slot design makes mounting easy, and works well with Burton’s comfortable Genesis bindings.
Mom always said to layer up, so it’s good to have a puffy vest in your winter gear bag. The ExOfficio Storm Logic vest is slim, which makes it easy to pack, but still provides good insulated warmth for a crisp fall walk, or beneath a larger jacket. As a bonus, the vest can be folded up into a travel pouch and used as a soft pillow on your flight or a bumpy bus ride into the mountains.
This lightweight (1.8 pound) 20-liter capacity backpack designed for backcountry skiing is just as comfortable for a day in-bounds on the slopes or for a winter hike. The pack has a freeze-proof insulated hydration sleeve to keep the water flowing, and handy attachments to hold skis or snowboards for an uphill hike, an ice-axe for extremists, or you can just use it as a pouch to tote your lunch to the lodge. Hip belt pockets, a lined goggle pocket and other organized zips make this a handy accessory for active winter travel.
Want to swipe your touchscreen and still keep your fingers warm? No worries with these Dutch-designed leather gloves that use a special conductive fabric on the fingertips while still maintaining the fashionable look of a fine leather glove. A wool-lined interior with water and wind-resistant exterior keep your fingers toasty while they dial up the latest weather report on the phone. The gloves are soft, comfortable, and worth wearing even without their magical touchscreen capabilities.
Ever wonder what happens to your returned down jackets and sweaters? Well, Patagonia found a way to save them from the landfill by creating a line of recycled down scarves. Hand-sewn using the fabric of jackets and genuine goose down fill, each 6-foot-long scarf is a unique accessory you can use to show off your environmental fashion sensibility while keeping yourself warm on some winter travels.
When you’re travelling out to ski mountains, you can’t really afford to take a full quiver of skis to match every type of snow or terrain you may find. So K2’s “All Mountain Performance” Rictor XTi’s are a good choice to handle just about anything you might find on the hills. 90mm underfoot width helps manage both on and off trail maneuvering, while the mildly rockered tips and tails gives it some float on powder. The combination metal/wood construction provides stability on early-season hardpack snow, as well as flexibly and rebound to bounce through your turns. An integrated Marker binding system packages well with the skis.
If you’re not on the ski slopes during your winter travels, but still need some shades to keep from going snowblind, the Revo Hudie sunglasses are a good choice to cut down on the glare. Lightweight and sturdy (as a pair of shades can be…), with anti-slip nose pad, and sold with a hard case, the glasses are designed for active use. The lenses cut down bright sunlight to a tolerable level, but aren’t so dark that you’ll stumble into a tree when there’s a bit of cloud cover.
You can’t exactly wear a scarf skiing, so sliding on a neckwarmer is a good way to keep that space between your jacket and your hat warm. The Apex Chute is long enough to stretch up to cover most of your face below the goggles for those stormy days, and can slide back down to your neck when things warm up. The fabric is soft and not itchy, so it’s a comfortable addition to your ski wardrobe.
Keep your toes toasty warm and comfy on even cold, hard winter streets in this affordable pair of boots that are both insulated and waterproof. Don’t worry if your feet get too hot (or if you accidentally dump some snow inside the boots); the interior is moisture-wicking to keep your socks dry. The faux-fur edging and solid stitching make the boots look like they’re ready for an Arctic expedition, but they’re still light and flexible enough for a walk around town.
Feel warm inside and out while wearing this panda hooded sweatshirt representing your donation to the World Wildlife Fund. Part of your $100 will go to efforts to preserve wildlife and their habitats globally, so you can help ensure you have something left to see in nature when you travel. Comes in zippered and non-zippered options, with a pouch to warm your hands or perhaps carry some snacks for pandas.
This sweater boasts ExOfficio’s JavaTech fabric made from a blend of wool and recycled coffee ground-infused yarn that wicks moisture, dries quickly, is odor-resistant, anti-microbial, and decaffeinated so it won’t keep you up at night. With its warmth and dryness, it makes for a good base-layer when skiing, and is fashionable enough to provide double duty as apres-ski wear while you grab an Irish Coffee in the bar. Also comes in a men’s style for those couples looking to pose for Christmas card photos on the slopes.
This is a serious sock: a calf-high decorated model that stretches in four different sections using two types of elastic, it has multiple mesh vent areas, cushioning in the shin and sole areas to deal with ski boots, and oh yes, they’re comfortable. Smartwool’s patented “Realiawool” technology means these socks combine the best of moisture-wicking softness and a durability that should last seasons. Available in three levels of thickness and in men’s styles.
Stealth winter shoes that look like a regular pair of mid-hi-top sneakers but are 100% waterproof, rated warm to minus-20C, and come equipped with a special grippy type of rubber that’ll keep you from slipping and sliding while looking for a streetcar in say, Sweden (where the shoes are made). For extra traction, go for the Juniper RBug9X model that comes with 19 metal studs on the bottom of the shoe. Shoes also come in women’s sizes — you’ll be the only couple on the street still standing.
Smartwool Women’s Smartloft Divide Jacket $200
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Compact, flexible, and warm, this multi-tasking light jacket from Smartwool combines comfy Merino wool sleeves in back with a padded nylon front that includes a zipped pouch and hand pockets. It’s great for a hike or a run on a chilly day, or as a middle layer underneath a waterproof shell. Bonus: the lined front panel and collar fabric manages sweat and is antimicrobial, so it can last for a long trip without washing. And it packs down into a tiny space.
If you’re travelling somewhere cold this winter, whether it’s to the ski hills or to some chilly city, there are still plenty of ways to look cool while staying warm. Check out some of this season’s best new women’s and men’s travel gear designed to protect you from the elements, keep you looking fashionable, and help get you out on the ski slopes to rip some epic turns.
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