Gear review: Winter ski and ride gear
Courtesy photo
As the ski season continues (albeit, cold lately), this gear has kept me going.
Dragon Alliance NFX Mag OTG Infrared Lens and DX3 Plus OTG Goggles
This season, the NFX Mag OTG infrared lens goggle maintains the same technology but comes in new strap and lens colorways. I have the Coolwave, which matches my blue jackets, but there are plenty of other “cool” straps, including signature athlete ones. I love the frameless design, and the Solace IR lens blocks the rays on sunny days, so I never notice eye fatigue, while allowing for great vision on cloudy days. The Swiftlock Magnetics allows me to change lens out quickly, though I haven’t found it necessary to do so during a ski day, due to Dragon’s superior lens technology. The DX3 Plus is a mid-tier and mid-price point google that still delivers high-quality vision. It’s a bit thinner than the original DX3s and has a triple layer, rather than dual layer, face foam with an ultra-soft layer that sits against your skin, which I actually appreciate for comfort and warmth (the NFX Mag also has that). It comes with armored venting and a bonus lens, just like the higher-priced NFX Mag OTG, so it offers solid bang for your buck. I tend to ski mostly with the NFX because I like the frameless design, but both provide wide peripheral vision and fit my relatively thin-framed face well, without scrunching my nose.
NFX Mag, $280, DX3, $160, dragonalliance.com
Gordini Wander Glove
These gloves have become my favorite go-to for driving and walking around town. The stretchy fleece shell and under-cuff are nice and soft. The outer shell doesn’t result in pill-balls, and the inner palm (pictured) features a silicone grip, which is great for driving, as well as touchscreen capability, which I’m always using, whether it’s to take a photo or check a text. They keep my hands toasty while walking in brisk conditions (and against the steering wheel), fit great, and slide on and off easily. Comes in men’s and women’s.
$24.99, gordini.com
Grass Sticks Bamboo Poles
These custom-made bamboo poles are truly a work of art — and a conversation piece on chairlifts. As you order online, measure for length, then customize your look by selecting a basket size and color, grip color, and strap design, which range from fish and sunshine to various mountain scenes. You can also add an engravement for $18. Though bamboo’s tensile strength of steel means it doesn’t snap or bend like aluminum, they do feel a bit heavier than carbon fiber or aluminum poles. That said, the latter requires mining and industrial manufacturing, which uses a lot of energy. Meanwhile, bamboo produces more oxygen and absorbs more carbon dioxide than other plants and produces three times more wood per acre than other trees, so you’re supporting a more sustainable product. I ski with mine during bluebird, social-groomer days and get plenty of compliments on them; I’ve also used them on powder days, due to the wider baskets I chose.
$119.95, plus $19.99 for specialty straps (which are well worth it, just for their beauty and fun-factor), grasssticks.com
Superfeet ME3D Insoles
In addition to its stock insoles, Superfeet offers a custom insole, to fit your unique stance and gait. Simply stop into a retailer, of which Ute Mountaineer is the only one in Aspen, and they’ll create a three-dimensional scan and 360-degree view of each foot, including length of step and arch height. As you walk across the dynamic pressure mat, it captures how walking impacts your feet and body. From there, experts review what shoes and insoles work best for you and create your insoles. The original thin, high-density foam fits in my ski boot, and the thin toe allows for heater installation, but I already have custom insoles that I poked holes into for the heaters, so I use these insoles in shoes. These insoles have mitigated lower back pain, and, to me, it’s simply amazing that when I bend my knees, they don’t knock inward, as they do without insoles.
ME3D, $119.99 (the plusher version, ME3D Max, is $149.99), superfeet.com
Aurora Heat Reusable Hand Warmers
After seeing dropped disposable hand warmers littering the mountain, it’s exciting to find reusable hand warmers you can use season after season. Made of sheared beaver fur, these contain 10,000 beaver fur filaments per square inch to keep hands warm. I took them out on a cold, 18-degree day, and they kept the palms of my hands warm (they fit neatly in the palm), but my fingers remained cold. Granted, my fingers are always chilly in winter, which is why I require heated mittens. So I use these more in pockets or at home (yes, sometimes my hands are just too cold at home). They’re ultra-snuggly soft, making them nice to have on hand, or, shall I say, in hand; they have a very soothing quality — kids (and adults, myself included) absolutely love touching them. The Canadian-based company is dedicated to sustainability and states that overpopulation of beavers in common, hunting is regulated by the Canadian government, and returning meat to the land feeds birds and other animals, including sled dogs. The company utilizes the entire pelt, as well as the beavers’ castor and oil glands. Aurora Heat’s founders deeply respect nature and “dream of a world where humans are thoughtful about meeting basic needs using natural and reusable products.” You can choose between small and large and thickness of regular or slim; comes in natural brown or luxurious black.
Small, $79.99; large, $99.99, auroraheat.com
