Posts Tagged ski gear
Obermeyer Coco Jacket and London Pant
Sometimes, performance and style don’t always match on the slopes. They do with the Obermeyer Coco Jacket and London Pant.
The jacket’s 100-percent Cocona polyester fabric uses a natural technology derived from coconut shells, providing increased body moisture evaporation and breathability. It also has a pretty pattern, for those who care about style points. Its interior stretch panels, inner cuffs with thumbholes, integrated powder skirt, well-placed vents and removable hood help ensure you can have a good ski (or board) day and stay comfortable.
The jacket also incorporates the RECCO reflector, a device that never needs to be switched on (and never needs batteries) that bounces back a searcher’s directional radar signal, in the event of a burial. While nobody likes to think about that in advance of a ski day, it’s definitely a nice-to-have element.
The one thing I wish the jacket had: larger pockets. On my recent Aspen trip, I became envious of people sporting jackets with pockets that would fit their ski gloves, wallets and other things needed for the ski day. I got my iPhone, wallet and hat crammed in the pockets, but that’s pretty much all I could manage.
If you’ve been looking for a great-performing ski pant that fits perfectly, try the Obermeyer London Pant. Made with MicroTec 100 percent polyester twill with HydroBlock, the pants will keep the snow out, whether you’re skiing, snowboarding, or just hiking. Heavy-duty zippers, reinforced hems, thigh vents and an adjustable webbing belt add to the useful features.
If you’re planning on seriously layering up, make sure you consider ordering one or even two sizes up. The pants cut a nice silhouette when they fit in your regular size, however with a layer underneath, plus perhaps some padding for the inevitable beginner snowboarding crashes, you’ll wish they were just a tad more baggy. Trust me on this little detail.
The Obermeyer Coco Jacket lists for $399.50 on the Obermeyer website. You may be able to find it for less at Backcountry.com or at Sierra Trading Post. The Obermeyer London Pant lists for $159.50 on the Obermeyer website, and are also available on Altrec and Sierra Trading Post. This being the end of season, you’ll probably find a clearance sale going on…
Posted by Jill in Adventure Gear on March 30th, 2012
Marquette Backcountry Ski
As an outdoor adventure traveler, I had an absolute blast field testing the Marquette Backcountry Ski. If you’re a backcountry skier, snowshoe enthusiast, backpacker, or all three, you need to know about this new player in the ski product line-up.
Marquette touts their backcountry ski as “‘part ski, part snowshoe, and all fun.” What makes it different than the other telemark and cross-country versions out there? It’s made out of polypropylene, glass, silicone, and brass (100% recyclable), but more to the point from a performance perspective, it’s short and wide (only 140 cm long), with a fat, curved lip, allowing for tight control in both deep powder and uneven terrain with variables (like exposed roots, rocks, creeks, etc). The hollow base allows the ski to literally float over the snow (much like a snowshoe) and the quarter-sized fish scales along the bottom (much bigger than on your average cross-country ski) help the ski to grip on the uphill. The ski length and lip allow for very decent turn control.
What is it good for? Three things in particular: deep powder, less-than-ideal conditions, and serious obstacles. My 12-year-old son Nate and I took turns using the Marquette ski on a recent backcountry ski trek of six miles (each way) en route to an overnight in the Mt. Hood Wilderness. We were on a cross-country ski trail in wet powder that included many elevation changes, creek crossings, logs to climb over, and the afore-mentioned heavy powder. While using the Marquette ski (as opposed to the traditional Fischer nordic skis we were trading off with), we had much better control on the downhill sections of trail, and much better luck navigating the creek crossings. The plastic base of the Marquette makes sloshing through icy creek water and even exposed pebbles and dirt no big deal, and the ability to turn easily made the downhill much more manageable.
Nate sporting the Marquette skis.
What are the Marquette’s weaknesses? On straight stretches of maintained cross-country or snowshoe trails, it’s slower going on Marquettes than on cross-country skis. Our Fischers glided more effortlessly on packed snow (whereas the Marquette functioned more closely to a snowshoe), and on uphill, more effort is needed (though it does grip well). During our six mile hike, during which we experienced stretches of powder, inclines, declines, and flat trail, we were grateful for the Marquettes on the slopes and in the trees or creeks, but wished for our Fischers on the straight-aways. Also of note: we didn’t experience any icy conditions, but given the lack of an edge on the Marquettes, I’d venture to guess it would not perform well in serious ice.
Based on our experience at Mt. Hood as well as shorter jaunts in both powder and groomed trail closer to home, I agree with Marquette’s description of being part ski, part snowshoe. Is it the right backcountry ski for you? The answer to that really depends on what type of backcountry skiing you’re planning to do, and your ability level. If you’re new to the sport and want a dependable, tough-as-nails ski to guide you through the rough stuff, the Marquette is a good bet. For instance, Nate was new to backcountry skiing (though not new to downhill skiing), and had no trouble stepping right into the Marquettes and easily navigating the terrain. By comparison, we’ve found traditional cross-country skis to be more difficult to master. The Marquette is the way to go for a first backcountry ski, and it’s certainly a great option for tweens and teens gaining experience in the sport.
If you’re already an expert, want to gain some serious speed, and don’t mind paying more, a telemark ski might better fit the bill, and if you plan to stick to well-maintained trails and want to make distance, I’d opt for a traditional cross-country ski.
A word about boots and bindings: the Marquette comes solo…no binding or boots included. We paired ours with Voile USA bindings, but any three-pin binding will work. The Marquette website is quite helpful in identifying appropriate bindings. Holes come pre-drilled, so they’re easy to install. Any cross-country boot made for a three-pin binding will fit (the type with the ‘duck bill’ on the front), but for better turn control, we opted to use telemark boots, and were glad we did.
In the world of telemark, nordic, and backcountry skis, the Marquette is a deal at $189. Pick up a pair at Amazon, ORS Cross Country, the official Marquette Backcountry website, or check out their list of retailers.
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Posted by Amy in Adventure Gear on February 28th, 2012
REI Revelcloud Jacket
Those huge down jackets seem so limiting. Perfect for cold weather (even though they may make you look like the Michelin Man), they’re not optimal once winter is over—or for a variety of outdoors activities. The REI Revelcloud Jacket is a lighter weight alternative that you can take hiking, biking, camping, or even wandering through a new city on your travels.
The shell is 70 percent recycled polyester (called Quantum and made by Pertex). The insulation is made with equal parts recycled and non-recycled polyester (made by PrimaLoft). It’s water repellent, blocks wind up to 50 mph and is lightweight.
Raglan sleeves allow for a better range of motion in your activities, and are much easier under backpack straps. The front zipper has a draft flap, and a chin guard keeps the zipper from rubbing on you uncomfortably. The draw cord at the hem and the stretch binding at the cuffs and collar all help to seal in warmth.
The REI Revelcloud Jacket has two zippered hand-warmer pockets that are deep enough to shove your gloves in as well. There’s also a smaller, zippered chest pocket with a media port, so you can plug and play wherever you go. If you’ve got a chunky phone/media player protector, however, you may need to take it off first.
A stuff sack is included with the jacket. I have to admit, even though the Revelcloud Jacket isn’t as bulky as a puffy down jacket, I doubted it would fit neatly into the stuff sack. At the very least, I’d have to figure out some very specific folding/rolling technique in order to get it to work. Not at all. I just pushed the jacket into the sack, without any origami folding required. It compresses down to the size of a super-size burrito. I’d be less likely to lose it if it came attached to the jacket, though.
The REI Revelcloud Jacket lists for $149 on the REI website. Guys shouldn’t feel left out, however, because there’s a men’s version as well for the same price.
Posted by Jill in Adventure Gear, General Gear, Travel Light on December 16th, 2011
New Ski Gear on the Slopes in Utah
Our bus had to stop and put chains on the tires as we made our way up to Solitude Ski Resort in Utah. Some 10 inches of snow fell overnight and it kept coming on and off. An ideal day to check out some ski gear in the real world!
Ski gear is a big leap of faith when it comes time to buy—and an expensive one. So I always advise people to pay up to rent good demo skis and boots from a quality ski shop for a day on the slopes before dropping a grand or two on actually owning them. Yesterday I got to do that in hyperdrive: as part of the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market, I was able to visit a booth, pop on some new equipment, and whip down the mountain to see how it performs.
Good skis keep getting better
I’m so old I learned to ski when step-in bindings were a new novelty, so believe me when I say these planks may cost more now, but they’re so much better (especially for beginners and intermediates) that it’s night and day with what was out there 15 or 20 years ago. I tried out some K2 skis on two trips up the lift that performed incredibly well in the deep powder and made me look far less rusty than I really am. I then took two long multi-trail runs with some Volkl Amaruq skis that look almost as cool as they perform. Set up with premium Marker bindings, they rode like a dream. Just one problem though, which they can’t control…
Ski boots and comfort never seem to meet
One thing that hasn’t changed since I started night skiing on Virginia icy slopes in the 198os: ski boots are ridiculously uncomfortable. All the companies are bragging about how stiff their boots are. Yeah, I know, if they’re too flexible and cushy you’ll lose control, fall more, and possibly get hurt. But do they really need to make you feel like your feet are in a multi-pronged torture vise?
The new Garmont Delirium boots I tried out—lace-up liner and all—performed admirably, as they should at more than $600 a pop, but I couldn’t pay attention to how well the Scrarpa boots performed because they are apparently sized for people with narrow feet. (With all those buckles and adjustments, can’t you make them work for multiple widths?)
For me, the Dynafit ones were a bit better and the Black Diamond boots almost, almost felt like something I could wear for more than three runs without wanting to unbuckle them and head for the bar.
Other cool ski gear
I brought along some $15 Nike ACG gloves I got at Dick’s Sporting Goods knowing they’d be the weak link in my battle against the cold. So after two runs I made my way over to the Dakine booth and picked up some Wrangler waterproof leather ones. Toasty fingers after that.
I really liked the Native Eyewear goggles I took for a few runs (pictured at the top). Great optics, comfortable fit, and a mechanism that lets you easily change the lenses by just popping a hinge at the top. These are next ski season, so keep an eye out then. They come with two lenses (one for low-light conditions) and can be hooked onto a helmet.
I used four different sets of poles throughout the day and like most skiers, didn’t pay much attention to three of the four. The Leki $100 ones were a different story though. They have actually made ski poles innovative, which isn’t easy, by making them adjustable to your height as well as building in a cool pop-in, pop-out mechanism whereby they are either attached to your gloves or they’re disconnected. No pulling straps on and off your hands all day. Safer too as they’ll release if you crash and burn.
Tune in tomorrow and I’ll run down some cool things coming up for the rest of the time, off the ski slopes.
Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, General Gear on January 20th, 2011
Lorpen Tri-layer Ski Socks Won’t Cost You a Lift Ticket
If you’ve been hit hard by winter’s bluster—or are planning to face it head-on at a ski resort—you’re probably thinking about putting something warm on your toes.
I’m heading to the annual winter Outdoor Retailer show in a few weeks and will be seeing a sea of new socks, some of them with more specs than a race car and more “features” than any pair of socks should be allowed to claim. Like other Lorpen socks I’ve tried out though, these Tri-layer Light ski socks do everything I need them to do, and for a retail price around 20 bucks.
I don’t ski as much as I would like anymore, but I’ve always preferred well-made snug socks that stay above the calf and don’t bunch up around my toes. If you’re like me and don’t have any chronic circulation problems, these should work fine under normal conditions if your boots fit. (There are heavier versions for a buck or two more if not.)
This Lorpen pair uses a multi-density knitting process to ensure a snug fit without wrinkles, with padding just where it’s really needed. They’re made of a blend of the following: PrimaLoft Eco Polyester Yarn, Merino wool, Nylon, and Lycra. So they’re warm, stretchy, wicking, and quick-drying.
I’ll be wearing these on the slopes this winter, but my daughter is wearing the kids’ Merino Junior Ski version around just to keep her feet warm. Since they’re cozy and pink (okay, technically “orchid”), she’s happy to wear them. Whether playing in the snow or whipping down the snowboarding ramps, these are warm and comfy socks that won’t fall down and won’t stay wet. They have a similar mix of thread types, but without the PrimaLoft.
The men’s version of the Tri-layer ski sock comes in black or gray, the women’s version in prettier colors. Both are available in multiple sizes. And in the “in case you care” department, Lorpen socks are made in Mexico, not China.
Get the men’s Tri-layer Light or women’s Tri-layer Light ski socks at Backcountry.com
Lots of great Lorpen socks, including these, are on sale right now at Sierra Trading Post.
Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, Kids and Family on January 5th, 2011
