Image via Complex Original
As the seasons change, you put away your swim trunks and break out the flannel. Your thoughts turn from the sandy beaches to the mountains and the accumulating snow. Soon it will be time to head up to the slopes with your boys and your snowboard and have as much fun shredding the mountain that the season will allow. To maximize that fun, you will need the right gear. Make sure you're prepared with Everything You Need to Pack For Your Next Snowboarding Trip.
GoPro HD Hero4 Black
The newest everything-proof GoPro is a beast of a camera in a tiny package. Clip it to your helmet for radical point-of-view shots or hold it to film your friends, or just turn it on yourself for a selfie on the chair lift. With built in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, the Hero4 can connect to your smartphone via the GoPro app, so your shots can get uploaded to Instagram while you shred instead of having to wait until you get home to your computer.
Buy: $499.99
Oakley Nighthawk BioZone Jacket and Pants
Staying warm and dry is crucial for a good day on the mountain. Norway’s Stale Sandbech designed the Oakley Nighthawk BioZone jacket and pant to accomplish just that. The BioZone fleece keeps you warm while wicking sweat away from the body. The breathable Hydrogauge 15 waterproofing stops the wind and snow from getting in while letting your excess body heat out to help prevent over-heating. Zippered mesh vents at the underarm and inner thigh allow for airflow in areas that get hot throughout the day. The jacket and pants work together to create a comfortable barrier between you and the elements, allowing you to concentrate on riding.
Burton Guide Glove
Cold hands can make your whole body feel cold, so investing in a good pair of gloves will pay off in the long run. Burton’s Guide Gloves are made of waterproof, yet breathable, Gore-Tex and are lined with PirmaLoft Gold insulation, so hands stay warm and dry without overheating. The thumb and index fingers make use of Burton’s Screen Grab technology, allowing you to access your phone’s screen without removing your gloves. These gloves are built super tough, so they will easily handle serious abuse.
Buy: $115
Dakine Heli Pack 11L
The bigger the pack, the more stuff your friends will want you to carry for them. Dakine’s Heli Pack 11L is a perfect small pack for a day on the mountain. There is room for everything you need but not a lot of excess space for your buddy’s sandwich, phone, and extra shirt. The insulated hydro sleeve and insulated shoulder strap keep your water and tube from freezing, and the padded, adjustable shoulder and waist straps keep the pack in place, keeping it comfortable for the entire day.
Buy: $70
Smith Variance Helmet
Smith’s Variance Helmet will keep your brain safe when things go wrong and your head lands where your feet where supposed to. The Hybrid Shell construction keeps the Variance light with a low profile. The adjustable vents allow you to keep your head warm until you’re ready to cool things off, and the AirEvac 2 system works with your goggles to ventilate warm air and prevent fogging. It even has optional audio inserts for comfortable music integration.
Buy: $180
Oakley Flight Deck Goggles with PRIZM Lens
With snow falling from the sky or being blown in your face by the snow machines, a good pair of goggles is something you can’t leave home without. Oakley’s new Flight Deck goggles offer a super wide field of view thanks to their rimless design. They are large enough to accommodate prescription glasses and work well with a helmet. The vents and F3 Anti-Fog coating will keep things clear in changing conditions. The integrated PRIZM lenses provide unprecedented control of light transmission resulting in colors precisely tuned to maximize contrast and enhance visibility. Goggles will be on your face all day, so choosing the right can make the difference between a good and great snow season.
Buy: $200
Leatherman Skeletool SX
Leatherman and Signal Snowboards worked together in designing the Skeletool SX to pack every tool that a snowboarder needs into one small package. With just the Skeletool SX, you can crank on your bindings, fine-tune your board, and even open a beer. Plus there are wire cutters, pliers, and of course a blade. The whole thing weighs only five ounces so you won’t even notice it’s there, but you will be glad it is when you need it.
Buy: $75
Zinka Sunscreen and Lip Balm
With the snow reflecting 85 percent of the sun’s rays, and higher altitudes allowing those rays to remain more intense, proper skin protection is a must. Zinka’s colored sunscreen was a staple on ski slopes in the ’80s, and the company is still making the same product today. Fortunately, now they make clear spray-on sunscreen that is water resistant with SPF 30. Pair that with a good lip balm, which Zinka also makes, and your skin and lips will be safe from the sun’s ultra intense high-altitude rays.
Buy: $14; $3
Clif Bar
Your body needs fuel to stay warm in order to spin tricks all day. Clif Bar packs the most punch into a small size. Eat a good breakfast and eat Clif Bars throughout the day to keep your energy up. Every year, Clif Bar releases seasonal flavors and donates one percent of the proceeds of those flavors to Jeremy Jones’ Protect Our Winters nonprofit group. So pick up a few Pecan Pie, Pumpkin Spice, and Iced Gingerbread Clif Bars to fight off hunger and contribute to a good cause.
Buy: $15
Samsung Galaxy S5
Don’t leave your phone in a locker back at the lodge, take it with you. You will want to post a few pictures to Instagram or Facebook while you are still on the mountain. Stay up-to-date on changing weather conditions, and keep up with your friends. Samsung’s Galaxy S5 is very rugged, having met the IP67 standard for dust and water resistance. The 16-megapixel camera has super fast auto focus and shoots video at 4K. The Galaxy S5 is an MP3 player, communicator, camera, heart rate monitor, and so much more. It is too important to leave behind.
Buy: $200 (with contract)
