Mmmmm maple waffles and ski touring…
Ah, the holidays. An opportunity to give your ski partners gifts that also benefit you. Joking! (sort of…) From avid readers, to the electronic reliant, to that one who forgets food and water, we put together a list of gifts for those special ski tourers in your life.
For the electronics lover
GAIA gift subscription
GPS app GAIA has long been a go-to planning app for backcountry outings. This season they’ve turned the focus to backcountry skiing by adding tools for multiday route planning, integration with avalanche forecasts and standby tools like slope angle shading and timber density. Now you can buy your partner a gift subscription to make sure everyone stays on the same page.
Shop for it.
Gaia GPS app has a long list of overlays helpful for backcountry ski touring including slope angle, precipitation forecasts, snow cover and more.
Eggtronic Laptop Powerbank
When your crew is heading out on a long trip with phones, cameras, GPS, tablets (or whatever else the kids take on hut trips these days), it’s tough to keep things charged. This portable lithium-ion power bank isn’t the lightest to haul around (641g), but has ports for USB and USB-C to deliver 20,000 milliamp hours with 63W total output. It’s also the size of a Kindle, and water resistant.
Shop for it.
The Eggtronic Power Bank has three ports as well as an LCD light to indicate remaining battery.
Pomocup
Treat that special uphill fiend in your life with the ski-touring equivalent of a power meter. The Pomocup, a small magnetic device that you plant on the top sheet of your ski, measures ski touring data including cadence, elevation gain/loss, slope angle, percent glide/grip, power, and more. The device then syncs with your smartphone to offer comprehensive performance data. And no, wearing spandex is not required.
Shop for it.
For the partner who forgets their fuel
Salomon Soft Flask
Sure it has a funny shape, but that’s part of what makes this soft flask so handy. It holds 500 mL of fluid and fits easily into chest pockets, random backpack pouches, pants pockets. It squeezes easily to deliver quick hydration and collapses as you empty it. Great for super cold outings when you want to keep fluid warm with your body heat, quick skins when you’re going light or just to have as a backup.
Shop for it.
Whether full or empty, the Salomon soft flask easily stuffs into pockets or pouches.
UnTapped Maple Athletic Fuels
Nothing turns around a hangry moment like maple syrup and waffles. So why not stuff you and your partners’ pockets with them? UnTapped, which hails from Vermont — the land of sugar maples — reasons that if you’re going to slurp simple sugars like those found in GU, you may as well get them from a natural source. They’ve got a variety of flavored syrup pouches, syrup infused drink mixes, and waffles.
Shop for it.
Give the gift of sweet, sweet liquid gold.
First Ascent Instant Coffee
Coffee is a sacred ritual for many a dawn patrol, but when you’re running out the door it doesn’t always happen. For the caffeine junky in your crew, consider Crested Butte-based First Ascent Coffee Roasters instant coffee packets. Maybe it’s the fact that the coffee is freeze-dried at altitude but these instant packets actually taste like the good stuff, sans the bitter tang often associated with powdered coffee. Toss a thermos of hot water in your pack and you’ve got delicious sipping coffee all day.
For the armchair aficionados
Uphill Skiing And Light Tours of Colorado
With the recent surge of new backcountry users comes an increased need for resources. Lou’s Light Ski Tours of Colorado is a user-friendly field guide to 30 Colorado zones with little avalanche danger.
Shop for it.
Uphill Skiing and Light Tours of Colorado.
The 50 Classic Ski Descents of North America
Whether your recipient aspires to follow in Cody Townsend’s footsteps and ski them all, seeks inspiration for their next road trip, or just wants to oggle the stunning photographs, the 50 Classic Ski Descents of North America is a book suited for any ski tourer with a coffee table.
Shop for it.
The Fifty Classic Ski Descents of North America book is a gift for dreamers and doers alike.
Ski Guide Manual
This past fall, we featured a series of excerpts from WildSnow contributor Rob Coppillilo’s The Ski Guide Manual. The book is a rich with knowledge and substance as the roster of mountain guides and professionals Rob called upon while writing it. A great gift for the recreational ski tourer or aspiring ski guide with information that can be returned to again and again.
Shop for it.
There you have it: Gifts to keep your ski touring partners happy all season long. Happy skiing!
While most of the WildSnow backcountry skiing blog posts are best attributed to a single author, some work well as done by the group.
