A Few “Different” Gift Ideas for the Backcountry Skier

Thinking outside the wrapper, some ideas for the backcountry skier in your life.

Know a technical rider who likes swapping bindings and experimenting with stack height? Is someone mounting a pair of thin skis such as the Goode? Wrap a screw kit and stick it under the tree this Christmas. Available from SlideWright.

Ultimate gift for the homebrew ski mech.

An ISHA membership gets you this sticker and a magazine subscription.

Memberships to related non-profits are always a good holiday treat that gives in both directions.

For anyone with a blink of appreciation for the shoulders we all stand on, a membership in the International Skiing History Association is always recommended. Available here.

Know an up-and-coming avalanche geek? No better gift for them than membership in the American Avalanche Association. Available here. But watch out, after your budding avalanche scientist reads the Association publication you’ll be dodging scientific big words and getting asked to spend three hours in a snow pit every time you go backcountry skiing.

Speaking of avalanche study, another excellent gift for the water crystal fanatic is a snow study kit. BCA makes a nice one. and Life Link provides a few as well.

We like this BCA snow study kit, as it comes in a padded case that makes it last through multiple adventures.

For the weight weenie, check out the lightest ice axe known to man and beast. CAMP Corsa weighs in at an amazing 7.3 ounces. While it feels funny to pick up an axe this light, we’re certain it works for most of what we need an axe for — mainly doing moderate snow climbing and glacier travel. If someone already has an ice axe, they can grow their quiver with this, though we wouldn’t recommend it as a first ice axe. Available here.

We’re not sure if this axe brings out the beast or the girlyman when used by a backcountry skier, but it’s cool either way at 7.3 ounces!

Here is something a bit different for WildSnow gear words. The other day I got a marketing email asking us to check out Airdrive Earphones. The idea with these things is they don’t plug up your ears but still provide good fidelity. They seem to do the job just fine, and it’s indeed nice to get some ambient noise into the mix. The volume control works well and the easily customized ear rider keeps them positioned well enough to prevent radical changes in volume, though you do get a bit of modulation when doing things that tend to move the buds to slightly different positions in relation to your ear. We recommend these as a gift for the active ‘pod zoner, provided they don’t mind having an earphone with holder that goes behind the ear. Check ’em out here.

Okay, and now for our denouement of the “different” backcountry skier’s gift guide. A good friend of mine just put their 2004 Porsche Cayenne Turbo up for sale, mint condition, garaged, low miles. I can testify that this guy cares for his cars like a vintage airplane collector lavishing attention on their fleet. Put a ski box on top and you’ve got the end-all for a trailhead approach vehicle. (SOLD)

I’ve driven this thing and let me assure you, it rocks.