Gear Guide: A Premium Pair
Canada Goose Hybridge Lite Jacket
($495; canada-goose.com)
Like Gollum and his ring, this jacket quickly became my precious. Super-lightweight 10D nylon is quilted with 800-fill ethical Hutterite goose down; PolarTec Power Stretch panels extend up the sides and along the inside of each arm — the result is a puffy that breathes well and stretches where it needs to, yet has the uncanny ability to keep cozy in temperatures ranging from sub-zero to plus 10. (Worn as a mid-layer, the Hybridge Lite helped me stay toasty at -20.) I especially love the thumb-holes and that this half-pound jacket packs into its own stuff-pocket. A tailored fit means goodbye Michelin Man; it’s stylish enough to wear in the urban jungle. Yes, the made-in-Canada Hybridge Lite is pricey — but it’s also quite possibly the perfect puffy. (Men’s and women’s available.)
Victorinox Night Vision
($795; swissarmy.com)
This is an adventurer’s watch worth lusting over: a 42 mm chronograph with luminous hands, numerals and hour markers; blue-LED face illumination; and available with either a leather or stainless steel strap. It is water-resistant to 50 metres; in real world terms, this means showers and quick dunks are OK (no snorkelling). And it’s stylish. But what we feel makes Victorinox’s 2014 Night Vision adventurer-worthy is the three-function LED mounted at 12 o’clock: flashlight, strobe light and S.O.S beacon. The light runs on a separate battery from the watch; once you’ve stopped unnecessarily playing with it, the LED battery should last 24 months while the clock will keep juiced for 36. (Stainless steel pictured; November release date.)
