The Dream List: Awesome, Uncompromising Gear to Splurge On

There’s an old saying: “You get what you pay for.” And it’s truer in the outdoor-gear world than perhaps anywhere else.
However, you don’t have to pay the below prices to get quality gear. There’s great stuff at a variety of price-points—low to high.
But it’s fun to dream, right… or maybe even treat yourself?
Here are six items worth the splurge:
Arc’teryx Alpha IS Jacket
($1,200; arcteryx.com)
The top-of-the-line jacket from a top-of-the-line company, the Alpha IS is stuffed with cutting-edge technology. By mixing ThermaTec and Coreloft synthetic insulations, the Alpha is warmer than the usual layering systems. And with a Gore-Tex waterproof breathable membrane, it’s also weatherproof.
Faction Prime
(from $1,249; factionskis.com)
The designers at Faction were given an unlimited budget when it came to build one ski that’s light enough to carry up a mountain but burly enough to pin it back down, no matter the conditions. Using premium materials, the four-ski Prime family are all astonishingly light and versatile for their size.
Hestra Army Leather Patrol
($200; hestragloves.com)
Beauty and brawn. Not only do these look like as sexy as a ski glove can but they work hard too. The palm is premium goat leather treated to be waterproof. The exterior is a slightly stretchy and water-resistant polyester. And the lining is a synthetic loft that feels like a heater.
Canada Goose Mackenzie Sweater
($395; canadagoose.com)
Canada Goose is moving beyond feathers to merino wool. The chunky knit style is heavy and loose, ideal as an après piece for cozying up and relaxing. But it’s also got some tech: less insulation under the arms and heavier knit across the body. It ain’t cheap, but it is luxurious.
Mammut Barryvox
($425; mammut.ch)
With one-button function, 70-metre search radius and onboard programming to help with multiple-person burials, the Barryvox is one of the most intuitive and simplest avalanche beacons. A five-centimetre-wide LCD display helps: it’s backlit, polarized-lens friendly and tells you what to do.
GoPro Hero6 Black
($650; shop.gopro.com)
The newest GoPro amps up the video recording quality and ease of use. The GP1 chip provides movie-quality footage: 4K and 1080p240. It’s super compact, even with the water- and crash-proof housing. But most exciting is that it responds to voice commands.
But of course, you don’t have to splurge…
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Explore’s Live the Adventure Club Gear Box
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