The Latest Stuff: Winter Gear



Get geared up right with cool new gear for your next winter adventure. New items reviewed!

Stable 26 
Footgear $70

A solid boot fit is essential for good skiing—boots transfer your body’s movement to the skis. If the fit is not right, the message gets muddled. Finding the perfect fit is tough, but Stable 26 can help. These ski socks come with a sleeve around the ankle and three sizes of rubber inserts that go inside to plug gaps between the ankle, the heel and the boot. There are also pads at the shin to help with the fit at the calf. The merino wool is warm and wicks sweat well. More info: stable26.com

Motorola 
Talkabouts MS560 $130

Even in this day and age when everyone and their dog has a mobile phone, handheld radios still have their uses. We took the Talkabouts on canoe trips and happily handed them out to the kids to play with, something we’d never do with our iPhones. Like most recreational radios, they’re easy to use, have a dedicated weather channel and have good range with line of sight. And unlike mobile phones, they’re waterproof. More info: motorola.com

The North 
Face Light L/S 
Crew Neck $65

After it rains on a tennis court, they spread the moisture out so it evaporates faster. The North Face’s Flash Dry technology does the same thing. Built into the synthetic fibres of this base layer are large particles that suck moisture off the skin and then spread it out, so it evaporates faster than it would otherwise. We definitely found FlashDry clothing to be drier and more comfortable than other base layers we’ve tried. More info: thenorthface.com

Black Diamond Magnetron $30

Locking carabiners are essential for climbing—adding an extra level of safety to anchors, belays and other life-and-death situations—but futzing around locking and unlocking them wastes plenty of valuable climbing time. That’s what makes the Magnetron so welcome. Without repositioning the carabiner, you can pinch the gate with one hand to unlock it and then open it. To lock it, simply let go and two magnets do what your fingers had to do in the past. More info: blackdiamondequipment.com

BioLite 
CampStove $130

Fire keeps us warm and cooks our food, and now it can also produce a charge. On the surface, the BioLite is an efficient wood-fired campstove. Get a fire going in the can, stock it full of wood, put a pot on top, turn on the electric fan and it boils a litre of water in about the same amount of time as a white-gas stove. As it’s going, a converter turns the fire’s heat into electricity to power the fan and, if it’s really roaring, you can charge a phone, speakers or GPS through a USB. More info: biolitestove.com

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