12 Christmas Gifts and Gadgets

The Twelve Days of Christmas are the festive days beginning on Christmas Day (December 25) and here at Welove2ski we’ve picked out 12 snowy Christmas gifts and gadgets that should go down a treat on the big day.

 

On the first day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me:
A pair of hedgehog mittens.

These are not only fun children’s mittens but they’re practical too, with large side openings for quick dressing and Primaloft insulation to keep fingers toasty warm. A fun Christmas gift for one to six year olds.
Invicta Hedgehog Mitt £15.99, Snow & Rock.

 
 
 

On the second day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me:
A phone insulator case.

It might seem bizarre, but keeping your phone wrapped up warm really does seem to make a difference. You may have noticed that your mobile’s battery performance drops alarmingly in cold conditions – and ends up going flat? Well, Nokia has partnered with Burton to create the handy little Nokia X Burton Insulator case that protects your phone from the cold and snow. In tests, the case was found to help extend a mobile phone’s battery life by up to 50% in cold and sub-zero temperatures. Your nearest stockist from nokia.com

 

On the third day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me:
A Planks T-shirt.

A bit of fun for a teenager (or older?) to tease their friends without having to say a thing. Planks Way Better Skier Tee £24.99, from Snow & Rock branches and online.

 
 
 
 
 

On the fourth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me:
A Scrubba washbag.

Fed up with soaking your clothes in the chalet basin? The Scrubba wash bag, created by Australian entrepreneur and backpacker Ashley Newland, could be the solution to packing light. At just 160 grams, the pocket-sized device has a flexible washboard inside a high-tech water-tight bag. The hand-powered gadget requires a couple of litres of water and a small amount of cleaning liquid, making it environmentally friendly. On a week’s ski trip, especially with babies or small children in tow, finding a laundry (and the right coins) or begging the use of the chalet washing machine is a continual problem. We’re looking forward to testing this ourselves! Scrubba wash bag can be bought online for US$59.95 – approximately £37, including P&P, at thescrubba.com

 

On the fifth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me:
A zingy orange backpack.

The Kathmandu Oread Pack is so full of useful details and attachments that it could easily have been boringly technical to look at – but instead it’s a bright splash of colour. There’s a tool pocket, a goggle pocket, an internal security pocket with a key clip, and it fits a three-litre bladder – though that part is sold separately. The pack is made from 600D polyester, which is waterproof. Kathmandu Oread Pack £59.99, online at kathmandu.co.uk or at Kathmandu stores in London, Brighton and Bristol.

 
 
 
 

On the sixth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me:
A pair of carbon probe poles.

Black Diamond has launched the new Carbon Probe Pole which is stiff, light and fully adjustable. The pole has been redesigned and performs a double duty by combining a ski pole with a fully functional avalanche probe. £79.99, visit blackdiamondequipment.com for your nearest stockist.

 

On the seventh day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me:
A blow-up Salomon helmet.

For a perfect fit, an air pad sits inside the helmet and there’s a pump built into the foam lining. With the helmet on, you press the pump and – hey presto – the air pad inflates. The new oval shape makes sure the helmet fits snugly at the back, thereby making it even safer. Features include a removable/washable lining and audio-ready custom ear pads. Salomon Phantom Custom Air helmet is £100, visit Salomon for where to buy.

 

On the eighth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me:
A cosy onesie.

Instead of the ubiquitous hand-knitted Christmas jumper which many give and receive as Christmas gifts, why not try a Scandinavian style onesie instead? What better way to snuggle up after a hard day on slopes, or at breakfast the morning after the night before. OnePiece Lillehammer Print jumpsuit £150, at Snow & Rock.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

On the ninth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me:
A pair of Dragon goggles.

Eyewear innovator, Dragon, has introduced the first completely frameless goggle with maximum peripheral vision. When coupled with the APX’s treated inner lens and ventilation system, the APX offers the clearest ride ever. The goggles also come with a spare lens. Dragon Advanced Projects X Snow Goggle cost £130 for the non-ionized version or £160 for ionized, from thesnowboardshop.co.uk.

 

On the tenth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me:
An avalanche transceiver.

As every skier knows, avalanche transceivers are essential items of equipment for anyone going off-piste. The Zoom combines the simplest handling with the latest technology and most advanced design. As well as having two functional buttons, there’s also a clearly designed LED display. Distances, directional arrows and information about several avalanche victims guide you in the fastest way to the search area, with special acoustics making victims easier to locate. The device analyses its position in the avalanche and automatically switches to the best transmission antenna. When the tracker shows you’re within three metres of the victim, that’s when you put the beacon to the ground and prepare to use a probe and shovel. Ortovox Zoom £199.99, Snow & Rock.

 

On the eleventh day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me:
Some Recon Ready goggles.

Slip a MOD Live device into a pair of Recon Ready goggles and sync it with your smartphone, so you can sweep down the mountain listening to music while checking your texts. The optical display provides data on speed, altitude and temperature, and the GPS means you shouldn’t get lost. The display sits unobtrusively at the bottom corner of your goggles (as in picture above), so you can retain a full 84 degrees of visibility when looking forward, as well as your peripheral vision. Recon Ready goggles (there’s a choice of frames) about £319.99 from reconinstruments.com.

 

On the twelfth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me:
The softest cashmere thermals.

Now for something really spoiling: the Men’s Touring Gilet provides a practical insulation layer for the body’s core – but without the bulk. Easy to pack, it can worn over a long-sleeved base layer, zipped over a T-shirt, or worn as an extra layer under a shell jacket. It’s made from 100% cashmere, designed and handcrafted in Scotland. Panelled with contrasting seams and with a ribbed collar, there’s also an adjustable waistband with a cord and toggles. There are matching cashmere leggings too. Dhu Performance Cashmere men’s gilet is £339, at dhu-online.com.