Ski and snowboard season is here again and the 2024/2025 season is looking to be a banger in North America thanks to our good pal, La Niña. As a resident of the U.S. Pacific Northwest, nothing gets me more excited during the dark and dreary months quite like the spinning of ski lifts.
In the past, I’ve touched on how I prep for the season with explainers on how to properly store your gear, how to wax your snowboard and how to waterproof your outerwear like a pro. Now it’s time to share some of the accessories I'm most excited to have mountainside in the coming months.
From overlooked articles of clothing to adventure-ready walkie-talkies to gear repair essentials, here are the five things I’m packing for the best day of snowboarding ever.
1. An extra-thick merino wool neck gaiter
Unlike most ski-related apparel, one of my favorite accessories for keeping warm on the slopes doesn’t cost a fortune. A quality Merino wool neck gaiter shouldn’t set you back more than $30. For super-cold temps, make sure you’re getting an extra thick one, like the Ridge Merino Neck Gaiter, my personal go-to.
Merino wool is my favorite natural fiber for outdoor adventures in both the heat and the cold because it’s first and foremost good at regulating temperature but also durable, lightweight, moisture-wicking, and highly breathable. What more could you ask for in a material?
2. Rocky Talkie Mountain Radios
Staying in touch at a sprawling mountain resort can be a challenge. Sure, you have your smartphone but taking off a glove to dig in a pocket is no fun, nor is potentially dropping it into the white abyss. But you know what is fun? Communicating back and forth with your pals and loved ones via a sweet set of walkie-talkies.
Not just any old walkie-talkies will do. This ski season, you need something lightweight, rugged, reliable, and waterproof. Enter Rocky Talkie Mountain Radios. These petite handsets feature a built-in carabiner for hanging off a jacket or backpack strap, a tough-built and impact-resistant exterior, access to 128 channels, and an H20-proof design.
They’re also dead simple to use and offer just enough range to keep in contact at all but the most mammoth resorts.
3. Polar Vantage M3 smartwatch
The Polar Vantage V3 was my favorite smartwatch for tracking snowboarding last season. However, at $599, it costs nearly as much as a new snowboard. Fortunately, Polar recently launched the Vantage M3, which is basically the V3’s kid brother, with most of the same features but for $399 rather than $599.
This includes Polar’s excellent Hill Splitter feature that does a remarkable job parsing riding time from ski lift time. The watch also displays distance, speed, and riding data at a glance and boasts a bright, easy-to-view AMOLED screen.
Once warm and cozy back at the lodge, Polar’s post-ride maps and stats are some of the most detailed and digestible I’ve encountered. They also make it easy to brag about how sick your turns were to anyone within earshot.
4. Lots of Tenacious Tape
Ski and snowboard equipment is pricey and it’s easy to get bent out of shape over a ripped jacket or torn pair of snow pants. Fortunately, Tenacious Tape exists and costs next to nothing.
I’ve used a lot of it over the years with great success. Available in tape and patch form, simply cut a piece to size, peel off the backing, stick it over the hole or tear in your gear, and huzzah, it’s as good as new.
Tenacious Tape is permeant and comes in a wide range of colors, including clear. For really bad tears, be sure to stick a piece on both the front and the back of the damaged area. In addition to fixing fabric, I’ve also used Tenacious Tape to repair worn-out zipper tape on my ski jacket.
5. A high-quality multi-tool
Multi-tools come in all shapes, sizes and prices. For on-the-mountain repairs, I like to carry this $15 Dakine Torque Driver Multi-Tool. But, for major adjustments when I’m off the hill, I tend to opt for my trusty Leatherman Skeletool CX multi-tool. Though it costs four times as much as the Dakine tool, you’re getting a lot more functionality in an all-metal package. It also comes with a generous 25-year warranty.
That said, the Leatherman is a tad too bulky to carry in a pocket while riding, which is why I opt for the Dakine multi-tool when on the go. It weighs less than six ounces and takes up minimal pocket real estate.
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