Gifts for Skiers: Warm Gear for Long Days on the Hill

Merino.tech 100% Merino Wool Neck Gaiter

• Superfine merino
• Wears as balaclava
• UPF 50+

A tube of superfine merino wool that pulls up over the nose and mouth on the lift and drops to the neck on the run. Polyester gaiters freeze stiff with breath and start to smell; merino stays soft and breathable without itching. It also wears as a helmet liner, an ear warmer or a light balaclava. Skiers wear it from the first chair to the last run.^[1]

Good for

Skiers who ride long, windy chairlifts.

Skip if

They ski in deep cold and need a heavy face mask; this is a lightweight gaiter.

Carhartt Men's A18 Knit Cuffed Watch Cap Beanie

• Rib knit acrylic
• Cuffed fit
• One size

The rib knit cuffed beanie with the small Carhartt patch, in a long list of colors. The helmet comes off at lunch and helmet hair is real; this is the hat every ski town wears in the lodge and the parking lot. It is thick, stretchy acrylic that keeps its shape after years. It is the easy après gift that fits almost every head.^[1]

Good for

Skiers who go straight from the lift to the bar.

Skip if

They want a hat for skiing itself; it does not fit under a helmet.

Atsko Sno-Seal Original Beeswax Waterproofing

• Beeswax formula
• Flexible when freezing
• Keeps leather breathable

A can of beeswax waterproofing that skiers rub into leather gloves and boots to keep snow from soaking through. Leather gloves without wax turn soggy and stiff by lunch; Sno-Seal conditions leather and stays flexible in freezing temperatures. It does not block the natural breathability of leather, so hands do not sweat more. It is the small gift that makes leather gloves last for years.^[2]

Good for

Skiers who wear leather gloves or leather boots.

Skip if

Their gloves are all synthetic; it is for leather only.

Stanley Heritage Classic Vacuum Bottle, 1.1 qt

• Vacuum insulated steel
• Cup lid
• Leakproof stopper

The green steel vacuum bottle with a cup lid, the same shape skiers' parents carried decades ago. Lodge cocoa is expensive and the line is long; a Stanley keeps a whole thermos of cocoa or coffee hot all day in the car or the backpack. The lid doubles as a cup for a break at the top. It is the bottle that lasts longer than their skis.^[3]

Good for

Skiers who eat lunch from the car.

Skip if

They ski with only a small pocket; the bottle is heavy to carry on the hill.

HotHands Hand Warmers, 40 Pair Value Pack

• Forty pairs
• Air activated
• Odorless

Air activated hand warmer packets that heat up when opened and stay warm inside a glove or pocket for hours. One pair on a cold day is nice; a bulk box covers a whole family for a whole season. They need no charging and weigh almost nothing. Skiers slip one into each glove before the first chairlift ride.^[4]

Good for

Skiers with cold hands and a family to share with.

Skip if

They hate single use products; the rechargeable OCOOPA set is the better gift.

Compare with OCOOPA UT2s →

Stanley Easy Fill Flask, 8 oz

• Stainless steel
• Attached hinge cap
• Lifetime warranty

A pocket flask in Stanley's hammertone green with a flat back, a wide mouth that fills without a funnel and a hinged cap that cannot get lost. Thin tin flasks dent and leak in a ski jacket; the Stanley is rugged steel with a lifetime warranty. It slides into an inside pocket for a toast at the top of the last run. It is the classic chairlift gift for adults.^[3]

Good for

Adult skiers who toast the last run of the day.

Skip if

They do not drink; give the Stanley vacuum bottle for cocoa instead.

Kinco 1927KW Premium Leather Work and Ski Gloves

• Pigskin leather palm
• Heatkeep insulation
• Knit wrist cuff

Insulated work and ski gloves from Kinco with a golden pigskin palm, a striped canvas back and a snug knit wrist. Synthetic ski gloves tear at the fingertips after a season; pigskin stays soft and flexible even after it gets wet and lasts for years. Kinco calls the line its blue collar classic, and ski towns adopted it long ago. Rub in a beeswax like Sno-Seal and it is the glove ski locals actually wear.^[5]

Good for

Skiers who go through gloves every season.

Skip if

They want gloves that are waterproof out of the box; Kincos need waxing first.

OutdoorMaster OTG Ski Goggles

• Fits over glasses
• Anti-fog double lens
• UV400 protection

Ski goggles from OutdoorMaster with a dual layer anti-fog lens and a soft frame made to fit over prescription glasses. Many skiers ski in an old pair that fogs or presses their glasses into their nose; OTG goggles leave room for glasses and stay clear. The extra long strap fits over most helmets, and a carrying pouch comes in the box. It is an easy upgrade for anyone squinting through foggy lenses.^[6]

Good for

Skiers who wear glasses under their goggles.

Skip if

They ski in a premium goggle with magnetic lenses; this is a value goggle.

OCOOPA UT2s Rechargeable Hand Warmers, 2 Pack

• Two magnetic warmers
• USB-C charging
• Several heat levels

Two palm sized electric hand warmers that snap together with magnets, charge by USB-C and run on several heat levels. Disposable warmers go in the trash every ski day; these recharge overnight and warm up in seconds. Split them, one per pocket, or one per glove liner. They also charge a phone that dies in the cold.^[7]

Good for

Skiers who ski every weekend all season.

Skip if

They want warmers inside thin gloves; the units are thicker than a packet.

Compare with HotHands →

Merino.tech 100% Merino Wool Base Layer Men's Long Sleeve

• Pure merino wool
• Several weights
• Long sleeve crew

A long sleeve thermal top in pure merino wool, the layer that sits against the skin under a ski jacket. Cotton and cheap polyester trap sweat from a hard run and turn cold on the lift; merino keeps warm when damp and does not smell after a full day. It comes in several weights for different temperatures. It is the layer skiers wear three days in a row on a trip.^[1]

Good for

Skiers who sweat on the run and freeze on the lift.

Skip if

You are shopping for a woman; this is the men's cut, Merino.tech sells a women's version.

PEET Original Electric Shoe and Boot Dryer

• Silent, no fan
• Dries overnight
• Made in the USA

A plug in dryer with two upright DryPorts that push gentle warm air into boots overnight, with no fan and no noise. Damp ski boot liners are cold and start to smell after a few days; PEET dries boots gently from the inside so they are ready by morning. PEET has made boot dryers in the USA since the fifties and adds glove and helmet attachments sold separately. It is the gift that changes every cold morning of a ski trip.^[8]

Good for

Skiers on multi day trips or weekend cabins.

Skip if

They need boots dry in an hour; it dries slowly overnight.

Athletico Ski Boot Bag

• Side boot compartments
• Padded shoulder straps
• Drain grommets

A backpack style boot bag with a zippered side pocket for each boot, a big main compartment for helmet, goggles and gloves, and padded shoulder straps. Ski gear tossed loose in the trunk gets lost and the boots drip everywhere; this bag carries the whole kit in one trip from the car to the lodge. Grommets let melting snow drain out. It is the gift that ends the morning hunt for one glove.^[1]

Good for

Skiers who drive to the mountain on weekends.

Skip if

They rent boots at the resort; there is nothing to carry.

GoPro HERO12 Black

• Waterproof to 33 ft
• HyperSmooth stabilization
• 5.3K video

The waterproof GoPro that clips to a helmet or chest mount and films the run in high resolution with HDR. Phone video from the chairlift is shaky and the phone stays in a pocket; a GoPro films the whole run hands free and smooth. HyperSmooth stabilization takes out the chatter from icy snow, and the body is waterproof. It is the big gift for a skier who loves to share their runs.^[9]

Good for

Skiers who post their runs or ski with kids.

Skip if

They will not edit video; footage piles up unwatched.