Must have gadgets for the ski season
Transcend GPS goggles
Does anyone actually need these new Transcend GPS ski goggles? Of course not. Unless you’re a Jason Bourne-type, involved in special ops in some frozen, godforsaken wasteland out beyond. That doesn’t mean we don’t want them.
They’re the world’s first GPS-enabled ski goggles, with their own mini LCD display mounted inside. What’s not to love? So you get real- time stats on altitude, speed, vertical distance, time and the rest right there in your face, so to speak. And it’s got full GPS capabilities, so if you’re seriously off piste, you’ll still know exactly where you’re carving hard and looking good. Now if only there were a mirror too, to check the hair and make-up.
The data comes courtesy of Recon Instruments, with lens technology from Zeal Optics, both serious players, and they’ve given it serious thought. Glove-friendly navigation buttons make it easy to browse your info and they’ve crammed it all into a creditable 257gms of chiselled kit.
After your escapades on the slopes, you can download all the data and bounce your route into Google Maps for some après ski geekery.
Now all this tech-porn comes at the price of a cheap ski break right now, but no doubt it’s only a matter of time before this sort on head-mounted display will seem as mainstream as sat nav in the car. A rechargeable L-ion battery gives seven hours’ use.
CostTranscend GPS Ski Goggles, €399 from zealoptics.com.
Avalanche shovel and probe
If you’re thinking of some edgy, off piste action this winter – slashing powder if you want to get with the lingo – you could do worse than sticking a lightweight shovel in your pack. Backcountry Access’s Tour System is said to be the lightest avalanche shovel around. And it’s got a collapsible snow probe stashed in the handle for when time might be a true enemy.
The experts recommend aluminium-bladed shovels such as this one rather than plastic because, if you’re in circumstances where you really, really need it, it won’t be to build a snowman. And the shaft is oval shaped for more rigidity, with a T-grip on top for better paddling.
A neat touch is the 180cm (6ft) spring-loaded probe in the handle for searching or marking a spot. And the whole Tour Shovel and Probe system packs to a compact 650gms, less than 2lbs.
- CostBackcountry Access Tour Shovel and Probe System, €95.99 from Great Outdoors.
Magnestick childproof chairlift
Most parents experience a twinge of concern when their child first rides a chairlift by themselves. Suddenly the gap under the restraining bar looks so enormous, you think you might fall through it yourself. Needless to say, the precious bundle in question can’t wait to be rid of you. Especially if you’re embarrassingly fussing.
Magnestick does what it says on the tin: your kid wears a lightweight 200g back protector with a metal plate in it. Special Magnestick chairlifts
have an electromagnet that activates only when the child gets on and it holds them there until their skis touch the pad at the top. Then it deactivates. Simple.
And all the while the hi-viz back protector, well, protects their backs when they come hurtling down past you. Which they do.
At present, it’s only at a few resorts – mostly in France – but they include popular ones like Courchevel and Méribel. And they’re actively trying to roll them out in more locations. Of course, some parents might also be wondering if they’d be able to get a similar magnetic locking device for wider use back at home.
Back protector vests can be rented in local ski shops.
- CostMagnestick Protection System, rental prices at resorts, magnestick.net.