Therm-ic Li-ion Remote Boot HeaterApparently there's a theory among foot heat boffins (it's a very specialist area) that warm feet makes for warm blood, and so if you can keep your toes toasty, the rest of the body enjoys the benefits.
Certainly, if you’re prone to cold feet, skiing can become pretty miserable, particularly deeper into the day. So there are plenty of electronic foot-warming inserts out there, but Therm-ic’s latest innovation steps it up a level, so to speak. Its Lithium-ion battery packs deliver up to 18 hours of warmer extremities at low power and you can control the temperature in your boots remotely thanks to a control you hang round your neck or you can attach it to your jacket. So no messy, or more crucially, no chilly fiddling with boots and gloves. Just tweak up your thermostat and push off.
There are 10 different power levels depending on how cold a creature you are. The Therm-ic boot heaters themselves can be placed on custom footbeds or on the insoles supplied with them, which can be sized to fit any foot. The element is then covered with a protective layer to leave a comfortably unnoticeable boot fit. Just underfloor heating for one.
Of course the heaters can also be used in extreme hiking conditions or by outdoor workers if we get another real winter here. And there are some that would love a pair just for bed.
Cost$395 (€295) amazon.com.
Columbia Omni-Heat JacketsOmni Heat covers a range of technologies that Columbia has introduced to really up its game again in the outdoor activities arena. It flew too close to the main street for a while there and lost a bit of its technical lustre.
The Alpine Attitude Down Jacket for women is one of the best of its type around.
Thanks to Columbia’s Omni-Heat spec, you get a multi-denier construction for super-softness and an eco-friendly, recycled filling that is the warmest insulation by weight on the slopes today. In fact, they say, it’s 30 per cent better. Who can really know (okay, I hear you Columbia), but suffice to say it’s more heat for a lot less carry.
Without going all fashionista, it looks great too, with a cut and finish that stands out, and a detachable faux-fur trim if that’s just not you. And even a manly amount of pockets as an all-important handbag substitute.
Cost€199.95 53 Degrees North (53degreesnorth.ie) and Great Outdoors (greatoutdoors.ie).
Ice Track Traction AidsLast year's snow and ice caught us all horribly unawares and unprepared. Except for kids, needless to say, who were able to improvise every manner of sleigh and toboggan out of everyday kitchen utensils. Many a baking tray was never recovered. But the icy pavements took no prisoners either, as one spectacular, much-circulated YouTube clip of an unfortunate pedestrian taking off showed.
These traction aids or street crampons from Veriga in Poland will help you stay on your feet. They’re made of a robust, super elastic material with tough steel teeth to bite in. You simply snap them over your regular shoes and they can easily stow away in a deep coat pocket or handbag.
And it’s vital you do take them off and stash them when you’re not on ice or snow, as the steel tips can have you skating on a regular hard surface. So if the Arctic conditions roll in again, wrap up, pull on your crampons and get in a few extra large baking trays for the local bobsleigh run.
Cost€39.99. Great Outdoors (greatoutdoors.ie).