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Cool Tools

Choose a Cool Tool Blanchon Baby Glider Children’s Ski Sled Salomon S-Lab Carbon Skate Polar Heart Monitor Auclair Finland Grabber Toko Digital Wax Iron Nathan Storm Hydration Pack Swix Tour Pack Garmin Edge 705 GPS Axiom Tuck helmet Stealth bike rack Burley Nomad cargo trailer Rackless Pannier and Backpack Brooks B17 leather saddle Sugoi Metro jersey and shorts Nathan Cyclops LED safety light ENDoutdoor Stumptown LT Victorinox Maverick II Dual Time Icebreaker Flight T Lite Osprey Revo Daypack Snow Peak Pack & Carry Fireplace System EX3 Cotton Travel Sleeper Trek Lime Bike Women's Hydration Waistpak Thermo-Moldable Flip- Flop Marah Shirt Dress Outdoor Meal Kit Tilley Raffia Hat Lolë Women Petzl MYO XP Headlamp Black & Decker Vehicle Battery Booster SwissMemory MP3 Player Baffin Winter Boots Mountain Hardwear Sub Zero Vest Integral Designs Vapour Barrier Socks Garmin Rino Two-Way Radio DaKine Split Convertible Bag Katadyn Microfilter Bottle Stick Protection Technology Tie Downs Smith District II Sunglasses On Sight Travel Wash Bag Icebreaker Sprint/Pace Zip T-Shirt Sea to Summit's Pocket towel Tree Huggerz DragonFly™ stove Fox 40 whistle Black Diamond patrol glove Golf sur la banquise Icebreaker outdoor wear Patagonia variable-knit clothing Hennessy Expedition Asym hammock Black Diamond Soliras headlamp Sun-protective clothing TerraTex™ outdoor gear Bakoda's McIver Driver Heat Factory pouches IceBox igloos Polar Bear Swim William Watson Lodge Solz sandals Sweet Valley Foods sport-nutrient bars Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps GSI Outdoors' miniature espresso maker -------------------------------------------------- The Genuine Article

Baby sleigh
Blanchon Baby Glider Children’s Ski Sled ($525)
With stroller-jogging season finished, you can still enjoy an active day outdoors with tots in tow. Prepare for a powerful workout — on skis or snowshoes — while your little passenger, tucked behind a bubble windshield, gets to kick back and enjoy the ride. The sled’s seat is padded and fleece-lined, with a built-in harness and back support, all of which will send many little gliders into snooze land en route. A shock-absorbing towing system keeps things running smoothly, while an aluminum crash bar in the seat adds extra security in the event of a spill. Recommended for six months and older, up to 20 kilograms.
www.blanchon.ca

Pushing boots
Salomon S-Lab Carbon Skate ($489) and S-Lab Carbon Classic ($399)
Sometimes warmth has to take a back seat to other things — like the ability to fly. These top-of-the-line World Cup-proven boots are welded together in a seamless design, with a focus on getting extreme power and full control in every kick. As light and comfortable as a running shoe, these black beauties provide all the rigidity, support and control a skier could ask for — and a few other perks to boot, including fewer blisters and leaks. With its solid cuff and rigid sole, the Skate (LEFT) offers superior ankle support, while the Classic slips on a like a sock and has more flexibility in the sole.
www.salomonsports.com

I ♥ skiing
Polar Heart Monitor RS800 ($539.99)
Like running, cross-country ski training demands immediate feedback, which is why heart-rate monitors have become so popular in both sports. For those who love to analyze every imaginable piece of workout data, the ultimate training machine is now as close as your wrist. Using wireless technology, this light, ergonomic, water-resistant watch communicates with a chest-strap transmitter and a GPS sensor arm band. Its pint-sized computer provides a rundown of your workout, including heart rate, pace, speed, distance, calorie consumption, changes in altitude and total training time.
www.polarca.com

Hits and mitts
Auclair Finland Grabber ($40)
Montréal-based glove company Auclair has been warming the digits and wiping the noses of elite athletes on the Canadian crosscountry ski team for more than 30 years. Blending the benefits of a mitt and a glove, the Grabber’s innovative “crab claw” design (left) separates the fingers into two pairs, allowing skiers greater dexterity without sacrificing much of the warmth of a full mitten. A silicone pattern on the palm adds grip to an otherwise slippery technical fabric that is waterproof and breathable. The standard Lillehammer ($50) glove, developed for Olympians, addresses the same big issues — warmth, wetness, grip — while protecting against icy winds with an elastic wrist cinch strap that won’t cause chafing or interfere with pole straps. Fashion-conscious skiers will appreciate the scoop-shaped soft leather Winter White ($25) design, with no seams on the palm side to come between hands and poles. The removable, washable fleece liners come in a rainbow of hues.
www.auclairgloves.com

Wax on, wax off
Toko T8 and T12 Digital Wax Iron ($90, $170)
Tired of using an old clothes iron to wax your skis? This powerful professional appliance sets you up for a season of perfectly tuned planks. The iron has been designed to safeguard against fluctuations in temperature. Choose between a model with a digital temperature display (RIGHT) or one without. Then simply sign up for a ski-wax clinic at your local ski shop, and you’re on your way to an even wax job and ultimately faster skis.
www.tokous.com

Pack it in
Nathan Storm Hydration Pack ($90)
You’d think waterbottle designers would have noticed sooner that nozzles and caps are the first things to freeze in sub-zero temperatures. Not only does this one have a freeze-free flip-top cap, it can easily be opened with gloved hands (genius!). This one-litre high-density polyethylene bottle may not contain a genie, but it is contoured to fit comfortably in the small of your back, while its insulation keeps water cold or cocoa hot. Kudos for adding extra zippered pockets, a shock cord and a headphone port to this handy pack.
www.nathansports.com

Triple threat
Swix Tour Pack ($29.99)
Swix is to ski wax what Kleenex is to tissue. The Norwegian company began producing ski wax in 1946; at the 1948 Olympics, all crosscountry gold medal winners used it. Now the main supplier of ski waxes around the world, Swix has adapted its touring wax kit for our colder Canadian conditions. It conveniently combines everything you’ll need on your next outing into a handy zippered carrying pouch: a choice of three waxes to work with most snow types and temperatures, a plastic groove scraper and a cork spreader.
www.swixsport.com