Featured Image: Tamara Susa
Welcome to a special Buyer’s Guide feature from FREESKIER. Here’s a close-up look at the best ski necessities of the year. Click here to explore the entire 2021 FREESKIER Buyer’s Guide.
Lé Bent Sammy Carlson Pro Series
The Sammy Carlson Pro Series is primed for cold, long mid-winter powder hunting. Merino wool and luxuriously soft Rayon-from-bamboo fibers blend to keep your feet dry while strategic cushioning and elastic support hold your socks in place during long slogs, sled laps and big sends down endless pillow lines.
Dissent IQ Fit Hybrid Merino
Dissent’s IQ Fit offers what every skier craves, besides free PBR—warmth sans bulk. The Hybrid (pictured here) offers lightweight cushioning, plenty of breathability, a seamless, locked-on design and is made in the USA. Compression socks prevent fatigue; consider them an essential addition to your kit.
Blackstrap Expedition Hood
The Expedition Hood is the Swiss Army knife of balaclavas. Throw it on under your helmet, pull it up over your nose or tuck it under your chin with its adaptable Exo-Hinge design. Made in the USA, the synthetic fabric is even machine washable. Didn’t realize a neck warmer could be so versatile? Neither did we.
Smartwool Athlete Edition Ski Race OTC
This is race queen Mikaela Shiffrin’s signature sock—need we say more? The gurus at Smartwool infused the Ski Race OTC with nylon-reinforced Merino and a touch of cushioning in the toe for an oomph in durability. Paired with a no-slip fit, this is an ideal daily driver.
Skida Balaclava
Vermont made, Skida’s all-new balaclava is threaded with its signature, moisture-wicking stretch material and is offered in heaps of eye-popping patterns; Cascade Camo is shown here. Fit it easily under a helmet or pull it around your neck when it’s time to sip a post-ski brewski.
Darn Tough Vermont Traverse
Collaborating with Michelle Parker, Vermont-based Darn Tough brings you the Traverse sock. The snug, over-the-calf design features lightweight cushioning on the shin and below the foot, ventilation atop it and provides all the benefits of Merino wool. Rest easy knowing it’s backed by Darn Tough’s lifetime guarantee.
Ski Town All-Stars Simba Hat
Ski Town All-Stars, stationed in Vail, is skiing’s favorite Smirnoff-icing, hat-making horde. The Simba, with insulated panels and packable brim, will stop at nothing to keep all of nature’s forces at bay, ensuring your dome is shielded from the sun on the longest skin tracks.
