The PlanetSKI Xmas Ski Gift Guide

2nd December 2024

Stuck for a present to buy or perhaps you want to receive something you actually want? Look no further… NEW

For those that want a few ideas to add to their Xmas list or are looking for a present for a skier friend or family member then look no further.

Luxury presents and stocking fillers alike.

We have already posted about some last-minute Xmas holiday offers and some festive experiences to be had out in the mountains:

Xmas in the mountains

Xmas in Verbier. Image © PlanetSKI

Now it’s present time.

Ok, it’s not very original but how about a pair of socks for a stocking filler – ski socks.

Smartwool’s are amoung the best: designed for the slopes and crafted with Smartwool’s signature Merino wool.

These offerings provide options tailored to every skier’s needs.

The Zero Cushion Ski Socks offer a sleek, snug fit that pairs perfectly with close-fitting ski boots.

Built with durability in mind, these lightweight socks incorporate Shred Shield™ to minimise toe wear.

Zero Cushion. Image c/o Smartwool

And for skiers who are after plush warmth, the Full Cushion Ski Socks provide a thicker, cushioned option designed to elevate comfort without sacrificing performance. Made to keep feet warm yet breathable, this high-cushion style is the perfect blend of cozy and functional for every run.

Full Cushion. Image c/o Smartwool

Lastly, for those needing extra calf room, the Targeted Cushion Extra Stretch version offers a comfortable fit with extra stretch for wider calves, extending up to a 21″ circumference without compromising support.

Targeted Cushion. Image c/o Smartwool

Skullcandy’s Icon ANC headphones

Image c/o Skullcandy

Nearly 20 years after the original made a splash in the boardsports community, the latest version is designed to elevate the listening experience for today’s active lifestyle.

Perfect for the ski slopes

The Icon ANC headphones feature active noise cancellation, sweat- and water-resistance, and an impressive 60 hours of battery life.

This new model seamlessly blends style and performance, setting a new standard for on-ear headphones—especially with features like active noise cancellation that many competitors lack.

And staying with sounds…

MARSHALL WILLEN II PORTABLE BLUETOOTH SPEAKER £99.99 www.marshall.com

Marshall Willen II Portable Bluetooth Speaker £99.99 – image © Marshall

If you want to take a portable bluetooth speaker to the slopes then look no further – whether to listen to quietly yourself in your room or host an apres ski party.

It provides a finely balanced sound at any volume and you can vary the sound setting on the associated app.

You don’t need to worry about taking it was you as you go skiing or snowboarding.

The Willen II has an IP67 dust and waterproof rating which means you can submerge it in 1-metre of water for up to 30 minutes, so a bit of snow, wind or sleet are of no concern.

You get over 17-hours of battery life on a full charge (which takes 2.5 hours; 20 minutes charge gives 5.5 hours of playtime).

It comes with a fastening strap so you can use it pretty much anywhere (it has a Bluetooth range of up to 100-metres).

There’s a built-in microphone so that you can take phone calls completely hands-free.

Xmas is coming. Image c/o PlanetSKI

Ski touring is one of the fastest growing activities out on the slopes.

PlanetSKI is rather keen.

Ski touring for the first time. Image © PlanetSKI

Ski touring for the first time

Specialist kit is required, but often people forget ski touring poles.

How about these ones?

Komperdell Collapsible Ski Touring Poles

Image c/o PlanetSKI

The Austrian manufacturer, Komperdell, has introduced a new self-deploying Carbon FXP4 Expedition Vario poles for winter ‘24.

These poles are 30% lighter with high-strength Aluminium (with Rocksleeve 16mm) on the lower section & a Carbon Composite upper section ensuring strength and robustness in even the most difficult terrain.

These all-season poles are designed for Ski-Touring or Splitboarding enthusiasts in the winter and Hiking & Trail Running in the summer – with a huge focus on practicality as they pack down to 43cm and weigh just 248g.

The company also offers a no questions asked, speedy and free 3 years repair service for all its touring & trekking poles.

Yes, these new poles from Komperdell are pricey at £179.45, but unlike regular ski poles they’re designed for year-round use for everything from skiing and ski touring to hiking and trail running.

See here for more:www.komperdell.com

Image c/o PlanetSKI

Ski Beanie

Image c/o PlanetSKI

This is one from Arc’teryx.

There are many hundreds out there in the shops and online.

It’s an easy stocking filler.

Here are some rapid fire ones:

Membership of the Ski Club of Great Britain
Ski/Snowboard lesson from one of the instructors atMaison Sport
Transfer to ski resort withAlpine Fleet
Discounted equipment rental fromIntersport
Indoor lesson one of the indoor UK snow centres

We have two of our winter gear reviews from our gear and equipment editor, Alf Aderson, already posted on PlanetSKI:

There are many items in there you may want to look at for ideas.

Here are our select choices for Xmas:

LIFESYSTEMS DUAL-PALM HANDWARMERS £34.99 www.lifesystems.co.uk

Lifesystems Dual-Palm Handwarmers £34.99 – image © Lifesystems

If you get cold hands – which can make a misery of your day’s skiing – these nifty little handwarmers from Lifesystems could be a game-changer.

What’s more, they also have a power bank feature, so your phone or transceiver can be recharged on the go should it require it.

The handwarmers have a split magnetic design which allows you to warm both hands without having to have them next to each other.

This also makes them easier to stow in a pocket or backpack.

There are three heat settings which are indicated by a LED display, so you can adjust the hand warmers to the ideal temperature for you and the conditions you’re in.

They warm up within a few seconds at the touch of a button to deliver heat for up to nine-hours and they can be recharged from either the mains or via the supplied USB cable.

VERDICT: A neat and simple solution to cold hands – the idea stocking filler this Christmas!

HELLY HANSEN ULLR THREE-FINGER GLOVES £120 www.hellyhansen.com

Helly Hansen ULLR Three-Finger Gloves £120

Three-finger gloves make a nice compromise between mitts and regular gloves.

They provide a combination of the warmth of mitts with the dexterity of gloves, and the Ullr is no exception.

They feature Helly Tech Professional material to block wind and moisture, along with Velcro adjustable cuffs with an under-the-cuff fit, and a snug, warm brushed fleece lining.

The palm is made of leather for durability whilst the thumb features a soft goggle/nose wipe.

You also get elasticated wrist loops to ensure you don’t lose them.

VERDICT: Warm, snug gloves with all the essential features, but quite pricey.

MAMMUT NIRVANA 28 DAY PACK £140 www.mammut.com

Mammut Nirvana 28 Day Pack £140 – image © Mammut

Mammut Nirvana 28 Day Pack £140 – images © Mammut

The Nirvana 28 is a very sturdy daypack made mainly from recycled materials, which will easily carry everything you need for a day of ski touring or freeriding.

Access to both the main compartment and the avy gear compartment is quick and easy thanks to a 270° zip on each.

There’s also a full rear zipper allowing access to the main compartment which enables you to easily get to stuff at the bottom of it when needed.

In addition, there’s a hydration sleeve in the main compartment, whilst the avalanche equipment compartment has a dedicated internal sleeve that makes the pack compatible with a Mammut Back Protector.

You also get a good-sized zippered outer pocket with a soft lining for goggles and other bits and pieces.

The shoulder straps and harness provide a comfortable, secure carry and are easily adjustable, and as for carrying hardware, both skis and splitboards can be attached diagonally or A-frame style and there are attachments for ice axes/walking poles.

The robust outer fabric ensures that sharp ski edges and ice axes don’t do any damage, and there’s also an integrated helmet carrier on the bottom of the pack for those hot and sweaty ascents.

VERDICT: A tough, well-designed pack specifically built for backcountry days out.

VALLON HAZLEWOOD SUNGLASSES £98 www.vallon.com

I knew as soon as I put on the Vallon Hazlewood sunnies that they were going to be my go-to shades this winter.

They’re super-comfy, made of quality materials and they look great too.

The Hazlewood’s rounded aviator shape is a classic retro design, whilst the combination of Cat 3 mirror lenses and a gently curved frame offers 100% UV protection.

They come with a useful faux-leather hard case which provides a certain level of protection when they’re in your pack or pocket, and a microfibre cleaning cloth to keep the lenses in tip-top condition.

The Hazlewoods are versatile enough to wear on the snow – where they look right at home – or for everyday use.

Provided the sun is shining, you’ll get to use this pair of sunnines all year long.

VERDICT: The Hazlewoods look good, feel good and perform admirably.

SALOMON SENTRY PRO SIGMA SKI GOGGLES £135 www.salomon.com

The Sentry Pro is a cool looking goggle that comes with a rash of impressive features, not least of which are two interchangeable lenses (ours came with a Sigma Gun Metal Cat 3 lens and a Sigma Silver Pink Cat 2 lens) so you’re covered for all eventualities.

Changing them is just a tad fiddly and it’s hard to avoid touching the lens surface when you do so.

You also get a soft microfibre bag that can be used to wipe off any finger-marks as well as a hard storage case.

The Sigma lens range is designed to improve colour contrast on snow so you can instantly read terrain variations in a wider range of light.

It filters out 100% of UV rays, whilst the minimalist frame provides excellent peripheral vision both horizontally and vertically.

It also features triple layer face foam for a comfy, snug fit whatever your face shape, and improved airflow across the lens to prevent fogging.

I particularly liked the extra wide silicone backed strap which allows for easy and quick adjustment as well as providing a smooth and secure grip on your helmet.

VERDICT: Good looking, comfortable goggles with good peripheral vision; lens changing is a bit fiddly though.

ACTIVO P1 DIGITAL AUDIO PLAYER £399 www.activostyle.com

If you like to travel with your music (who doesn’t?) this über-cool digital audio player (DAP) is well worth checking out.

Manufactured by South Korean audiomeisters Astell & Kern, the Activo P1 provides up to twenty-hours of superb high-quality music playback with no loss of quality.

It will almost certainly enhance your listening experience to the point where you hear notes and sounds previously missed on your other playback devices.

It also means you’re not sacrificing your phone battery to listen to your music.

It has a beautifully simple and stylish design, and uses an intuitive system of triangles, circles and squares for the deliberately simplified user interface.

Even first-time users can get to grips with the P1 quickly and comfortably.

Features include:

Dual-band Wi-Fi
A pre-loaded Google Play Store, allowing you to download and install the most popular music apps to stream from your favourite platforms,
64GB of internal memory with microSD support for up to 1.5TB for downloading from streaming services, or uploading from your personal library, so you don’t need to worry about storage space.

It’s also designed to be customisable, with a wide range of personalisation and sound profile options.

This includes useful little touches like the control buttons on either side of the player being shaped.

Users can tell the difference between each button by touch alone, although to be fair that won’t work if you’re trying to operate the P1 in ski gloves.

That said, you’re almost certainly going to have to remove your gloves to use it.

Additional tech features of the Activo P1 include: