PlanetSKI Gear Review #5 Winter 2024/25

22nd February 2025 | Alf Alderson - Gear & Equipment Editor

Last modified on March 11th, 2025

Our gear and equipment editor checks out the latest insulated jackets along with POC and Oakley goggles and helmets.

OAKLEY MODBC BACKCOUNTRY HELMET £220 www.oakley.com

The MODBC is Oakley’s first purpose-built helmet designed specifically for the backcountry, which means it’s lightweight (under 450g) and has heaps of vents (14 adjustable vents on the top and a further seven at the front and back, with internal ports to direct the flow of air out of the rear vents), so it’s easy to control your temperature on long uphill slogs.

The MODBC also comes with a ‘modular’ beanie with a ventilated visor – the idea of this is that it replaces a traditionally bulky liner as well as doing away with ear pads; you wear it beneath the helmet, or on warmer days you simply do without it.

It’s a good idea, although personally I found that the visor pushed my goggles down slightly so they were too low on my face, and I ended up replacing the beanie with a buff.

The helmet features a MIPS safety system and RECCO reflector along with twICEme NFC Medical ID chip technology.

This allows you to upload medical information which can be instantly accessed via smartphone by rescuers in the case of an emergency.

Additional features include a Fidlock buckle which can be operated with one hand, a bombproof mask attachment system, headlamp integration and an antimicrobial interior material which eliminates odours and is easy to machine wash.

VERDICT: A great backcountry helmet, with low weight and excellent venting; just check the beanie system works for you.

Oakley MODBC Backcountry Helmet £220 – image © Oakley

SPRAYWAY TORRIDON INSULATED JACKET £180 www.sprayway.com

The Torridon is something of a ‘go anywhere’ jacket at a very reasonable price – I’d be happy to use it as both a mid-layer in very cold conditions and an outer layer when it’s not so cold.

It features TecShellTM Plus 40D Ripstop Polyamide fabric with an FC-Free DWR finish, which has great water repellency, whilst the ThermoSphere Insulation helps keep you warm even in wet conditions, and will help you feel worthy too since it’s made from 90% recycled content.

Two huge, zippered handwarmer pockets allow you to carry everything from goggles to gloves if you’d prefer not to lug a rucksack around.

There’s also a zippered internal pocket and a zippered chest pocket so storage space is abundant.

You can keep the elements at bay with a fully adjustable hood with a wired peak, a 2-way YKK centre front zip with a rear insulated placket for added protection, fully adjustable Velcro fastening cuffs and a split drawcord hem.

The Torridon also packs away neat and small – indeed, it will pack into its own pocket, so there’s no problem fitting it into your daypack.

VERDICT: A versatile, warm and easily packable insulated jacket at a good price.

Sprayway Torridon Insulated Jacket £180 – image © Sprayway

OAKLEY LINE MINER PRO M GOGGLES £259 www.oakley.com

Oakey claim the Line Miner offers their ‘most expansive field of view to date’ – and whilst this is true, we’ve reviewed other goggles this season that do have slightly better peripheral vision, such as the Messy Weekend Jamie Nichols Signature XE2.

However, I wouldn’t regard this as a deal breaker, if not simply because the Line Miner is such a good- looking pair of goggles, with a host of great features, not to mention that they come in a wide range of lens and frame colours.

Best of all you get two lenses – one for bright conditions, one for bad light – so you’re covered for pretty much all conditions on the mountain.

What’s more, changing the lenses is easy to do whilst on the move.

Thanks to Oakley’s ‘Switchlock Technology’– simply push in a small lock on either side of the goggles, take out the lens, drop the replacement in, push gently and it clicks securely into the frame thanks to the combination of the locks and six powerful magnets holding everything in place.

You’ll need to remove your gloves to do this, but the system avoids you getting any greasy finger marks on the lens.

Featuring ‘Prizm Lens Technology’, the Line Miner Pro has a single-layer lens with anti-fog treatment, ensuring a superior optical experience by increasing contrast while reducing distortion as well as providing 100% protection against UVA / UVB / UVC and harmful blue light up to 400nm.

The goggles also have decent eco-friendly credentials, with a bio-resin frame, recycled polyester strap, and a recycled polyester micro bag for storage along with a natty protective travel case.

The frame is flexible enough to conform to your face even in the coldest of weather, and triple-layer face foam with a moisture wicking polar fleece lining add to the comfort factor, whilst it’s also compatible with most prescription eyewear.

VERDICT: Great looking goggles with user-friendly lens swap technology, albeit at a price.

Oakley Line Miner Pro M Goggles £259 © Oakley

FINSTERRE NIMBUS INSULATED JACKET £185 www.finisterre.com

The Nimbus is one of Finisterre’s best-established jackets, and its simple design and comfortable cut make it easy to see why.

It’s now made with NetPlus, a premium super soft recycled nylon fabric made entirely from discarded fishing nets, whilst the Nimbus’ insulation if made from ultra-light recycled REPREVE fill, which is sourced from ocean-bound plastics, and it has a FC-free water-repellent finish.

The fit is loose so you can readily layer up beneath it, although it’s not so bulky that you couldn’t use it as a mid-layer beneath a shell jacket, and features are pretty minimal, consisting of two zippered hand pockets, a very large zippered internal pocket, lovely soft microfibre lined pockets, cuffs and collar and – useful for travelling – it can be packed down as a travel pillow.

VERDICT: A simple, warm, eco-friendly and good-looking jacket.

Finisterre Nimbus Insulated Jacket £185 © Finisterre

POC FORNIX BC HELMET £220 www.poc.com

As ever with POC helmets, the Fornix BC comes with a raft of technology designed to keep you as safe as possible when in the backcountry, for which the helmet is specifically designed.

It features MIPS Evolve, which is now well-established as a rotational impact protection system, whilst aramid ‘bridges’ improve the structural strength of the helmet and enhance penetration protection and weight is kept to a minimum (around 500g depending on size) through the use of a lightweight outer PC shell which also provides strength and durability and an EPS liner for yet more crash protection at a low weight.

In addition, the helmet features a twICEme NFC Medical ID chip, which stores your medical information and in the event of an accident/emergency can easily be read by co-riders and first responders via a smartphone; and, of course, there’s a RECCO reflector.

In use the Fornix BC feels reassuringly sturdy, with easy 360-degree adjustment and a total of ten vents (six of which are adjustable) designed to promote optimal air flow and prevent goggle fogging, whilst the ear pads can be removed on warmer days, so however cold or warm it gets you can adjust the helmet to suit.

It also looks pretty cool in typical Scandi minimalist style, all making for a fine choice of head protection for serious backcountry riders.

VERDICT: A stylish lid with heaps of features to keep your noggin as safe as possible in the backcountry.

POC VITREA GOGGLES £200 www.poc.com

The Vitrea comes with a choice of two lenses so that in effect you have a pair of goggles for all conditions – you choose your main lens from the ‘Clarity’ range and you also get a Clarity Intense Cloudy Coral Cat 1 additional lens at purchase.

The lens locking mechanism is designed to be quick and easy, so much so that POC say the double-locking quick-release switch and hinge mechanism on the goggle frame makes it possible to change lenses without removing the goggles and while wearing gloves.

I couldn’t manage to do it without taking the goggles off, but then I am a bit of a klutz, and having interchangeable lenses is always a great advantage, particularly when they’re of the quality of the ‘Clarity’ lens which comes with the Vitrea.

It has a shallower, ‘toric’ lens angle, which coupled with the oversize frame gives exceptional vision in the lower periphery along with an extra-large field of view, so all-round vision with the Vitrea is excellent.

In addition, the lenses feature a ‘Ri-Pel’ hydrophobic and oleophobic treatment to protect against dirt, water, sweat, salt, oil and dust, anti-scratch and anti-fog treatment and they offer complete UVA and UVB protection (UV400).

The combination of a flexible but strong frame and thick, triple-layer face foam gives a really comfy fit, and just to round everything off nicely the POC Vitrea also looks really cool.

VERDICT: Stylish goggles with easily interchangeable lenses, but pretty pricey.

FINISTERRE FIRECREST GILET £115 www.finisterre.com

Named after Britain’s smallest bird, the colourful Firecrest, this gilet is also super-lightweight and works well as an easily packable layer that you can stash in your pack for when needed.

It’s made from 100% recycled polyester fabric and REPREVE recycled insulation and has a water repellent outer, and features a full front zip and raised collar for easy temperature adjustment, generously sized zippered handwarmer pockets and even bigger internal pocket panels.

VERDICT: The Firecrest makes a useful, easily stashed layer for changeable conditions.