Essential Gear for Summer Skiing
Whether you’re touring in the high country or lapping the lift at Squaw, these gear pieces complete off-season skiing adventures.
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Summer is an amazing time of year to ski. Backcountry locations like Tuckerman’s Ravine and St. Mary’s Glacier draw big crowds, and ski areas like Mammoth and Snowbird spin chairs for as long as there’s snow to ski on. Summer is also a great time to upgrade gear to make summertime skiing even better, so skip the beach and go skiing over Memorial Day weekend and beyond.
Black Diamond Rhythm Tee
Whether it’s an alpine start for a 14er ski mountaineering mission or a crack-of-noon Beach Day at Arapahoe Basin, the Rhythm tee is a perfect baselayer for every summer skiing adventure. Developed in partnership with The Woolmark Company, the key to this tee is Nuyarn fabric construction, which wraps premium, superfine Australian Merino wool around a stretchy nylon core. The result is the world’s lightest technical performance shirt that’s always the perfect temp and moves with you thanks to lots of stretch. [$75, blackdiamondequipment.com]
Julbo Shield Sunglasses
Summer is a great time to feel the freedom that comes with skiing in sunglasses, but due to the increased radiation of the sun’s reflection off the snow, it’s important to wear sunglasses with both dark lenses and increased eye coverage. The Julbo Shields fit the bill with polycarbonate Spectron 4 lenses and removable fabric side shields that protect your eyes from sun glare. Add in well-engineered frames that incorporate air flow and non-slip rubber on the nose and temples, and the Julbo Shield will stay on your face while traveling up and down the mountain all summer long. [$150-$230, julbo.com]
Check out more great sunglass options: Stand out in the Sun
Purist Mover 18oz Bottle
One of the worst things about ditching single-use plastics in favor of reusable containers is the left-over taste that some insulated beverage containers just can’t shake. Purist has solved this dilemma by coating the stainless-steel interior of their bottles with a special type of unbreakable glass, eliminating the steel’s ability to retain flavors from past liquids. Available in three different sizes, use the Purist Mover bottle for your Alpine Start morning coffee and then as a cup for that communal tapped keg at the base of Beartooth Basin. These bottles can do it all without spoiling any flavor. [$48, puristcollective.com]
Beartooth Basin Kickstarter: Save the Spirit of American Summer Skiing
Ski Town All Stars Trucker Hats
Whether you need to upgrade your ski touring hat or just want to look good during après, rise above the haters and grab a sweet new trucker hat with a bold message printed in shiny all-caps. Vail, Colo.-based Ski Town All Stars makes hats that feature quotes from ski-cult classic films like “Aspen Extreme” and a variety of ski town inside jokes. You might have seen Jimmy Fallon wearing one on Instagram recently with a pretty famous skier named Mikaela Shiffrin, and if you don’t see a message that really speaks to you, STAS has options to let you design your own. [$36-$40, skitownallstars.com]
Gear of the Year 2019: Backcountry
Bare Republic Neon Sunscreen Sticks
Make no mistake, summer skiing requires sunscreen. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have some fun with it. Bare Republic features a number of broad-spectrum, reef-safe non-nano mineral sunscreens that prevent sunburn, but none are quite as fun as their numerous neon options. From Atomic Orange to Punk Rock Pink, you’ll turn heads in the summertime lift lines and prevent exposed skin from roasting. All of the neon options rub in as well, meaning you don’t have to look like a face-painter all day long if you don’t want to. [$7.99, gobareoutside.com]
PROBAR Limited Edition U.S. Ski & Snowboard Meal Bars
Keeping a meal in your pocket is no easy task, but the calorie-dense meal bars from PROBAR are the ticket to staying fed in the high country. Whether you’re hungry on the lift or taking a quick snack break before harvesting some summer corn snow, it’s hard to beat the tasty flavors of Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip or Wholeberry Blast. But what really makes these limited edition bars great is that PROBAR has partnered with the US Ski and Snowboard Team for both special edition packaging and $20 from each meal bar pack sale goes directly to both the elite and youth development teams. Who knows—you might even see both teams training while you lap the Mammoth Mountain gondola. [$100 for 36, shop.theprobar.com]
SOLE Laguna Flips
Just because you can wear flip flops after a day of summer skiing doesn’t mean you should sacrifice the amazing foot support provided by your custom insoles. SOLE’s Laguna flips feature anatomically shaped, wear-moldable ReCORK recycled cork footbeds—just like their insoles—combined with a comfortable flex-knit strap that stays comfy over time. The met pad support helps loosen up your feet after being cramped in ski boots all day, and the Laguna’s out-sole grade EVA holds up well during après in dirt parking lots as well. [$75, yoursole.com]