Gear

Protest Decay £169.99 www.protest.eu This excellent value jacket from Protest is a great option if you feel the cold, since it has a warm lining along with breathable and waterproof outer fabric to keep the elements at bay. The camouflage pattern looks pretty cool too, the more so set against the contrasting hood and shoulders, and it also has a warm, soft tactile feel rather than the crinkliness of many shell fabrics. The Decay features a fixed, adjustable hood, zippered hand pockets and pit zips as well as a built-in powder skirt and wrist gaiters to keep the snow out, whilst there are also two internal pockets – one is a security pocket with Velcro fastening, the other a stash…

Picture Visk ski pants £289.99 As ever with Picture, eco-friendly production comes to the fore with the Visk, which is made from 46% recycled polyester and uses a PFC-free durable water repellent (DWR) treatment to protect against wet snow and rain. Naturally enough the Visk is waterproof and breathable and very lightweight – it’s focussed on backcountry action, and also has good stretch along with body mapping construction, so provides great ease of movement. It comes with a high waist and attached braces (which may not appeal to everyone) and these, in turn, are attached to Velcro waist adjusters, below which lies a full-length zip running down the outside of each leg; this allows for great venting as well as…

Helly Hansen Force ski pants £230 www.hellyhansen.com The Force presents pretty much everything you need in a pair of ski pants, particularly if you’re after a bit more than a shell, since they come with strategically placed Primaloft Black 40g insulation and a soft, stretchy lining to keep you warm, whilst the weather is kept on the outside thanks to durable waterproof and highly-breathable four-way stretch, fully seam-sealed Helly Tech Professional 2L fabric that provides good freedom of movement if you want to start pushing things a bit. Should you start warming up too much there are zippered leg vents, and you get four pockets, all with zips – there are two rear and two hand. An adjustable Velcro waistband…

Arc’teryx Rush LT ski pants £410 www.arcteryx.com The Rush LT is, as the price indicates, a ski pant for serious skiers/boarder, and in particular those who like to head into the backcountry. The pants’ light weight (575g) makes them ideal for those long schleps on skins, whilst the loose, articulated cut and Gore-Tex fabric with a backing of Gore-C-Knit, which offers better breathability and softness, help you stay comfortable both going up and coming down. The Rush LT features a low bib and braces to help keep out snow, and there are big side zips to help with temperature control. Since there’s more chance of scuffing the pants when you’re both climbing and descending in them the lower leg is…

CMP Man ski pants £164.95 www.cmp.campagnolo.it These less-than-inspiringly named ski pants are actually more interesting than the name would suggest and make a great value option for piste skiers on a budget. They come with a decent range of features and a selection of bright, cheerful colourways. The features include detachable braces, a Velcro-adjustable high rear waistband for added warmth and large belt loops (if you decide to do without the braces), whilst there are two zipped hand pockets for stashing your stuff; more pockets wouldn’t have gone amiss, but that’s not the end of the world by any means. The pants’ four-way stretch fabric provides a comfortable fit and being of Italian origin you won’t be surprised to find…

Patagonia Powder Bowl ski pants £270 www.eu.patagonia.com The classic ski pants from Patagonia, the Powder Bowl has been cleverly designed to appeal to just about every kind of rider out there. And they’re eco-friendly too, of course, featuring a 100% recycled polyester GORE-TEX face fabric, which is tough and well as waterproof/breathable and windproof, whilst a DWR finish helps to shed snow and water. On the inside you get just the right amount of insulation to keep you warm but without overheating (and there are external mesh-lined thigh vents for when it does heat up) - a combination of brushed mesh and polyester taffeta line the seat, upper thighs and down the legs to regulate your temperature as well as…

Patagonia Powder Bowl ski jacket £380 www.patagonia.com I’ll cut straight to the chase and say that this is probably the best all-round ski jacket I’ve reviewed so far this season – it will work admirably for everything from serious backcountry forays to cruising the pistes. The Powder Bowl features 100 per cent recycled, two-layer polyester GORE-TEX face fabric, which has a reassuringly burly feel without being too heavy and also provides excellent waterproof/breathable and windproof protection. It also has a DWR (durable water repellent) finish to help shed rain and snow. I’m not normally a fan of lined ski jackets as they can be heavy and bulky, but the Powder Bowl features a great brushed-polyester mesh interior to wick moisture…

Sprayway Obsidian down jacket £160 www.sprayway.com If you’re looking for a good value, practical down jacket for the winter the Sprayway Obsidian is well worth checking out. Its lightweight, packable and has minimalist good looks, but best of all is that it offers a great warmth to weight ratio thanks to insulation of 700+ fill power 90/10 (down/feather) duck down, which is also treated to be water resistant. Add to that the TecSHELL 30D polyamide, quick drying outer fabric with DWR coating and you’re getting a lot for your money with the Obsidian. Features are pretty minimal as is usually the case with down jackets – there’s an elastane bound hood (i.e. it’s not adjustable, although it’s still pretty effective)…

Haglofs L.I.M. Touring PROOF jacket £300 www.haglofs.com Designed specifically for ski touring, this jacket has been pared right down to reduce weight and bulk, but at the same time retains all the essential features for a day out on your skins. It features Haglof’s ‘PROOF’ four-way stretch fabric which allows for good freedom of movement at the same time as providing durable, waterproof and windproof protection. The fully-adjustable hood with laminated peak helps to keep foul weather at bay as does the high collar and microfleece chinguard. Below this is a small zipped chest pocket and two generously-sized, mid-mounted torso pockets that also act as vents when the zips are open. The cuffs and the hem are partly elasticated, which…