13 Awesome Products Built for Mountain Snowmobiling

Sure, Santa’s sleigh is a classic. But your sled has enough horsepower to make Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer wet himself. With a long track and a narrow stance, your snowmobile is one vicious mountaineering machine.

At Canada’s Motorcycle, we believe that your apparel and accessories should be specialized for mountain riding as well. So, we’ve put together a list of our favorite gear for the high peaks.

The Boots

When high marking and side hilling, mountain riders need to shift their weight all over the running boards. So, solid boots will be part of your crucial equipment. We recommend the HMK Voyager for this. When you plant your foot, you won’t have to worry about slipping or bending. The Voyager’s lug outsole provides superior traction and stability, while remaining durable enough to withstand the jagged grip patterns on your running board.

The Voyager boot is also fully waterproof, windproof and breathable. This means that exterior moisture can’t get in, while interior perspiration is wicked away. If your snowmobile has foot holds, you’ll also love the Voyager’s tapered toe profile – this makes it easy to slide your boots into place.

For an aggressive riding boot, the lean angle on the Voyager is quite gentle. This makes it more comfortable for off-snowmobile activities. Whether you’re loading and unloading your sled, surveying terrain or just shovelling the driveway, the Voyager will be a comfortable walker.

You can get the Voyager with regular lacing or the BOA closure system . You’ll pay an extra $70 for the latter, which makes tightening adjustment quicker and easier. Personally, we prefer the old-fashioned lace-up model. Simplicity often reads reliability and – if you break a regular shoelace – they’re quick and cheap to replace.

The Socks

I know what you’re thinking – you can’t be serious, special mountain sledding socks? Just bear with us, because we get pretty serious about socks around here.

People won’t hesitate in spending a small fortune on high-tech riding boots. Oddly enough, however, they’ll go on to wear some ancient pair of 50-cent sneaker socks underneath. It’s a shame, because bad socks can completely nullify the benefits of a fancy boot! For instance, what good is a moisture wicking boot when you’re wearing soggy sponge socks? Case in point.

Believe it or not, most manufacturers produce a specially designed sock to complement each of their boot models. If you already have a good pair of mountain boots, check to see if there’s a matching sock . If not, something thermal and moisture wicking will definitely do the trick – the HMK Summit Thermal Socks are a great choice.

The Shell

Mountains, by nature, are difficult to dress for. It’s not uncommon to see 15 degrees with rain in the parking lot, and minus 15 with powder at the summit. And if that wasn’t tricky enough, mountain weather also changes notoriously quickly. Even on calm bluebird days, clouds and high winds can roll in faster than you can say Oh my, what great weather we’re having.

So, instead of purchasing an insulated coat that you’ll always be sweating or shivering in, we recommend buying an outer shell. This way, you can add or remove underneath layers as needed. Of course, wind proofing and waterproofing will be critical – if you get wet in the parking lot, you’ll freeze when you climb to cooler temperatures. Flexibility is also crucial, as balancing your sled in undulating terrain requires yoga-esque variations in body position.

The HMK Hustler 2 Jacket fills all these requirements. I’ll spare you the techie language and just say that it does the job very well. It also has a full hood, which is detachable in case you prefer to ride without one.

With the Hustler, you’ll have your choice from a wide range of colors – some neutral and some shockingly bright. This is great if you want to match your jacket to your snowmobile or other gear. And, since motorsports is one of the few avenues where you can get away with looking like a highlighter pen, we recommend going for one of the bright colors. Besides, if you get caught in a tree well or avalanche zone, you’ll be easy to find.

Finally, the Hustler 2 Jacket has a powder skirt that can be connected to HMK’s Hustler 2 Pants . The benefits of coordinating your jacket and pant shells cannot be underrated when it comes to powder riding. Plus, HMK’s Hustler 2 Pants pants have the same wind proof, waterproof and breathable features as the matching jacket. Again, you’ll have both neutral and retina-burning colors to choose from.

The Gloves

If the glove fits, don’t just wear it. It could still be a crappy mitt and – when you’re mountain riding – it’s worth doing some homework before buying.

We’ve done our homework, and have reached this conclusion: if you can get your hands on a pair of MotorFist Valkyrie Gloves , do it. They’re fully waterproof and insulated, which means you’ll be warm and dry from the top to the bottom of the mountain. MotorFist has cleverly engineered this glove with hard riding in mind. For instance, a squeegee sewn into the glove allows the rider to clean their goggles in the midst of action. Also, the insulation is thicker on the back on the hand than on the palm. This is perfect for snowmobilers, as it allows for increased touch and dexterity with the controls. Moreover, if your sled has heated grips, the thinner palm insulation will actually quicken heat transfer to your hands. Finally, the Valkyrie gloves have long and large cuffs. This gauntlet will easily extend over your jacket, sealing in heat while keeping the powder out.

The Helmet

The FXR Blade Matte Helmet is a perfect choice: lightweight, well-vented and very protective. Built from aerospace grade carbon fibre, Kevlar and high-impact fibreglass, the FXR Blade exceeds DOT safety regulations. Moreover, the inevitable nicks and scratches from overhead tree branches won’t be so visible against the matte finish. For mountain riders, the helmet’s large visor will be useful for deflecting the bright sunlight. Plus, the visor is perforated to reduce lift at high speeds. Meanwhile, the rear diffuser serves to transfer any impact to your neck brace.

If you ride ATVs or motorcycles as well, then this helmet can play double or triple duty for you. During summer motorsports, you’ll be thankful for the Blade’s light and airy feel. For mountain sledding, the breathability is also a bonus on warmer days. In colder weather, just layer an FXR Cold Stop Balaclava underneath.

The Goggles

A good pair of goggles can simplify your kit and save you money. With the Klim Radius Blitz Goggles , for example, you won’t need to wear breath boxes or anti-fog masks. That’s because their state-of-the-art GeminEye technology eliminates lens fogging like never before. By creating a large ventilated chamber between your eyes and the lens, perspiration will no longer result in cloudy vision. With RADVENT technology, air and moisture flows freely while snow and debris remains locked out. Klim has combined this design with their FOV+ Geometry, which ensures that your field of view remains wide and unobstructed, even at periphery angles. Plus, with a small nose deflector, these goggles will fit easily with most helmets.

Another problem that mountain sledders face is light variation. Between low peaks, the riding atmosphere is shadowed and cloudy. However, a quick ascent will bring you into shimmering powder bowls and pure sunshine. So, we recommend that you choose the yellow- or rose-tinted lenses. These will enhance contrast in low light, revealing the bumps and dips of the snowy terrain. In addition, yellow and rose lenses filter out blue light. This will reduce glare from the extremely bright sun and snow.

If you ride predominantly in bright settings, please do two things.

• Tell us where you’re riding, because that’s awesome.
• Get the smoke silver mirrored finish, because it is built for exclusively bright settings.

The Lock

Sledding hotspots in Quebec and British Columbia are seeing a sharp increase in snowmobile theft. So, we suggest putting an Abus Snowmobile 37/55 U-Lock on your track. The combination of German craftsmanship and engineering leaves nothing to be desired. You’ll get an LED-lighted key and a neoprene carrying bag to simplify transportation and use. Meanwhile, the build quality ensures easy installation and maximum security. Simply put, an Abus lock is the best way to protect your sled against thieves and joyriders.

Safety

As members of the mountain snowmobile family, it’s our responsibility to take care of ourselves and each other. Whether you’re buying from us or not, please make sure to have the proper safety equipment every time you hit the slopes.

If you do a lot of high marking and back country riding, then an avalanche beacon like the Klim PIEPS DSP Pro is a must-have. All modern avalanche beacons transmit and receive at the same frequency so, whether you’re in need of rescue or conducting a search, the Klim PIEPS DSP Pro will be compatible with any current device. This model includes a harness carrying pouch, which keeps the beacon on your body in case of emergency. It also provides a large 60 metre range, smart signal technology and – in search mode – the ability to mark up to four signals in multiple burial scenarios. PIEPS is a world leader in professional alpine safety, and their products aren’t cheap. When it comes to life-saving equipment – however – you want the best.

After the beacon, every mountain rider needs a shovel. We recommend the Klim Back Country Shovel for its versatility. The collapsible and all-aluminum design keeps it light and portable for riding while maximizing digging speed. Inside the shaft, you’ll find a hand saw with etched depth-gauge marks. The saw is a useful bonus for survival situations, and is also valuable for measuring the snow pack.

Of all snowmobiling safety equipment, the avalanche probe is the most forgotten. This piece of equipment is just as vital as the former two, and can decrease rescue times dramatically. We recommend the Klim Back Country Probe for its quickness and durability. In emergency situations, a cable pull snaps the three-metre length together in seconds. The probe is also tough enough to withstand motorsport abuse, and comes with a carrying bag for easy transport.

If you need somewhere to store this gear, then the Klim Nac Pak Backpack is a perfect choice. It has specialized exterior storage for your shovel and probe, and provides interior features for the mountain snowmobiler’s needs. For instance, the Klim bag provides an integrated whistle, three-litre hydration pack, removable goggle and tool pouches, and multiple pockets. Plus, the padded back panel and straps are specifically designed for comfort and airflow while riding. While the Nak Pak is built especially for mountain snowmobiling, it would make an excellent skiing or summer motorsport bag as well.

Klim also makes an Ultralight Watertight First Aid Kit , which keeps you well-equipped for less space and weight.

Of course, avalanche gear is only as useful as its operator. Make sure to read-up and practice using your equipment before heading out.

Thanks for reading through our (surprisingly long) mountain snowmobile buyer’s guide! Try out some of this specialized gear – you’ll love how it complements your riding style.

Happy mountaineering.