Holiday Gift Guide for Snowmobiles
- 509 Aviator Snow Goggle
- Klim Togwotee Gloves
- FXR Vertical Pro Jacket
- Scott Face Heater Balaclava
- HMK L Handle Shovel
509 Aviator Snow Goggle
First up is the 509 Aviator Snow Goggle .
This is what you’d call a frameless or a rimless goggle and that’s important. See how the lens comes right to the edge? That allows 509 to have the widest possible field of vision, while maintaining the overall goggle size. So the Aviator has best-in-class peripheries but it still fits with most snowmobile helmets … perfect!
Another benefit to the frameless goggle is a uniform surface. There’s no lip around the edge for powder to catch and pack into, so when you’re riding the steep and deep, this Aviator should stay free of snow.
Free of fog, too. See 509 uses a hand-applied, heat-cured anti-fog solution… that’s a lot more effort than most companies bother with, but the results are worth it. Their FOGFREE system permanently bonds to the lens itself, meaning it won’t rub off over time.
Ergo, the Aviator will be as fog resistant in the autumn as it was in the spring.
But anti-fog solutions are only half the battle. You need ventilation to beat the humidity and this goggle has a lot of it. 17 vents spread across the frame and the lens itself… which is more than you’ll find on most of the competition.
Now, if you’re going to buy this goggle as a gift, you’ll have to choose a lens colour. I got the Ice Blue because I think it looks sick, but if you want a recommendation, go with yellow.
It tends to be the most versatile colour. I’ve done days in the Rockies that were foggy in the morning, cloudy at noon and bluebird by 3. A yellow tint keeps me happy in all conditions – taking out glare, enhancing undulations in the snow … whatever.
Klim Togwotee Gloves
Next up , the Klim Togwotee Gloves . (toe-gwatee)
These are named for the Togwotee Pass in Wyoming – a place where they top 1500cm of snowfall and my own bucketlist for sledding destinations.
It’s a Gore-Tex glove – we all know what that means. But it’s also Gore-Grip, which might be newer to you. Basically, they bond the waterproof and breathable membrane to the outer shell and inner insulation. That way the layers can’t move against each other and as a result, this glove offers a more direct contact feel on your sled’s controls.
The palm is leather, the liner is fleece – and it’s removable too. Sometimes Klim is pretty bad about including their base layers but they threw the liner in with the Togwotee, so that adds a bit of versatility.
On the thumb I’ve got a classic goggle squeegee, at the wrist I’ve got a belt adjuster, and on the gauntlet there’s a shock cord. All that is pretty standard, but what’s less standard is the silicone knuckle armour. You’ll see that on motorcycle jackets a lot, less so with snowmobile gloves. But I like it – silicone is a great way to pad something while maintaining comfort and minimizing bulk.
I’ve got silicone grip across the four fingers as well. Not sure why Klim failed to put any on my throttle thumb though… that’s a bit of a misstep.
But all-around, this is a great-looking, great- working snowmobile glove and I’d love to unwrap one.
FXR Vertical Pro Jacket
I’d also like to unwrap an FXR Vertical Pro Jacket .
This is kind of a rare bird, in that’s it’s both a softshell and insulated. Normally you can have one or the other, but not both.
The benefit is functionality. Softshells can be used as layering pieces, which the Vertical Pro is great at if you live in Winterpeg. And they also make great casual gear, since softshells look and feel a bit like a hoodie.
But since the Vertical Pro is insulated , it can also act as my main snowmobiling jacket. There’s 175g insulation on the body, 125 on the arms, and that’s good enough for a mild day out.
FXR made sure the Vertical Pro could stand alone by equipping it with a 2000mm, 2000g waterproof and breathable membrane. That’s nowhere near the best in the business, but good enough in some conditions.
They also incorporated FAST technology into the Vertical Pro. Meaning it’ll keep you afloat should you fall through the ice.
Features are pretty basic. Two lower hand pockets, two outer lapel pockets, two waterproof vents and one inner Napoleon pocket. All the zippers are waterproof except for that interior one. Then there are Lycra gaiters on each arm – anyone who’s ridden in powder knows the use of that. And the hood is removable so it doesn’t slap against your helmet.
Adjustment is basic too. Just a couple shock cords at the waist and another couple on the hood. Normally that’d be a problem, but this material is so flexible that it doesn’t really matter. The four-way stretch fabric is great at hugging the body, and it’s also great at moving with you, for the dynamic mountain sledders out there.
I think the Vertical Pro is an exceptional piece that any snowmobiler will love. My one complaint is that it only comes in black, and black with Hi-Viz zippers. That’s kind of a bummer, because bright colours are huge for mountain safety.
At least FXR got rid of their camouflage colourway from last season… that was a legendary bad idea.
Scott Face Heater Balaclava
Now those first three gift ideas were all north of 100 bucks. But what if I’m not that generous?
Well the Scott Face Heater Balaclava is a cool cheap gift.
This is about the warmest thing you can buy for 25 dollars. Scott rates it from -30 to -50 degrees Celsius, which is officially “friggin’ cold.”
I grew up riding snowmobiles in Saskatchewan, putting around on a trail sled at -40 and I can see how this would be useful. There’s insulation everywhere, windblocker material around here, and neoprene in the areas that need to wick moisture.
Around the nose and mouth, Scott calls this “air technology.” I call it a bunch of little holes and one big one. But either way, it releases moisture from your breath without swamping up the fabric and that’s important, because what gets wet gets frozen.
I don’t know what else to say. It’s black, it’s machine washable… but all you should really care about is that it’s amazingly warm .
HMK L Handle Shovel
And finally, I chose the HMK L Handle Shovel for about 80 bucks.
If you’ve spent time snowmobiling, you’ve spent time digging. That’s just the nature of the beast and this beast will make your job easier.
The telescopic shaft offers lots of leverage and the scoop is sturdy, but that’s just the shovel part.
I also get survival kit! This L-Handle doubles as an ice pick, and there’s a compass on one end. Then if I remove this, there’s a saw hidden inside the shaft.
Might as well do a fun colour on a boring tool, so I chose bubble gum pink. You can also get black, orange and white… although white seems stupid for something you’ll use in the snow.
And that’s it for my snowmobile gift ideas! Thanks for watching.