Stuck on what to get a ski-obsessed friend this holiday season? A new gift guide from Outside Online, built around gear from outdoor retailer REI, makes a decent case that you can't go wrong with warmth, layers, and a little après comfort.
The logic is simple: skiers are gear people, and the difference between a great day on the mountain and a miserable one often comes down to kit. The guide spans the full ski day, starting with base layers. Smartwool's Classic Thermal Merino Crew gets the nod as a foundation piece — 100 percent merino wool that regulates temperature, wicks sweat, stretches with movement, and doesn't hold odour, so it works on the slope and straight through to dinner.
Over that, the guide suggests two very different jackets. There's a 650-fill-power down puffy with wide baffles, a windproof and water-resistant shell made from recycled nylon, and enough pocket space to swallow a small daypack's contents. And for skiers who move between resort and backcountry, Arc'teryx's Atom hoody comes recommended as the all-rounder: 60-gram Coreloft insulation that works as a resort midlayer but breathes well enough to wear in the skin track, with an articulated fit and stretch cuffs.
Visibility gets its own pick. Goodr's Peak G goggles feature a magnetic lens-swap system, a cylindrical lens for a wide field of view, anti-fog vents, swappable straps, and two lenses in the box — a standard one plus a low-light option for those flat, snowing days every skier knows too well.
For hands and feet, the guide leans practical. Lightweight fleece gloves in a merino-poly blend offer grip on poles (silicone palms) and touch-screen-compatible fingertips. Post-ski, The North Face's ThermoBall Traction Booties promise warm, cushioned relief with rubber outsoles that actually grip icy pavements and lodge floors, plus a pull tab for easy on-off.
Two smaller stocking-fillers round things out: Arc'teryx's Bird Head Toque, a low-profile merino-acrylic beanie with a soft fleece liner that works on the hill and in town, and — for the person who has genuinely everything — the Lazy Bear heated folding chair, with a Bluetooth-controlled warmed seat, a 10,000 mAh power bank, padded back and steel frame. It's the tailgate luxury pick of the list.
Why does this matter to travellers? Because ski holidays live or die on layering, and this guide is effectively a cheat sheet for a functional resort kit: merino base, insulating midlayer, down piece for lifts and evenings, goggles that handle changing light, and something warm to change into afterwards. Even if you're buying for yourself rather than as gifts, it's a sensible shortlist for a first proper ski trip — or an upgrade from the rental-shop basics. The items come from REI, the US outdoor co-op, though most of these brands are widely stocked elsewhere.
