PlanetSKI Gear Review #5 Winter 2024/25

twenty second February 2025 | Alf Alderson – Gear & Tools Editor

Our gear and gear editor checks out the newest insulated jackets together with POC and Oakley goggles and helmets. NEW

OAKLEY MODBC BACKCOUNTRY HELMET £220 www.oakley.com

The MODBC is Oakley’s first purpose-built helmet designed particularly for the backcountry, which implies it’s light-weight (beneath 450g) and has heaps of vents (14 adjustable vents on the highest and an extra seven at the back and front, with inside ports to direct the movement of air out of the rear vents), so it’s straightforward to regulate your temperature on lengthy uphill slogs.

The MODBC additionally comes with a ‘modular’ beanie with a ventilated visor – the thought of that is that it replaces a historically cumbersome liner in addition to getting rid of ear pads; you put on it beneath the helmet, or on hotter days you merely do with out it.

It’s a good suggestion, though personally I discovered that the visor pushed my goggles down barely in order that they had been too low on my face, and I ended up changing the beanie with a buff.

The helmet encompasses a MIPS security system and RECCO reflector together with twICEme NFC Medical ID chip expertise.

This lets you add medical info which might be immediately accessed through smartphone by rescuers within the case of an emergency.

Further options embody a Fidlock buckle which might be operated with one hand, a bombproof masks attachment system, headlamp integration and an antimicrobial inside materials which eliminates odours and is straightforward to machine wash.

VERDICT: An incredible backcountry helmet, with low weight and glorious venting; simply test the beanie system works for you.

Oakley MODBC Backcountry Helmet £220 – picture © Oakley

SPRAYWAY TORRIDON INSULATED JACKET £180 www.sprayway.com

The Torridon is one thing of a ‘go wherever’ jacket at a really affordable worth – I’d be completely happy to make use of it as each a mid-layer in very chilly circumstances and an outer layer when it’s not so chilly.

It options TecShellTM Plus 40D Ripstop Polyamide material with an FC-Free DWR end, which has nice water repellency, while the ThermoSphere Insulation helps hold you heat even in moist circumstances, and can assist you to really feel worthy too because it’s created from 90% recycled content material.

Two big, zippered handwarmer pockets let you carry the whole lot from goggles to gloves should you’d want to not lug a rucksack round.

There’s additionally a zippered inside pocket and a zippered chest pocket so cupboard space is plentiful.

You possibly can hold the weather at bay with a completely adjustable hood with a wired peak, a 2-way YKK centre entrance zip with a rear insulated placket for added safety, absolutely adjustable Velcro fastening cuffs and a break up drawcord hem.

The Torridon additionally packs away neat and small – certainly, it is going to pack into its personal pocket, so there’s no downside becoming it into your daypack.

VERDICT: A flexible, heat and simply packable insulated jacket at a superb worth.

Sprayway Torridon Insulated Jacket £180 – picture © Sprayway

OAKLEY LINE MINER PRO M GOGGLES £259 www.oakley.com

Oakey declare the Line Miner provides their ‘most expansive discipline of view thus far’ – and while that is true, we’ve reviewed different goggles this season that do have barely higher peripheral imaginative and prescient, such because the Messy Weekend Jamie Nichols Signature XE2.

Nonetheless, I wouldn’t regard this as a deal breaker, if not just because the Line Miner is such a good- trying pair of goggles, with a number of nice options, to not point out that they arrive in a variety of lens and body colors.

Better of all you get two lenses – one for vivid circumstances, one for dangerous mild – so that you’re coated for just about all circumstances on the mountain.

What’s extra, altering the lenses is straightforward to do while on the transfer.

Because of Oakley’s ‘Switchlock Know-how’– merely push in a small lock on both aspect of the goggles, take out the lens, drop the substitute in, push gently and it clicks securely into the body because of the mix of the locks and 6 highly effective magnets holding the whole lot in place.

You’ll have to take away your gloves to do that, however the system avoids you getting any greasy finger marks on the lens.

That includes ‘Prizm Lens Know-how’, the Line Miner Professional has a single-layer lens with anti-fog therapy, making certain a superior optical expertise by rising distinction whereas lowering distortion in addition to offering 100% safety in opposition to UVA / UVB / UVC and dangerous blue mild as much as 400nm.

The goggles even have first rate eco-friendly credentials, with a bio-resin body, recycled polyester strap, and a recycled polyester micro bag for storage together with a natty protecting journey case.

The body is versatile sufficient to evolve to your face even within the coldest of climate, and triple-layer face foam with a moisture wicking polar fleece lining add to the consolation issue, while it’s additionally appropriate with most prescription eyewear.

VERDICT: Nice trying goggles with user-friendly lens swap expertise, albeit at a worth.

Oakley Line Miner Professional M Goggles £259 © Oakley

FINSTERRE NIMBUS INSULATED JACKET £185 www.finisterre.com

The Nimbus is considered one of Finisterre’s best-established jackets, and its easy design and cozy reduce make it straightforward to see why.

It’s now made with NetPlus, a premium tremendous tender recycled nylon material made solely from discarded fishing nets, while the Nimbus’ insulation if created from ultra-light recycled REPREVE fill, which is sourced from ocean-bound plastics, and it has a FC-free water-repellent end.

The match is free so you possibly can readily layer up beneath it, though it’s not so cumbersome that you just couldn’t use it as a mid-layer beneath a shell jacket, and options are fairly minimal, consisting of two zippered hand pockets, a really giant zippered inside pocket, pretty tender microfibre lined pockets, cuffs and collar and – helpful for travelling – it may be packed down as a journey pillow.

VERDICT: A easy, heat, eco-friendly and handsome jacket.

Finisterre Nimbus Insulated Jacket £185 © Finisterre

POC FORNIX BC HELMET £220 www.poc.com

As ever with POC helmets, the Fornix BC comes with a raft of expertise designed to maintain you as protected as attainable when within the backcountry, for which the helmet is particularly designed.

It options MIPS Evolve, which is now well-established as a rotational affect safety system, while aramid ‘bridges’ enhance the structural energy of the helmet and improve penetration safety and weight is saved to a minimal (round 500g relying on dimension) via using a light-weight outer PC shell which additionally gives energy and sturdiness and an EPS liner for but extra crash safety at a low weight.

As well as, the helmet encompasses a twICEme NFC Medical ID chip, which shops your medical info and within the occasion of an accident/emergency can simply be learn by co-riders and first responders through a smartphone; and, in fact, there’s a RECCO reflector.

In use the Fornix BC feels reassuringly sturdy, with straightforward 360-degree adjustment and a complete of ten vents (six of that are adjustable) designed to advertise optimum air movement and forestall goggle fogging, while the ear pads might be eliminated on hotter days, so nonetheless chilly or heat it will get you possibly can alter the helmet to swimsuit.

It additionally appears to be like fairly cool in typical Scandi minimalist type, all making for a nice alternative of head safety for critical backcountry riders.

VERDICT: A classy lid with heaps of options to maintain your noggin as protected as attainable within the backcountry.

POC Fornix BC Helmet £220 © POC

POC VITREA GOGGLES £200 www.poc.com

The Vitrea comes with a alternative of two lenses in order that in impact you may have a pair of goggles for all circumstances – you select your major lens from the ‘Readability’ vary and also you additionally get a Readability Intense Cloudy Coral Cat 1 further lens at buy.

The lens locking mechanism is designed to be fast and simple, a lot in order that POC say the double-locking quick-release swap and hinge mechanism on the goggle body makes it attainable to alter lenses with out eradicating the goggles and whereas carrying gloves.

I couldn’t handle to do it with out taking the goggles off, however then I’m a little bit of a klutz, and having interchangeable lenses is all the time an ideal benefit, notably after they’re of the standard of the ‘Readability’ lens which comes with the Vitrea.

It has a shallower, ‘toric’ lens angle, which coupled with the oversize body offers distinctive imaginative and prescient within the decrease periphery together with an extra-large discipline of view, so all-round imaginative and prescient with the Vitrea is superb.

As well as, the lenses characteristic a ‘Ri-Pel’ hydrophobic and oleophobic therapy to guard in opposition to dust, water, sweat, salt, oil and dirt, anti-scratch and anti-fog therapy and so they supply full UVA and UVB safety (UV400).

The mix of a versatile however robust body and thick, triple-layer face foam offers a very comfortable match, and simply to spherical the whole lot off properly the POC Vitrea additionally appears to be like actually cool.

VERDICT: Trendy goggles with simply interchangeable lenses, however fairly expensive.

FINISTERRE FIRECREST GILET £115 www.finisterre.com

Named after Britain’s smallest fowl, the colorful Firecrest, this gilet can be super-lightweight and works effectively as an simply packable layer which you can stash in your pack for when wanted.

It’s created from 100% recycled polyester material and REPREVE recycled insulation and has a water repellent outer, and encompasses a full entrance zip and raised collar for straightforward temperature adjustment, generously sized zippered handwarmer pockets and even larger inside pocket panels.

VERDICT: The Firecrest makes a helpful, simply stashed layer for changeable circumstances.