PlanetSKI Gear Review #1 Winter 2025/26

tenth November 2025 | Alf Alderson – Gear & Gear Editor

Final modified on November 14th, 2025

Mammut’s Barryvox S2 is a palm-sized, light-weight avalanche transceiver with a heap of important options.

It’s straightforward and intuitive to make use of; certainly, the S2 has so many options we’ve needed to revert to bullet factors to squeeze all of them in to our evaluation.

It’s aimed toward skilled customers, however there’s no purpose why eager and frequent backcountry adventurers shouldn’t test it out too.

So, listed here are the Barryvox S2’s ‘fundamental’ options, however do keep in mind that there are a lot of extra extra options for skilled customers:

Clever wonderful search steerage that guides you thru the wonderful search process with absolutely interactive visible and acoustic steerage.Probe indication which guides you visually and audibly from the wonderful search to pinpointing.Excessive-contrast Reminiscence-in-Pixel show that’s clear and simple to learn even in brilliant daylight.Rescue SEND – a protecting operate for non-searching rescuers. Within the occasion of a secondary avalanche, it robotically switches to SEND to permit the rescuer to be locatedAuto-revert to SEND – a security operate for rescuers looking out with an avalanche transceiver within the occasion of a secondary avalanche burial; if a rescuer doesn’t transfer for 4 minutes, the avalanche transceiver robotically switches from SEARCH to SEND.Computerized self-test: the unit checks your transmit and search operate sign when it’s switched on and carries out common transmission and battery assessments.Interference Guard to handle and reduces sign interference and point out any interference in transmit and search mode.Group test: lets you test the transmission frequency and power of different avalanche transceivers rapidly and simply.Acoustic search steerage: a sequence of tones guides you within the route of the buried topic and ensures that you would be able to maintain your eyes on the avalanche area in the course of the search.Intuitive visible interface: guides you intuitively by all search phases and supplies an summary of a number of burials.Auto-Choose: within the occasion of a number of burials the unit guides you to the strongest sign first.Marking operate for a number of burialsReverse route operate to keep away from 180-degree search errorsDeep burial mode: if a really deep burial is detected, the wonderful search robotically begins earlier (> 3m) for exact steerage.Bluetooth connectivity and built-in voice steerage.

Add to all this a cushty and compact carrying system and the Barryvox S2 is definitely one of the crucial purposeful and feature-packed avalanche transceivers at present available on the market.

Admittedly, there are different transceivers accessible for significantly much less moolah, however they don’t include all of the options and user-friendliness of the S2.

VERDICT: A slim, light-weight avalanche transceiver with an enormous vary of options.

SunGod’s Vanguard goggles are, as ever, each fashionable and sensible, that includes an oversize lens with 100 per cent UV safety and built-in scratch resistance, together with a lifetime assure.

There are two lens choices, common polycarbonate lenses (costing £130) and SunGod’s proprietary 8KO Nylon lenses, that are lighter, clearer and harder than commonplace polycarbonate, therefore the £180 price ticket.

You may construct your personal goggles, selecting the lens sort from 9 choices designed to deal with all mild and snow circumstances.

I went for the high-vis pink lens designed to be used in poor mild as I hate snowboarding in flat mild, and the excessive degree of seen mild switch these lenses present is superb for such circumstances.

If you concentrate on it’s usually when the snow is greatest.

There’s seven selections of body color and 27 totally different strap choices, which suggests there’s a reasonably good probability you mixture shall be distinctive.

The frames supply wonderful peripheral imaginative and prescient and an Over the Glasses (OTG) match, the silicone backed straps present a safe match.

The lenses are interchangeable – all in all of the Vanguards are a wonderful possibility when you’re available in the market for some new goggles for the approaching season.

VERDICT: Wonderful construct high quality and nice appears, together with an nearly infinite number of model lens, body and strap choices.

SunGod Vanguard Ski Goggles from £130 – £180 – Picture © SunGod

Wellies will not be, maybe, the primary selection of footwear for many of us when tackling deep snow.

Nonetheless British model Grubs’ Bearline boots have been particularly designed to cope with the form of circumstances you encounter in deep snow and ice (see under) in addition to working admirably as common wellies for the typical moist and muddy British winter.

They’re insulated sufficiently to deal with temperatures all the way down to minus 40°C, so that they’re excellent for snowy circumstances.

Not like common snow boots there’s no faffing about tying laces – you simply slip your toes straight into the cosy inners and away you go.

Since snow usually comes with ice as nicely, the boots’ ‘Bearpaw’ sole has been designed to supply distinctive grip in ice and compacted snow – it’s really primarily based on the paw of a bear (therefore the identify of the boots).

The soles even have a characteristic known as ‘Extremely Bounce’, which absorbs extra shock and provides again extra ‘enhance’ than typical boot soles due to a ‘crossed linking polymer compound’ (no matter that’s…).

I discovered them to be heat, snug and absolutely waterproof, which is all the pieces you need from a pair of wellies, actually.

VERDICT: Excellent for all the pieces from wading by snowdrifts to strolling the canine by muddy fields.

Grubs Bearline Boots £129.95 – Picture © Grubsboots

The Panda Optics RS2 is a flexible and nice wanting pair of goggles that may work in any circumstances due to the interchangeable lenses that come as commonplace.

You get the selection of a mirrored Ocean Blue cylindrical lens or a mirrored Scorching Pink toric lens, each UV400+ polarised, together with a maize yellow low-light HD lens.

And altering the lenses is very easy, with an eight-point magnetic attachment system and two bolstered facet clips holding the lens securely in place.

They’re simple to snap out and alter when wanted – at a pinch you’ll be able to even do it with gloved arms.

The improved polarised optics of the RS2 present wonderful glare discount, sharper distinction, and true-to-life color definition.

An anti-fog lens coating and enhanced air flow make sure you at all times have a transparent view of the terrain forward.

I additionally preferred the truth that Panda have diminished the body depth of the RS2 similtaneously rising the lens depth, offering higher peripheral imaginative and prescient.

There’s a triple-layer of moisture-wicking foam across the body, helmet compatibility, nice appears and a neat presentation/storage field together with delicate storage bag and goggle wipe.

You have got all the pieces you want in a pair of ski goggles with the Panda RS2.

VERDICT:  A high package deal offering all you want in a pair of ski goggles whether or not newbie or professional.

Panda Optics RS2 Goggles £139 © PandaOptics

Snowboarding with chilly fingers can spoil the very best of days on the mountain, however Thaw’s heated ski gloves cast off that downside.

They’ve three warmth settings offering as much as eight-hours of runtime due to Built-in Graphene Nano Insulated Thermal Parts (I.G.N.I.T.E) expertise.

This enables the gloves to warmth up rapidly and evenly to maintain your complete hand heat with out stiff, cumbersome inside coils.

There are three modes:

Excessive 60°C – 2.5 hoursMedium 55°C – 5 hoursLow 45°C – 8 hours

They’re powered by USB-rechargeable batteries – these are saved in an easy-access zipped pocket on the skin of the cuff, adjoining to that are the heating controls.

As well as, the gloves include a beneficiant bellows cuff and 3M artificial insulation, which feels heat and delicate even with out utilizing the warmth settings.

Extra helpful options embrace touchscreen-friendly fingertips, a bolstered palm, windproof nylon/poly exterior shell and abrasion safety on the palm and fingertips.

VERDICT: The best resolution to chilly fingers and arms.

Thaw Heated Gloves £129 – Picture © Thawgear

Particularly designed for backcountry skiers, the Poc Fornix BC is a confidence-inspiring lid that’s filled with options to maintain you as secure as attainable on the mountain, in addition to being beautifully snug.

If the worst ought to occur there’s an built-in RECCO Avalanche Rescue Reflector to assist rescue providers rapidly find you together with a NFC Medical ID chip from Twiceme, which allows the helmet to ‘converse’ for you when you’ll be able to’t.

Your medical profile might be saved on the chip, which is built-in inside the helmet, and this may be learn by any first responder just by tapping their machine on the helmet.

The Fornix BC additionally options Mips for improved rotational affect safety, and bridges of aramid moulded to the helmet liner improve penetration safety.

In use the helmet feels mild and plush due to a mixture of soppy, cushioned padding at contact factors and a 360° match system and cradle adjuster.

This makes it fast and simple to seek out the fitting match, whereas an up to date design on the earpads and strap adjuster provides to consolation and adaptability.

Air flow is nice due to a complete of ten vents, with the six situated on the crown of the helmet being simply adjustable with a small dial.

Plus when you’re utilizing POC goggles there are goggle ‘chimneys’ which align completely with the highest of the goggles to permit warmth to flee and forestall fogging.

The goggle clip to the rear retains stated goggles firmly hooked up and safe when you take a flyer.

VERDICT: A high quality ski helmet that’s filled with security options in addition to being very snug.

Poc Fornix BC Helmet £230 – Picture © POC

We lately posted the PlanetSKI gear and gear assessments that got here from Japan as our crew of testers put varied merchandise by their paces.

The PlanetSKI crew in Japan. Picture © PlanetSKI.

See right here for the complete article straight from the powder of Japan:

James with Komperdell Carbon FXP4 Expeditions Vario All-Season Poles. Picture © PlanetSKI.

Ladies’s Verglas Backcountry Ski Shell Jacket & Ski Bib Pants each from Helly Hansen – Picture © PlanetSKI

Sally in Tog24 Theresa Star Jumper – Picture © PlanetSKI

Max sporting the H&M Common Match Padded ski jacket in StormMove™ – Picture © PlanetSKI

Peak Efficiency Vertical GORE-TEX Professional 3L Shell Jacket & Bib Pants. Picture © PlanetSKI.

PlanetSKI featured the next Gear Critiques for the 2024/25 season, a number of the gadgets are nonetheless be accessible

Headline Gear Overview Picture by PlanetSKI

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