Heated Hedonism for Hill and Home
Perhaps the most relevant and multi-purpose gift this year is anything and everything heated. Whether it’s a heated vest, heated socks, boot or glove heaters, this gift will do double duty for hill and home. From many years of experimenting, I’ve discovered that battery heated gear extends the enjoyment of picnics on the piste and outdoor après, makes time on chairlifts and Pomas much more comfortable, keeps the body loose and agile, and extends the time you can comfortably stay outside. But, more importantly this winter, heated garments and accessories are trending at home since COVID has driven us all to al fresco socializing and exercising.
BYO Warmth
Volt Heat has recorded an unprecedented upsurge in demand for its heated seat pads – the new BYO when going out to an outdoor bar or restaurant patio! Just what we all need for our outdoor entertaining. Imagine being cossetted by their heated scarf this winter while luxuriating on or off the slopes, dog walking, social distancing outside your local pub, bar or restaurant, strolling around the park, fatbiking, skating, or dogsledding. Heated gloves or mitts are an obvious fave on the pistes – once tried, always required. And either heated socks or the heating elements that you can get installed in your ski boots are without doubt the best invention to give you longevity on the slopes.
Balmy Boots
Volt Heat also does nifty heated indoor/outdoor booties which would be lovely on a cold but sunny winter’s day/evening in your garden or on a restaurant patio – and, of course, for ambient al fresco après if you keep them in your backpack for later. There are now also heated jackets, heated thermal mid-layer tops, and heated base layers. Of course, all of these items are rechargeable, just plug in for a few hours – and, after several years of wear, you can buy replacement batteries, chargers, splitter cables, and other gizmos.
Toasty Torsos
Chris Haffly has been promoting Volt Heat for many years. “We have seen an uptick for certain products because of COVID,” he told me recently. “One product in particular has been our heated seat cushion which really has been popular. We learned from these customers that they were using them to be able to have gatherings outside at their homes to help guests be comfortable while safely social distancing. We also have had schools and outdoor cafés make purchases because of things moving outside. Other products like our scarf and vests have been popular as well but the seat cushion was a real surprise this year so far.” (BTW – the vests are sublime! The heat pads are across your chest and back ensuring torso toastiness. And when you ride a chairlift, just leaning against the back of the seat intensifies the heat across your shoulders. The battery pack is in a front pocket and has several levels of heat so you can adapt it to the changing conditions throughout the day. I recharge mine as soon as I get home so that I can take it out with me again in the evening.)
Stocks of the seat pads have now sold out and the company is awaiting its next batch. “Heading into fall/winter months we really didn’t know what to expect of this season because of the pandemic,” notes Haffly. “That uncertainty has been diminished due to the overwhelming amount of sales we have had early on due to social distancing measures. More and more people are doing outside activities, socializing outside and even dining outside. We get weekly calls from restaurant owners inquiring about providing our heated seat cushion to their customers to help them stay warm while dining al fresco. We have had to ramp up production just to be able to keep up with the demand.”
This demand has compounded since ski hills started opening cautiously across North America: “As the temperature has started to drop across the USA and Canada we are getting a lot of new customers who we have polled. They state the reason for their purchase was they needed a solution to stay warm while safely practicing social distancing outdoors.” Haffly concludes that people are avidly embracing the whole concept of heated clothing more than ever before for multiple purposes and hopes that this a trend that will outlive the COVID pandemic.
Volt Heat’s latest ski-related products are the Women’s Impulse Heated Gloves and the Men’s & Women’s Heated Vests, all featuring Bluetooth control. “You no longer have to access the battery to control the battery, just download the simple-to-use Volt app and you can use your phone as your wireless remote,” Haffly explains.
Powerliners
Other battery-heated goods’ specialists have been innovating this year, too. New from Therm-ic are ‘powerliners’ – heated inners that fit in most ski boot shells with three different settings yielding up to 19 hours of warmth. I’ve always skied with Therm-ic’s battery heat system – the type that has the battery pack attached to the outside of the boots and is wired inside under the soles of the feet. But the new Powerliner will top my Christmas wishlist this year, especially as my liners are falling to pieces after 12 seasons of wear.
Affordable Alternatives
Obviously battery-heated ski products come with quite a high price tag which not everyone can afford. In that case, Heat Holders socks are another, very affordable option for frigid feet – retailing from just $10. They have been lauded in the media for the past six years as the best socks for bed, for gardening, for winter activities, for travel, for back-to-school, for watching kids’ sports, and for all age groups. The UK-based company, which ships worldwide, also makes equally cozy leggings, tights, base layers, slippers, hats, gloves and blankets. I wrote about their socks myself in my 2015 blog and also in an article about skiing Lake Louise published in the Dallas Morning News recommending them for combatting Canadian cold. Since then, my son and his girlfriend, who both live full time in British Columbia, have reported back to me that they love these socks more than any other and that after five years theirs are now worn to threads. A great idea for stocking stuffers for them this year!
Savvy cafes and restaurants in ski towns are installing outdoor heaters to encourage skiers to linger. For example, Vertical Café in Sun Peaks, BC, Canada is an early adopter of this thoughtful trend, heating their outdoor space for cosy breakfasts, lunches and après snacking.
Here are some other gift ideas sure to give the skiers in your bubble a much-needed lift:
The Pandemic’s Book of Genesis: COVID-19 & Travel - a timely book published in July by Goodfellow UK and written by my husband Dr Simon Hudson while in lockdown in Canmore, Canada this spring. So far it has received dozens of amazing reviews, notably in Travel Weekly in which Arnie Weissmann dubbed it ‘The Pandemic’s Book of Genesis’ because of its depth, scope and predictions that all came true for the tourism, travel, events and hospitality industry. Another insightful review was written in the prestigious International Journal of Tourism Policy, and Simon has been asked to comment on the book in over two dozen media interviews worldwide. He has also been asked to speak at 10 ‘virtual’ global conferences hosted by organizations in the US, India, Canada, Ecuador, and Thailand – so far. “I have just been awarded a $53,586 US Department of Commerce grant to study how organizations in the tourism and hospitality industry are adapting in order to survive COVID-19,” Simon adds. “So if you have any ‘best practices’ examples of what I call ‘COVID-aptability’, do send them my way!” You can see some of Simon's research at: https://covid19andtravel.
Gift of Art & Home Décor: Handblown glass gifts made near Aspen in the Roaring Fork Valley. Aspen Leaf Blown Glass Series includes wine glasses, vases, candle holders in custom designs, size, shape and colour.
Gift of Nature & Education: With original and artful photography and illustrations, The Hidden Life Around Us includes a foreword by Bruce Finley, environmental writer for The Denver Post. There’s also an essay by acclaimed NatGeo nature photographer and filmmaker, Pete McBride as well as contributions by ACES’ Adam McCurdy and Chris Lane. This is beyond just a gorgeous hardback coffee table book – it is a project that has potential to bring people together locally and globally through interactive nature education. This book grew out of a BioBlitz to survey the species at Hallam Lake Nature Preserve, ACES's campus in the heart of Aspen. On this twenty-five-acre tract of wetland with a five-acre lake, 422 species have been identified. Eighty-one of those species are showcased in the book through striking color photographs and brief, fascinating descriptions.
Affordable Style: Klaus Obermeyer continues to combine European roots with his Aspen lifestyle in Obermeyer’s latest range of stylish but technical skiwear. Affordable enough for most people, it features everything from simple plain-coloured jackets, pants, fleeces, thermals, and accessories to fancy, fur-trimmed or flowery designs – for men, women and kids. Pictured is the Tuscany II in Boom Bloom.
Functional but Fabulous Footwear: Another gift that crosses over from hill to home is a good pair of boots. Non-slip, waterproof and really warm are the major prerequisites and Bos & Co provides all of this plus Portuguese panache. This year’s top picks feature new Ice Pick Technology as well as Asportuguesas’ cork-based sustainability. Owned by Jim Bosco, the company specializes in Portuguese design, materials and technology for men and women. Focusing on winter and après ski wear, boots like the brand new Astrid are lined with merino wool with extra Primaloft insulation and cold rated to 32 C/25 F and soles are made with superior G2 Ice Grip.
