Snowboard Training Board- Gear Review

Snowboarding’s greatest rite of passage just might be getting through the first day on the hill. The sport’s often painful initiation can include countless brutal falls. Brand new snowboarders might take some pain out of the learning curve with Vew-Do’s Progression balance trainer, a board mounted on a fixed base which pivots, capturing the natural bending and twisting sensation of carving down a mountain.

Vew-Do Progression

With the Progression board you can mimic pivot turns that in the past could only be achieved on-snow. “The Progression truly takes the process of learning to ride any type of board, especially snowboarding, into a new realm,” said the company founder.

Vew-Do has been making balance boards since 1990. The Progression is touted to help with balance and muscle development. It costs $185. www.vewdo.com

—Stephen Krcmar lives in Mammoth Lakes, Calif., and wishes he had had a Progression when he started snowboarding in 1988.

In-Goggle Camera- Gear Review

During the Consumer Electronics Show last week, California sports-technology company Liquid Image LLC unveiled a goggle with an integrated digital camera. The concept, which borrows design from the company’s original underwater digital camera mask, will soon enable skiers, snowboarders and other winter fanatics to capture pictures and video without hauling extra equipment along.

The to-be-released Summit Series Snow Camera Goggles will contain an integrated wide-angle lens with 5.0-megapixel resolution (2,560 X 1,920 pixels) and a video mode that records at 720 X 480 resolution at up to 30 frames per second. The camera can be controlled with gloved hands — there are two large buttons on the side of the snow goggles, including one for On/Off/Mode and another to release the shutter.

Summit Series Snow Camera Goggles

To take a photo or record a video, turn on the camera, choose mode, then press the shutter button. LED lights inside the goggles indicate current mode. The integrated camera can take up to 16GB of memory using an SD/SDHC Card. A rechargeable lithium battery will last for about two hours of record time or about 2,200 photos, Liquid Image cites.

After a session, you can download your photos and video to a computer via USB or through an SD card slot. The company touts a better point of view than you get from a helmet camera. Pictures and videos will be closer to the image that you are seeing through the lens, the company says.

The Summit Series Snow Camera Goggles will ship to stores this summer (in time for ski season next year) and will retail for about $150. www.liquidimageco.com,

—Amy Jurries is founder and editor of TheGearCaster.com, a blog dedicated to profiling emerging companies and technologies in the outdoor sports industry.

Ultra-Sil Day Pack

It stuffs down to a size smaller than a baseball. Its manufacturer, Sea to Summit Inc. of Perth, Australia, suggests using it as a keychain. But unpack the Ultra-Sil Day Pack and its crinkly “siliconized” Cordura nylon quickly takes shape, a backpack materializing from a tiny ball right in front of your eyes.

As outdoors products go, the Ultra-Sil Day Pack is certainly strange. It is far from technical gear. The backpack, a basic sack equipped with shoulder straps, carries its stowed items with scant support. Lumps protrude from the thin fabric where a shoe or a water bottle might be stuffed inside. Objects dig into your back.

Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Day Pack

But what this $28 backpack lacks in performance it gains in improbable convenience. The Ultra-Sil Day Pack weighs just 2.4 ounces. It fits in any pocket. Unzipped and open, there’s about 20 liters of space inside — enough area to stow a day’s worth of supplies while travelling.

The company (www.seatosummit.com) markets the Ultra-Sil as a “super strong pack that clips on your keychain to shoulder groceries or scramble a summit.” You could easily put it in your pants pocket and bike to the store, load in groceries, and wear it home.

Other uses for the water-resistant pack include carrying wet gear after a day outside. Stash your sweaty clothes in the pack after a triathlon or other event. The company mentions using the pack for “messy stuff” like dirty laundry after a weekend of camping.

Ultra-Sil Day Pack compacted into its case

I might think twice before scrambling to the aforementioned summit with this pack. But in a pinch, if the Ultra-Sil is what’s available, this siliconized sack with shoulder straps can do the job. It can carry water, food, some gear, and extra clothing layers for a hike.

Indeed, Sea to Summit has tested the pack for maximum weight. The fabric used for the pack, which has bar-tack reinforced stitching at stress points, resists loads of up to 350 pounds, the company cites. But a company representative said this much weight far exceeds suggested use amounts. The spokesperson expanded, “It’s likely they’ll cut their arms off before they reach their destination.”

—Stephen Regenold writes about outdoors gear at www.gearjunkie.com.

Year’s Best Gear- Gear Reviews

Each year, the Gear Junie pulls together a best-of-the-best list from the new and prototype products he reviewed for Gear Junkie. His “Top 10 Gear Picks” article is syndicated to a national group of newspapers, on Outside magazine’s website, and featured on GearJunkie.com.

1. The North Face Animagi Jacket — Cold-weather and winter running — as well as XC skiing — are more comfortable in this hybrid jacket. With PrimaLoft-stuffed panels and thin, stretchy sleeves, the $149 Animagi breathes where it needs to and insulates the core. Its unique design was a winner during neighborhood training runs up to longer endurance fests where I was out for two hours or more in the cold. Full Gear Junkie review: http://gearjunkie.com/the-north-face-animagi-jacket

PureBot Water Bottle- Gear Review

From SIGG water bottles to baby products, the great BPA (Bisphenol-A) debate is raging right now. But fewer people are aware of another plastic unpleasantry known as EA. That stands for estrogenic activity, and it refers to any chemical that either blocks or mimics estrogen in the human body.

According to some researchers, nearly all plastic bottles leach an EA chemical, which are cited in studies to alter human growth rates, change behavior patterns, reduce sperm count, increase cancer rates and do other ugly things.

Hydrapak has partnered with an outfit called PlastiPure to create the PureBot, a sports bottle launched in November that is touted as EA-free.

Hydrapak PureBot

The PureBot does not contain Bisphenol-A or EA chemicals. Besides being free of two highly debated compounds, the Hydrapak PureBot is a normal 24-ounce bike water bottle with a large screw top lid. It’s currently available for $10. www.pure-bot.com

—Ryan Dionne

World’s Best Winter Mitts- Gear Review

When it’s too cold for gloves — generally around 10 degrees Fahrenheit for me — a good pair of mittens is crucial to enjoying any wintertime adventure. You sacrifice dexterity for cozy digits, but that’s the price of warmth in the rock-bottom cold months of the year.

So what mittens are the best for outdoor enthusiasts who want to ski, climb and throw snowballs at friends? A few years back, I tested six pair of top-end mittens for three months to find out.

Granite Gear’s Lutsen Mitts (orig. $89 but now discontinued; http://www.granitegear.com), a stout waterproof-breathable pair with wool fleece liners, nudged out first place in my little competition. The company stopped producing mittens. But, with my pair, the simple, streamlined construction and a non-bulky liner let me clip a carabiner and tie knots when ice climbing. They fit well and had a durable leather palm. Also, they were among the warmest in the review, holding their own in temps down to 20 degrees below zero. So if you can somehow still find a pair, buy ‘em.

A close second place goes to Black Diamond’s Mercury Mitt ($86, http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com). The company described them as cocoons for the hands, and indeed they’re stuffed with 284 grams of Primaloft insulation, the same fill used in cold-weather sleeping bags. They are nice waterproof-breathable mitts, but dexterity was not as good as with Granite Gear’s discontinued Lutsen Mitts. With the newest rendition of the Mercury Mitts, Black Diamond added a “trigger finger” removable liner that separates your index finger from the rest, increasing dexterity.

Marmot’s Expedition mitts ($110, http://www.marmot.com) take the warmest-of-all award. Made for Mount Everest climbers and South Pole scientists, the puffy Primaloft-stuffed waterproof mitts kept my hands toasty in extreme temps (as low as minus 30). In fact, the Primaloft is said to be twice as warm for its thickness than any other insulation. But the abundant insulation creates a mitt that lacks dexterity — I could easily grip a ski pole, but anything more than that was difficult.

The Cloudveil Troller mitts ($80, http://www.cloudveil.com), a classic leather mitt with a soft-shell back for stretch and breathability, is a nice model that deserves an honorable mention. It’s a neat combination, and the mitt balances warmth and dexterity well. Wear them on cold days down to 10 degrees or below.

—Stephen Regenold

Gear Review: Sound Disk Beanie

There is no shortage of options for skiers and riders who want to slide to music. (See headphone-equipped helmets, in-ear choices from Skull Candy, and DJ-style headphones from WESC, Technics and Sony.) Another one? How about a beanie with headphones by Aerial 7.

The company’s Sound Disk Beanie was released last month. At $59.99, the hat offers a mid-range option compared to similar products from Burton, Bonfire, The North Face and Volcom.

Aerial 7 Sound Disk Beanie The Disk Beanie has a hand-knit look and is stylish on the slopes. For audio, the headphones are sewn into the beanie but can be moved around. This is good when you want to fine-tune placement. But I found it to be a bit maddening to get the speakers in place at other times because the ear phones are between the hat itself and the liner. Since they’re connected, sometimes they go just where you want them. Other times they don’t and hence the frustration. Ideally they would be sewn into mini pockets, so they were always in correct, general vicinity and the placement would still be fine-tunable.

Once you have the small speakers situated, sound quality is good. The beanie “merges fashion and function with

Budget-Friendly Solar Charger- Gear Review

With pocket-sized solar chargers the craze, Highgear designed one for backcountry techies on a budget. New this winter, the Highgear SolarPod, at just $50, is a basic solar charger about the size of an iPhone.

Designed to charge phones and mp3 players, the SolarPod is said to disperse power for 40 minutes on an 8-hour solar or 1-hour computer USB charge. That should be enough time to rejuvenate your iPod for a few hours of music or your cell phone for some crucial talk time.

Highgear SolarPod

Attached to the corner of the SolarPod is a carabiner clip so you can secure it to your pack and charge while you go. It also comes with eight connector tips for various phones, including a USB connector for mp3 players, digital cameras or anything Apple.

The 2.4oz-unit, which is the company’s first-ever solar charger, also has a battery indicator in 25 percent increments.

The Highgear SolarPod will be available in December for $50. www.highgear.com

—Ryan Dionne

Aquapac Waterproof Backpack- Gear Review

What’s known as a commuter pack by some could be called a canyoneering or rafting pack by others. The Aquapac Wet and Dry Backpack is a 24-liter (1,525-cubic-inch) waterproof backpack made for a variety of uses.

With a roll-top closure and a TPU-coated nylon exterior with taped seams, it’s made to protect your stash 100 percent from all things liquid — in nature or on the way to work.

Aquapac Wet and Dry Backpack

The pack has an inner divider that helps keep your dry — or clean — gear separate from your wet — or dirty — gear. And it has a small clear pocket to stash and keep track of your phone, wallet, keys and other small items.

With a sternum and waist strap, rear light loop, reflective logo and mesh side pocket to store a water bottle, the Wet and Dry Backpack has the necessary features for a safe and comfortable commute, too.

The Aquapac Wet and Dry Backpack is currently available for $85. www.aquapac.net

—Ryan Dionne

Smith Maze Helmet- Gear Review

In a perfect world, no one would have to wear protective gear. But until that world appears, the next best thing is protective gear that’s so unobtrusive that you can easily forget that you’re wearing it. Kind of like Smith’s Maze helmet.

New for this winter, the company specs the Maze as weighing only 11.5 ounces, making it the lightest snow helmet in the snowsports industry, according to Smith. The company further assures it’s not “just a hardhat or crossover helmet.” Indeed, the Maze is a full-blown winter head protector certified