Living in a mountain environment is hard on everyday gear. If you buy something of poor quality you’ll find out quickly. Generally, it will be some kind of plastic that snaps from cold. Sometimes, it’s a poor weld or a thinner metal than should be used for repeated use in a harsh environment. To be honest there are very few things I buy the name brand. Our mountain gear tends to be an exception, with everyday use some brands just always held up, despite repeated abuse. Also, some brands will take the item back no questions asked. This is a list of comparable items to what we used daily if not the ones we actually used and still use. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Backpacks, We have an REI 60 pack that we use to this day, it has lasted us 15 years. We make sure to have a bright color so we’re easily spotted, just in case. The version REI offers on their website is a little different than ours, in that ours has a stretchy strap area on the front. We use this area for carrying our shovel. It needs to be easily accessible. The stretchy mesh is probably a better version of the same idea. We like the small zippered section at the top for things that would be lost in larger areas of the bag and need to be accessed quickly. We tend to have a headlamp and small first aid kit in this section. The Osprey brand has some great alternatives to an REI backpack. This one is particularly similar to what we use.
A shovel, this was crucial. We liked the smaller collapsable ones because we could keep it on the outside of our backpack, which meant we would end up taking it everywhere.
Gloves, no frostbite. Also, most leather gloves held up better as a rule.
If you’re in a particularly frigid environment a good pair of mittens are a must. I like to tuck my fingers into the palm of my gloves or mittens on a cold day to warm them.
Gaiters, these keep the snow from getting in your boots, so your feet stay warm.
Boots, I like to buy zip front boots or ones with a hook for the top section of the laces. This is because we often had to get out the door quickly. I would just unhook the laces from the top hook to take them off and then twist and rehook the laces when putting my boots on. I didn’t like to have to tie laces in an emergency.
Headlamps, my husband loves his black diamond headlamps. I don’t really love them because I don’t like having to charge something to use it. I have an energizer LED that works just fine. No bells and whistles but whatever I don’t have to charge it. Go for the Black Diamond or Petzl if you want a rechargable headlamp. In fact the Petzl below is extremely bright if that’s what you need.
Another item that isn’t glamorous but is essential is a car fire extinguisher. I kept this kind in the snowcat at all times.
They also have these ones made by the same company but with a different spray head. This kind seems more readily available.
Straps, These ones are nice for tying down things like skis and mountain bikes. I like the 14″ length.
