Storm Skiing

// By Dina Mishev

// Photography by Bradly J. Boner

At the Resort 

Thanks to proprietary lens tech, Dragon Alliance’s NFX Mag OTG goggles offer amazing visual clarity; an antifog coating ensures the clarity stays even after snow starts falling. A magnetic lens-changing system allows you to quickly swap out lenses as conditions evolve. $280; available at Teton Village Sports, 3285 Village Dr., Teton Village

When you lose your friends in the whiteout that is Rendezvous Bowl during a storm, Rocky Talkie’s Mountain Radios help you reconnect. $220 (for 2 radios); available at Teton Mountaineering, 170 N. Cache St., Jackson

Keep snow from your face with a neck gaiter, which are made by as many different brands in as many different styles as there are skiers at JHMR on a powder day. Available at every ski/outdoor shop in the valley

There’s a reason all JHMR employees—from lifties to patrollers—wear Mammut uniforms: the Swiss brand knows how to keep you warm and dry in the harshest conditions. The hardshell Haldigrat HS Hooded Jacket and Bib Pants are supremely wind- and waterproof thanks to a Drytech Pro Technology membrane; they’re eco-conscious with an outer fabric made from post-consumer recycled nylon. Jacket $625, pants $529; available in men’s and women’s fits at Teton Mountaineering, 170 S. Cache St., Jackson

If buying a new kit isn’t in the cards, Skhoop’s Short Down Skirt—men can wear these, too—will keep your bum warm and dry on wet chairlifts without impeding movement. $160; available at Skinny Skis, 65 W. Deloney Ave., Jackson

Outdoor Research’s Prevail Heated Gore-Tex Gloves keep hands dry and warm on even the stormiest of days thanks to a waterproof and windproof Gore-Tex insert and (rechargeable) battery-powered heat tech. $339; available at Snow King Mountain Sports, 400 E. Snow King Ave., Jackson

in the backcountry

Keep snow out of your eyes and your ears warm on the bootpack or skin up by pairing a ballcap with an insulated headband. Available everywhere

The new Preview Goggles are Smith’s first to feature BirdsEye Vision, which provides a 25 percent increased field of view in a fixed lens. Making them ideal for backcountry skiing, they’ve also got specific ChromaPop Storm lenses with built-in 5x antifog and 3-layer DriWix foam to wick sweat away from your face. $200; available at Jackson Hole Sports, 7720 Granite Loop Road, Teton Village

The last thing you want to do when skinning uphill in a storm is delve into your pack or a pocket. Rocky Talkies’ Waterproof Hand Mic connects to the brand’s Mountain Radio to add a remote microphone, speaker, and push-to-talk button. Since it’s waterproof, the mic can be clipped to your shoulder for quick access. $48; available at Teton Mountaineering, 170 N. Cache St., Jackson

Because the stormier the weather, the better a hot drink or soup tastes, pack Zojirushi’s 16.9-ounce mug bottle (model SM-JF48-PM). It keeps contents hot for 12 hours, and its 2-inch-wide mouth means even chunky soups are easy to drink from it. From $20; available at japanwithlovestore.com

New for this year, Black Diamond’s Recon Stretch Shell and Recon Stretch Ski Pants are the rare pieces that balance storm protection with breathability thanks to a nylon fabric that has both 4-way stretch and BD.dry 3L with a PFC-free DWR finish. They’ll work at the resort, but they really shine in the backcountry: The jacket has two internal drop pockets perfect for skins, one of the thigh pockets on the pants has a tether for a beacon, and both jacket and pants have adjustable vents and an integrated RECCO reflector. Jacket $450, pants $400; available at Black Diamond, 160 W. Pearl Ave., Jackson

Since battery-operated heated gloves interfere with an avalanche beacon’s transmissions, in the backcountry we’ve relied on the decidedly low-tech Give’r Frontier Mittens to keep our hands warm and dry for a decade now. At the start of every season, we treat them with the brand’s beeswax Wax’n Packet to ensure they stay weatherproof and well-conditioned. Mittens $139, Wax’n Packet, $7; available at give-r.com JH