Piqued

1/ We Love Douchebags
It took a lifetime of searching (full disclosure: We didn’t actually know we were looking), but we finally found a douchebag we love. Meet The Douchebag, a two-wheeled ski bag fully five pounds lighter than any comparable bags. Made by the Norwegian company Douchebag, this item has some serious R&D behind it. The result is an 8.3-pound marvel that holds two pairs of skis between 24 to 205 cms in length and protects them not with bulky padding, but with a patent-pending, collapsible ABS “ribcage.” When not in use, The Douchebag rolls up for easy storage. In use, it has straps so you can carry it without using your hands. From $295; available at Mudroom, 3275 W. Village Dr.; douchebags.com

2/ Smartwool
We didn’t think it possible, but Smartwool’s bestselling base layer has gotten better. You might ask how the company’s Merino 250 Base Layer Pattern 1/4 Zip top, which in cool weather we wear as a single layer and on colder days we use as a base layer, could outdo itself? How about with chafe-free seam construction, a shoulder panel that eliminates seams in that area entirely, and a wrap-around torso seam that makes the top fit even better? $110; available in men’s and women’s at Teton Mountaineering and Skinny Skis; smartwool.com

3/ No Boot Left Behind
It’s a ski lesson you only want to learn once: Never, ever check your ski boots when flying. Depending on how persnickety your foot is, comfortable ski boots can be as rare as unicorns. So if you check your boots and that bag doesn’t arrive with you, well, the cocktails at the Ascent Lounge in the Four Seasons are great. They start serving at 11 a.m. With the 40-liter Salomon Extend Max Gearbag, you’ll always have room to bring your boots on board, and also your helmet, goggles, and a few extra layers. $65; salomon.com

4/ The Smartest Down Jacket?
Arc’teryx’s Cerium LT down hoody is a mix of premium 850-fill down and Coreloft synthetic insulation. The latter is cleverly placed in moisture-prone areas, like the shoulders and cuffs. The former is everywhere else. And the sum of both is greater than the individual parts. Wherever we’re headed in the valley (or the world, for that matter), the Cerium LT is one of the first things we pack because it’s the perfect balance of warmth and weight and takes up so little space. $379; available in men’s and women’s at Teton Mountaineering; arcteryx.com

5/ See Better
There are a couple of brands that make goggles with proprietary prescription inserts. If you, like us, appreciate the ability to choose, SportRx makes prescription inserts that can fit into most any snow goggle. Its website sells snow goggles made by Smith, Anon Optics, Oakley, Spy, Zoom, Zeal Optics, and Dragon. Pick the model, attach your script to your order and, in less than a week, you’ll have the exact goggles you want, complete with an insert that has you seeing your best. Prescription goggles from $150; sportrx.com

6/ Too Sexy for Your Car?
We swear we’re not saying Thule’s Motion XT XL roof box is the best-ever roof box because it’s the only roof box we’ve ever seen that comes in a supersexy high-gloss finish. This new model holds 165 pounds of gear, or up to seven pairs of skis. Also, its large SlideLock handle can be opened with one hand and shows a red strip when it’s not properly latched. From $699.95; available to order from Teton Mountaineering, Skinny Skis, and Hoback Sports; thule.com

7/ We Love Lynsey
Go ahead, sing along: Eddie and Lynsey sitting in a tree, s-k-i-i-n-g. Eddie Bauer has been upping its techy outerwear chops for several years now and totally nailed it with its collab with local superstar shredder Lynsey Dyer. Dyer—who has had segments in Teton Gravity Research and Warren Miller movies, skied on six continents, and been named Powder magazine’s Female Skier of the Year—worked with fellow rad skier Lexi Dupont and EB for two seasons on the BC Fineline Jacket and Bibs. The result is the most thoughtfully designed, rugged, and good-looking jacket/bib combo we’ve ever skied in. Jacket $449, bib, $399; available at Eddie Bauer, 55 S. Cache; eddiebauer.com

8/ The Jacket You’ll Never Take Off
Stio says its Kita Fleece Hooded Jacket is like many Jackson locals—“down for anything, and good at everything.” We couldn’t agree more. Available for men and women, the stretchy, lightweight, and breathable Kita has fast become our new favorite active midlayer (on those really cold days) and outer layer (when it’s just normal Jackson cold, i.e., 10 degrees or above). Made from Karushi HD fleece, the Kita’s smooth outside offers protection from the wind and from snags. Its high-pile, brushed interior is as soft and cozy as a baby panda bear. $229; 10 E. Broadway; stio.com

9/ Go Blue!
For years, the conventional wisdom when outside was that blue light equals bad light. So lenses for ski goggles were designed to eliminate blue light. But Giro (goggles) and Zeiss (lenses) started wondering if this was really the case. The two companies teamed up to research—no preconceived ideas allowed—what made the best lenses. Giro’s Ella (women’s) and Axis (men’s) goggles with Zeiss’ VIVID lenses show that blue isn’t bad, at least if done correctly. $180; available at JH Sports; giro.com