More stories · Page 2 of 3

Ski Gear

Best Hand Warmers for Skiing, 2026

Disposable, rechargeable, and refillable hand warmers for cold ski days, compared on duration, heat, and price, with verified specs from the brands themselves.

Ski Gear 8 min
An outdoor apres-ski bar at dusk with a lit 'Apres-Ski Bar' sign above a wooden chalet counter, garlands and fairy lights strung across the front, a bartender working the counter.
Ski Lifestyle

What Does Apres-Ski Mean?

Apres-ski, explained: what the word means, where it came from, what it looks like from Aspen's Ajax Tavern to a Montana tailgate, and how to pace it.

Ski Lifestyle 4 min
A vintage black-and-white photo of a skier in a patterned knit sweater carving downhill on long wooden skis with a large basket pole, snow spraying underfoot.
Ski Lifestyle

When Was Skiing Invented?

Skiing is older than you think: 5,000 years from Sami hunters to Sondre Norheim to gold-rush longboard racers to the first Vermont rope tow in 1934.

Ski Lifestyle 5 min
Layering & Care

How to Layer for the Cold

The three-layer system from primary sources: how base, mid, and shell layers move sweat and trap heat, what the fabrics do, and where people go wrong.

Layering & Care 8 min
Ski Gear

Best Budget Ski Gloves, 2026

Six budget ski gloves and mittens under $85, verified on brand pages: what you get and give up at the cheap end, from Gordini's insulated gloves to Kinco leather.

Ski Gear 11 min
Close-up of a snowboard boot strapped into a binding on a board, laces and binding straps visible, a second boot behind, snow all around in low golden light.
Snowboard Gear

Best Snowboard Boots, 2026

Snowboard boots compared by the two variables that matter most: flex rating and lacing system, across K2, Vans, Burton, Salomon, and ThirtyTwo, from soft park boots to stiff freeride boots.

Snowboard Gear 13 min
Pedestrians bundled in heavy winter coats crossing a snow-covered downtown Chicago street during a snowstorm, the historic Marshall Field and Company building behind them.
Winter Outerwear

What to Wear in Chicago Winter

Flying into Chicago in winter? What to actually wear for lake-driven wind chills, icy L platforms, and overheated buildings, built on NWS Chicago climate data.

Winter Outerwear 6 min
A snowboarder in gold-yellow pants and a black jacket carving hard and low with a hand dragging in the snow, the board spraying, on a sunlit slope.
Snowboard Gear

Best Snowboard Pants, 2026

Snowboard pants and bibs compared by the construction that matters: reinforced cuffs, articulated knees, waterproofing, and synthetic insulation, across Burton, 686, Volcom, Airblaster, and Mountain Hardwear.

Snowboard Gear 12 min
Close-up of a hiking boot fitted with a strap-on ice-traction cleat, chains and spikes across the sole, kicking up snow on a sunlit winter trail.
Snow & Ice

Best Ice Cleats for Ice Fishing, 2026

Six ice cleats for walking safely on frozen lakes, by use case: spikes, studs, and coils compared, with verified specs, weights, and US prices for ice anglers.

Snow & Ice 8 min