The PlanetSKI Gear Reviews From Canada: #3 Odds ‘n’ Ends

Meet the testers:

• James
• Kisia
• Tashie
• Alex
• Marie

They are a mixture of ski instructors, ski writers, recreational skiers, ski tourers and of course we have a Canadian in the team, Marie, who grew up in The Rockies.

We have already looked at gear and equipment in Part One:

• Heated gloves & socks
• Skis
• Goggles
• Helmets
• Ski touring poles

Then it was women’s clothing in Part Two:

• Ski Jackets
• Ski Pants
• After ski jackets
• After ski boots
• Base Layers

Now we turn out attentions to some Odds ‘n’ Ends.

Mostly things we never thought we needed, until we used them.

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Stabil Midcleat – Tester: Tashie 

The Stable Midcleat is one of those simple, clever bits of kit you many need when the pavement or path turns treacherously icy.

A situation that happens often in a Canadian winter.

It is designed as a one-size-fits-most shoes or boots.

The elasticated fabric stretches easily over your every day shoes or boots.

The cleat sits neatly under the arch of the shoe providing a reassuring grip when paths or car parks ice over.

The standout feature: Four steel cleats can rotate effortlessly up onto the top of your boot when you step indoors – then once out on icy terrain again rotate the steel cleats under foot – et voila no more slipping and sliding.

Verdict: It’s a smart, no-fuss solution that is easily applied and removed offering extra bite underfoot.

 

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James found them invaluable when he hiked the Johnston Canyon near Banff.

BTW, If you get the chance do hike the Johnston Canyon in the winter – it’s rather special.

See here for more: Stabil Midcleat

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ZERO TUBE , Monocular – Tester: Marie 

A few years ago if someone had told me I might be skiing around with a monocular in my pocket I would have questioned their prediction.

I certainly don’t take it every day, but it can be a useful bit of kit.

I don’t use it for scoping gnarly lines on Delirium Dive in Sunshine Village, but I can use it to check what the entrance is like and whether it is rocky/icy.

Once you are physically into The Dive it is too late to turn back, but the monocular allows me to see what to expect and helps me make a decision whether to go.

• PlanetSKI hits the steeps of Sunshine Village

Sunshine Village is split up into several areas and you can also use it to check out the snow conditions (and the lift queues) at the other areas.

The Zero Tube monocular can help me make an informed decision about whether to head from Standish Mountain to Lookout Mountain, or vice versa.

It can be used in the summer too for spotting wildlife from a distance when hiking, and you can also use it to take close-up photos.

However, it is tricky to do so and not quite as simple as the instructions make out.

Verdict: All in all a great bit of kit and something I never thought I would use.

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RECCO Arcade Belt – Tester: Tashie

The RECCO Arcade belt is lightweight, durable, and designed to move with you.

The belt is a simple, everyday piece of kit that adds an extra layer of safety for anyone venturing off piste or off the beaten track.

It combines the patented A2 buckle system (meaning the belt doesn’t suddenly undo) and a performance stretchy webbing for comfort on the move.

Discreet RECCO reflectors are integrated into the belt, making the wearer searchable by professional rescue teams—without batteries, bulk, or compromising on comfort.

RECCO’s extensive rescue network spans 900+ ski resorts and rescue organisations in 32 countries.

Handheld and helicopter-mounted detectors can scan a square kilometre in around six minutes, speeding up rescues on the mountains – whether you’re lost or caught in an avalanche.

I wear it as a matter of routine and is reassuring when my jacket doesn’t have Recco built in.

 

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It is good for skiing, snowboarding and other outdoor adventures.

Verdict: I thought the RECCO Arcade Belt was a great piece of kit offering safety reassurance without breaking the bank – while also helping to hold up my trousers.

Here’s the purchase link for the Arcade RECCO

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CARDO PACKTALK OUTDOOR DUO SET £400 – EllisBrigham.com

Now we didn’t actually test this one out in Canada, but with intermittent network coverage in many Canadian ski resorts it would have come in handy.

We did though report on it in one of our gear review last December that was written by Alf Alderson.

So we re-post the article here as it is a good bit of kit to have in Canada:

The Cardo Packtalk Outdoor Duo allows you to communicate hands-free without the need for internet or mobile phone reception.

You don’t need to worry about being nailed by pesky roaming charges when you’re abroad and trying to stay in touch with your ski buddies both on and off the slopes.

You can connect with between one and 15 other Cardo users via a Bluetooth unit that clips to your helmet and comprises of a discrete microphone plus good quality JBL headphones to ensure clear audio.

The unit also lets you listen to music from your phone and answer calls hands free.

It has a range of up to 1km between two users and up to 5km when connecting a group, and a big plus, it can be operated with gloved hands.

Build quality is excellent and in use the unit is light and small enough that it doesn’t get in the way – in fact you’ll barely notice you’re wearing it once you get used to it being attached to your helmet.

Features include fast charging and a ten-hour battery life when fully charged.

The unit is fully waterproof and will operate in temperatures from -20˚C up to 55˚C.

I guess the Cardo is a bit of a ‘Marmite’ ski accessory – you’ll either love it or hate it – and there is, of course, the safety issues that are raised by users being removed from the surrounding environment if all they can hear as they ski is their mates chattering away or their music, but that notwithstanding it’s a neat, well-designed little gadget that will appeal massively to techy types.

VERDICT: An easy and convenient way of staying in touch with your ski buddies, listening to music and avoiding roaming charges.

The Cardo PackTalk Outdoor Duo Set (£400) is available from Ellis Brigham here >>>> 

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Little Hotties, Hand Warmers – Tester: Marie 

Now Canada can be cold, very cold, as you may have noticed by our frequent mentions of the temperature in these PlanetSKI gear reviews from Canada.

We’ve been skiing in temperatures of -30℃ at times during the PlanetSKI Gear Tests.

Some people have heated gloves – see the review from James of his Saviour Heat gloves that he can never stop talking about:

• The PlanetSKI Gear & Equipment Reviews From Canada: #1

Well, I have these.

I don’t always use them, but when I do, I love them.

You simply take them out of the packet and expose to the air and after 10 minutes or so they are exactly what they say they are – Little Hotties.

 

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They last for about 8-hours so are perfect for a day on the slopes.

I know they are available in Europe and some people use them, but here in Canada us Canadians all use them all the time and most people leave a bumper pack in the trunk of their car.

Don’t leave home without them.

They even sell them for your toes, but they don’t work as well as the ones for your hands as the oxygen can’t get to them so well in tight-fitting ski boots.

Xero Shoes….Tester: James

For me here in the Canadian winter they are slippers to be worn inside, rather than shoes for the outside.

The Xero Shoes are designed to feel like you are walking barefoot.

They have wider, foot-shaped toe boxes so your foot spreads and relaxes.

There’s a ‘zero-drop’ non-elevated heel for proper posture.

Who’d have thought I’d be reviewing a pair of slippers on PlanetSKI and going ‘barefoot’?

But I am.

The Xero Shoes have low-to-the-ground balance and agility with good protection and ground feel.

Not in the deep snow of Canada, but inside.

In Canada people always take their outdoor shoes off when entering home so the Xero shoes are easy to slip on and off.

Plus the solid barefoot base means you can walk outside for short distances (if the snow has been cleared).

Useful for going out to the car if I had forgotten something.

They were also comfortable for wearing while driving with their firm bases.

My foot flexed naturally in the shoe/slipper.

They come with a 5,000 mile ‘sole warranty’.

They are also light as a feather and I usually carry them in my rucksack when skiing.

Most of the time I didn’t need them, but when I did (visiting friends/wanting more comfortable footwear for lunch or apres) they worked a treat.

The Xero Shoes were created and developed by  Steven Sashan & Lena Phoenix in 2009 and are now worn by hundreds of thousands of people in over 100 countries.

I wonder how may others use them as practical footwear in the Canadian winter.

See more here: xeroshoes.co.uk

All the gear we selected was used and reviewed over a long period of time here in Canada.

We didn’t just do a few runs, take pictures and then take something else to test.

We used the item in all conditions and put them through their paces.

The tests were carried out in several resorts across Alberta and British Columbia: Sunshine Village, Lake Louise, Mt Norquay, Nakaska, Revelstoke, Kicking Horse and Marmot Basin.

Resort Reviews/Experiences:

• PlanetSKI resort review: Marmot Basin
• PlanetSKI resort review: Revelstoke
• PlanetSKI resort review: Kicking Horse
• Skiing the steeps of Sunshine Village
• Jasper rises from the ashes

Rolling Blog:

• PlanetSKI’s Canadian Adventures: Part One
• PlanetSKI’s Canadian Adventures: Part Two

Last season’s gear review came from Japan:

• The PlanetSKI 2025 Gear Tests – Direct from Japan

We are pondering where PlanetSKI will be based for an extended period next winter – for gear tests, reports and all the rest.

We like to select ski areas that have so much more to offer than people think.

Not just the skiing, but the whole winter experience.

We’re provisionally thinking Norway.

Watch this space…

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