Searching for the Perfect Gift? Look no further.

A good story always includes a calamity, a good adventure does not. Or as the SPOT marketing message says, you must “Live to tell about it”. My first impression of the device when it was given to us to try out by Derek Moore at SPOT was that it looked like an orange battery operated husband tracking device. Perhaps I didn’t see the value in it at the time, but as we got into the snowmobile season I increasingly began to appreciate it.

One such time was a ride on Rabbit Ear Pass in Colorado. We were riding with Erick Vohk from Vohk Performance. It was one of those unlimited powder days that you salivate over while you’re mowing the lawn in July. Eric was riding some skunk works sled, the specifications of which he wouldn’t even share with us. As the day wore on the deep powder was giving our sleds quite the challenge. About the time we reached the most desolate portion of the ride Erick’s experimental sled lost a cylinder. Of course we should have started plotting a resolution to the problem immediately. Instead we decided to ditch the burned down sled and took turns playing in the powder with the two functioning sleds.

Suddenly as it seemed, dusk was approaching. We began to get serious about finding a way to return safely back to the truck. It was very unlikely that one sled could haul out two people, let alone tow out the dead machine. Yes I was a little worried; I even began imagining how the hikers would find our remains the next spring. Luckily I had underestimated Erick’s abilities. He reached into his back pack and pulled out a chocolate bar, a nine iron, a flux capacitor and a stuffed rabbit and rebuilt the sled in the dark, on the side of the hill. The only thing we didn’t pull out was the SPOT.

What, you didn’t use the SPOT? I never said this was a good story – but it was a good adventure. No, we didn’t use the SPOT last winter, nor did we use it all this summer as we chased around the hills on dirt bikes. However we packed it everywhere we went and it did provide a marked peace of mind. Even though we never pushed the panic button we did enjoy the tracking feature and the “OK” button was often used to send messages of solace back to the wife. You see it is important to me that my wife feels reassured while I am out riding. That is why when the “OK” button on my SPOT is activated it sends a text that reads, “Relax I have not done anything stupid… yet”.

The Spot is a must have device for the outdoor enthusiast. We give the device a hardy recommendation. The newer SPOT Messengers are smaller, less expensive, and have even greater functionality.

Published 10/23/2009 www.klimusa.com.

You Get What You Pay For

When I was asked to try the new Klim Valdez parka along with their Togwotee bib, I jumped at the chance. I’ve always thought the Klim gear was “cool”, but I admit that I’ve always thought it was out of reach for my budget. I was really excited to review their gear, but then I thought to myself ‘How do you write an honest article when you have the feeling you will be using the words of overpriced and a lot of hype describing Klim gear?’ Klim probably wouldn’t be using any of my words in too many of their ads, and I probably wouldn’t be on their Christmas card list. But I have to be honest to myself and the readers. 

Compared to the older jacket and bibs I’m used to (circa late 1990’s) the materials seem a tad stiff, but on the other hand I think maybe this will hold up better to abuse. I have a tendency of being hard on outer gear like snagging it and creating rips or tears, and it usually happens when it is new. Well, within the first few hours of wearing it I caught an edge of a trailer and thought there was the first hole in the bibs. Wrong! There wasn’t even a mark. That was a relief, chalk one up for durability. 

 Klim has a system called “Comfort Mapping Technology”. I didn’t really understand what this was until I really looked at the inside of the gear. Inside the jacket there are different materials and multiple layers strategically placed to help manage perspiration and temperature. This is the same in the bibs. Klim really did their homework on this as this system works better than I ever imagined. Never before have I stayed this dry which also aids in staying warm. I was also amazed at how much perspiration and condensation it was holding in the jacket at the end of a cold hard ride, although I really didn’t know it was there. Not only does the material breathe, but there are also vents that can be zipped open aiding in even more ventilation. This gear is also warm because it blocks ALL of the wind, not just some of it like a lot of other gear I’ve tried.

There are also many little things to this gear that makes it even more impressive. First thing that comes to mind is the hand gaiters. When I first saw it had these, I thought about how my wife loves these. I wondered why they have these on this jacket and I considered this to be “something for a woman’s jacket”. But then I actually started to use them when I was taking photos. They kept my hands a little warmer. Ok, maybe this isn’t a women thing, these actually are a very nice feature and now I use them a lot. They are great for riding because you don’t have to use large gauntlet style gloves. You can get by with shorter gauntlets for better hand movement. One other nice feature is a very simple one in the bibs; pads in the knees. Whether it is kneeling on a trailer, on the ground for working on a sled or changing camera equipment, it is great to kneel down and have the pads there for comfort and insulation. I spent many years working on little 120 race sleds on the ice and these pads ended up to be a feature that always put a smile on my face.

Do I have any gripes?  Yes, I actually do, I wish it were less expensive as the wife thinks she needs this gear now too. But like the old adage states, you get what you pay for. These aren’t your run-of-the-mill department store winter jackets and bibs. These are highly technical, well thought-out gear for snowmobiling with plenty of movement, breathability, comfort features and high-tech materials. You’re not only paying for the materials, but the engineering behind this gear and that does make it worth the extra expense.  

The Klim Valdez jacket and Togwotee bib are extremely high quality and it really works, actually, much better than I ever expected. If you break it down, this gear can last you many, many years through brand after brand of snowmobile. Divide the cost of these two pieces into ten years of snowmobiling and that’s only $80 a year. You’re worth $80 a year for comfort and warmth, aren’t you?  I would highly recommend Klim gear for any snowmobiler. Klim has done a great job on this gear and I think if you are considering buying a new jacket or bibs, these really do need to be considered.