Gift Guide

Smart Gear for Winter Travel

By Wade Summerhill

Dressing for a flight when the weather outside is frightful.

It’s a perennial problem for Canadian travellers: how to pack light for winter escapes when just getting to the airport means battling the elements. This holiday season, give the wheelie-bag-wielding winter warriors in your life the gear to get where they’re going in style. Here are our picks:

American Apparel Circle Scarf
Sure, it may be just a loop of fabric, but this multi-purpose muffler is the single most adaptable accessory money can buy. It’s a hooded shawl for dashing to the cab, a scarf for relaxing on the airplane and a simple knee-length skirt for arriving in style – and those are just three of the dozen-or-so suggestions on American Apparel’s website.
$34, americanapparel.ca

Lululemon Gratitude Wrap
Any traveller who finds this appropriately named French terry sweater-jacket-wrap thing under the tree will certainly be grateful. Flip up the collar, plunge your hands into the comfy pockets and pull the drawstring tight when you want to fend off the chill; then just let it all hang out once you’re in your seat.
$128, lululemon.com

Ugg Classic Argyle Knit Boot
There’s no denying it. While they may not be the most elegant footwear in the world, Uggs are the ultimate in comfort. They keep your toes toasty on your way to the airport, they’re easy to slip off at security and if you’re too embarrassed to don them at your destination, they beat hotel slippers hands down for hitting the hot tub.
$190, uggaustralia.com

Peak Performance Faye Down Vest
You can’t top a fitted down vest for layering versatility. This one, from Peak Performance, purveyors of slick Swedish high-end outerwear, boasts a removable hood and just enough insulation to keep your core cozy without weighing down your bag when it’s time to check in.
$350, peakperformance.com

Dunning Sportswear Performance Woven Shirt
It’s a standard, well-made, well-cut button-down with a few tricks up its (typically rolled) sleeve: moisture-wicking, high-tech wrinkle resistance and breathability. This traditional-looking travel shirt proves you don’t have to look like you’re on your way to the gym to wear versatile clothes.
US$125, dunningsportswear.com

Burton iDiom Packable Down Jacket
Developed for cold weather performance in any situation – from Alaskan heli-skiing adventures to post-blizzard airport parking lot expeditions – the iDiom puffy is the most warmth you can stuff into a carry-on. The goose down fill (no synthetic materials here) offers maximum insulation with minimum thickness, while the polyester fabric provides a rare combination of toughness, softness and respectable waterproofing.
US$350, burton.com

 
Ecco Berlin GTX
Problem: It’s tough to relax on your flight when your feet are wet. Solution: the Berlin GTX, a classic, modern (even slightly pedestrian) business boot hiding a 100-percent waterproof Gore-Tex membrane. It’s the Clark Kent of shoes. And with Ecco’s “airport friendly” designation, it’s even made to fly.
$200, ecco.com

Arc’teryx Veilance Merino Sweater
Vancouver’s Arc’teryx uses its mountaineering heritage and “wet coast” roots to design some of the most innovative and advanced outerwear around. Now its new Veilance collection is bringing the same quality to clothes, like this warm, thin, lightweight merino wool sweater, for less adventurous pursuits.
$400, veilance.arcteryx.com

(Wade Summerhill is a wheelie-bag-wielding winter warrior.)

TOP IMAGE: American Apparel™