By Guest Contributors: Emma Walker (Top entry) and Jeremy Benson (Bottom entry) EMMA’S STORY: I can’t think of anything that can ruin an otherwise-lovely ski tour like ski skins that aren’t doing their job. Ironically, I also can’t think of a piece of gear that’s more mistreated and misunderstood. It’s funny
Why wetting out is BAD
How is your gear performing? Have you been caught out in the rain and your expensive rain jacket doesn’t keep you dry the way it used to? “Why am I soaked? I thought this jacket was waterproof!” you wonder. Wetting out happens for many reasons. Nikwax can help you prevent
The Nikwax Spring Break Checklist
It’s that time of year again: spring break! After drifting drearily through the murky winter months, it’s finally time to get out and go somewhere exciting. You know you want spring adventure, but where to go? Head to the mountains for some spring snow? Catch surf and sun in some
Nikwax Guide to Winter Glamping
If snow caves have no place in your lexicon of outdoor adventure, you’re in the right place. Don’t get us wrong. Many of us here at Nikwax are avid winter campers. But there are just as many for whom “no camping after Labor Day” is as hard and fast a
Giving thanks to our gear
We are gathered here today to give thanks to our gear, which cares for us through sleet and snow. To you, dear mountaineering pants, thank you for no longer being woolen knickers. Sure, those trousers of yore had a certain panache, but why so stingy in the calf protection department?
End of Season Care for Winter Gear
The days are getting longer and the powder days are soon going to fade into memories. As winter winds down, we here at Nikwax urge you to take advantage of the remaining snowy days. Make turns while you can! Skip work for a snowy backcountry adventure! And then, when you’re
A Four-Stage Plan for Preventing Cold Hands
How can we put this delicately? Cold hands suck. If our subjective analysis isn’t persuasive enough, check out the medical proof. The ulnar and radial arteries deliver warmed blood to the hands. As ambient temperature drops, vessels constrict and blood flow slows overall. With less blood going to the extremities,
Avalanche Awareness: Not just for skiers
It’s winter, and for most of us that means spending much of our free time on the snow—on skis, snowshoes, snowboards, sleds, or any other contraption with a sliding surface. We’re a cold-climate tribe, like-minded folks who understand the reward of bundling up and pushing our bodies through the elements.
Waterproof your Cotton Tees
We all know the old saying: “cotton is rotten.” And to a certain degree, it’s true. While it’s a perfectly fine material for a T-shirt or a hoodie, cotton may be the single worst fabric you can wear in any potentially wet outdoor situation. Any moisture tends to rob even
By Early season skiing, or adventures in wet butt.
This past weekend, jonesing for some powder, I followed the snow to Mount Baker ski area. It was a wise choice. Mount Baker, known widely for its world record snowfall of 1140 inches in one season, was covered. It was dumping when I arrived, but it was a soggy snow
