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by Craig Nicholson
(©2005 by Craig Nicholson. All rights reserved.)
After 15,000 km of trail riding, these spacious bags are as good as new. Custom fitted for my Ski-Doo REV platform, a slightly different configuration and trim colour are available to suit each manufacturer’s sleds (check out their new & huge bags for Yamaha sleds!).
CYT Sled Gear is hand made in Ontario out of heavy-duty cordura, with industrial zippers and snaps to match. Easily installed with a rivet gun, CYT Sled Gear saddlebags are among the largest and strongest I’ve found, capable of carrying enough contents for two weeks of touring. CYT also makes a line of handlebar bags, including one for the difficult to fit REV bar. www.cytnorth.ca
Ingenious Socks
The keys to warm feet are moving perspiration away from the skin and having a good insulating layer. Traditionally, this process has required two socks: a liner and an outer. The Ingenious sock from Wigwam integrates both jobs into one piece of fabric and, voila, one sock! This application reduces sock to sock friction, creepy sock, and means fewer socks to keep track of and wash. Plus, the Merino wool outer layer provides exceptional warmth. For mountain riders who want a lighter sock that doesn’t scrimp on warmth or at dispelling moisture, these socks are Ingenious. www.wigwam.com for more info.
Klim Aggressive Sled Wear
I’ve snowmobiled in the mountains many times, but have never been entirely satisfied with the performance of my outerwear. I heat up and perspire easily, so the problem has always been achieving a comfortable balance of retaining body heat versus cooling down quickly while releasing excess moisture. I frequently end up cold, clammy and uncomfortable, even though I’ve become expert at layering with quick-wicking undergarments. Not any more.
For this tour I tried Klim Aggressive Sled Wear. I matched their Valdez parka with their Togwotee (pronounced “toe-ga-tee”) bib pants and a very lightweight pair of matching Klim Fire Lite Gore-Tex gloves. During five days of energetic spring riding — in temperatures that ranged from below freezing in the morning to balmy in the afternoon — I was always comfortable.
Both the Valdez and the Togwotee are essentially outer-layer shells designed to keep wet and wind out, while letting body moisture dissipate rapidly. Klim (pronounced “climb”) achieves this feat by using the new Gore-Tex XCR, whose claim to 25 percent better moisture release proved itself to me. Along with the multiple vents that allow full air circulation when opened, this parka kept me bone dry.
Klim Aggressive Sled Wear also delivered the other side of the equation — keeping the elements out. Moisture travel is strictly one-way: the Gore-Tex XCR, waterproof zippers, wrist and neck enclosures, and snow gaiters combine to seal out even wet snow or rain as well as cold winds.
Klim builds in lots of practical features, like multiple jacket pockets, a chest pouch on the bib that also has full side leg zippers, and a strap that attaches to your boots to keep the pant legs from riding up.
From the moment I first donned my Klim gear, I knew from the fit and finish that this was a quality product designed by snowmobilers for snowmobilers. By the end of the tour, I knew that Klim would remain a permanent part of my essential mountain riding gear. Both parka and bib (sizes small through 3X tall) are available in red, blue, yellow and black, at www.klim.com
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