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by Craig Nicholson
(©2008 by Craig Nicholson. All rights reserved.)
Each winter, I test many products to help make your riding safer and more enjoyable. These products have proved themselves to me through an entire season of riding, so I think they’ll work for you or that special snowmobiler on your gift list.
Best Trailer Security: Steal Shield is an ingenious yet simple, heavy duty steel sleeve that slides over the entire hitch coupler of a trailer and locks in place, rendering the coupler both inaccessible and inoperable. It also protects the coupler from the elements and from being damaged by dropping or collision. Steal Shield comes with a special Come-A-Long Bracket that can be mounted on a trailer to securely hold the unit when not in use. Steal Shield is designed for light and medium weight trailers with standard 1 7/8, 2, or 2 5/16 inch lever lock hitch systems. Steal Shield deters trailer theft and may help satisfy the small print in insurance policies that may refuse coverage if a trailer is unlocked. Click on stealshield.net
Best Lighting: Now your baseball cap can be your flashlight, too! That’s right, thanks to two small Ultra Bright LED bulbs built into the peak of a Panther Vision hat, hands-free illumination is always available when needed…it’s much handier than carrying a pocket flashlight. Plus, the light beams always point where you’re looking, so no more fiddling with a flashlight clenched between the teeth! The LED power switch is located under the peak and two small (replaceable) batteries are hidden in the lining of the hatband, where you can’t even feel them. Available in a variety of colours, Panther Vision hats are easily adjustable with a Velcro band at the back and have a multitude of uses besides snowmobiling. $24.99 at Mark’s Work Wearhouse and Home Depot. Click on panthervision.com
Best Warmth: As its Woolpower name implies, this under clothing is primarily made from merino wool…nature’s own functional material. Woolpower offers a technically advanced blend that retains more warm air around your body. Plus, it also promotes warmth by wicking chill-causing moisture away from your skin very efficiently. Best of all, merino wool is incredibly soft, comfortable and non-irritating. Woolpower provides a complete under layering system, adaptable to various metabolisms, weather conditions and activity levels. Click on woolpower.se
Best Truck Lock: Want to deter vehicle theft? Alpha Lock installs quickly around a tire, gripping the wheel rim like the police “parking boots” you may have seen. Light enough to handle easily, Alpha Lock jams into the wheel well, preventing the wheel from turning if someone tries to move the vehicle with it in position. Alpha Lock comes in two sizes, one for tow vehicles and one for trailers. Perhaps its greatest deterrent feature is simply that these brightly coloured units are so obvious that a potential thief is likely to move on to an easier target. Alpha Lock even comes with a reminder to hang on your steering wheel so you remember to remove it before driving off! Click on teammfg.com
Best Lifeline: Now both a rider and loved ones at home can have greater peace of mind knowing that the handheld signalling device named SPOT is on duty. SPOT works anywhere you have clear line of sight to the sky, sending a distress signal and GPS coordinates via satellite to emergency responders. With SPOT, a rider can also send a regular OK message and even store waypoints to track progress on the internet and Google Maps™. SPOT is easy to use, durable and reliable. Click on findmespot.com
Best Clothing Care: Today’s high tech sledding outerwear and under layers require special care. Regular laundry detergents can impair optimum waterproofness, breathability, wicking ability and thermal protection. You can extend your investment in advanced outdoor fabrics and materials with Granger’s environmentally friendly line of cleaning and waterproofing products that protect and restore original performance. These top rated products are available at many outdoor stores, including Mountain Equipment Coop and Le Baron Outdoor.
All materials on this website are copyrighted and must not be used for any commercial purpose without the prior written permission of The Intrepid Snowmobiler.