SEPTEMBER BAR CODE: The gear Joaquin requires in order to properly swerve and overcorrect

4. Smith MHC Polarized $109
[208.726.4477; smithoptics.com]

Throw them aviators in the glove box and bust out Smith’s MHC. Adapted from traditional cop eyewear, the MHCs are big and strike fear in the hearts of civilians. The polarized version kills sunset glare as you blaze on westward. MHC stands for “Mile High Club”, so you’re obviously going to want to put Colorado in the crosshairs.

5. The North Face Cat’s Meow $169
[866.715.3223; thenorthface.com]

Fifty percent of all beer farts in a ski house end up in the couch cushions. Guess where you’re sleeping? The Cat’s Meow will protect you from the “elements” and cold when the thermostat is set just high enough the pipes don’t freeze. Dedication knows no beds and you’ll probably find yourself overnight in the parking lot before a pow day. Your boots may not be warm when the bombs wake you up, but the drawstring hood and 20 degree rating on the Cat’s Meow will ensure you are.

MENS 20 DEGREE POLAR GUARD
WOMENS 20 DEGREE POLAR GUARD

6. Diamond Style Tire Chains $70ish
[Your local tire store]

The difference between chains and cables is dependable traction in the worst conditions and the unnerving whooshing sound of your traction helicoptering over the side of Teton Pass. Cops use chains and Joaquin does too. Watching SUVs fly by from a snowbank is no way to spend a powder day.

7. StreetGlow Undercar Kit $170
[800.787.3384; streetglow.com]

Noting a spike in reported UFO sightings last winter, the State of Nevada has no idea people were actually seeing Joaquin blasting across the desert between the Sierras and the Rockies in pursuit of storms. As if POWDER’S Cop Car wasn’t enough to behold already, Matt Sterbenz and Photo Editor David Reddick made Joaquin the new definition of “shock and awe.”

8. GoLite Phantom Jacket $220
[888.546.5483; golite.com]

The Phantom from GoLite packs down into the tight nooks of your trunk to be whipped out when weather turns nasty. Gore Tex Paclite material is highly waterproof for sloshing around outside the car and the relaxed fit of the Phantom makes it a good touring jacket—with layers—in a pinch.

MENS
WOMENS