DECEMBER BAR CODE: Browse And Buy Some Handy Travel Tools

Even the lucky few who live near world-famous terrain eventually long for new runs and different mountains to ski. Travel is deeply engrained in the culture of skiing. We see images of exotic locations and deep snow, and we want to go. We need to go. Be it by road, sea or sky, below is a collection of gear to make the getting there easier on you and less smellier after you arrive.

Dakine 60/40 Convertible $200 / Fall Line Double $100
[541.386.3166; dakine.com]

At nearly 10,000 cubic inches, the 60/40 fits bodies or ski gear galore, and when the grumpy lady at check-in tries to hit you with overweight charges you unclip the sections to make two bags. For your sticks, the Fall Line Double takes two pairs of fat-and-longs, and all your gear. Urethane wheels and a thick skid plate let you huck curbs upon arrival.

Nixon Insider $265
[888.455.9200; nixonnow.com]

International travel is exhausting and doing time-zone math can be embarrassingly difficult on the end of a long flight. As long as you can tell the Insider what city you are in, it can tell you what time it is. An alarm function with snooze can wake you out of a deep jet lag nap and it’s waterproof in the event of drool.

Nintendo DS Lite $130
[800.255.3700; nintendo.com]

Stuck between a window and a fat guy, your muscles may begin to atrophy, but your mind doesn’t have to. Aside from all your Mario Bros. favorites, Nintendo’s DS Lite is the only personal gaming system to offer Brain Age 2 ($20): a collection of puzzles and mind games developed by a Japanese scientist to strengthen cognitive skills.

Skullcandy Proletariat $100
[435.940.1545; skullcandy.com]

Let’s face it, the free iPod earbuds suck ass. The Proletariat headphone’s pure aural ecstasy comes via noise-canceling technology on par with $300 headphones at a third of the price. The Proletariat effectively drowns out airplane engine drone, middle-age lady cackle, and a baby’s first plane ride.