Judging by the historic winter storm currently battering the southern U.S. — it’s pretty clear we’ve still got plenty of snow and ice ahead of us. But that ain’t no thang for us GearJunkies. After all, what self-respecting outdoorsman (or woman) doesn’t view tough conditions as a challenge?
You won’t have much fun in freezing temperatures without some decent gear, though. Thankfully, this week’s Emerging Gear column has plenty of options from brands aiming for technical apparel that keeps you toasty, safe, and (hopefully) having fun.
To that end, we’ve got the goods this week. Updated skis and snow sport accessories? Check. Enormous flashlights and waterproof speakers? Double check. Backcountry wet wipes? Also, yes, apparently.
And, oh yeah, we’ve even got a fancy axe made at a 400-year-old Swedish forge. What’s not to love?
Turtlebox Grande Portable Speaker
Turtlebox Audio has unveiled the Turtlebox Grande, the latest addition to its portable outdoor speaker lineup. The Grande delivers 126 decibels of low-distortion outdoor audio through a 10-inch waterproof woofer, 1.25-inch titanium tweeter, and two Class D amplifiers.
Equipped with Bluetooth 5.4 technology, the Grande supports seamless device pairing, and the brand’s new “Party Mode” allows over 100 linked speakers. It has a 16-cell, 158Wh lithium-ion battery, USB-C charging, and a 3.5mm microphone input. Built with a “crush-proof” ABS exterior, stainless steel components, and an IP67 waterproof rating, the Grande withstands saltwater, drops, and extreme temperatures, the brand said.
Priced at $700, the Turtlebox Grande is available for preorder in White and Gray, shipping in February 2025. It joins the $400 Gen 2 Portable Speaker in Turtlebox’s audio lineup, which is “built like a tank,” according to GearJunkie’s 2024 review.
Salomon QST Ski Collection
Salomon makes some of the best all-mountain skis around. In a 2022 review of the QST 106, we found that these skis “handle tight terrain like trees and moguls with aplomb.”
Now, the brand’s latest collection promises to up the ante for the 2025/2026 season with redesigned shapes and construction to accommodate an even wider variety of terrain. The collection includes the S/Lab QST Blank, engineered with input from Mountain Collective athletes for big-mountain adventures.
With a 112mm waist, it balances stability, responsiveness, and performance across powder and mixed conditions, Salomon said. The QST 100, the most versatile ski in the range, offers a modern design aimed at all-mountain skiers.
The S/Lab QST Blank and QST 100 should be live on the Salomon website by Thursday afternoon. The rest of the collection — including the QST 94 and QST 106 — comes out later this year.
CRKT 2025 Collection
You can probably tell we’re big fans of CRKT around here. We publish lots of reviews on the brand’s stellar blades, with options like the CRKT Padawan EDC knife earning top marks from our experts.
You’ll find plenty more than just EDC knives from the Oregon brand’s new 2025 collection, however. Highlights of the latest knives from CRKT include the M16-03XK Crossbar Lock ($85), the Minimalist Nessmuk ($75), an outdoor survival knife, and the Walker Blade Lock ($94), a folding EDC pocket knife.
Mission Workshop Advanced Peacoat
When it comes to winter wear, nature lovers often worship at the altar of GORE-TEX — and for good reason. But in my opinion, no crinkly, synthetic jacket will ever offer the swanky style of a peacoat.
Thanks to San Francisco’s Mission Workshop, the classic maritime coat now gets a makeover with technical features. Constructed with Schoeller WB-400 fabric from the Swiss Alps, the Westward has a three-layer design that is windproof, highly water-resistant, and breathable, according to the brand. Its wool/nylon stretch-woven exterior is paired with a soft micro-fleece interior and a waterproof membrane.
Schoeller’s NanoSphere treatment also supposedly enhances the coat’s water and dirt repellence. With substantial four-way stretch and a tailored fit, it’s also got zippered hand-warmer pockets and the classic peacoat collar.
PACT Wipes
We don’t just love outdoor gear — we also like keeping the outdoors free from human waste. That’s why Colorado brand PACT Outdoors earned a place in our 2023 Gear of the Year awards for lightweight kits aimed at bagging up your poo instead of leaving it in the wilderness.
Now, the brand has introduced PACT Body Wipes and Bathroom Wipes, both designed to offer a more sustainable and efficient way to stay clean during outdoor adventures. These wipes are compressed and dehydrated, requiring only a small amount of water to expand into full-sized towels, the brand said.
The Bathroom Wipes, available for $20 (100 wipes), expand into a 9-inch towel for lightweight, chemical-free cleanliness. PACT Body Wipes, priced at $15 for 25 wipes, are larger and thicker, unfolding into a 12-inch towel with a pearled texture for effective cleaning. Both products are made from 100% plant-based materials, and are free of plastics, fragrances, chlorine, alcohol, and PFAS.
West Slope Chest Packs
As ski season hits its stride, West Slope introduces the PRO-180 Chest Packs. These lightweight, weatherproof packs cater to skiers, snowboarders, and outdoor enthusiasts who want to keep their essentials accessible and secure.
The PRO-180X Chest Pack ($148-158) offers a 6L fleece-lined main compartment to store gloves, water, snacks, and more. Designed with an insulated phone pocket to maintain battery life in temperatures as low as 10 degrees F, the pack also has a hands-free phone camera mount and a water-resistant, abrasion-resistant exterior.
For a more streamlined option, the PRO-180 Slim Chest Pack ($118-128) provides slim storage for everyday essentials like snacks and smartphones. It includes a touch-responsive phone cover and the same durable, weatherproof construction as the PRO-180X, according to West Slope.
Mateminco Spotlight Flashlight
This flashlight is so big, it immediately made me reimagine a certain scene from childhood favorite Crocodile Dundee: “That’s not a flashlight. This is a flashlight.”
Mateminco’s MT90 Max SBT90.2 Spotlight Flashlight can deliver a mind-boggling 7,000 lumens, thanks to its Luminus SBT90.2 LED light. It also offers a beam distance of 3,098 m, making it a helpful tool for search and rescue, security patrols, or outdoor exploration, the brand said.
The flashlight offers dimmable brightness modes ranging from 100 lumens (84 hours runtime) to 7,000 lumens (10 minutes peak, and then up to 10 hours sustainable output). Constructed with an alloy body, the flashlight is also IPX6 waterproof and built to withstand rugged conditions, weighing about 7.2 pounds.
It also doubles as a power bank and supports USB Type-C fast charging. Currently selling at a slightly discounted price of $510, the MT90 Max is available now.
Inselberg Infima Jacket
New Zealand-based Inselberg is new brand to us stateside GearJunkies, but it makes technical mountaineering gear for professional climbers and guides. Developed in the Southern Alps with New Zealand Search and Rescue, the brand’s apparel is meant for rugged climbing adventures. That includes Inselberg’s most popular product so far, the Centile Hoody, a gold-infused down jacket developed and tested on Everest with U.S. guides.
The brand just dropped a tempting new release with the Infima Jacket, designed for climbers tackling alpine environments. The jacket has a heat-funneling system, which layers progressively less breathable fabrics to wick moisture while retaining critical insulation, the brand said. Polartec Power Grid panels along high-sweat zones supposedly enhance the garment’s airflow and mobility.
Coming in just 320 g (11.2 ounces) in size large, the Infima offers wind and water resistance with a PFC-free DWR coating. It also includes some sustainable materials, like a bio-nylon exterior, developed with Toray, that uses 60% castor-bean-based nylon. The PrimaLoft Gold Active+ insulation contains 55% recycled content.
Hults Bruk Spika
First off, don’t miss Editorial Director Sean McCoy’s breakdown of the best knives from Las Vegas’ SHOT Show, which just wrapped up this week. But the big event had more than just fancy knives to show off. It also included the debut of a Swedish axe that will tempt any outdoorsman with an eye for quality construction.
The Spika axe, priced at $200, offers a compact 17.5-inch handle. This makes it more portable than the Hults Bruk forester’s axe, while retaining the same high-performance head. A shorter handle allows users to work closer to the body, so it’s geared toward precision tasks like carving, whittling, and campsite construction, the brand said. But it’ll still chop up some firewood just fine, too.
Hand-forged in Sweden at the historic Hults Bruk forge (established 1697), the Spika has a blackened Swedish steel head with a razor-sharp, polished edge. The curved American hickory handle is treated with linseed oil for durability and grip. Each axe includes a leather sheath, storage box, and detailed user manual.
Curious how it performs? Check out our full review of the Hults Bruk Spika.
HIMALI Himalayan Apparel
We’re finally testing out some of the gear from HIMALI, a Colorado brand with plenty of connections to Himalayan climbing. After all, when your brand includes design collaborations with legendary climbers like Ed Viesturs and Tendi Sherpa — it’s probably worth checking out.
HIMALI just released the Ascent Stretch Pants, a versatile synthetic insulation layer inspired by Winter K2 summiteer Mingma G Sherpa (Mingma, along with Nims Purja, just set a new fastest time for scaling all 14 peaks without supplemental oxygen.)
The pants carry 40g PrimaLoft Gold insulation, providing warmth that is breathable, packable, and effective even when wet, HIMALI said. Constructed with a proprietary shell fabric, they offer wind and water resistance while maintaining stretch and breathability for unrestricted movement.
An ergonomic, articulated fit minimizes weight and bulk, making them ideal for mountaineering on peaks like K2 or Denali, as well as cold-weather pursuits such as skiing and ice climbing, according to the brand.
