I can remember my first ski coat clearly: a purple anorak made by Columbia that I got when I was 11 years old. It was the coat that kept me dry and warm as I learned to ski and, in my mind, it became an essential force field for the chairlift. I wore the damn thing until it shredded. I can also easily recall my first pair of higher-end ski pants. They were made by The North Face and were with me all through high school until they completely fell apart.
However, if you asked me to tell you what base layers I wore as I grew up skiing, I’d laugh in your face. Base layers, while essential, are totally forgettable. Up until last year I had a bucket of random base layers that I picked through when I would go hunting, hiking, or skiing, but none of them left any kind of impression. I would just choose a merino top if I knew I was going to sweat a lot, and a thicker, synthetic layer if it was really cold.
Then last fall, I came across the Chinook Merino Hoody from Stone Glacier. At first it seemed like just another base layer top with a hood. My opinion changed, however, when I was forced to live in the Chinook for four…
