longterm test apparel etc that works

AmSnow.com is now SnoWest.com

Each year AmSnow receives a variety of gear to test for the season so you'll know how it all holds up and if it does the job it's supposed to for sledders. Here's our report, grading on a 10-point scale with 10 being the highest. We also include some GPS and traction items too, but let's start with the apparel!

HMK Pro Boa Boots
We can't say enough great things about these new boots from HMK. They are comfortable, warm, stylish and race ready! These are boots made for the aggressive rider who wants the newest technology, and wants to look good too - nothing wrong with that.

To date, these are my favorite boots, and I've gone through a fair amount of boots through the years.

What makes HMK's boots special is the BOA lacing system. First used in wakeboard bindings and other extreme sport applications, HMK is the first to use the design for a snowmobile boot. Much easier than laces, the BOA's lock and release dial and cinching system fits around your foot and ankle like a custom fit glove. A small cable runs through the eyelets and winds up inside the reel. Just pull out the reel to release the tension or push it in and turn the dial to increase the tightness.

With the Pro Boa, putting your boots on and taking them off is simple and there is no more lacing up through 50 lace holes and clumsy tying to deal with while your hands are freezing in the snow. Also, you don't get ice buildup around the laces, so when you take the boots off, you just pull out on the reel to release the lock and then slip out.

Did we mention that they are lightweight and great for both mountain and trail riding? They are plenty warm too. I tested them to -22°F in the mountains out West and my toes were still warm. Look for more innovations from HMK this year too!
- Mark Boncher
AmSnow accessory score: 9
MSRP: $239.95
Color: Black/Orange
Sizes: 8-15 full sizes only
More info:www.hmksnowmobiling.com

R.U. Outside Sonic Racing Boot
Designed as a boot for aggressive riding and racing, the Sonic Racing Boot from R.U. Outside in Logan, Utah, is comfy as well. Using a form-fitting inner sole and waterproof, lightweight 4 mm EVA liner, this boot keeps you warm and dry in just one pair of regular socks up to -50°F.

This is a great boot for riding, but also one of the most comfortable boots we've tried for standing and walking at the many races and events we attend. The boots are not quite as rigid as other race boots and they feel almost like having really warm tennis shoes on your feet.

The only downside is the lack of traction and softness of the outsole. It's difficult to rake snow out of your sled's footwells and off running boards and we sometimes lost traction while in a standing position.

The boots held up well throughout the season's punishment and they are significantly less expensive than many of the competitors boots. We would recommend them to the hard-core enthusiast on a budget.
- Mark Boncher
AmSnow accessory score: 7
MSRP: $129.95
Color: Black/Silver
Sizes: 6-14 unisex full sizes only
More info: www.ruoutside.com

Ski-Doo Leather Short Glove
Genuine high-quality leather gloves are a must in every snowmobiler's gear bag. For the aggressive Ski-Doo rider these are the gloves they should own. The gloves are soft, comfortable and not like the bulky leather gloves from the 1970's that made it impossible to do anything with your hands once you put them on.

The gloves are a gauntlet style, but the cuffs are not as long as many other competing models. The gloves' articulated style makes gripping easy too.

I am not a fan of bulky gauntlet gloves and don't like snow building up in the cuff or the extra material. However, I made sure I packed these gloves for each trip I took this year because they were comfortable, warm and stylish.
- Mark Boncher
AmSnow accessory score: 7
MSRP: $79.99
Color: Black
Sizes: S, M, L, XL, 2SL
More info: www.ski-doo.com

180s Multisport Enduro Glove
These gloves were comfortable and the padding on the palm was in just the right place for holding onto handlebars. They were the perfect weight for riding when temps were in the mid-20s or higher, but in colder temps they weren't warm enough. But that's because they're not designed for really cold weather!

The 180s also have the Exhale feature, where you can breathe into the glove to warm your fingers. It is not easy to use and doesn't seem to really warm your hands all that well. However, these gloves are waterproof, which was nice on the trail. Sizing is a bit small, test gloves were a men's large and they fit my small hands well. A good glove for warmer weather riding!
- Lisa Petersen
AmSnow accessory score: 6
MSRP: $40.00
Color: Black/Grey
Sizes: M, L, XL
More info: www.180s.com

R.U. Outside X-Static Racing Glove
R.U. Outside has come up with some of the best lightweight gloves on the market. With reliability and better transference of heat in modern sled handlebar warmers, these thin X-Static racing gloves were all we needed last winter.

The X-Static gloves are not heavy leathers and not rated to -50°F, but they are perfect for the rider who really likes to feel his or her sled performing. They are warm enough to keep hands toasty above 20°F, and we tested them down to about -5 before we switched to our thicker gloves.

With wind-resistant Britex, Thinsulate insulation and Amara leather palm, these gloves are high quality. They do not bunch up like larger gloves and they let you keep a good grip on the bars at all times. The long wrist cuff with Velcro strap also keeps snow and moisture out.

We would love to see these gloves with a thin Gore-Tex inner layer too, but we were more than satisfied with their performance throughout the winter. The thinness of the gloves also make it possible to do simple things like zip your coat and undo your helmet without taking your gloves off, a plus in the cold and wind.
- Mark Boncher
AmSnow accessory score: 7
MSRP: $44.95
Color: Black/Silver
Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL
More info: www.ruoutside.com

Duofold Snowbound Base Layer Shirt and Pant
It's nearly impossible to be warm while snowmobiling if you are wet. Duofold Co. creates base layer clothing that has excellent wicking capability to move water away from the skin without trapping the wetness in the fibers of the clothing, therefore holding it against your body. With this technology you are dry and can stay warm snowmobiling no matter the conditions.

We have experimented with several base layers this year and found that the Duofold Snowbound long sleeve mock turtleneck and accompanying pant were the most comfortable. The Duofold gear also wicked moisture away effectively. We tested these garments to -35°F and used them in just about every kind of winter weather from icy rain to mountain powder.
- Mark Boncher
AmSnow accessory score: 8
MSRP: $45.00 (shirt), $40 (pant)
Color: Black/Grey
Sizes: M, L, XL
More info: www.duofold.com

Garmin Rino Two-way Radio and GPS Unit
Do you have a friend who gets lost so much he carries one of those little pin compasses on his snowmobile suit?

Well get him one of these new handheld Garmin GPS units and he will instantly become the most directionally superior sledder in the group.

The units we long-term tested last season were the Rino 530 and 520. These two units are almost identical except for a few small additional options on the 530 such as an altimeter and weather alert reading. Each has five main pages of screen options including a 2-way radio read-out, map page, main menu, active route page and compass page.

If you are a digital junkie, the Garmin Rino is a must for snowmobile trips. Some of our favorite features were plugging in headsets to talk to others in your group and using the "peer-to-peer positioning" to know exactly where/how far away others in our group were when we got separated.

The detailed maps work-ed to find new powder routes through untouched scenery, and we were a hit at the restaurants when we dialed in the local up-to-the-minute weather reports.

The GPS unit was used the most when trying to follow trails to a certain town. Especially in northern Wisconsin and other high-traffic sled areas, signs don't always discuss town names or distances but read more like, "Dan's bar ahead." Well that's great, but who is Dan and where is his bar?

If your local trail map has been made useless by wet snow, coffee, oil and whatever else has been spilled on it throughout the day, the GPS unit is a lifesaver and lets you know all the details you need to pull into the next town as the fearless leader of your group. Rivers, lakes, highways, towns, railroads, streets and parks, can be seen on the GPS map page.

Not only did we use the GPS units on the sleds, but they also saved us a couple times in our Chevy tow vehicle. When driving snowy, one lane roads with a 4-place trailer trying to find your buddy's cabin out in the woods, it was a comfort to be able to see where we were on the GPS.

Additionally, the Rino has a calendar, alarm clock, calculator, stopwatch, games mode and more. What's not to like?
- Mark Boncher
AmSnow accessory score: 9
Garmin Rino 530 MSRP: $535.70
Garmin Rino 520 MSRP: $482.13
More info: www.garmin.com

Mack Studs
For more than 15 years Mack Studs of Pelham, N.H., has been producing traction products for just about every snowmobile application from racing to leisurely trail riding. Though not as well known as some other
traction producers, this last year AmSnow had the opportunity to test two sets of these zinc plated, heat treated, push through, studs. They have a 60-degree welded carbide tip - similar to other traction products throughout the industry - but the ¼-inch deep tip is stronger than some products we've seen.

We had both the 5/16 x 1.075-inch studs - these give more bite to your 1-inch lugged track - and the 5/16 x 1.325, which will work on your 1.25-inch lugged track. We have always been fans of square backer plates, which we again used with these two stud packages.

There are no double backers here, and we followed Mack's own 96-stud package template. The backers come in six different finishes from Mack including red, blue, green, gold, silver and a matte metal finish so they match just about any color machine you own.

We didn't have one bent or pulled stud all winter and we were pleased with the minimal wear we saw after several hundred miles.

We also were pleased to see that at Mack you can buy complete packages of studs, backers and fasteners for a little less than many competitors. And you don't have to buy each of the components separately, which can take some of the confusion out of ordering online or over the phone, especially for first time buyers.
- AmSnow Staff
AmSnow accessory score: 8.5
More info: www.mackstud.com, 603-635-3330