Unless you feel like shoveling 30 feet of snow off your favorite high-country hiking trail, you’re not hitting the hills without snowshoes any time soon. Spend your winter downtime stocking up on the latest hiking gear instead. – Vicky Uhland, Special to The Denver Post
Everything but a corkscrew
We’re not sure if Q invented the SwissMemory Flight 256, but this James Bond-like accessory features a built-in USB flash drive, an LED light and a ballpoint pen, along with the regulation Swiss army knife, scissors, screwdriver and nail file. No corkscrew, though, so you’ll just have to quaff martinis on your next mountain adventure. $75-$95. REI, EASTERN MOUNTAIN SPORTS
Give your cellphone a boost
A cell phone is quickly becoming a required hiking accessory, but charging your phone in the wilderness can be a challenge. Now there’s Cellboost, a disposable, business card-sized portable charger you can insert into your mobile phone for a 60-minute battery boost. $3.99-$4.99. WALGREENS, RADIO SHACK, COMPUSA
A mountain of memories
Commemorate your climb or just pretend you’re a world-class mountaineer with benchmarks and summit marker replicas. These pewter pins, zipper pulls, earrings and paperweights are exact replicas of location markers of peaks worldwide, including 20 of Colorado’s fourteeners. $8.95-$34.95. MOUNTAINCLIMB.COM
See what you’re drinking
For anyone who’s ever mistakenly gulped cold coffee rather than water during a dark high-country night, now there’s LightCap, a 1-liter water jug with a solar-powered lid. $20-$25. GENE TAYLOR’S SPORTSMAN’S SUPPLY, GUNNISON; McGUCKIN HARDWARE, BOULDER; or SOLLIGHT.COM
