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columbia-electro-amp-core-vest
Skiing and snowboarding may bring you to the mountain, but the après scene is what keeps you around after the lifts stop running. It might not be so bad to rock your bib and snowboard boots for your post-ride brew, but you're going to want to change into something a bit more appropriate if you plan on getting to know one of those locals by the firepit.
Looking good doesn't have to mean freezing your butt off, though — electronically heated apparel, waterproof faux denim and Merino wool sweaters are bringing technical apparel off the slopes and into the lodge. We took some of the more interesting pieces of après gear and "tested" them at various eateries and watering holes at Squaw Valley, just to make sure that waterproof and beer-proof go hand in hand.
Columbia Electro Amp Core Vest
It looks like a regular vest (Puffy? Check. No arms? Check.) until you open it up and see the disco-ball interior. The Electro Amp vest ($150, for men and women) sports Columbia's Omni-Heat lining; its signature reflective metal-dot laminate that's designed to reflect body heat back to the wearer. I thought it worked just fine, but apparently Columbia didn't, because its designers decided to add a lithium-ion battery-powered electric heating system, kind of like an electric blanket that you can wear. It has three settings — high, medium, and low heat — and once the battery is fully charged, it will provide two to three hours of heat.All photos by Ariel Zambelich/Wired
