The ski-season in Europe may be off to a slow start, but it’s dumping the white stuff in Japan and North America is quickly catching up.

The Outdoor Store is steadily expanding its range of snow-sports clothing, adding to what was already a good range of high quality ski/board specific items.

With the call of the powder knocking on many of our doors this winter, who better to ask for gear picks but our very own resident ski expert Emma Fergusson who has been a ski instructor for a number of years and is right now on route to work at the Youth Olympic Winter Games in Innsbruck. You can check out the website here (I personally got very excited about the concept of aan Olympic Sliding Centre)!

Emma Fergusson’s TOP 10 picks:

	Oakley A Frame You can't get very far without a pair of goggles. The A Frame tend to be a great fit for most people and works with most helmets. The persimmon lens is a great all-round lens for a range of light conditions, so a good pick unless you want to buy and carry a variety of lenses with you.
	Icebreaker Bodyfit 260 I'm a fan of layers - the easiest way to gear up for whatever temperatures face you outside. Icebreaker make great baselayers - lightweight, breathable, they don't shrink and they don’t stink because they are pure Merino wool.
	Patagonia Nano Puff Hoody Continuing on from baselayers, the mid-layer is actually your main insulation point. This jacket is ultra-lightweight so doesn't hinder movement whilst on the snow and most importantly will keep you warm and toasty.
	Marmot Alpinist Jacket a high quality, well designed, and diverse shell jacket. It's powder- skirt, taped seems, GORE-TEX material, generous hood and extra pocket space make it the ideal for skiers (and boarders). I always opt for a shell and layers for ski clothing - everything can be used outside of skiing, but it's also perfect for adapting what you're wearing to work in all sorts of different conditions throughout the ski season.
	Outdoor Research Arete Gloves Cold hands can make a day on the slopes miserable! These gloves are GORE-TEX (a must), have a long cuff to help keep snow out and a removable liner (for across season use and more importantly, easy to wash).
	Osprey Karve A day in the backcountry or even just on the slopes, usually means lots of gear - water, energy bars, layers, skins, beacons, cameras etc. The karve fits everything in perfectly and has been designed with all the bells and whistles e.g. ski straps, shovel compartment, compression straps etc.
	Rocky Mountain Sunscreen - a small tube that easily fits in your jacket and will save getting the goggle tan (burn) lines that we usually come away from a ski holiday with. It isn't greasy, fragrance- free and stays on even when pushing yourself the limits.
	Mountain Hardwear Tierra Pants super comfortable, lightweight and breathable ski pants. The full side zip may have been originally designed for ski racers to zip down to their lycra, but are now becoming mainstream and surprisingly useful acting as air vents when it gets too hot, or when you've been working hard for your turns.
	Marmot Lightweight Bottoms Layering works just as well for your bottom half as it does your top. With a shell pant like the Adaro thermal pants are a must. These are super-lightweight, breathable and comfortable.
	Salomon Stripe Beanie Although I always vote for wearing a helmet, a hat is good to have for the apres-ski when you want to hide the helmet hair. But, beanies can also be a good substitute for a helmet liner.