In the dead of winter, many things in your life can take a turn for the worse. Your skin turns dry and patchy, your home heating bills skyrocket, driving becomes treacherous as your car takes on salt damage, and on and on and on. But one area of your life that doesn’t have to take a hit during the coldest time of the year is your EDC. In fact, if you play your cards right, you can put together a killer loadout that fits both practically and aesthetically with winter’s harshest extremes. To illustrate this point, we’ve put together a high-end and highly-capable EDC loadout that’s based around the themes of polar exploration and snowy white landscapes.
Zippo 6-Hour Refillable Hand Warmer
If you’re going to be out and about in extreme cold temperatures, then you’re going to need more than the usual EDC accessories to best battle the elements. That’s where Zippo’s refillable hand warmers come in. The version seen here allows you to keep the cold away without losing any of your cool thanks to its sleek, compact design and icy Pearl White exterior. Featuring Easy Fill technology, it heats up quickly and provides up to six hours of flameless heat.
Benchmade 533BK-1 Mini Bugout
A pocket knife is always a welcome addition to any EDC ensemble, and that goes for cold conditions, too. After all, it’s not like the situations that call for a knife in a typical day magically disappear when the temperature drops. And if you’re going to carry a knife in the winter, you might as well go for one that looks the part. Benchmade’s scaled-down version of its legendary Bugout flipper is one such blade thanks to its stylish combination of a white Grivory handle and a black Cerakote CPM-S30V steel blade.
Vuarnet Glacier 2110
It’s a common misconception that you don’t need to wear sunglasses in the winter. The sun’s UV rays are just as damaging to your eyes whether it’s cold or hot outside, and the bright light reflecting off of snow and ice can cause tremendous eyestrain. But why wear just any sunglasses in the winter when you can wear a pair that’s made specifically for snowy environments? French luxury eyewear maker Vuarnet has been dominating ski slopes for decades, and the Glacier is one of its signature mountain models. This whited-out iteration features a titanium and bio-acetate frame and removable side and bridge shields for extra protection from ultra-bright conditions.
Rolex Explorer II
Nicknamed the “Polar Explorer,” Rolex’s white-dialed version of the Explorer II watch is engineered to endure in the harshest conditions. Its fixed 24-hour bezel, Chromalight lume, and orange fourth hand are designed to help wearers easily distinguish between daytime and nighttime hours in areas that see extended periods of darkness — like at the Earth’s poles. You can also expect a rigorously-tested Oystersteel case that’s built to withstand the challenges of polar exploration, along with a guaranteed waterproofness of 100m — yes, Rolex is confident enough to say waterproof over water resistance.
