The Guy's Gear Gift Guide for Christmas 2018

1) For Secret Santa

Did you pick the Secret Santa for the guy in the office who has a screen saver of himself thigh deep in Japow? Then he'll absolutely love a Black Diamond SKI STRAP, on Amazon for £4.30, the only ski carrying accessory with gnar outside the apres bar.and extremely practical as you can lash skis with poles (see above) leaving hands free if you're the bloke on a rope. Even if he already has one, he can use it on another of the many pairs of skis he's bound to have in his quiver. But, er, check that he's not a snowboarder.

2) For The Cool Guy

He's so cool that he goes ski touringi in the Lyngen Alps, snowboarding in Chile or heli-skiing in Alaska. He may even have been to Antarctica (in which case skip No 5 for a present). But going to such chilled places can also be, well, chilly. So give this guy some undergear as in  MERINO THERMALS  from Icebreaker who believe in using the natural alternative to synthetics. Half zip top for £95, leggings for £90 and the only ski / snowboard socks a guy would actually thank you for, Merino wool ones for £26.

3) For the Boys Who Need Toys

This season is more about techno than style, see our Game Changers for Winter 2019. If you want to keep him occupied all Christmas day, playing happily in the corner while you cook the turkey then get him one of the new gadgets ideal for skiers and snowboarders. The Garmin INREACH MINI will keep him quiet configuring the software and related apps. £280 from Global Telesat Communications. Or buy him one of the more advanced drones suitable for tracking skiers or snowboarders such as the SKYDIO R1 (above) for around £1,952 and then he'll go outside and play for hours.

4) For The Eco Guy

He's always going on about protecting the planet, stopping global warming because if the snow runs out what's he going to do? So he'll be very happy with a Protect Our Winters UK HOODIE made with organic cotton using the most environmentally friendly methods, fully traceable and renewable powered. £39.95 with all proceeds going to POW UK. Or you could plant a tree in his name for €12.99 through POW UK but that's a bit like sponsoring a penguin on behalf of a child who would be far happier with a virtual penguin on Madagascar, the computer game.

5) For The Guy Who's Skied / Snowboarded Everywhere

If you're sitting in your castle twiddling your tiara and wondering what to buy Lord Dude then how about a trip of a ski (or snowboard) lifetime with Ice Axe Expeditions, now booking next year's ANTARCTIC ADVENTURE CRUISE for 1st-13th November, 2019, perfect for the guy who's skied or helied everywhere else - read our Style Altitude team review in The Axe Factor. Cost around $13,000 for Lower Deck twin room including ski tour guide, but we're sure Lord Dude wouldn't settle for less than the Owner's Suite for $23,500.

6) For A Stocking Filler

On the other hand, if you're looking for a stocking filler that costs less than a chocolat chaud in St Moritz, then go to Claire's Accessories. Yes, Claire's. They have paisley BANDANAS for £5 that the most gnarcissistic of mountain guides would wear. We suggest, though, that you unpick the Claire's label and sew on Patagonia.

7) For On The Wall 

You may not want to encourage that two thousand yard stare, the one he gets as a victim of mountain memory, visualising the moguls he's mastered or the powder he has slain but a high quality FRAMED PRINT taken by mountain photographer, Michael Truelove, would have pride of place on any skier's or snowboarder's wall. Art print, as above, from £72.51 from Artflakes.

8) For More Off The Wall

Well, you could buy him new powder skis or splitboard but, if he's like most men, he'd rather buy his own after endless research. Like you wouldn't buy a guy a car unless he was your 17 year old son. So take a swerve from the obvious skis or board and buy him a bag. Not just any bag but the E1 ALPRIDE airbag from SCOTT, which uses the latest electronic technology without cartridges. It'll give extra cred in the backcountry where guys can get avy envy over tech kit, worse than girls and handbags - and, even more crucially,for £800, it might save his life in an avalanche.

Now check out our Girl's Gift Guide