I grew up in a small ski town in the North Island of NZ called Ohakune. Its here that I gained the passion I have for skiing and being in the outdoors! I grew up skiing Ruapehu and competing/training in racing. After school, I travelled around a bit to ski in other countries and it was there that I found my love of freeride skiing.

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What are Jess'  Marmot Favourites?

I have always had issues with staying warm and dry on the mountain (especially being from a mountain that is renowned for ice and rain), so I decided to give some Marmot gear a go. I came across the Gore-Tex Spire Jacket and Cheeky pants, the Aruna Hoodie and the Randonee gloves. All in all, I am very pleased with this gear! Its perfect for all people who are going to be spending time in the mountains in all weather conditions! I really like the quality, the cut and the no frills approach to all of these items. There is just the right number of pockets and I especially like the placement of them on the pants. In fact the pants have an amazing feature in that they have a removable insulated layer inside them to keep your buns and thighs warm! This is especially good on those really cold days when you are sitting on chairlifts. The puffy is ultra warm and a great layering piece when paired with the shell jacket and the gloves are super waterproof! (even the rain couldn't get inside these gloves).

Spire Jacket

Cons: smaller fit, so if you like to layer up in ultra cold weather, then go for a size bigger!

Cheeky Pant

Aruna Hoody

Randonee Glove 

Cons: a bit cold in -20 celcius (if you tend to have colder hands, you should go for one of their mitts)

All in all, Marmot's gear has far exceeded anything that I have had in the past! I have put it through its paces in all kinds of weather and it has not let me down. It is well worth the money as its so durable and well made. I would recommend it to anyone!