Shannon Clay, testing out Abom's anti-fog gogs. Sam Morse Photo
Postholing up to my thighs in a blizzard, I slowly crawled uphill away from the cliff line. Each step was exhausting, and by the time I made it the 50 feet up to the ski-cut traverse 10 minutes later, I was covered in sweat. Halfway up to the cut, my goggles inevitably started fogging, but as soon as I activated my goggles’ anti-fogging tech, the moisture began to dissipate, meaning I could focus on my situation, and not how badly my goggles were performing.
Abom goggles make crawling easier. Sam Morse photo.
Cardiovascular exercise in alpine environments is hard work, and often, especially for heavy sweaters like me, it leaves layers saturated, and perhaps most annoyingly — goggles hopelessly fogged. Luckily, during the aforementioned posthole sufferfest, I was testing out Abominable Labs’ (Abom) 2017 anti-fog goggles, which for me yesterday meant the difference between calling it quits versus catching last tram.
To provide context, like many skiers and riders, fogged goggles are the bane of my existence. There is no worse buzzkill than to be out ripping with friends on a powder day, only to be rendered blind by a pair of old, foggy goggles. You can hit the hand dryer, carry dry tissues — it doesn’t matter — those foggy goes are going to ruin your day.
A stoked Shannon Clay. Sam Morse photo.
Fast forward to the cusp of 2017, and Abom’s got you and your crew dialed. By utilizing a proprietary KLAIR™ dual polycarbonite lens with an interior heating film, Abom has created the simplest to use, most effective anti-fogging goggle on the market.
During the climb/crawl out of exposed terrain yesterday, I was able to reach up, and with one (gloved) hand, hit the “on” button on the surface of my Abom’s, and that was it: fog deliverance. But just to be clear, these goggles are anti-fog, not anti-sweat. If you’re hiking up to the top of a line and pouring perspiration directly onto the lenses, you may still have some issues.
They ride well, too. Sam Morse photo.
I’ve tested these goggles in a variety of situations that would normally cause fogging, and each time, they’ve delivered. Getting off the bus at the resort, the temp differential didn’t cause them to clam up and cancel the party before it got started. Hiking a bootpack to some virgin terrain, the Abom gogs managed to stave off the fog, even if I removed them from my face to take pictures or return a text.
About The Author
stash member Sam Morse
TGR Editor-at-Large. author of The Ski Town Fairytale and creative behind The Bumion. Lover of steep-and-deep lines, long trails—and hot springs waiting in the distance.