Don’t spend a fortune on gizmos, says Alex Grimes. Unless you’re planning to ski or snowboard off-piste without a guide, this is all the ski technology you’ll need.

Boot protectors
Seirus Innovation Cat Tracks, £14 at www.ellis-brigham.com

Walking over tarmac in your ski boots is often unavoidable, and if you do enough of it the heel and toe sections of the boots will wear so thin that they’ll start popping out of your bindings. These simple but effective slip-on plastic covers are a good way to protect your boots. They’re nonslip, too.

Walkie talkies
Motorola T5622, £55.97 for a pair at www.snowandrock.com

Yes, your mobile phone works in the mountains – but have you seen how much a week of texting and calling the other members of your party costs? It’s better to use walkie talkies for the everyday stuff – such as arranging which après-ski venue to rendezvous in – and save the phone for emergencies. These units,below, are water-resistant and effective up to five miles (provided there are no mountains in the way).

Headwear
RED Trace, £33.75 from www.ellis-brigham.com

A helmet won’t save you if you ski inadvertently off a cliff, but it can make a big difference when it comes to avoiding bumps and bruises. The important thing is finding one that fits properly. But anybody concerned about looking cool, too, should check out RED, whose Trace helmet,above, ticks all the boxes. The air vents will help keep your head cool on sunny days.

Hands-free drinking
Camelbak Snoblast, £69.95 at www.snowandrock.com

This clever little backpack comes complete with a built-in, two-litre water reservoir and an over-the-shoulder tube, which means you can drink without having to take off either your gloves or the pack.

Hand warmers
Mycoal hand warmers, £1.50 for two at www.skimarket.co.uk

Everybody gets cold hands now and again on the slopes, even while wearing gloves, and these hand warmers are a speedy way to raise the temperature. They contain a mixture of iron ore, water and salt that oxidises when taken out of the protective outer wrapper, producing heat.