Living through the up-and-down winters of the Pacific Northwest has made finding the right goggle a never-ending headache. There have been far too many Mt. Baker days where my lenses have fogged through an infamous 33 degrees and snowing afternoon or on a hot hike out Shuksan Arm. Not being able to see properly is one of the most frustrating things to deal with on the hill, and when terrain rolls over and the sending gets a little spicier, can be quite dangerous as well.

With the Giro Contour goggle and Emerge helmet setup, those problems dissipated like the morning fog. The Contour goggle is at the intersection of comfort, style and performance, a necessary balance when heading to the hills around Baker and beyond. Meanwhile, the Emerge helmet offers a perfect compliment, providing supreme on-hill protection while integrating seamlessly with the goggle setup. Always better when they’re together, we say, and this case, the proof is in the powder.

ABOVE When conditions change quickly, it’s important to have a helmet and goggle setup ready for the task. Enter: The Contour goggle and Emerge helmet from Giro. Photo: Colby Mesick

Riding at Mt. Baker truly puts your gear to the test. Wet conditions are common and constantly cause goggles to fog up. The Contour’s Toric lens shape paired with Giro’s EVAK vent technology helps prevent lens fog no matter what the condition, adding necessary airflow and giving you a wider, clearer field of vision. The Contour comes with two lenses with optics designed by Zeiss, one for bright light and another low light. But I found that they both worked in a wide variety of visibility conditions, a nice feature when the weather rolls in unexpectedly. The quick change lens system is also a super helpful feature, especially after filling the goggles with snow after a tomahawk or catching a bit of snow after a big pow slash. Just pop off the lens and use the other until the first dries out—easy as that. Giro’s system uses magnets to align the lens and four snap pins to keep the lens attached. The lens fits secure and doesn’t allow for any moisture to get inside.

 

 

The Emerge helmet is the ideal partner for the Contour, designed in tandem with the goggles to establish a proper fit without hassle. While there are obvious aesthetic pluses to a seamless fit, by eliminating gaps between the helmet and goggle, Giro also prevents snow from getting into those gaps and causing fogging issues with its goggle. Again, consider this setup almost tomahawk-proof.

 

 

But the Emerge is more than just a pretty brain bucket. This helmet also features the latest MIPS brain protection technologies that reduces rotational impacts to help keep your head safe in a crash. MIPS brain protection technology is an extra safety feature that I like my helmets to have across all sports, designed to reduce rotational forces that can occur during crashes and lower the chances of brain injury. Giro’s MIPS technology also happens to improve the helmet’s fit (you don’t want your head to be swimming inside a helmet, after all) bringing the whole package full circle.

When it comes down to it, the Contour goggle and Emerge helmet combo is an outstanding option for any type of rider. From long hot hikes in the sun to the wettest days of the season, these goggles haven’t fogged on me once. The helmet luckily hasn’t taken any real hits yet and I’m hoping to keep it that way. But, it is good to know that Giro has me covered with the latest brain protection technology. Not to mention, the goggle and helmet integration works well so you hardly notice you’re wearing it. If you are in the market for a new pair of goggles or helmet, check out the line up from Giro.