GearFlogger

Julbo MonteRosa sunglasses

Julbo once again comes through with a stylish, functional pair of shades that can perform on the slopes or around the town with equal aplomb. That's a fancy word for style, you gear apes! And this one is for the ladies - men, see the larger framed MonteBianco.

Julbo knows glacier glasses, and while the MonteRosa lacks the brow piece that would qualify them for extended glacier travel, they can easily handle anything else on the mountains, snow or water thanks to the removable snap-in side shields.

The fit overall is a perfect design of style and performance; the MonteRosa mimics stylish about-town shades but packs in technical features that will carry you through backcountry adventures. The easy-on/off temples are just awesome, with a flexible design and narrow grabber strips that provide just the right amount of traction, even when sweaty. Not that you'll sweat, you'll be too busy looking cool.

There are three lens choices: the economical Spectron 4, the higher-performance photochromic/anti-fog Zebra, and the top shelf Camel, which adds NTS technology to ensure flawless transitions regardless of temperature. The Zebras get much darker, going from 7 to 42 percent light transmission versus 5 to 20 percent for the Camel. Neither is recommended for driving, and we understand the manufacturers concerns but in our experience they work just fine everywhere.

$100 at REI (Spectron 4 lens)

Julbo Explorer Glacier Glasses

Eye protection is one of those critical items that need redundancy in your packing list. It's also a very personal piece of gear, much like boots. It has to fit well or you'll notice it every minute. The Julbo Explorer glacier glasses are still our favorite eyewear when we're traveling into thin air.

The Explorers are a stout piece of eyewear, weighing in at 1.7oz with their side shields and leash. They don't come with a nose protector, but that's easily solved with a NozKon, and there's even a little slot on the bridge for it (note the production models don't have the little vertical piece in the middle of the slot). The lenses are very dark and perfect for high-glare snow travel. There are actually a few different lenses; I tried the Camel photochromic, polarized anti-fog lens and it's a winner: for such full coverage they don't fog too quickly.

The side shields add just a little bit extra coverage, and they snap in and out easily. They also have a matching vent hole so they don't obstruct the hole on the frame, and the holes are angled so you won't get a little laser sunburn. The arms are beefy; don't expect a lot of peripheral vision, but that just goes with the format. The temples are adjustable, which is good because the leash attachment points might poke your brain if you don't give them a little twist outward. The Explorers just nail it, and despite a full quiver of shades we keep coming back to them.

$120.00 at REI

Julbo Trek sunglasses

In a color scheme only a mother could love come the Julbo Trek sunglasses. Actually, after an initial WTF reaction to blue and orange (bleeding smurf?) they kind of grew on us. They're also available in some slightly milder color combos. Either way, Julbo makes good glasses so we were more interested in performance.

The Trek comes with your choice of Spectron 4, Zebra or Camel lenses. The Spectrons are the budget lens, and if you're investing in a quality brand like Julbo you'll want to step up to the Zebra or Camel. Both are photochromic and anti-fog; the difference is in light transmission. The Zebra gets much lighter, 7 to 42 percent light transmission, while the Camel goes 5 to 20 percent. Both are recommended by Julbo for mountain, water, and bright light conditions. Both are not recommended by Julbo for driving.

Our model had the Zebra lenses, and we found them suitable for driving as long as you're not rapidly transitioning between deep shadows and bright sun. The photochromic response is 28 seconds end-to-end, which is just fine for most uses. The Trek's true home is in the vertical environment, where they perform like champs. The acuity of the lenses is great, and the light weight and ergonomics rock. Need ventilation for high-output? Remove the side shields and brow piece. Transitioning to glacier travel? Put the shields back on, it only takes a second.

The Trek is definitely a small/medium face frame. The nose pads flex a bit and the temples adjust by bending, so you can tailor the fit from there. Included is a clip-on leash and hard and soft cases. If you're looking for all-mountain sunglasses that will take you just about anywhere, the Trek is a great choice with lenses to match your epic.

$180.00 at REI