Snow

When the Swiss and Italian governments got together to redraw the alpine border that divides the two countries last year, due to rapidly retreating glaciers, it put into stark focus a challenge that is expected to face many nations that have natural structures that mark territories.

Kahtoola is preparing to launch its most portable MICROspikes traction aid to date, one so light it calls it the Ghost. It replaces stiff chains with a collapsible TPU web that disappears away in your pack until it's needed for a slick traverse.

Ice wreaks havoc on surfaces, but we might have a new way to prevent it building up. Scientists at Northwestern University have shown that textured surfaces with thin layers of graphene oxide can stay completely frost-free for long periods.

Incorporating a phase-change material into concrete, this self-heating material can melt snow and ice for up to 10 hours without any help. The novel product could reduce the need for plowing and salting and help preserve the integrity of road surfaces.

Preventing or clearing ice build-up on surfaces is a major winter problem, as some areas are currently experiencing. Scientists at KAIST have now developed a new thin film coating made of gold nanorods that can passively melt ice using just sunlight.

Hyundai has presented a new wheel and tire design that incorporates built-in snow chains that deploy and retract at the push of a button, potentially putting an end to the fiddly, freezing process of wrapping and removing traditional snow chains.

With winter just around the corner for folks in northern climes, Canada's Rocky Mountain has launched a fat-tire mountain bike called the Blizzard Powerplay that gives snow-loving trail riders some welcome motor assist.

Spring may be grudgingly approaching in the Northern Hemisphere, but that doesn't mean we're done with hearing about new forms of winter transport. One of the latest is the eLyly, a wooden electric snow scooter.

The igloo is an ingenious form of winter shelter, but building one in the traditional fashion definitely takes some skill. That's where the Inland Iglu comes in, as it allows users to build an approximation of an igloo using their garden hose.

Two years ago we told you about Envo's Electric SnowBike Kit, which let users convert their existing mountain bike to a snow-going ebike. Well, the Canadian company is now offering a complete self-contained package, in the form of the Flex Snowbike.

Right around this time last year, we first heard about the MoonBike electric snow bike. Although the French-designed vehicle was in prototype form back then, its makers have now announced full specs and pricing for the production version.

The MAN TGE has served as the base van for a variety of impressive adventure vans, and MAN recently developed an even more extreme version. The van trades wheels for treads to deliver a 4-track drive that glides over snow, mud and sand.