Extreme sports used to be the refuge from the relentless world for people with wild spirits until now. However, recently, this field seems to have become more and more gadget-crowded, with pieces of equipment transforming into cell phones, cameras and portable media players.

If so far, snowboarding and skiing were solitary and somewhat meditative activities, thanks to heavy names from the industry of winter sports gear, athletes can now benefit from high-tech equipment, which can either provide them entertainment or increased features, to make their activity easier than ever before, not to mention more pleasurable.

Judging by the recent developments on the market of snowboarding and skiing equipment, it would seem that this is the year of the heated and “made for iPod” apparel. If, so far, these types of garments seemed to be a dream come true, the achievement of the impossible, now they are nothing but ordinary gear, which no winter sports aficionado should lack.

Winter time will never be as cold as it used to be in the past. No, I am not talking about global warming, I am talking about heated clothing. Over the past few years, we have seen an increase in cold season clothing that incorporates advanced textile heat elements to keep us toasty warm no matter how cold it gets. Well, thanks to the numerous models of heated apparel available out there, you'll be able to enjoy hitting the slopes and learning new tricks, without having to interrupt your practice because of the cold.

Not only that the heated apparel offers you protection from the cold, allowing you to perfect your snowboarding or skiing skills, but they usually display a great taste of style, so that they can be worn even outside the slopes.

If your budget is not as high as you wanted and you can't exactly afford a heated jacket, there are other solutions that might help you stay warm, such as the heated garments from the German company WarmX, made to be worn underneath your normal clothes.

This way, you can get yourself the neckshirt, for about 130 euros. This is a solution which was created for people who feel cold in the shoulder/neck area. The warming zones were integrated especially into these zones. The warmth dissolves pain in the neck muscles in a very pleasant way and induces a sense of well-being. Due to the insulation of the outerwear,  the warmth spreads evenly over the whole shoulder/neck area.

The clear advantages of the WarmX Neckshirt are the fact that it's lightweight, at the same time ensuring a maximum level of comfort. Moreover, the consumption of energy is minimal, due to the spreading of the warmth directly onto the skin. Also, the WarmX Neckshirt is machine-washable (without the power controller) and it works without any inconvenient wires. Plus, it can also be worn for trekking, cycling and all sorts of outdoor activities.

Another option is the silverSun shirt. Whether nordic walking, hiking, biking or rock-climbing – with the WarmX silverSun you will be perfectly equipped. The shirt was developed following the principle of body mapping. A variety of knitting structures ventilate or respectively warm the upper part of the body in appropriate regions and provide a comforting body climate.

Furthermore, the area of the kidneys is actively warmed up by the unique WarmX technology. Thus, the hypothermia that provokes cold is efficiently prevented. Around the body regions with strong perspiration, the shirt was knitted of pure silver plated thread – thus bacterial increase is inhibited and off odors are precluded. Through intermixture of elastic yarn, the shirt huddles closely to the skin and ensures optimum thermal transfer around the warming zones.

Also, you might find the 270 euros WarmX tights quite attractive. The WarmX tights are praised to be the world's first heatable flat-knitted tights. Warming zones have been placed at the feet and provide comforting temperatures – completely wireless and directly upon the skin.

The mini power controller is situated in a small pocket in the upper left side front of the tights. If that positioning is disturbing, the extension included in the set can be used. Thus, the power controller can be worn comfortably in the trouser pocket. The tights are knitted in one piece and thus they are completely seamless. As feet are the ones that cool down most rapidly, the warming zones were placed just in these areas.

Still to make up for the lack of a heated jacket, less expensive alternatives to get some heat in the cold winter are heated gloves. And you can choose from so many models in this area that you won't really know what to get for yourself.

Interactive Wear developed a technology platform called “iTermX”, which is a heating solution for any kind of textiles that is smaller, lighter and more flexible than conventional solutions on the market and the Solaris ski glove is the first product that has this new system implemented and manufactured at a larger scale by a high end brand like Reusch.

If you are not sure these are the right gloves for you, you can choose something else, of course. The Aevex PrimaVolta and PrimoVolta might suit you. These “revolutionary”, as its manufacturers dub them, heated gloves will alter your outdoor winter adventures forever. Heated elements strategically placed around your hand provide warmth regulated by your temperature and the conditions around you. And with rechargeable heating elements, they’re convenient and earth friendly.

All you have to do is push the “on” button and you’re ready to go, never letting poor circulation or frigid cold sideline you again. A lightweight battery is located in the wrist area, giving heat for up to 6 hours thanks to the intelligent ‘on demand’ heating technology.

You can also check out the Mountain Hardwear Red Savina heated gloves. Available for both men and women, in black and gray variations, the Red Savina are smart, heated gloves. Smart, because they come with a system that reacts to the temperature of the hand and maintains a warm and comfortable climate inside the gloves.

The Blazewear Deluxe heated gloves are a viable choice as well, since Blazewear products incorporate the very latest in carbon-based heating technology and change the focus of winter clothing from heat retention to heat emission, to offer you all the practical benefits of adjustable heat control. The heating element is soft, flexible and emits heat evenly. It has the advantage of being non-metallic and easily powered by both DC and AC voltage. It is also durable, flexible, secure, stable and of high strength.

As for jackets, if you don't want to make any compromises and make sure that you've made a good investment, one of the best options would be the Rossignol Hit jacket, launched in the second half of 2008. It has a patented adjustable heating system with four heating panels integrated into the jacket’s lining, giving up cozy warmth to make queuing up on the ski-lift more pleasant or at least more comfortable in cold weather.

When you are cold, you can simply turn on the system by pressing the button on the battery, which triggers the autonomous system into a 20 minute operating cycle – these cycles can be repeated 6 times per day before the battery has to be recharged.

The Burton Heated Dream jacket is a fierce competitor of the Hit though. Hence, it uses a rechargeable battery to power the Thermo-Tex Printed Heat, which converts electric current into radiant heat via the ink that is printed directly onto the liner of the jacket.

A jacket that's not exactly heated but features a heating function is the Helly Hansen Odin PCM Softshell Jacket, which features an advanced technology that automatically adjusts according to your body heat, namely the Schoeller-PCM heat balancing tech.

The Schoeller-PCM tech actively balances out too cold or too hot temperatures. Phase Change Materials (PCM) change their state of matter at a certain temperature: from liquid to solid and vice versa. When the temperature rises, the excess heat is stored. When the temperature falls, the previously stored heat is released again.

These are, of course, only a few examples of the level that the mixture between the fashion an clothing industry, and technology, has reached lately. You have the freedom to choose from a lot more, all you need is patience, and, of course, a rather generous wallet.