What to look for in Ski clothing

Clarice

I'm going skiing later this year and want to start picking up some bits while the sales are on. Is there anything in particular to look out for - especially for the jacket? Snow skirts etc...

robinph

Well it needs to be waterproof first, but you don't really want anything too warm in the jacket, for warmth wear extra layers that you can then take off iff needed. I've a skirt in my jacket which could be handy, but would have been more so if I'd had my sallopettes with me when getting the jacket and could then have seen if they actually would attach together at the right spots, I'm also a bit too skinny round the waist for the skirt of the jacket as well to properly fill it out but needed the larger sized jacket so that my arms didn't hang out the end of it.

It's fine though as long as I don't fall over forwards.

Probably the most usefull thing in any jacket is a pocket on the left for your lift pass.

paddyb

breathability is one of the first things i look for and also the waterproof rating.
Layering is the best option as you can remove or add layers - I wear thermals fleece and shell jacket on cold days

EileenG

Warm, waterproof and breathable. Spend money on Goretex gloves. Believe me, you can cope with a cheap jacket a lot more easily than cheap gloves.

The most important thing is that the jacket fits you and gives you room to move without letting in lots of drafts. You don't need a snow skirt particularly, unless the jacket is very short and you are wearing ski pants that are low rise. If you have high rise pants on, then you'll get away with a shorter jacket.

Actually, both Lidl and Aldi have a special sale of ski and snow boarding stuff early each winter, and I find their stuff is just as good as the much higher priced stuff from most shops. It's only worth paying the extra if you have really specialist needs or are a very unusual size.

SnowMonkey

I recomend going into Tk macs youle get the best deals there actuly ule get some unreal deals there...

as for what you need in a jacket bare minium pit zips and snow skirt, why because when your skiing your useually warm ... when your sitting on a long chairlift you can get cold zip your pits up and sorted.... snowskirts are important as when you fall your jacket will lift and itle be bare flesh against snow... which isnt fun, hats and a nice pair of glove's...


as for water proof jackts 2 to 5 k water resistence would be ok itle say that on the label. that would be sufisiont enough i would think for you

Overflow

I think the most important items you should have are a good pair of gloves, ones that extend up a good bit past the wrist, this stops snow coming into the glove, not 100% but better than standard gloves.

Next id fork out for a good jacket, if you get a good one they should be light weight and not bulky, but are still water proof and wind resistant. You will be able to move more freely in a light weight jacket.
I forked out 500 Euros for this jacket, its a Norwegian brand i dont know if you can get them back home in Ireland. Its a brand called Bergans.



Make sure your pants are waterproof, because if its your first time skiing you will most likely be on your ass alot and you can get quite wet.
Also i wear one pair of thick Thinsulate socks.

If you have good sunny weather while your skiing you will manage with just a pair of sun glasses while skiing, becareful because some glasses can blur out the contours in the snow, which is not good, you could hit a bump or groove in the snow without ever seeing it and snot yourself.

If the conditions are bad, rainy/sleet, windy, snowing, which it can be at the top of a mountain, even ifs its not a the bottom, you should have a good pair of Ski googles, make sure they dont steam up on the inside otherwise your as good as blind. Also its next to impossible to see if you dont wear googles or glasses and you happen to be at the top of a mountain when its snowing and the wind is blowing a gale, its like thousands of needles whacking off the side of your face. Most goggles should be sprayed with a Anti-Steam or something chemical.

EileenG

Ok, I have spent 500 euro on ski clothes, but I don't suggest you do this until you know you are seriously addicted and will be skiing for years to come. At the beginning, when you are skiing on piste and probably taking frequent breaks, all you need is something that keeps you covered and is pretty warm and waterproof.

Check out the Patagonia shop in Wicklow Street in Dublin. They have odd sizes, but you can often get great bargains on top quality ski clothes. Also, Great Outdoors often sells off ex-hire stock at the beginning of the season.

If you have a comfortable jacket but are not sure if it's waterproof enough enough, wash it in TX-direct to boost the proofing.

Overflow

EileenG wrote: »

Ok, I have spent 500 euro on ski clothes, but I don't suggest you do this until you know you are seriously addicted and will be skiing for years to come. At the beginning, when you are skiing on piste and probably taking frequent breaks, all you need is something that keeps you covered and is pretty warm and waterproof.

Check out the Patagonia shop in Wicklow Street in Dublin. They have odd sizes, but you can often get great bargains on top quality ski clothes. Also, Great Outdoors often sells off ex-hire stock at the beginning of the season.

If you have a comfortable jacket but are not sure if it's waterproof enough enough, wash it in TX-direct to boost the proofing.

Yeah i would have to agree with you there actually, make sure your snow junkie before throw away loads of money on expensive gear. So i would go with EileenG's suggestions until you have had your first ski holiday.

If you love skiing and cant wait to get back on the slopes then i would invest in some good gear, it will also last you alot longer and be cheaper in the long run. For example that Jacket i bought above comes with a 10 year gaurantee, if it fatigues in anyway, like tears or leaks i can send it back for a new one.

ShayK1

Overflow wrote: »

I think the most important items you should have are a good pair of gloves, ones that extend up a good bit past the wrist, this stops snow coming into the glove

+1 on the gloves!!

I have a pair something like these, infact VERY like these

They have felco that closes around the bottom of the hand and then a pull string that closes further up your wrist.

However those ones are €70. I got mine in the Quiksilver outlet store in Kildare village for €18 or something. The RRP was €57, outlet price was €36 and there was a half price sale on. SCORE!!!

Sidney77

for the jacket you need minimum 5k most ppl go for 10k. some thermals (i use hot chillis they are great not sure where youd get them here though) sallopettes with suspenders are best, good thick socks(hot chilis make those too) and something to cover your face with. if you have a warm jacket one layer is usually ok but for a thin one with no insulation you may need 2

EileenG

The one thing is that a decent ski jacket will see lots of wear in a typical Irish winter. I find that I wear a lot of my ski clothes on the bike, and visa verse. I use my cycle leggings as an inner layer under ski pants, and I've worn Aldi ski pants as bad weather cycling gear.