Skiing

GwylimT

So I have been invited to go skiing with my brother in law, he is paying for himself and three friends, we just have to buy our own gear.

For those of you who have been before which clothing brands would you recommend, which would you advise that I avoid, or possibly links to a few essentials that are good quality.

As you can see I'm clueless, I have looked at renting gear, but I just can't feel comfortable wearing someone elses clothes.

Are the summer months the cheapest time to buy?

poe.tuesday

buy second hand on ebay - by far the cheapest way to do it and also, if you go to skiware shop, try on the gear, find the size and brands then look on ebay - you will get some great bargains

for more info on what to wear look at https://www.lapland.fruitbandit.com - whilst its about what to wear in lapland it also says about layering etc

but basically, you need a base layer, a mid layer and outer layer (ski jacket and salopettes) gloves, hat and good socks and helmet (dont buy second hand helmets - vans discount shops do them, main protest brand which is good)

you will get a jacket and salos for a tenner each including postage, look at oneill as they go cheap, watch for the french and italian brands as they come up small

you will also need some snow boots, moon boots are easy and cheap

you should be able to kit yourself out for around £100 if you are savvy about it but also do ask about the lift pass as your bro may not be paying for that and that can set you back £200 unless you are getting a learn to ski package

Blue264

As above, it's all about layering.

You should be able to get cotton based thermal vests from your local pound shop. Add a decent quality cotton T-shirt, and top with a thermal, long sleeved, cotton ski top.Mine cost £5 in the sales. top this off with a decent ski jacket and trousers.

For you're base layers, it's best to stick to cotton and silk. Silk gloves under normal ski gloves are great if you can get hold of them cheaply.

After my first trip, I invested in a long wool/cashmere coat for about £90 in the sales. I found it allowed me to blend in with the locals more and has been worth it's weight in gold, still going strong 15yrs later.

sjg666

I don't ski myself... but my other half goes every year and this year got a lot of stuff (base layers, socks, salopettes) from here http://www.decathlon.co.uk/ he says everything he got was great value for money. I think their 'own brand' stuff is a brand called Wedze or something similar which is what he bought.

Or TKMaxx has the big brands in store usually.

BritAbroad

Where and when are you going? That can make a big difference. Depending on your plans you might be able to pick up discounted stuff in the country you're going to.

Layers, layers, layers are your friend! There is a world of difference between skiing on a sunny day with no wind and temps above 0 degrees centigrade, to skiing when when it's -40 centigrade in the wind chill with no sun and the snow dumping down. Trust me, I've done both. (And I prefer the -40 with the snow dumping down :-) ).

My layering strategy generally involves wool base layers (something like SmartWool or Icebreaker), usually a wool t-shirt with a long sleeved wool zip-neck top, and wool leggings. You could also go for a synthetic breathable fabric such as capilene. Absolutely no cotton - you need to be able to wick away moisture without becoming cold. If it's extremely cold I'll wear a very lightweight breathable running jacket (I like The North Face for these) and then a ski jacket and ski pants (I have decent padded ones for the cold days and lighter gore-tex ones for warmer weather).

I ski a LOT so I buy good quality jackets and ski pants - Obermeyer, Salomon, Spyder and Rossignol tend to be my favourites. Another option would be to use a fleece or an artificial down jacket (Patagonia and North Face do these) which is non bulky and you can put a lightweight waterproof jacket on top. Look for jackets/pants with a decent number of pockets - you'll want somewhere to put your lip balm, sunscreen, hankie, phone etc. Zipped vents under the arms or on the legs are also a good idea though not essential.

For socks, go thin - thinner is actually better for warmth. I personally like SmartWool PhD Ultra Light cushion, or EuroSock Superlites. You can also buy very thin sock liners, or or shove a set of disposable toe warmers into your boots (Grabber are the main brand for these and they're cheap - I don't know how much you'd pay in the UK but they're about 50 cents a pair in the US).

Mitts are warmer than gloves and you can put liners and hand warmers in for extra heat. It's really down to personal preference though what to go for. I have gloves/mitts by several brands, including Black Diamond, Arc'teryx and the North Face, as I find different pairs are more comfortable with certain jackets depending on the cuff.

Other accessories I use are a thin wool balaclava or a helmet liner, and a neck warmer/buff. Lots of sunscreen and moisturiser. Helmet, googles and sunglasses. I picked up my helmet in a sale for $40, it's made by Smith, as are my googles. One thing to check if you're buying a helmet and googles is to ensure they fit comfortably together as sometimes they don't quite.

It's fair to say that ski clothes can be pricey (and brands like Spyder certainly are not cheap) but there are bargains to be had, and plenty of places will sell you decent fleeces and the like at a reasonable cost which is good if you're just starting out. If you are willing to hire some gear, I'd hire the ski pants, jacket and helmet (and skis, boots and poles), and buy the base layers. It's worth going to some outdoor and ski shops to have a look and get an idea of the type of thing you're looking for. Then look in places like TK Maxx, outlet malls and online (you can find ski stuff on both ebay and Amazon). Don't be put off by costs - I have a lot of high end gear but I certainly didn't start out that way and gradually upgraded it all over time. I'm also using it a lot - I ski 50+ days a year and live in a pretty extreme climate where you regularly need a ski jacket just for walking around town. If you're just starting out it really is not worth it to spend a fortune on stuff you might never use again.

Enjoy it! Snowsports are absolutely fantastic - lots of fun, tons of fresh air, great views, brilliant memories. You'll eat like a horse and sleep like a baby!

poe.tuesday

no to cotton as a base layer - when you sweat the base layer needs to move the sweat away from your skin (known as wicking) and cotton does not wick, it absorbs the sweat and then goes cold, like having a damp flannel against your skin - okay to have a bit of cotton mix (lots of thermal base layers have this) but not all cotton

for a first time skiier - dont buy expensive stuff, the suggestions from BritAbroad whist great, they are all very expensive brands - a spyder jacket, £400 plus for new, icebreaker baselayers - upwards of £100 - you dont need to spend this type of money

I have skied in -28 and been very happy with the gear I have got from ebay, its all about the layers

cheap brands that you can look at, dare2b, trespass, oneill - they are all basic brands and will do you fine - unless you want to go and spend loads of money, then go and get a spyder or bognor jacket etc, but dont get one from ebay, lots of fakes about

I kit out my family every year for skiing, and i get great deals on ebay, as long as you know your sizing, know your brands and make sure that they are in good condition, you cant really go wrong and will save yourself a load

GwylimT

Thanks for the advice guys.

Britabroad we are going to Austria late december/early January, I can't remember the exact resort name but it sounded like gurgle...

poe.tuesday

its not going to be extreme temps there and also austria is cheap in comparison to other places for skiing, especially for food on the piste - we are off there in two weeks time

badskindollheart

Aldi does really cheap ski stuff every so often. I got my jacket and sallopettes for £40, they were perfectly fine for Austria. As others have said it's all about layering.

I would recommend good quality gloves, mine were bought in resort after I lost my cheapo pair but you can probably get decent ones in outlet villages.

I went to Lapland this year and got some fleece lined leggings from Primark that were great and cost about £6.

Austria is lovely - I'm jealous!