Clothes for skiing

[treadlightly]

I'm going skiing next month for the first time in more than 20 years. I don't have any specialist ski clothing and don't want to shell out on a load of brightly coloured plastic kit that I may well never wear again.

So....I propose to use my normal outdoor clothing. My SASS smock over various layers of wool and a pair of old waterproof/breathable overtrousers with wool longjohns underneath. Wool hat, gloves and neck gaiter will complete the list.

I reckon that should do me OK in the Alps. What d'ya think??

 

[Shewie]

I'm in the same boat, going boarding in Chamonix for the first time on Boxing Day.

I was thinking about wearing my swedish M90 goretex trews and a ventile smock but our lass talked me into buying some proper clobber. I've been getting my bits from TKMaxx which to be fair have some great deals.

 

[Retired Member southey]

I think you shoud be fine with your kit as long as you can move in it, and it keeps you cool on the move, I bought a few bit from these guys last year very good service and a really liked the d2b kit, no other link than a happy customer,

 

[Paullyfuzz]

I have never purchased specialist gear. I go every year and always use my Paramo jacket and salopettes.

Paul

 

[bmartin1uk]

I reckon you'll be fine.
How good are you at skiing? The reason i ask, if you never fall then you just need to dress to the temperature. If you fall over sometimes/a lot then your waterproof trousers will need to be sturdy enough to not rip on ice as you slide along on your bum and your SASS smock needs to be not so big that your jacket fills with snow. Most ski/board jackets have 'snow skirts' in now. But these things are all for added comfort - Like bum/thigh protectors and heated boots.
The things i wouldn't skip on are any additional protection you might want - helmets, body armour and wrist guards - all depends how much you like to 'rip it up' (I almost sounded 'down with the kids' there!), decent goggles (nice to see where you're going and cheap goggles just fog up all the time), and decent boots. Boots as i'm sure you remember from your last trip can make or break a day on the slopes.
Have a great time and stay safe.

 

[Chainsaw]

I went for a pair of pukka ski trousers, got them in the US and were pretty cheap but IMO definitely worth it. Have a look in TK max or mountain warehouse etc for a cheapish pair, you don't want your legs/socks/butt to get wet. Never wore thermals, never felt cold enough. Merino socks.

Merino long sleeve base, North Face microfleece midlayer and BCUK ventile on top. The ventile was brilliant!! Also took a NF outer layer with me and even with it being breathable with pit zips etc I still got a little sweaty when working hard (ie all the time if you've ever seen me skiing!) Never got sweaty at all in the ventile, it suited the cold conditions perfectly.

Pack a fleecey buff, neck gaiter thing, found it great in bad weather, goggles on buff up, toasty!! Merino beanie on top. For gloves I wore two layers (my hands get sore when cold) microfleecy liners and a pair of NF ski gloves, missus had mittens and thought they were ace. I took me a couple of days to figure out how hot I'd be running and this is what I settled on, ended looking like an upside down pint of guinness!

Hope this helps.

Alan

 

[treadlightly]

Glad to hear the ventile performed well Chainsaw. I suppose it should as it was developed with Arctic weather in mind. The lack of a snow skirt in the smock did occur to me but I thought that tightening the cords at waist and hem could compensate.

Good point, Bmartin. I suspect I'll be falling down quite a bit so I'll think about whether my overtrousers are strong enough.

Thanks to you all for the advice/comments..

 

[Bushcraftsman]

I've been boarding for about 12 years now and at first all my stuff was from TK MAX, You get some decent enough jackets in there, and cheap, just need to hunt around... and dare I say it...ebay!? will take some time watching and waiting but its worth it... I managed to get a four square steevo jacket, pair of 686 trousers, burton custom brew bindings and a burton royale all for £150 sold the board and bindings seperately and got 350 all together was quite happy indeed

 

[Bush Matt]

I reckon you’ll get away with the top half no worries but I would suggest getting ski trousers/salopettes. Dec/jan will be cold and the extra padding helps with the bruises + they tend to have big flared bases that go over the boots and don’t catch on the buckles.

I bought my first set, which lasted 3 ski weeks, similar to dare2b ones that seem to be about £30 in sportsdirect or online.

 

[iotarho]

If you can manage it, Biscester outlet 'village' is a top quality place for reduced kit - i actually intend to make a trip there when I'm back for uni for some tasty new gear. I spend alot of time climbing (Wales, Scotland - so miserable bloody weather), and also try and ski as often as possible, and December in the alps isn't famed for it's temperate climat. If you're feeling a little unconfident and you spend alot of time on your ****/sprawled in the snow, I recommend some slightly more heavy duty trousers. There are plenty of trouser styles now - otherr than salopettes, and they have the advantage of having some padding on the bum. And you won't have frozen cheeks. Aswell as that, from what I've heard from some friends who are working in the alps, the snow is falling thick and fast, and my experiences of issue kit are that they tend to be 'water resistant' rather than proof, so if you have a lightweight shell jacket, that would be a great idea to bring along too. I nearly always tend to wear a baselayer, softshell/fleecey thing and a shell. And the fact I haven't owned an insulted jacket for years...

Oh and pitzips, if you have a jacket/trousers with those - you wil lreally learn to appreciate them.

 

[Old Bones]

TK Maxx starts to get ski stuff in around this time, but I would also have a look at http://www.skiwear4less.com/ , they've got often similar brands to T K Maxx, but of course its not such a hit and miss as TK.

If you want a good micro fleece for layering, you could do worse than the Columbia Rapel Rock (£12.99). I've got the similar Klamath, and they are very warm, but very light.

 

[arnoldus]

Do you reckon that a Swedish windproof smock is good enough for outer layer? I'm looking for cheap, breathable solutions, in particular for skiing.

 

[bigandy]

Most ski shops hire gear, however might be as cheap to buy some cheap saloppettes you can always use them in the uk when it's teaming it down.also good time to be looking in specialist shops for there sale items or last years colours

 

[treadlightly]

Do you reckon that a Swedish windproof smock is good enough for outer layer? I'm looking for cheap, breathable solutions, in particular for skiing.

I wore my Sass smock with a swanndri wool jacket underneath and it worked really well. From what I hear of the snow smocks they are thick, densely woven cotton so I would think it'll be fine too, especially if you proof it first.

The snow up in the mountains is like powder because of the cold and tightly woven cotton can shrug it off

 

[arnoldus]

Thanks! Actually I just remembered that I have an extra UK DPM Windproof smock (from eBay) that is a little too large. Are they as windproof (I know the name suggests it, but I'm not sure) as the Swedish? Then I could dye that one black (so as not to draw too much attention on the slopes) and use it.