2008 Ski Holiday

djr2110

Okay guys and girls, was wondering if there was any budding skiers who could give me a few pointers regarding gear.
I was wondering what sort of brands of clothing I should be looking out for and more importantly what type (waterproof breathable etc..)
Do I need a specialist jacket or would my Alpine Lowe trek jacket be okay?
Any information would be appreciated.

We will be heading out to Les Arcs towards the end of Feb if this helps?

Cheers

Dave

milkywhite

As long as the jacket and salopettes (trousers) are waterproof and breathable you'll be fine.

Buy a decent pair of gloves. You'll regret it if you don't.

Most of the recognised outdoor clothing brands do a ski wear range.

It might sound strange, but if you have a TK Maxx near you, then go and have a look. I got a Quiksilver jacket and a pair of Columbia salopettes from there last year for silly money compared to the RRPs. They usually have quite a lot of stuff. Definitely worth a look.

I'd also recommend some knee length tube socks, and a decent fast wicking base layer. Despite the sub-zero temps, you'll sweat like a pig (well...I did)!

BlackSpur

A breathable jacket is a must, preferably Gore-Tex, unless you don't mind getting seriously sweaty. It is advisable to buy a specialist jacket with powder skirt (to keep snow from getting in) and other features such as Recco avalancheYou'll also want a good set of gloves, I use Salamon Gore-Tex, and good ski socks: the thin ones are actually warmer. detection. Look in TkMaxx as you can ofter get great gear at a huge mark-down. Try Salamon, Columbia, Trespass, North Face. You can also try using boarder gear such as Quicksilver, but you tend to pay a premium for the fashion. Waterproof is absolutely essential
Goggles are also essential. Look for Oakley, Spy, Smith and Scott. You don't have to spend a lot, but I find that a decent pair of goggles with the right tint are very useful.
I don't know what the weather is like out there, because I ski in the US/Canada, but you will certainly need some decent skiing baselayers.

Hope you have a great time - I found skiing even more addictive than biking.

[EDIT] Argh, milkywhite, you beat me to it!

Father Faff

Och aye wit a load of softies. A' ye need is a decent woolly jersey, some plus fours wi' guid thick woolly socks, a guid pair o'leather boots an' some woolly mits. Och, an' a wee tammy fey yer heed an' a'.

Spud Son

Wicking base layers, PolarTec 100 mid layers and a decent Goretex XCR shell with pit zips or core vents to keep you cool. If you want to cover all the options, then buy a decent fleece in either Gore windstopper or a softshell (Salamon, Schoeller etc). I personally have a lot of TNF kit which gets used for walking / trekking aswell as a couple ski trips a year, so invest in good quality kit that you can wear for other activities / round town.

The salopettes could be an interesting choice. If you walk / trek / climb, then you can get some really nice non-insulated Goretex XCR bib salopettes, which have instep protection for skiis / crampons. Wear your winter MTB thermals underneath and voila. If not, then go for the best ski specific salopettes you can. For what it's worth, I have some Dainese slaopettes with built in hip / coccyx protection.

Finally, my Camelback Mule goes with me everywhere, but beware of freezing. You can get thermal kits for the tube, but I prefer a mix of Hi 5C, orange juice and a little Brandy to keep my energies up, keep me warm from the inside and of course, beat the freeze !

97piersp

you will need to go and buy a good ski/board jacket as at that time of year it is very cold. id sugest something like burton or spyder. also you would need some good ski pants. good thick woolen socks. and lots of thermels. maybe check out the snoiw and rock website

BlackSpur

As SPUD SON mentioned, a camelback is very useful. However, you cannot use your mtb Camelback (if you have one), as with the tube on the outside, the liquid freezes. Look for a snow-specific one which keeps the tube inside the strap.

dan1983

I will also be going skiing for the first time in January (FREE i might add!!!) and I have been advised to wear seamless socks as the ones with the seam can cause blisters. Apparently.

milkywhite

Argh, milkywhite, you beat me to it!

unlucky!!

This has re-ignited my passion for skiing. I'm gonna go back to Breckenridge next year. I just decided!

BlackSpur

What's Breckenridge like? I've considered going there, but decided to go back to Steamboat in February.

I've never had any blister problems, but I used to get VERY cold feet with my old cheap wool socks. I switched to some US$ 20/ pair ones - not cheap, but they are so warm and comfy, with padded shins and heels

milkywhite

Breckenridge is awesome. 4 peaks...and your lift pass is valid for Vail, Keystone and Arapahoe, which are all less than an hour away. The town is Beautiful, and really friendly.

There are private cabins on the edge of the piste that can be rented for around $400 a night and sleep 6, with private hot tubs.

The place is just fantastic!

Edit: Vail is amazing too. The scale of the place has to be seen to be believed. The bowls out the back are really quite a sight.

BlackSpur

I will definitely look into that next year. I started skiing a few years ago , and so dar have done Mammoth, California 3 times, Lake Tahoe, Nevada/California once, Lake Louise, Alberta once and Steamboat, Colorado once, again in Feb. If you ever get the chance to go out to the States, grab it with both arms. The snow over there is about ten times that of Europe in some places, anf you never wait for more than 5 mins for a lift. Beautiful!

The Al

Definatly make sure too water Proof you're Gloves.. Also I found last time I went, taking a lightw weight pair of thin warm gloves was an Extrememly good idea, so if you're hands get over heated.. Just switch over

ddraver

i would nt worry about a Recco, its virtually useless, if you re in that sort of situation (and given its ur first time you won't be) you need a proper transciever