 Poster: A snowHead
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I bought a Patagonia shell type jacket with a down lining last year for skiing in Canada. It was brilliant, have yet to try it in Europe yet so no idea if it would be too hot but was pretty toasty at -20!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Serriadh wrote: |
| Do all you guys ski all the time in goretex, just in case it might rain? Does this forum have an unusually high number of people who spend a lot of time skiing in torrential downpours? |
Yes.
Some of us aren't blessed with endless supplies of cash so when it comes to picking outerwear would rather go for an as practical as possible 'one size fits all'. I've spent seasons guiding, I've spent seasons teaching outside of uniformed ski schools. I use my own gear and don't have the luxury of only skiing on bluebird days. So when I ski in the wet, I want to stay dry.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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The jacket has fleece underarms / side panels and as such I would not think it is suitable for downhill skiing.
Look at what the pros wear - shells with layering - including a thin downie as recommended early in the thread.
However, I think Speedy is still going to be ruled by his heart - no matter what anyone says here 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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700 fill down is simply too hot for skiing. What you need when doing high energy activities is clothes that take moisture away from your body (very breathable) whilst keeping the cold out. Also that is adaptable, hence pit zips, collars that can be loosened, removable layers, etc. Most of the time I don't need much waterproofing. But on the days I do, on average I would say 20% of days, I need really good waterproofing. 10000 ideally but at least 5000 rated. I usually ski a full day even in poor weather as trips are limited and it's better than being in the office!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| thedrewski wrote: |
| Some of us aren't blessed with endless supplies of cash so when it comes to picking outerwear would rather go for an as practical as possible 'one size fits all'. |
Endless supplies of cash? Not quite sure where that assumption came from
My waterproofs can be cheap because they don't need to hold up to hundreds of days of continuous abuse as full time outer layers. My kit is lightweight and breathable, so it gets used for cycling and hiking all year round. My non-shell gear that soaks up most of the punishment is easy to repair, and I fully expect some of it to be entirely useable and presentable in ten years time. All my gear has to be useful for more than one thing precisely because I can't afford a wardrobe for every occasion.
| thedrewski wrote: |
| I use my own gear and don't have the luxury of only skiing on bluebird days. So when I ski in the wet, I want to stay dry. |
That's super. I, too, like staying dry and indeed wear my shell gear in the rain. Difference is, when there's no rain or just cold, dry snow falling, I can switch to more breathable and lighter gear and ski hard and remain dry and comfortable.
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Each to their own, I really don't want everyone to end up doing what I do, for example.
There was a time when quite a few English people would wear cagoules at ski resorts - I'm sure that they were very practical. Although if I was to do that I'd still want Gore-Tex, so I'd just end up carrying two lots of gear 
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Needed my north face Nuptse jacket three years ago when it was -20 in Hochgurgl. with a base layer and shell. But any other time I've tried it have been way too hot.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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One size/one system does not fit all, it really depends on your body (amount of body fat, your metabolism, your fitness level, your gender).
Last season, I was skiing in -20 degrees C and wore a merino base layer, a primaloft jacket, a primaloft gilet (the two primaloft items combined equal about 1000 down fill power) and a goretex shell. I was toasty warm and did not overheat, even though I was off piste and skiing hard. When I finally got down to the resort area and took a chairlift, I shivered violently for the whole chairlift ride — it's was painful.
And to answer Serriadh's question: yes, I always ski in goretex. I bought a good quality goretex shell 5 years ago. It gets washed after every two weeks of skiing (I've done about 33 weeks of skiing in the last five years) and it's still going very strong, showing only some light colour fading and some crinkling (probably because I tumble dry it when I apply DWR spray). Why carry multiple items when I can just wear a single item? Admittedly, I only use the shell for skiing/mountaineering, so it's a single purpose jacket.
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Serriadh, I'm inclined to agree. My 'normal' ski wear consists of Rab Vapour Rise Guide Climbing Trousers (No need for long johns and pretty water repellent ) and a MH Softshell over an Icebreaker top. If its really cold I might chuck in a micro fleece mid and some merino bottoms.
I have only skied in rain once - at Glenshee - and I got totally soaked despite having full proper waterproofs on.
None of the kit I use these days is marketed as ski clothing and despite being mostly from decent manufacturers cost considerably less than the equivalent ski 'fashion' items.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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These days I wear a Mountain Equipment goretex/primaloft jacket in Jan/Feb and an arcteryx softshell when its warmer.
The ME jacket has a relatively light primaloft fill and it is still plenty warm so I rarely wear more than a base layer under it. That has the advantage that if you get warm you can dump a lot of heat/moisture quickly by pulling down the zip. That's a long winded way of saying that I think a down jacket is too warm for skiing in Europe 95% of the time. On a ski touring trip I might carry a light weight down for when I'm not moving.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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My advice would be to get a micro baffled down (or synthetic) jacket or vest. These have the advantage of fitting nicely under a hard shell whilst keeping you toasty toasty underneath and they work a lot better as a layering peice. Though not as warm as a full on down jacket 9 times out of 10 these are unnecessary. I wore my Montane Nitro vest or my Haglofs Barrier hoody underneath a shell last January in Italy when it was up to 20 below and once I got moving I was fine all day. And that was when teaching beginners and I was standing around a lot.
Apart from the bulk I'd be worried about wear and tear on a down jacket when skiing. With the exception of the very expensive ones the face fabric won't stand up to much wear and tear from ski edges and the odd fall. And 99% are not waterproof. And if the down gets wet it will stop keeping you warm (whereas synthetic will). Although I see plenty of them being worn on the slopes they are primarily designed for around town, belaying or for arctic/high level expeditions.
IMO a decent set of base layers is the first port of call when trying to stay warm. Personally again IMO icebreaker is the way forward if pricey. I currently wear a 260 weight base layer with a 260 weight mid layer from them and only when it gets properly cold do I feel the need for something more. It also helps regulate heat so will try to keep you from overheating. Personally I'm probably going to invest in a Mountain Equipment Arête for the coming season, both practical as a layering peice and looks flashy enough for the après. 
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