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hiring gear in resort...which package?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
hi...just looking for some advice.

in the shop i was going to rent from they have the following packages...budget, and then bronze gold and platinum or something like that.
was going to go for gold as it says its for intermediates....but the platinum says it has the best quality bindings boots and boards.

heres the question....

would going for the advanced package be a disadvantage as im only an intermediate but would like to try the good equipment, or is it better just to stay with the intermediate package?

cheers.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Snowboard? IMO doesn't really matter as it's not as if boards get uniformly stiffer with price. Personally I'd say stiffer boots will help you get solid carving down better.
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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?
There is no real advantage in hiring equipment that is beyond your ability to take full advantage of. If you want to try better equipment though, talk to the shop about letting you have the upgrade for free for 1 day and see how it feels. If doinf this in Austria they are usually accommodating, less so in France, where the equipment is usually poorer anyway.
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 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
Are boots more likely to be stiffer or more flexible as u go up in gear?

The difference is a tenner as there's a deal on so was just going to go for the better package and then downgrade if it wasn't for me!

I just don't want to be getting some gear that is too advanced or is it generally just an issue about better quality ?
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Boots would usually be stiffer the more advanced skier you are, though they may not be noticeably so, especially with used hire boots. If you ski each year especially more than once a season, then DO go and buy your own boots. It will be the best investment you make to enjoy your skiing.
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
Old Man Of Lech wrote:
...to enjoy your skiing.


Or snowboarding.

I'd look at what they have and decide what you want. If you have to do it in advance, then ask them for examples of what it is.
Pay with a credit card so if you're not happy you can throw your toys out of the pram and sort it out.

It's not particularly about "how advanced" you are; they aren't going to have anything particularly esoteric to rent, it's mainstream stuff. The best gear will be current-season and may be brand new or near so (Canada at least). If you know what you want you'd probably opt for that; if you don't, you won't. So in your case, don't worry, take the cheap stuff, and if you don't like it, you've plenty of room to upgrade as someone suggested.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Mainly make sure the spines of the boots aren't broken down and mushy/cracked.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Budget, bronze, gold, etc...sounds like how ski packages are bundled for renting.
What shop is it?
Is there a snowboard shop in the resort that rents gear? If so, they will be the best place to go. From my, and my friends, experience, they will ask you what sort of board you want to rent and won't suggest upgrading to something beyond your needs. Their equipment will almost certainly be better quality, too.

For example, a couple of years ago in Mayrhofen, my friends were going to hire boards from the local Intersport. They were very busy so we had to wait a little while. While waiting, I saw the boards they were bringing out for other customers (10 year old learner rossignol boards) and, horrified, suggested we make a sharp exit. We went to the snowboard shop down the road and they asked about what sort of riding my friends did, their standard, etc. They were given intermediate Rome boards with Burton boots, one of them new out of the box (this was in March, not the start of the season, too).

A lot of snowboards will be suitable for an intermediate. You don't need high end gear unless you are able to make the most of it (carving blacks, steep off-piste, etc). True high end boards will just end up tiring you out and making you a little frustrated, as they are pretty stiff. I doubt any shop will rent boots that are that stiff as most people who would want them would have their own gear.

I also suspect that a platinum board in a ski hire shop would be a basic board from a snowboard shop.
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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.
In my experience the actual levels end up not mattering, the person serving you will make the judgement on what's best for you. Often though the better packages mean newer equipment, I had the basic package on the EoSB and the skis were all beat to s*** (skied well enough though), whereas the guys on platinum had much newer kit.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@Rom77, Package pricing is usually just 'age' dependent . . . new/higher . . . older/cheaper. The best investment you can make is a good pair of boots. Go fer summat that fits 'close' but doesn't 'pinch'. On initial try they should feel as though no matter how much you try to twist your feet around in them they are held in place (this can be a just a bit uncomfortable if you have lumpy sore spots on yer feet . . . or incipient gout . . . your liners WILL pack out to ease this or you can go to a boot fitter for podiatry relief (don't ferget te KY). One thing about buying boots is 'toe room' . . . you need some, you need to be able to wiggle yer toes and not have yer fungus crusted scallop shell toenails pushed back into their roots . . . the pain can be worse than walking back down the hill barefoot . . . so a pedicure and/if needed a nail cure is on the cards before a shopping trip. As fer stiffness? The harder you ride on piste the stiffer the better, for playtime in the park you need a little more flex, your call . . . but the more you work a boot the softer it becomes so always chose one that is a bit stiffer than one that you think is "just right" in the shop.

Beyond that . . . just have fun on whatever you slide on. The more tools you ride, the more experience you gain to allow you to feel how different (if at all) snowboards feel and perform. You can't do this if you are chopping and changing boots at the same time.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@Rom77, On my second week out on snow, I hired a "Diamond" level board; the board was newer and the bindings much nicer than the base level board I'd hired previously....so far so good.

I then spent the first half of the week falling over on every single turn as the board was much stiffer and less forgiving (?) than anything I'd tried before Very Happy
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