 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi there,
I am heading to jasper and lake louise for some skiing in a couple of weeks time. This will only be my second ski trip but with many more hopefully to follow. I have an all in one suit which sufficed in whistler last year, but it was a tad tight and wore a bit.
Anyhow, I am 23 years old so safe to assume I have stopped growing! I favour a 2 piece suit because I feel a bit of a snowman in the all in one! However, I have no idea where to start. I dont even have a clue how much to spend. So could anyone point me towards info as to what important features or specs on clothing I should look for and the money I should be paying?
Many thanks
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ps. Am I best just to leave it until I get to calgary?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hi Ad./buns, Welcome to snowHeads!
U don't give a location for yourself but all your destinations are N.America. Is that where you're based?
After all, there's little point recommending Decathalon sports in London Docklands if U live in Alabama 
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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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Hi there,
Apologies, I must have forgot to fill that in on profile. I am located in Belfast. My biggest concern is getting something suitable without being ripped off. With my current lack of knowledge, I am either likely to spend too much on somethign that isnt worth it or spend too little and end up with cheap rubbish!
Thanks!
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To bolt another question on the back..... It appears I could buy myself an inexpensive set of skis this year for the same sort of money as rental will cost. Is this worthwhile considering? Keep in mind that I will have 10 days ski this season and that will probably be the norm for a few years yet. With that much skiing, will a set of skis last for a couple or 3 years?
Or to take it further yet, if i buy a pair in canada I guess they will be good vfm, so even if they did only last 2 seasons, could I sell them on and get at least a bit of money back?
PLease excuse my penny pinching, I am a research student and can only stretch my grant so far!
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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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Don't forget to factor in the cost of carrige for your skis, skis should be able to last a full season or a minimum of 10 weeks usage, I generally get 4 to 5 years use out of my skis with an average of 2.5 weeks skiing per year though sometimes more. Don't expect to get much money back on skis more than a year old, you may or may not it will depend on market forces. Also this is only your second ski trip if I read this corectly, I'd wait till you can ski confidantly on any red run before considering buying skis, that way you will get a sety that will last for a few years and not have to be replaced due to your increase in ability
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buns, Calgary is a treasure trove for gear and clothing shoppers. I don't know whether you will have car hire when you arrive, but the canadian cooperative MEC almost requires a visit. The clothing is very specific to the conditions you will encounter and their house brand (very comparable to if not better than Helly Hansen, IMO) is stitched on the spot.
Visit them no matter what you bring to Ca.
(This is by no means the only place to shop in Calgary. I don't know whether the Sun Ice factory store is still there, but just alongside the river is a strip of shops, wine shop/gear shop/homebrew shop/- can you tell half my trip budget is left here on a regular basis?)
As to what you should choose for clothing, there was a thread on this recently here.
As to buying skis. My vote always goes to 'buy just boots until you know exactly what you want in skis', that some term the 'sink the entire ski purchase budget into the best boots to possibly fit your foot' philosophy.
I am entirely of the belief that the bootfitter shop should be at the bottom of the mountain you ski. Buy on Monday- get followup visits on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. This rests on finding a competent, patient bootfitter which person is whom you'll want to find anyhow.
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Good on you for binning the all in one. 
No idea re: ski equipment in Belfast, sorry. Blacks.co.uk or snowandrock.co.uk will supply an idea of produces and (sorry) UK prices - neither company appear to have Belfast stores.... But definately splash out on a "proper" ski jacket. Even if you never ski again, you've still got a nice warm winter jacket. Doesn't have to be expensive either.
2 ways of going about this.
a) '"shell" jacket. Wind and waterproof, but no insultation. You wear layers of thermals & multiple fleeces underneath.
b) bog standard "insulated" jacket. You know about this from your one-piece days. Majority of folk use 'em - prices generally start cheaper and the jackets require fewer layers underneath. While learning, and until you decide skiing is your life, probly best to start with one of these. You'll still need your thermals and possibly a fleece, but not to the degree you would with a non-insulated shell. UK prices start around 50GBP for insulated jackets. Re: trousers - buy the cheapest ones that fit!
Buying clothing at home, your local dryslope will advise you re: reputable ski equipment stores. Some people swear buying clothing in resort is cheaper than at home, but I find it's 50:50 - depends on season sales (look out for these at home and in resort). Can any N American enthusiasts advise?
Also, there's usually some clothing up for grabs on this forum!
Re: buying skis. Definately not!!! Wait until you've a lot more experience under your belt. At this stage in your skiing experience hiring will cost you less (financially and emotionally) - from every angle. If you get fixated on buying equipment, look at getting the boots first.
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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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Thanks for all the great info guys!
To give you a bit more of an idea of where I stand in my confidence and such, I was quite happy on Whistler's greens and was pushing onto blues here and there.
Boots: I was led to believe that by the time I have a couple or 3 trips under my belt, I am likely to need a different type of boots (i.e. intermediate vs beginner boots). Is that not correct? Obviously it would dictate quite how much I would sink into them. Also in this area, I was told ski socks should actually be thin and not thick like outdoor socks. The reasoning being that all padding should be in the boot. Is this again not right?
Skis: Sounds like everyong so far agrees on NOT buying cheapish skis, fair enough!
Clothing: I know that I love skiing, I desperately tried to get a second trip late last season but just couldnt afford to get back to Canada (Europe is where I tend to work, so I like to get away!). So I guess getting a half decent insulated jacket is the trick looking to spend maybe £150 (or equivalent in canada) on jacket and insulated sallopettes.
Thanks again!
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buns, sounds to me like you'd be better to wait till the next visit before getting boots, but I'd say you can buy boots at early intermediate but wait till youre at the standard I suggested earlier before getting skis
If you have your own boots than thin socks are currently seen as being the norm, for hire boots though you might want some slightly thicker ones
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| D G Orf wrote: |
buns, sounds to me like you'd be better to wait till the next visit before getting boots, but I'd say you can buy boots at early intermediate but wait till youre at the standard I suggested earlier before getting skis
If you have your own boots than thin socks are currently seen as being the norm, for hire boots though you might want some slightly thicker ones |
what is a red run?
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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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buns, European pistes are rated Green, Blue, Red and Black in increasing order of difficulty. The US and Canadian system is a bit different.
We bought boots after about our third week of ski=ing.
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Ian Hopkinson, or sometimes just Blue, Red and Black possibly signifying the colour of the bruises you are likely to get when falling on them ? 
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You know it makes sense.
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ok well I thought I wasnt too bad being happy to try blues! I thought I was in prime boot buying territory without question! How quickly would I be expected to get to being red level? (presumably in canadian terms that will mean im a confident blue who will try the odd black?)
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Depends how good your instructor is, if good a few days if not so good a few weeks 
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Poster: A snowHead
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buns, I still wear the first ski jacket I ever got. I don't use if for skiing any more, but it is still good for keeping me warm in the winter. I have often also worn my ski trousers when outside walking or sledging in Scotland in winter (my dad lives up there). Which brings me onto an item not so far mentioned: "moon boots". It is worth getting a pair of insulated waterproof boots, like these. You'll bless them every winter, whether you go skiing or not.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Ok here is yet another question..... what is the difference between salopettes and ski trousers? Ive just been told salopettes are seriously not cool but trousers are grand.... im confused now!
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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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"salopettes" is French for "dungarees" - you see the problem
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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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And ski trousers are also often called ski pants, but pants in UK are rather different than pants in USA.
Salopettes: practical (cozier and less likely for snow to reach naughty bits when you fall over) but presently out of fashion.
Ski trousers.
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Jonpim, I don't know - I had salopettes for a couple of seasons and I was forever losing the straps, that were supposed to go over my shoulders, down my arms...leading to restricted mobility and a penguin-like appearance...
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Ian Hopkinson, the knack there is to cross the straps over so they're pulling themselves up all the time.
Assuming the 2 straps unclip then take the left strap up from the back, over the right shoulder and into the right front clip. Take the right strap, over the left shoulder into pass it behind the left front clip.
If they are fixed then clip them together at the back somehow, even a bit of string will work.
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Hi Buns,
Recent boots are extremely well-designed, and it is a real joy to have your own boots which fit well. Please be careful, however, which bootfitter you go to. I had a really bad experience with one of the prominent bootfitters in Banff. I think the key thing is to avoid the dominating aggressive salesman type, who thinks he knows everything, and cannot wait to sell you some expensive insert and push you to try something you are not comfortable with.
If you found hired boots fit your feet okay, then I think you can buy mid-range boots from a well-known make off the shelf and they will be fine - especially if you follow the advice of a normal sales person. You try the various brands and choose the one with the most snug fit and several notches left for further tightening.
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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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buns, Personally I've never understood the need for straps - if yr pants (I'm an ex-pat Kiwi, like Americans, I call 'em pants. Enough of this "trousers" nonsense!) if they fall down without straps then they're too big!! Snowboarding ones are absolutely fine for skiing in, but ensure the ankle cuff fits over your bulky skiboots.
Nogs is right. Although bearing in mind 99% of us have some biomechanical "defect" (pronate i.e. feet roll too far inwards, drawing knees inside the feet, or supinate i.e. bowleg-ness, as well as ankle/knee/hip allignment problems) - customised foot inners help correct this by aligning the foot, which in turn aligns the rest of the lower limbs and makes it easier for your body to hold a good skiing form - thereby making your skiing a LOT easier. Unless you're somehow getting a mates-rate, then properly fitted footbeds should be a bit costly.
You probably won't find them necessary until you are confident on "reds", but it's something to keep in mind.
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Buns, it depends on your monetary situation, and how often you intend to ski. As you are just starting to ski, you will progress very quickly, and so find that a boot that suits you for this week may not be so suitable for next week. If you don't have a lot of cash, and don't intend to ski more than once or perhaps twice a year, it may well be worth waiting to buy your boots until you are a little more well off. Learning to ski in hire boots will do you no harm at all, and may even make you a better skier overall, loose fitting boots encourage you to angle the ski to get it to turn, so making you better at carving, for this reason most of the race teams will practice with their boot clips undone. I skied in hire boots for up until about my 15th week of skiing, my german ski buddy who has done approximately 100 weeks of skiing, still does, and does it far better than anyone else I've skied with, whatever equipment they are using.
As for an outer layer, salopettes (dungarees), are warmer than trousers (pants). For those of us without a waist (or at least one that is marginally bigger than our hips), when you are sitting hunched over in a blizzard, with the wind whistling up from behind, a gap can appear between the bottom of the powder skirt on your jacket, and the top of your trousers (pants), this being known as the "builders bum" phenomenon. Believe me, this can become quite uncomfortable on long exposed chair lifts.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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This is where I dutifully point u towards the snowShops.
We sell Keela which IMO is about the best value there is in mountain-wear.
They also do base layers, fleeces and children's kit but I haven't got pics of them on the site yet.
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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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Gosh I am in a quandry now! I can afford boots no problem, however if the concensus is that I will need different boots at the end of this trip than the start, then it isnt worth it. Would someone care to tell me what differences there would be between boots that I would purchase when I arrive in Jasper as opposed to the end of the holiday? Could I buy a pair of boots which are suited to a skill level above where I currently stand and thus 'learn my way into them'?
Trousers I am sure are ok for me, I am not a particularly big guy so it takes a really bad day for 'builders bum syndrome'! I am still a bit stumped as to whether to buy online in the UK or when I arrive in canada. Could anyone give me any specific suggestions for decent jacket and 'pants' (which dont make me look like a total tool) with a total price no more than £200?
Many thanks
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buns, As someone said earlier, you can buy a really good all-weather jacket for around £100. Ski trousers should be around £60-£80 depending on the quality. However it's worth getting a waterproof (gretex or similar) jacket. Use it and wash it carefully and it'll last a good while. If you don't put on any weight you should be able to keep this gear for about 10 years, and maybe more. I still sometimes use (when I don't want anyone to spot me) an old C & A jacket that I've had for at least 20 years.
Your main problem is that you're going to Canada which is a great deal colder than Europe, so although I'm not familiar with their shops I'd take comprex, 's advice and get your gear there.
As a ski teacher I don't think you should buy boots for at least the first 3 weeks of your ski-ing career, unless you have very strange feet, and need special fitting. However, sometimes you can hire a pair that just seem perfect, and then it's worth asking the shop if they'll sell them to you. They often will at a very good price.
You should certainly wait to buy skis until you're really proficient. You can always hire good skis, and loads of people were caught with skis only about a year or two old when the new carving skis came out. When you have enough finesse to feel which ski is right for you, that's the time to buy!
Happy ski-ing 
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You know it makes sense.
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Forgot to say - buy good gloves and silk/fleece inners. Worth every penny.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Basically buns, as you become more experienced at skiing, you tend to use stiffer boots, with more forward lean, as this gives you more control of the ski. When you are learning to ski, you would tend to use a more forgiving boot, as you would tend to find more advanced boots too uncomfortable to ski in all day. I wouldn't say that you would find boots bought at the beginning of your week unsuitable by the end, but you would certainly find their limitations far earlier than if you waited for a few more weeks to by them. Having said that, a very common mistake many people make is to buy boots that are far too advanced for them, not only not using them to their potential, but also at a detriment to their skiing.
The long and short of it is, noone else can tell you when it's correct to buy boots, usually it's a decision made with the heart, and not the mind.
As for your outer shell, I would definitely buy in Canada, as I think that you will find things much cheaper over their than you would over here. FYI I feel that one piece suits are overdue a comeback.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Thanks easiski.
The boots I had in Whistler and in no time I was really aching, my shins felt although I had played football with a ball painted on my socks! Am I to assume that is in fact a badly fitting boot as opposed to my NEEDING my own boots?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Also well worth buying are a neck gaiter, and a good set of thermals.
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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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buns, Go for something fairly chaep for trousers look for under £40 spend the rest on a decent jacket.
As you get to a more advanced level of skiing and your leg muscles build up you use more pressure against the ski boots so the boots need to be stiffer as you ski harder or you lose control
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Sounds great guys..... means I can get myself another half dozen short lessons instead, im sure that will help my skiing much more than any boots 
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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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buns, definately go for the extra lessons and wait for the boots
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jees im an irritating bug..... but here is another question..... how would I be best going about lessons? In whistler I was in ski school in a group (all day), is that something I should repeat? Or should I go to a smaller group for the same time? Or should I go right the way to a private lesson..... so take half a dozen one hour private lessons?
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The advantage of group lessons are that it is a great way to meet people and make friends, the disadvantage is that you only progress as fast as the slowest person in the group, if you want to learn quickly then private lessons bring you on that much quicker.
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Tue 16-11-04 16:47; edited 1 time in total
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So they are worth the extra? Id rather put the work in early and then relax and make friends once im at a level where im not embarrassed by my rubishness!
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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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Hi buns, Kramer is right that with private lessons you will definitely improve quicker. If you are travelling with a group the friends thing may not be an issue. I have looked at the Lake Louise website www.skilouise.com but it has not updated the ski school prices and info yet.
Sunshine dont seem to do 1 hour privates but a three hour one costs about £150.
It is an expensive way of learning but well worth it. I did some privates in Whistler and I think it greatly improved my skiing althogh some of my friends may disagree
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buns, when you're in group lessons you're all at the same level so the chances are you'll neither be the best, nor the worst, in your group. It depends on what you want out of your holidays first and foremost. The group lessons give you a far more sociable time and you can benefit from mutual support at times, but individual lessons you'll advance far more quickly. Some people try and get (individual) dry slope lessons before they go and then get group lessons there - but at a slightly higher level.
Also, no matter how rubbish you may be, unless they started skiing at 3-4 years old, everyone was that bad once.
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