 Poster: A snowHead
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kitenski, I guess you are speaking of products I'm not familiar with then. I was just thinking that four layers would make me look at least 3 sizes larger! Never a good look for a woman. I definitely wouldn't want to wear loads of layers skiing. I'm thinking of what happens when you get to a warm bar at the end of the day. Enter door, hang jacket up, sit in comfort in thin T-shirt. 
In fairness, I'm not a nesh person, and I don't like to wear bulk at all. But I guess we all have our personal preferences. I would still suggest Decathlon. They can both get kitted out in decent stuff for a good price. The nesh lass can buy layers to her heart's content and the hot chap (that doesn't necessarily sound how I mean it to!) can stick with a simple T-shirt and jacket combo.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I remember the first time I went skiing, I borrowed a my mates pants and jacket and just took what I had in the way of ourdoor gear. I skied in the socks work gave me for inside my wellies!  Under my borrowed ski jacket, I wore a t-shirt for the gym, a microfleece and my fleece from work .... and I boiled!!!! Ended up leaving most of it in the B&B
I really think that if you look hard, you have most fo the stuff you need. As said above, you shouldn't wear cotton layers - you need that wicking effect for sure. I'm with kitenski on layering up. Massive thick ski jackets - what's that all about? Thin layers to taylor for each day or chuck in your pack is the way forward!
At the end of the day, each to their own.
Kersh
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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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Kersh, ski jackets aren't massive and thick any more. My Trespass one is hardly padded with a thin fleecy lining, really lightweight. Motorcycle gear is the same these days, the weight is in the body armour, certainly not in the thermal linings and outer waterproof/windproof fabrics. Ain't technology great?
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queen bodecia, yeah sorry, what I mean by big thick ski jackets is anything with insulation. I just can't be doing with them. If it's cold, layer up then if it's snowing, stick a shell on. Robert's your mother's brother! 
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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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queen bodecia, I am talking about a jacket with zero insulation & certainly not a fleecy liner!! Has worked for me with layers from -20 to +20
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kitenski, shell jackets are ace, I wouldn't be without one, but they're usually pricey, and really not worth it for a first trip. Same with all the expensive thermals - they will never be more than 5 minutes away from a bar! IME, even when it's snowing (like this Easter) it's usually not very cold, and a t shirt under normal jacket should be fine. Fancy techy thermals are great, but really not neccessary - if they find they like skiing, they can always invest later, but it would be a massive waste if they don't like it.
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clarky999, I've been skiing for donkeys' years and only got my first shell jacket this year, as I was skiing in the last week of April. Even so, I still wore my normal insulated jacket most days, with just a single, thin base layer under it. I actually bought my merino base layers to go trekking, and now wouldn't be without them, for walking in the UK or abroad, skiing, whatever: I don't think I'd have bought them for a single ski holiday.
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To buy:
1. Thermal under-top (can be used in the winter at home, saving heating / £££). 2x if unwilling to wash out overnight.
2. Thermal thin long-sleeved top (ditto re winter and useful for walking most of the year). One for skiing in, one for apres-ski, very versatile item.
3. 2xpairs ski socks. Check out Millets in the off-season - I paid £4 a pair, admittedly for UK winter use around the home! Who cares if they smell after a couple of days ... it'll be hire boots, after all.
To borrow from skiing friends or hire:
4. Waterproof padded trousers
5. Padded gloves
6. Goggles
Everything else from current wardrobe or can be borrowed from walking friends: fleece, cagoule, woolly hat, sun glasses....
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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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Hurtle, I've only had shells for the last 2 or 3 years, but find in anything down to minus 10 or so (even blizzard conditions) a shell with just a standard t shirt is fine for me, although I have a fleece in my bag just in case.
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clarky999,
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minus 10 or so (even blizzard conditions) a shell with just a standard t shirt
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Brrrrrr 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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lynseyf raises an excellent point - learning to ski is hard work and they'll sweat buckets and end up with it in a bulky tied mess around their waists.
Like pam, I now realise that I've been held back by my non-wicking undercrackers.  Woe is me.
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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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Alexandra,
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Like pam, I now realise that I've been held back by my non-wicking undercrackers. Woe is me.
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Me three!
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Hurtle, Alexandra, pam w, betty swollocks is all I can say....
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You know it makes sense.
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kitenski, 
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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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I wear hard shell, thin down layer, midweight merino, light merino T in -30 and it's fine. Tend to drop the down by -15 and midweight generally stays on until positive temps, since it wicks well enough that I don't overheat in it...
I have no idea what wicking pants achieve, I've survived a few seasons of arctic cold in my regular boxers and still have all my bits...
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Poster: A snowHead
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kitenski, I think you need to familiarise yourself with the female anatomy there.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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kitenski, I like a neck warmer, but £20!!! Lidls do a perfectly adequate Buff lookalike one for about £1.99 - what do you think I use?  I'm not made of money and I doubt your friends are.
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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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Megamum, this was just a rough order of pricing, having not bought a neck warmer for probably 10 years or maybe more I have no idea how much they cost!!!
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kitenski, Megamum, I wear a thin Buff neck warmer in Spring and then a thicker very fine Polar fleece Buff combo one in winter. I'd miss my neck warmer even on warm Spring days I have to say because when going along I find the wind too cold on my neck, plus when it goes cloudy or on lifts etc. I know some people find a neck warmer too hot in Spring but I do like to keep mine on whatever.
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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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| kitenski wrote: |
Wicking underpants x6 £30
Wicking base t shirts x6 ( 3 merino wool for lady) £120
Wicking long sleeve t shirts (wool for lady) £120
Micro fleeces x3 £120
Ski socks x 6 £40
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i guess this means i am an unhygienic stinky bu99er
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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There are bound to be cheaper neck warmers than Buff too.
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Gotta say I'm confused by the comments about 3 or 4 x layers = bulk. Not sure how old the kit is that causes such bulkiness, but my standard kit is a HH base layer T, Kjus micro fleece (expensive but very much worth the money, seems to have it's own brain with regard to temp control), with TNF sleeveless zip-up thingy, and sling a HH long sleeve base and neckwarmer/buff in my back pack. Even with everything on I have full mobility and the combined depth is no more than a wooly jumper but approximately 1000 times more efficient.
Going for the cheapest kit is very often a false economy. In the last two seasons I've only added the sleeveless thing to my base/fleece kit, the rest I've had 4+ seasons and it's all still in tip top condition.
*awaits the "you're a complete tart" flames*
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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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| Quote: |
and good gear need not be expensive if you are careful when you buy it and dont want this years must have
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and are not averse to trampling a few base layers in the shower then drying them overnight as suggested above.
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Trying and failing not to be rude but if these people don't have any of this stuff I'd be a bit sceptical of whether they would take to skiing, given it tends to take a moderate amount of outdoor or athletic enthusiasm. Agree totally on quantities comments - people tour hut to hut for a couple of weeks or more on one set of layers and maybe some spare grots, you don't have to go to those lengths but different outfit each day is overkill.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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fatbob, wouldn't go quite that far. Great thing about skiing is that virtually anyone can have a go, if it's cruising the blues from coffee stop to coffee stop or giving it the beans off the backs. In the mountains, with friends, probably a bit of sun about, it's a great holiday however you choose to go about it. All my regular and extended group are devout city dwellers who only venture into the country if a 4* hotel is involved (me included). Takes all sorts, innit.
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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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I haven't read all this, but wicking underpants????? What's that all about?
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specialist trade zammo, if you have to ask, you don't want to know
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You know it makes sense.
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Dr John, I guess it's just me being very un-technically minded. For my own purposes, the thought of buying and faffing about with 3 or more different layers when I have one jacket that does everything that cost me £60 seems pointless. But everyone has their own purposes. I think however that new skiers might be more akin to my way of thinking than shelling out (no pun intended) for all these extra layers.
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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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Dr John, Yep but even the most hardcore urbanites probably have a fleece and a decent waterproof jacket for walking the dog/riding their fixie (if they live in Hoxton) etc. I once went skiing on a weekend trip from work with one guy who was a never ever who didn't even think to take gloves and a hat (on the basis that he'd never been on a winter holiday before and didn't know what was needed). Needless to say even though people lent him spares he lasted half a day of private lesson before deciding that bars in a ski resort are quite pleasant and there was no need to get either cold or sweaty doing that stupid stuff outside.
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Poster: A snowHead
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For years I skied in normal t-shirts, woolly tights and maybe a fleece; After my first week I bought a decent jacket, pants & gloves (can be borrowed) and I only started getting merino layers quite recently - but tbh I didn't really think I needed to, I just liked them. I only bought "proper" socks when I got my own boots and up till then wore the "dreaded" tubes. I always wear base layers and socks twice, don't need to wash them (at least my roomie has never dropped any hints), so for a normal week that's 3 of each. While I do have a fur trapper hat I'm actually now wearing a £3.50 woolly cap from the army surplus shop. I do have a fleecy neckwarmer for the chairlifts but it wan't dear (also have a buff but could do without) I've only ever been really cold in Big White when it was about -40 degrees, but that was massively extreme and I was absolutely frozen and everyone was leaving the mountain for shelter.
If the mates don't want to wash stuff out then they could easily borrow or hire the big ticket items and make do with the rest. If they like skiing they'll be spending plenty soon enough.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Perhaps the folks subject to debate just like having their own nice things and don't mind spending the cash. Just because y'all turn up at Lidl before opening to get an £8 helmet and risk drowning in clothes at TK Maxx for a reduced D2B jacket doesn't mean that others want to
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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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| holidayloverxx wrote: |
| For years I skied in normal t-shirts, woolly tights and maybe a fleece; After my first week I bought a decent jacket, pants & gloves (can be borrowed) and I only started getting merino layers quite recently - but tbh I didn't really think I needed to, I just liked them. I only bought "proper" socks when I got my own boots and up till then wore the "dreaded" tubes. I always wear base layers and socks twice, don't need to wash them (at least my roomie has never dropped any hints), so for a normal week that's 3 of each. While I do have a fur trapper hat I'm actually now wearing a £3.50 woolly cap from the army surplus shop. I do have a fleecy neckwarmer for the chairlifts but it wan't dear...If the mates don't want to wash stuff out then they could easily borrow or hire the big ticket items and make do with the rest. If they like skiing they'll be spending plenty soon enough. |
Me too, in every detail bar the fur trapper hat!
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I'm old enough to remember when you could get all you needed for a song, from C & A. Still got some of those "rodeo" bases!
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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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pam w, think Argos Additions used to have that range after C&A too, if I remember correctly.
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pam w, Yep, Rodeo was among early purchases (along with Champion Sports because I got 30% staff discount)
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Ahhh remember those wonderfully colourful Rodea pullovers.
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LOL C&A used to be ace, what happened to them?
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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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FAQ
