 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi,
I am off shopping tomorrow to Mc Arthur Glen Outlet to try and get some of my stuff to go skiing and need some advice before i go.
I am a school teacher going on a school skiing trip in febuary and am after a jacket to last me a few years of 1/2 weeks per year.
Can anyone recommend a minimum waterproof and breathability ratings that i need to have and any features that are a must??
Thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Lots of pockets, and I always wish mine had one of those little cloths on a chord for cleaning your sunglasses.
My off-the-shelf bought at random from M&S the night before my first trip is still going strong several years and quite a few trips a season later - some say it's because I "won't" but a new one - they are wrong.
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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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lift pass pocket on left sleeve
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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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I like my ski jackets to have little tabs on the zips to make it easier to open pockets with gloves/mittens on.
And the little wrist warmer silk thing attached to the sleeve to put your thumbs through. - Sorry, I'm not sure what the correct term for this is!
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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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| Quote: |
lift pass pocket on left sleeve
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Definitely!
Do up the hoodand make sure it covers as much of your face as poss. Try stuffing the pockets of the jacket with gloves, phone, wallet etc when you are trying it on. When I was looking last year quite a lot of the jackets for women were a slim fit, so not leaving much space to stuff things into.
Can't comment on the waterproof and breathability stuff as these vary between brands etc etc.
Good luck!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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All good advice above. And don't forget to go via T K Maxx! If you find a jacket you like there it'll probably save you a few quid over McArthur Glen
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Top three things I look for in ski jacket:
1) Pockets
2) More pockets
3) Even more pockets (heard too many horror stories about backpacks getting caught when getting off chairlifts).
Waterproofing will soon need renewing with wash-in Nikwax (especially if you ski in Austria) so difference between ratings when new won't last long.
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Pockets, hood, powder skirt. A Keela jacket from admin visa the snowheads shop is as good as any - and a lot cheaper than many. It does not have a lift pass pocket in the sleeve. I have not needed counseling over the grief of not having one.
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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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I need to look for waterproof, windproof and breathablility right??
What is the minimum rating i need for waterproofness and breathability?
Thanks for all replies so far!
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Locky12, I haven't a Scooby about the 'rating'. I have found all Gortex jackets, and the Keela mentioned above. very adequate in all weathers.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Locky12,
Buy a ski jacket. What you get depends on how much money you want to spend but as long as you get a ski jacket by a recognised maker then you can't go wrong as even at the cheaper end of the market the companies have to keep pace with latest trends. So after that choose comfortable fit and a colour that you like and you can't go wrong. Also maybe it's too early for you to buy, maybe you should try some stuff tomorrow just to get a feel for what is available. You have asked similar questions on a couple of threads and I may be wrong but all of your research seems to be internet based. I have found that ski shop staff in general are very helpful and do not always give the hard sell. You will learn a lot from a days browsing and the answers here will also seem more useful.
You have plenty of time. A busy bank holiday at an outlet centre is probably the worst time to buy. Wait for a quiet mid week when you can try in comfort.
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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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Removable fleecy liner makes it more useful for things other than skiing. And you can wash the liner separately when it gets pongy.
Pit vents (zips under the arms) are great for late season hot afternoons.
Columbia have given me what I wanted for a jacket about 4 times now. Great kit.
If it hasn't got a lift pass pocket on the sleeve, look for a left breast pocket instead.
Sorry can't help on w/proof and breathability figures. If it's Gortex or similar basically the material takes care of both. It's the quality or otherwise of the seams and stitching etc that make a cheap jacket leaky.
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| palumbex wrote: |
Locky12,
Buy a ski jacket. |
Correct.
As others have said, the ratings themselves are not that important. It's a balance between cost, waterproofing and breathability. At a given price point you should find that a ski jacket will optimise breathability whereas something like a winter walking jacket will optimise waterproofing.
Others may disagree but I don't think waterproofing is that important as snow doesn't challenge a jacket in the same way that walking headfirst into driving rain for 8 hours does. Whether it's falling on you or you're taking an impromptu roll in it, snow tends to fall off.
So go for features - lift pass pocket and at least one pocket big enough to take a spare set of goggles.
Also decide if you want a shell (with more layers under) or a warm jacket - there are pros/cons to both but I prefer a shell.
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You know it makes sense.
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p.s. I'm not sure which McArthurGlen you're going to but I've just had a quick look at a couple of them.
Ashford has a 'Trespass' and a 'Tog24' - both of which have plenty of stuff suitable for a couple of week's school skiing - they're decent i(f not thrilling) brands who will have all the features, proofing and breathability covered.
Cheshire Oaks has a 'Tog24' and also 'The North Face' and 'Columbia' - these are 'higher end' brands, more than good enough for what you want, likely to last you a long time.
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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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Having bought a new jacket this year which is very beautiful it's biggest flaw is that it is not long enough in the back - was great when I tried it on but having been out sking in it I could do with it being longer in the back so that there isn't a gap between it and my salopettes when I sit on a chair lift.
Other than that pockets in any jacket are a must, the more the merrier
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Dubaian wrote: |
| ......If it hasn't got a lift pass pocket on the sleeve, look for a left breast pocket instead. . |
Never had any problems with using the top LH breast pocket for my lift pass.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Well you might mock the "lift pass pocket" but I like having one. It means the pass goes in there on day one, nothing else goes in that pocket so no danger of pulling it out with something else, then I can just forget about it.
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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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My pass sits in the zipped pocket of my fleece gilet under my jacket. I think the sensitivity of the readers has improved considerably from the early days and they can pick up the signature of the chip at greater distances than the earlier versions. The first versions you needed to run the card more or less over the reader to get it to register.
I used to have one of the Swatch watches and always had to change it from my right to left wrist and hold the wrist against the first data readers. Later on it did not matter which wrist it was on. Some booger nicked it after claiming to have given it back to me. I liked them and wish they were still an option.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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holidayloverxx, same goes for my top LH jacket pocket. Not so much knocking sleeve pass pocket, more surprised that some think it essential.
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Samerberg Sue, I liked mine too, but can't use it in Serre Chevalier any more.
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achilles, I wouldn't say the pocket on the sleeve is essential; it's more about having a dedicated pocket on something that you wear everyday. If I couldn't get a jacket with a sleeve pocket then of course a chest pocket would be fine but it then limits what else I can carry.
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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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My jacket has an inside chest pocket-within-a-pocket, which I dedicate to my ski pass. Works OK.
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| Hurtle wrote: |
| My jacket has an inside chest pocket-within-a-pocket, which I dedicate to my ski pass. Works OK. |
My jacket has a false liner with a hidden pocket which opens up into rear facing bottom up zipped pocket which leads to a nine dimensional space which has a multitude of pockets the number of which which shall remain nameless as I have never been able to count them 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Scarpa, And an interface to L space?????
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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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davkt, That's only available on the higher spec version.
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Having had a few jackets of different "features", I now have a list of what's nice to have and what I don't particularly care for:
Must have:
- Waterproof and windproof
- A hood, preferably big enough to go over the hat and/or helmet with room to spare.
- At least ONE inside pocket! That's where keys, wallet and cell phone goes. Two inside pocket will be even better. Cell phone gets its own pocket and can be used without worry of pulling other items out when answering the phone.
- If it's a lined jacket with non-removable liners, a "pit zip" for cooling off is essential.
Nice to have:
- Many pockets! More is better, but minimum of 3-4 would be good enough. Large ones for all sort of odd items.
- Pull tab on zippers. Although that can be fashioned by tying anything to the zipper pull for zero cost. So it's not a deal breaker.
- Little pull out goggle cleaner
- Lift pass pocket with a clear window. Not for putting lift pass, but for putting a cheapie watch there to tell time without digging through glove cuff!
"Features" aside, fit is the most important thing. It needs to be long enough so it doesn't ride up. It needs to be slightly larger for layering. But not so large wind tunnel right through
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You know it makes sense.
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My old jacket had snow guards in the wrist that hooked around my thumb. I fear I will miss them in my new jacket that does not have them
Pass pocket on the left sleeve is my number one requirement.
Also a hood that will go over my helmet.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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| fragglerock wrote: |
My old jacket had snow guards in the wrist that hooked around my thumb. I fear I will miss them in my new jacket that does not have them
Pass pocket on the left sleeve is my number one requirement.
Also a hood that will go over my helmet. |
My Tog 24 Jackets have those and they are very handy. Stops snow going up your sleeves if you take a fall. They also generally have an inner elasticated section that does up to stop snow going up your back.
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