Mr. Lady Di and I will be going to Colorado last week of December with his relatives. I'm pretty much clueless on good ski apparel brands. What are they? I just want to insulate myself as much I can! I can't stand the cold. We're also going to try and learn how to ski. I hope we won't come back with any broken bones. =( Any suggestions on what to do there? TIA!
I am going to school in Boulder right now and I have gone to Breckenridge almost every year of my life. I got my ski gear at Sun & Ski in Houston. It was The North Face, and the guy said it should keep me warm up to like -20 degrees. If you want someone to teach you how to ski, ask for a guy named Popeye, he is great.
Look on eBay. You're in for a treat. Breckenridge is amazing. Spend half a day on the learning hills and get trained. There are plenty of greens and blues when your ready to move up. Have fun.
My favorite Colorado City. It has been a couple of years since I've been there. Your ski lift ticket should be good for Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapaho Basin. The first time I skied (1996) I took ski school offered at Keystone. Keystone has a great loooong beginner trail called Schoolmarme IICR. Breckenridge has a lot more beginner trails. I think Arapaho is more from experts.
NorthFace for apparrel and make sure you buy waterproof ski gloves and you have thermals. And Oakley ski googles, they're the best.
Ski Equiptment - NorthFace, HellyHansen, or Columbia. Goggles - Oakley or Smith And you're probably renting the gear, right? If you're really worried about getting cold, you can buy hand warmers and boot warmers in any ski shop. You should put a couple in your jacket so you can use them if needed during the day.
Yeah, I'm renting ski stuff. Just wanted to know what's the best brand to keep you warm. I've never been in a 20 degree weather in snow before. Is it thermal clothing underneath then ski light jacket and heavy jacket with cargo pants? What about boots? Is it any boots?
burton, northface, spyder, oakley...all good brands. all brands have different models, some are only shells, might want to bring a fleece and underarmor shirt, rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it. pants, again, same brands, get something waterproof, freezing water running down your legs are not comfortable. boots, they are locked onto the boards, try them all to get a good fit, get some gold bond powder and spray some detergents, the previous user may have athletes foot or whatever. have fun and be safe.
Lots of layers. Thermal undies. Warm fleecy(ies). Warm socks. Good gloves. Toque. Outer (breathable) shell to keep you dry. I ski in an MEC (same as REI) waterproof shell over a fleecy. Have done so in -20 weather and stay perfectly warm. The fleacy by itself is a good spring coat, and the shell is good for hiking in the rain year round. I'd only get a heavy jacket if you have other uses for it...or will be skiing a lot...or really want one! If you don't go the heavy jacket route, a vest would be a good idea too if you get cold easily. The hand/boot warmers work well. There are lots of shops in Brackenridge if you need more layers! Sounds like an awesome trip!
I might run into you, we go to Breck every year during that time.. As far as brands go, I try to buy whatever is the cheapest of the major brands when I need to replace something.. All the brands generally last about the same, but one tip I can tell you is some times thicker doesn't equal warmer.. Buy gloves that have a pouch that will hold hand warmers along with the stick in boot warmers.. Don't buy goggles, wear sunglasses.. Tips.. The brewery has good beer and terrible food.. Carter park is AWESOME for sledding.. The small cookie place on Main is really good, we get one everyday.. The ribs at the BBQ place are worth checking out.. Pass on the pizza place, it think it's called Nicks.. Bring a small humidifier for your room, if you don't do well in dry cold..
There are quite a few number of brands that make great outdoor gear for skiing. Layering is is usually the preferred method of dressing because you will be prepared for a wider range of temperatures. For instance if you buy a heavy insulated jacket you will burn up if the temp is over 35. Basically its a base layer, a mid layer and an outer shell to knock down the wind. Also avoid anything made out of cotton. The base layer is a light to mid-weight shirt to wick the moisture away and provide a layer of warmth. About anything wicking will get the job done and Marmot, Patagona and Under Armor make some good ones. For a mid layer you can just go with a fleece or even a wool sweater. The outer layer is usually what is commonly referred to as a hard-shell or a soft-shell. Here is a little bit about the differences if you want to get into it: http://www.backcountry.com/store/newsletter/a127/What-THE-HECK-is-Soft-Shell.html Otherwise a soft-shell will get the job done well and also give you a nice jacket to wear around on colder days down south plus they are often far less expensive. North Face, Mountain Hardwear, Marmot, Arcteryx, Cloudveil etc. For goggles look for something with a RC36 or rose-copper lens which is pretty much the lens tent that works in most conditions. No need for the expensive ones if you don't use them more than a few days. Oakley, Bolle, Spy and Smith are some good brands but there are many others. For socks make sure they are thin and wicking. Smartwool ski socks are great. For your lower body most any water-proof ski pants will work and you will probably want a base layer as well. A few great discount sites that are also easy to send stuff back if you don't like it: http://www.altrecoutlet.com/ http://www.backcountryoutlet.com/ http://www.rei.com/outlet Here are two discount sites that work like woot but circulate gear frequently during the day. I have seen Arcteryx softshells (one of the best) and cheap smith goggles on there recently. Tramdock.com Steepandcheap.com
It won’t matter what brand you wear. Just make sure that you wear thermals under your clothes. Don’t go and buy the expensive clothes unless you plan on going back. I would suggest thrift stores on buying your ski stuff. Sometimes you can find 'name brand' ski clothing for cheap. Don’t eat the yellow raspas Mexican.
One last thing. Make sure you bring warm, waterproof boots with a high back and good tread. (save your high healed leather boots for back home ). You want to be able to walk around in the snow and ice and stay comfy and stable when you're not on the slopes. Sorel is a good brand.
Wear some sort of polyester or silk thermals. NOT COTTON! you will sweat and go into hypothermia because you are a giant sponge. Get goggles and sunglasses both. Wear the goggles on a snowy day, glasses on a bluebird day. LAYER!!! At least 3. I wear thermals, a long sleeve shirt, a thick-ish fleece, and then my shell jacket.
I've been snowboarding for eight years now and last year we went snowboarding in five degree weather. As long as you are moving, you will be sweating. Believe me! Don't be intimidated by cold weather because you are always on the go when you're on the slopes. You'll get cold when you take a break for an hour lunch.
