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Skiing and snowboarding is like any other active winter activity. You're going to be exposed to mother nature, and you're going to sweat.
Outer Shell
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For protection from mother nature you want to wear an outer shell that is water resistant, so that you shed that beautiful fresh powder falling from the sky (and spray from snow guns) instead of it melting from your body heat and resulting in soaking though to your skin. You also want your outer shell to be breathable since it's an active sport and you will sweat and unless that sweat can evaporate and escape though your clothing you'll just end up cold and wet. The best outer shells are made from Gore-Tex, and there's a reason it's so expensive. You pay for what you get. The next step down is assorted fabrics that are basically just coated with a water repelling compound which will eventually wear off. For repelling snow, these will do fine. |
Insulation Layer
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Now that you're protected from the elements, you need something to keep you warm. This is your insulation layer. Fleece jackets are best, wool sweaters are good too. The general idea is that your insulation should be able to become wet (sweat counts), without losing its insulation qualities. Wool and synthetics will achieve this. Cotton sweat shirts will not, in fact they will suck the heat from your body if they get wet, often resulting in hypothermia. Cotton is bad for active wear, period. In most cases, snowboarding and skiing pants are insulated, so you won't need seperate insulation such as fleece pants. |
Note: In warmer pre-season and spring weather you can skip the insulation layer or shell. If you fall a lot, keep the shell.
Base Layer
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Under your insulation layer will be your wicking layer. This is usually a thin synthetic fabric that will move sweat from your skin to the outer layers where it can evaporate. Again, cotton is bad. Doesn't matter if it has a cool logo from your favorite snowboard or ski manufacturer. Save it for your apres-ski change of clothes.
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Goggles
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As for the head, googles are worth their weight in gold when it's blowing snow or there's snow guns along your favorite run. |
Toque
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As your mother may have said, wear a hat to keep warm. There's plenty styles of toques, and they do make a huge difference when it's cold. It's not cool to shiver on the chairlift. |
Socks
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Socks can make your day. Your feet sweat a lot. Cotton absorbs sweat and becomes a blister causing wet rag between your feet and your boots. Buy some socks intended for snowboarding, skiing, or hiking. They're worth the few bucks extra. |
Gloves
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Wet hands are no fun either. There's lots of options for gloves. Snowboarders tend to bring their hands in contact with the snow more than skiers, either when carving, or simply getting your butt off the ground. Gloves with removeable liners are highly recommended if you foresee any chance of a multi-day trip. Water-repellency of the glove shell is important for snowboarding. Most ski gloves are weak in this area. Mitt-style gloves will keep your fingers warmer, at the cost of some dexterity. |
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