dress like an astronaut

[toast21602]

ugh i hate facemasks. i dont think i have ever worn one.

[AtomicSkier]

I wish I would've had my facemask when it was -5 at Stratton w/ a -20 degree windchill.

[phillycore]

I wish I would've had my facemask when it was -5 at Stratton w/ a -20 degree windchill.

 

 

I was plenty glad to have my neck gaiter fo shizz...

[phillycore]

I wrote a long ass post and basically wasted my time because the links didn't work for me so screw it....

 

 

A Neck gaiter is different than a balaclava

 

it's basically a tube made of fleece

 

that's all folks.

Edited December 29, 2008 by phillycore

[AngryHugo]

Robert were you ever an astronaut??? I figure only an astronaut would know how to dress like an astronaut...

 

*insert joke about Uranus*

 

Balaclava???

 

No, baclava. The item off the dessert menu.

 

[phillycore]

No, baclava. The item off the dessert menu.

 

 

 

 

I had that once... It's a Greek food or something..

Some kid brought it into school for taste of nations day or some shit..

[zaldon]

sorry to take so long to answer R2 question about what my pants and jacket are. my jacket is an Analog hard shell jacket, and my pants are Alycium Paramount group soft shell pants.

[zaldon]

Edited January 2, 2009 by zaldon

[Robert2]

is that you?

as in...you happen in real life?

 

Yes. From Nov 18th SNOWWWW post.

http://www.paskiandride.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=12497

 

 

sorry to take so long to answer R2 question about what my pants and jacket are. my jacket is an Analog hard shell jacket, and my pants are Alycium Paramount group soft shell pants.

I'm not familiar with these pants and jacket. Would you know a link on the web that sells them and describes their temperature ratings?

It's no big deal if you can't. I just poked around on the web and found lots of Analog jackets but nothing specific.

I bought a new jacket this year that I expected to be much warmer than it turned out to be so I'm back to

multiple base layers so I am always looking for some input on what really is the warmest jacket available.

 

Robert were you ever an astronaut??? I figure only an astronaut would know how to dress like an astronaut...

 

Naaa.... never was an astronaut.... more like a spaced cowboy......

when I say dress like an astronaut I'm just saying that by the time every square inch from head to toe is covered up and protected from the

wind that its not much less than dressing in a pressure suit.

 

I wear the beard to stay warm but when the air gets into the 20s I wear two layers of balacavas.

A silk weight then a fleece weight then the helmet with speakers and turbo fan goggles.

The silk weight wicks sweat. The fleece is the insulation. Wearing one without the other is too cold when its 5 degrees out there

so I don't even think about it anymore, I just wear both of them.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balaclava_(clothing)

 

I found that wearing mouth covering balacavas warmed the air.

It and made a huge difference between cold lungs and eventually a cold chest.

It seemed that breathing cold air would make my back chill but when wearing balacavas my whole core stayed warm for hours.

 

 

Nick was talking about head and feet warmth.

I don't know how to wear ski boots and stay warm when its 10 degrees.

I found that thick wool hunting socks did great for snowboarding but my ski boots only fit if I wear the thin merino ski socks, not thick hunting socks, and then I get cold feet on days like today.

I normally only ski when its warm and powder and slower riding so I never tried to get heated boots anyway.

That's one advantage of snowboarding.... the boots can be laced loose enough to allow good blood flow for warmth and thicker socks for the coldest days.

My snowboarding boots seem to be a boatload warmer than my ski boots.

A lot of people lace up their snowboarding boots real tight, almost like an ice skate , and don't realize that too snug a boot will impede blood flow

and cause pain, fatigue, and cold feet where just a little bit looser would make a great day out in the cold.

Edited January 2, 2009 by Robert2

[toast21602]

i just dress like an astronaut to stay warm. its as simple as that.

[n0xidee]

wow, you're a cool kid. unfortunately wearing shorts in all seasons stopped being cool in 5th grade.

 

I could be wrong but I think he was merely stating how if you have a good pair of pants with a liner in them, you won't need to "dress like an astronaut".

[bigdaddyk]

I like this thread...as ski911 has said..it's all about keeping the core warm...I sometimes like to drive with the windows down the last mile or two to the mountain to acclimate...people in my carpool group don't particularly like that....Some ski seasons in Pennsylvania like 2 years ago, it's so warm that I don't even wear a jacket that much. This winter I have had to wear underarmor like 80 percent of the time..

 

I've found the opposite helps. I usually turn the heat up, prior to putting on my final layers (coat, etc), so you are already warm, when you bundle up and trap the heat in.

[zaldon]

wow, you're a cool kid. unfortunately wearing shorts in all seasons stopped being cool in 5th grade.

actually i am more worried about being comfortable than looking cool on the mountain. and even though i am wearing shorts in all seasons i usually end up sweating by the time i get to the base, and noxidee was almost correct, i really feel that in the Poconos you should never be dressed like an astronaut. all you need is something to block the wind and a little bit of insulation, you don't need to look like the Michelin man to stay warm here.

 

As for R2's question about websites http://alycium.com/ for the pants i really don't know anything about analog jackets i just got it on sale a couple of years ago, but i did order an alycium jacket which i should be getting soon, it is the Paramount group Hooded Jacket.

Edited January 2, 2009 by zaldon

[zaldon]

http://alycium.com/

[method9455]

I don't even wear shorts, generally underarmor boxers under snowboard pants is all I need. The only time I put on anything more than that was when it was -15 and I was out for 6 hours, then I put on long underwear. My legs never get cold. Wearing more layers on my legs would just make me open my vents so I'm carrying weight for nothing.

 

This is the most pointless discussion on here. People have entirely different bodies and riding style and comfort level. If you are cold, buy warmer stuff. If you aren't cold, good for you. I wear basically the exact same stuff as my girlfriend ratings wise, we ride basically the same way, she is always colder than I am. It certainly isn't the gear when we have the same base, mid layer, and our shells are similiar.

[zaldon]

just a thought if you don't like the discussion don't read it...

[method9455]

You really do have a reading comprehension problem. I didn't say I didn't like the discussion, its funny as hell watching people argue that Walmart jackets and 5 layers of wool are the way to go. I said it is pointless because what works for one person doesn't work for another. There are some things that are true in here, but on a given day two people might be wearing the exact same gear and one is cold and one is not. Its like people who ask online what kind of boots they should get.

[Robert2]

This is the most pointless discussion on here.

 

I don't really see much of an argument here.

If you followed the weather and clothing discussions for the last TWO months here you should have been at the least entertained by the posts.

I said it gets REAL cold here so dress for it.

Other people said it doesn't get that cold here so don't bother dressing for it.

Then opening week we had 12 degree weather and a lot of people did freeze their asses off and we got back to some banter about staying warm.

 

I NEVER SAID YOU HAVE TO WEAR WHAT I WEAR

BUT

I did say FIGURE OUT WHAT WORKS WELL FOR YOU.

 

The bottom line is that if you never try anything new and you do get cold then you never will figure out what works for you.

The local Walmart, KMart, MACEYS...etc.... sells lots of cotton sweatshirts and cotton long underwear and cotton jeans

and cotton has proven again and again and again to be the worst winter warmth fabric once its wet

with sweat or rolled in the snow.

 

The high tech base layer market has really exploded with some great affordable long underwear

but not a lot of people get to buy and wear this stuff. $85 for a long underwear shirt

can be pretty much out of your league but the guy that goes outside every day for 4 hours

sees that as a good investment.

When I say "you" or "your" I'm not pointing at any one person here.... I'm just saying that

the price tag , that high price tag, makes a lot of my local ski shops not stock the best of the best.

They stock something a little less pricey so it will move off the shelf. And once gone, its gone and

they do not get more again until next year.

So because not every product that is a good warmth product is even available to me the shopper

I would encourage anyone who has found the best way to stay warm in 10 degrees to share names of

what product worked for them.

 

I used to only wear Patagonia capilene then found MARMOT and HOT CHILLY's made base layers just as warm for half the price of capilene.

Patagonia used to make a thick fuzzy fleece they called EXPEDITION WEIGHT that was meant to be worn as your second layer over a wicking silk weight layer.

They discontinued that product a few years ago and confused their customer base, people like

me, who wanted to buy a tried and trusted product.

So I experimented with other Patagonia base layers but did not find anything as warm as their

discontinued product.

Then I experimented with Marmot and HOT CHILLY's base layers.

If you check out HOT CHILLY'S web site they have a dozen product lines and its very confusing so

I just went to the source and asked HOT CHILLY'S to tell me what their warmest products are and they told me :

The La Montana and HC4040 is our best

expedition weight (and warmest) and I would recommend the HC4040 - M's Panel

Zip T - because it has gussets made out of a less bulky and more technical

fabric in our line called MTF4000.

 

So I bought a few of each ....cost half as much as Patagonia shirts.....and I've been wearing one of these for a month now and won't be looking for any more Patagonia products again.

 

I also found that Marmot made a next to skin base layer that looks almost identical to

what Patagonia calls their capilene 4....... but the Marmot shirts cost half as much as the

cap 4 shirts.

 

Since the market will bear lots of competition we have NIKE and UNDER-ARMOR and

Walmart has some kind of jock attire line but none of those products kept me warm enough

to snowboard in 10 degrees so if anyone has had better luck with those products then of course

say so. I don't own stock in any of these attire companies so I'm just saying what did and didn't

work for me.

 

Something as simple as learning about wearing mittens instead of gloves or

learning about glove liners can make the difference between a day out or a day in.

You never saw an Eskimo wear gloves.... they wear mittens because they are warmer than gloves.

Check out DAKINE and BURTON snowboard mittens and you see insane $75 pricing

for a pair of mittens. Look close and you see a waterproofed mitten PLUS a removable mitten liner

made of some kind of thermal fleece.

I've been wearing the same BURTON mittens for 13 years with a thin glove liner.

My Burton mittens came with a removable mitten liner which I have replaced with a polartech fleece

mitten liner. So I actually wear 3 layers.... thin glove liner... thicker fleece mitten.. then the rubberized outer mitten... what you see.

I shove a rollerblade wrist guard plate in between the fleece and the mitten layer.

You can buy polartech fleece for $30 for ten yards.... it sort of looks like baby blanket material....

and make anything warm you want out of it. How about mittens? Liners?

 

 

Today as I was packing up to leave JF there was this lady with her kid trying to

get two pairs of gloves on this kid's hand but glove two would not fit over glove one so

I asked her if she ever heard of glove liners and showed her some standard thin glove liners.

She went into the ski shop and found that they were sold out of glove liners.

I just gave her an old pair of mine. I carry extras.

 

Dress for it. Have fun.

[bigdaddyk]

lock it up.

[YummerzZz]

IBTL , http://underwear.wickers.com/Flame%20Retardant-ZXcZX13 ,the Rolex of the underwear world.

[Barb]

jfbb website has a reference to this thread in their blog.

[RidgeRacer]

jfbb website has a reference to this thread in their blog.

 

that was great.

[stever2003]

FYI if anybody needs to upgrade some gear, EMS has a sale up to 50% off right now.

 

They had everything off at least 20% for the entire month of December. I bought Techwick T3 long underwear pants, and a Techwick top. On the bottom, I wear a pair of boxers, the Techwick long-underwear, and my shell pants, and I've had no troubles down to 20 degF/10degF windchill. For the same temps, I wear my Underarmor cold-weather long-sleeve shirt, a wool pull-over, and a parka.

 

Personally, I love skiing, and I don't mind spending money on quality gear so that I can perform the sport I love to the best of my abilities in any conditions. You get what you pay for. Still, a good shopper can find good deals on quality gear. If you are dedicated to skiing (or any sport), consider your gear an investment and don't be afraid to go for quality. If you're new to the sport or trying it out for the first time, try to borrow warm gear from somebody who has extra gear so you don't have to drop a few hundred dollars to be warm for one day.

 

** A key note about EMS's Techwick clothing: This seems like their equivalent to Underarmor. I have a Techwick T2 top and T3 botom (levels are T1, T2, T3, with T3 being the warmest). I really like the Techwick gear, it is warm, but not tight fitting like Underarmor. I have no problem taking my shell pants off at the end of the day and lounging around in my T3 bottom for a few hours. The T3 is on sale at EMS for about $35, which is a steal for this gear, so if you're looking for a great base layer on a budget, definitely take advantage of this opportunity.

[stever2003]

** Don't forget to keep your face and head warm. Definitely bring goggles and a face mask or baclava, and a warm hat or helmet. I personally think everybody should have a helmet, both for warmth and protection (more importantly the protection). Try on a helmet at your local shop to find your size and then wait for a deal on www.tramdock.com or www.Whiskeymilitia.com. I saw a Giro Fuse on Tramdock today for $50, this is normally a $150 helmet. Everybody who skis even a few times a season should seriously consider owning a helmet. They're very warm, and $50 is like a small insurance policy to buy for your head in case something terrible happens (consider the tens of thousands you'll spend on medical bills if you do hurt yourself).

 

Helmet, goggles, & mask = WARM

Edited January 5, 2009 by stever2003

[n0xidee]

Want some warm shiz?

 

www.carhartt.com

 

Only stuff I wear for work since I work outside all day long. I may even wear it skiing....