Skiing clothing

I've got my jacket and salopets but I'm not sure what's the good stuff to wear underneath. We're going high in europe and in January so things could get cold. A couple of polo necks to alternate? A hoodie between? Regular T-shirts?

Also what's good footwear for the evening? I havent skiid in years and don't know whether regular shoes/trainers will do for the walk from hotel to bars and back. I imagine it can get slushy and slippery inside some of these apres ski joints too. I was thinking some caterpillars/timberland type heavy duty boots could be a good purchase for skiing and they would get use other times of the year..

Just wanted to open up the discussion, cheers

freshfreshpowder wrote:I've got my jacket and salopets but I'm not sure what's the good stuff to wear underneath. We're going high in europe and in January so things could get cold. A couple of polo necks to alternate? A hoodie between? Regular T-shirts?

Also what's good footwear for the evening? I havent skiid in years and don't know whether regular shoes/trainers will do for the walk from hotel to bars and back. I imagine it can get slushy and slippery inside some of these apres ski joints too. I was thinking some caterpillars/timberland type heavy duty boots could be a good purchase for skiing and they would get use other times of the year..

Just wanted to open up the discussion, cheers

It really depends if you feel the cold, if you do then a set of thermals are the order of the day,if not
I normally wear a breathable T shirt under a fleece with jacket.
If I gonna fall over when on my ski hols then it will be walking about the resort so be careful, I would normally wear walking shoes, but what ever floats your boat 8)

In my opinion heavy duty walking boots are a must , esp in January when snow could be a foot deep etc. Normal shoes or trainers in January isnt a good idea. (March /April maybe)
Baselayers: TK max or Oswald Bailey, Marks and Spencers, (people wouldnt think of Marks , but their underwear and thermals are excellent quality). Also any outdoor clothing shop, Blacks outdoor gear etc. Oswald bailey if you want to keep the price down, or Blacks for more expensive. Also you might want to wear baselayer in evening if you are outside for ages.. its so so cold. Mind you, you men dont seem to feel the cold like we females do......
A a mid layer cotton hoodies may not be warm enough if bitterly cold. Fleecy zip ups are warmer.
Evening : fresh warm thick socks to wear, rather than sweaty, smelly ski socks you have been in all day!! lol

It is best to avoid cotton as it will not wick moisture away from your body. This can result in ending up cold as your sweat will be trapped against your body. Polyprop or wool clothing is best for base layer clothing and fleece is great for mid layers.

surfarthur wrote:It is best to avoid cotton as it will not wick moisture away from your body. This can result in ending up cold as your sweat will be trapped against your body. Polyprop or wool clothing is best for base layer clothing and fleece is great for mid layers.

Agree completely. If at all possible go for technical type base layers that will wick moisture away from your body. Think something like Under Armour base layer with light fleece over (or a heavy fleece if it is particularly cold) and then a nice cosy jacket :shock:

Don't forget a couple of pairs of long johns as well to keep the lower parts warm :wink:

freshfreshpowder wrote:I've got my jacket and salopets but I'm not sure what's the good stuff to wear underneath. We're going high in europe and in January so things could get cold. A couple of polo necks to alternate? A hoodie between? Regular T-shirts?

Also what's good footwear for the evening? I havent skiid in years and don't know whether regular shoes/trainers will do for the walk from hotel to bars and back. I imagine it can get slushy and slippery inside some of these apres ski joints too. I was thinking some caterpillars/timberland type heavy duty boots could be a good purchase for skiing and they would get use other times of the year..

Just wanted to open up the discussion, cheers

It depends on what your personally comfortable with. Personally I find the best under-jacket combination is a base layer and then a cotton t-shirt over the top. I've got a few Nike pro base layers which are great and you can pick them up for around £15. Avoiding cotton base layers is a must as when you start to sweat as it gets uncomfortable and can make you more cold as the moisture has nowhere to go. Also I would go to a sports shop of some kind, DW sports are nice and cheap and check out the range of base layers they have as they will probably have more than enough to suit what you are looking for.

And for the evening I've got a pair of Caterpillars that are excellent and I wouldn't even think about taking a pair shoes/trainers with me now. Its quite funny when you see Brits sliding about in a little pair of slick dap type trainers :lol:

Don't wear your daps in a ski resort!

My Timberland boots have done the job for many a year now.

As for clothing, it's all about layers. I wear a base layer, light fleece zip neck shirt, a fleece waistcoat if it's very cold, heavy jacket or North Face shell, depending on temperature, time of year etc. In warmer weather, I sometimes wear base layer, ski fleece and SOS sweater.

I would suggest wearing a long sleeve base layer (don't spend a fortune I take 3 otherwise each has to last 3 days!)
I wear a fleece (take a couple)over that underneath a breathable jacket.

Not convinced re a hoody - if you have it up then fine but if not it'll fill with snow and make its way down the back of your neck! Better to take a balaclava that you can wear under a helmet or a fleece beany if you don't wear a lid.

Never needed long johns under my salopettes but never been to North America and tend to go in Feb or March when it's not so cold. My wife and one of my daughters always wears them.

I'd suggest 2 pairs of gloves or mittens so you can leave one in the chalet/hotel drying & at least 3 pairs of ski socks.