New to skiing unsure about clothing

if you're not sure then best bet would be to hire. The other option would be to look on ebay as already suggested, I hadn't been skiing for a long period and took the wife who had never ski-ied, not sure if she was going to take to it for our first trip we raided ebay. Good suggestion about the gloves though, do NOT skimp on gloves or socks for that matter, everything else you can layer up on but too many socks makes for uncomfortable skiing!!!

Hi there

I went skiing for the first time a couple of years ago. I bought a kids Trespass ski jacket (I'm only 5') for £25 from TK Maxx and have worn it for two seasons and also a few times to the indoor snow slopes. I've also worn it for horse riding and it's been perfectly good. My salopettes were about £20 - £25 from Mountain Warehouse. My hubby got a pair of Iguana salopettes for £50 in TK Maxx last year and they've been really good. He also bought an Animal ski jacket last year for £100 but he wears it all the time, not just for ski hols.

Hope this helps. :wink:

Cant comment on Aldi, as I never shop there. I do have to say that you get what you pay for, s be prepared for second rate quality if you are paying second rate prices.

Having said that, I never ever pay full price for stuff, skiing or not, and often use TK Maxx. If you dont mind trawling through the jumble sale kind of set up, you can often come across some real bargains, but dont go one week and think its a load of rubbish never to return, as their stock regularly changes.

Last year, I bought some lovely Columbia pants for £40, rrp £95. They are like combats with a selection of pockets and a really modern fit to them, much nicer than some of the traditionally cut bottoms.

I also got a Cross jacket for £34. I think they had made a mistake putting it in the clearance at that price, as the rrp is £175, and it was current years stock too. Slightly shorter and neater cut, very cool black/grey/red colours too.

You can always find good quality branded fleeces too, although its harder to find base layers or thermals. I tend to use www.skiwear4less.com for those.

Socks are a bargain, but avoid tube socks. You can buy a decent pair of properly padded socks for under £10, usual rrp £25-£30. Gloves too can be found, they tend to do all the good brands at reduced prices too.

Goggles and glasses are a bit hit and miss, but TK Maxx have currently got a selection of goggles at god prices. I bought a pair of North Face ref lens ones for £25, rrp £95. Now thats a bargain.

TK Maxx is brilliant for buying stuff if you are novices or for kids, and therefore likely to change it in a few years time, or if you are just particularly vain or fashion conscious, as I try to be!

Tony_H wrote:
You can always find good quality branded fleeces too, although its harder to find base layers or thermals. I tend to use www.skiwear4less.com for those.

Now you see.... this just goes to show the importance of being patient and keep going back to TK Maxx. Just bought Helly Hansen Lifa base layer top and pants for £19.99 Bargain, these are going for that price on ebay just for the top!!!! So it just goes to show what you can find, of course skiwear4less.com is also great and I've just bought a Blizzard base layer for £8+p+p 8)

Decaflon sells quite reasonable gear for a low price. I know alot of my friends have got gear from there. The trick is to wear layers then if your jacket is too warm you get take a layer off and if its too cold you can stick a layer on. Just make sure what ever you buy is wind proof and water proof.

I got my first ski jacket from C&A's for everyone who is old enough to remember that store. I got kitted out for less thatn £100 pants, jacket, goggles the lot and it did me fine.

I am going have to admit though I have now forked out for better gear mainly because I keep venturing to the US every so often and it gets a bit colder there. But for Europe I wouldnt worry, It never gets too cold. (too cold I mean during the day its rarely below -5 even in the coldest months at the top of the mountain)

Kymbillie wrote: But for Europe I wouldnt worry, It never gets too cold. (too cold I mean during the day its rarely below -5 even in the coldest months at the top of the mountain)

Never?

Ok, I give you:

Sauze, March 2007. Minus 18 at the top of Monte Triplex.

Val Thorens, December 2002. Minus 25 at midday in the sun, every day. That is the coldest I have ever been in my life, and learning, too.

Tony_H wrote:

Val Thorens, December 2002. Minus 25 at midday in the sun, every day. That is the coldest I have ever been in my life, and learning, too.

still went back for more though didn't you :?:

Personally I can't wait, I think if you've got the right gear for the right conditions and you're moving it beats laying on a beach any day of the year :P

Kymbillie wrote:But for Europe I wouldnt worry, It never gets too cold. (too cold I mean during the day its rarely below -5 even in the coldest months at the top of the mountain)

Well I live in Switzerland and I can tell it most certainly does get colder than that on a regular basis. The fact the snow doesn't instantly melt is a bit of a give-away :D

Round here temperatures of -10 or -20 are pretty common without wind chill. It's -12 now :D