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Suggestions for lighter, cooler clothing for a sweaty person

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I've had a few top notch mountineering gore-tex jackets over the decades, but now I just ski in light softshells, much better. And ski touring softshell pants are much better for spring skiing, for winter I use a very thin ski pant with good ventilation, if it gets to abut -10C I can always wear a paeit of thermals underneath it. Same for gloves, I use Mountain Equipment Randonees with a pile lining, extremely breathable and if wet and sweaty can just be rung out and still feel comfy.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Scarpa wrote:
I've had a few top notch mountineering gore-tex jackets over the decades, but now I just ski in light softshells, much better. And ski touring softshell pants are much better for spring skiing, for winter I use a very thin ski pant with good ventilation, if it gets to abut -10C I can always wear a paeit of thermals underneath it. Same for gloves, I use Mountain Equipment Randonees with a pile lining, extremely breathable and if wet and sweaty can just be rung out and still feel comfy.


Thanks - I was curious about softshells as I've copped a feel of a few (easy! - in the shop) and I prefer the feel to relatively scratchy plastic shell jackets but I wasn't sure how water-resistant they are. My experience has been tainted by having to be out for pre-booked lessons whatever the weather including pouring rain, but I don't intend to be doing that on a routine basis anymore, so the other logical solution to that problem is to sack it off if the weather's bad. I'm definitely more of the idea that softshell is the right material for bottoms; I've got one pair of waterproof overtrousers that I've put on once and been so enraged by the rustling that I immediately chose to get wet instead and took them off again. They are *very* plastic admittedly and I doubt good-quality ski gear is that bad, but my current insulated salopettes are nevertheless a bit plasticky on the outside and quite annoying.

ecureuil wrote:
@86tomw, if going straight on to aprés in ski gear then you might not want to be carting a rucksack around with you. Insulated jacket & salopettes, both with plenty of pockets and plenty of ventilation (i.e. pit zips and leg zips), might be better for you.


Yeah that's a bit of an back bottom - occasionally even lifties get a bit stroppy when they see a backpack, I can usually deflect that by patting it and saying "there's nothing in it!" - tends to be understood. I've never been stopped from entering a bar with a backpack, which surprised me slightly, and I assume it's only a matter of time. I usually take one because I've found there's nowhere on my person that stays dry enough sans condensation to protect my phone and wallet. As for the tasty sweat-steamed cheese baguette, that tends to get thrown in the bin.

Markymark29 wrote:
Quote:

I'm happy to pay a premium for quality gear that does what I want and will get many years' use.

@valais2, Does that say he's looking for budget clothing, I didnt read it like that.......your comment below?

Quote:

Saying ‘norrona’ is a bit odd to someone who says they are on a budget.


Cheers - yes, what I was getting at was that for the purposes of comfort as well as steeze I'm happy to shell out (har har) a few quid, but not so much that I look like a toff or a Russian and only on gear that will get used because it's well-suited to my needs. £200-300 per major item (jacket, trousers) is OK but it had better earn its keep, as a rule of thumb.


Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Tue 18-09-18 20:49; edited 1 time in total
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
As a ski tourer who often skins up the mountain in spring (so sweats buckets) the last thing I want to be wearing is an expensive plastic bag (e.g. Goretex)
Generally only wear a waterproof in high winds or rain but always take a waterproof to be sure.

Layering with merinowool and a windproof softshell vest works best for me in spring conditions. For cold days and windy peaks I carry a packable primaloft insulted jacket which is much easier to clean and pack than a padded ski jacket or down jacket.
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Why would you be stopped from going to a bar with a rucksack? Puzzled

If you are riding chairlifts, softshell pants unlikely to keep you dry enough.

Don’t ski in the rain.

Lessons. Fix the problem, not the symptoms.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
under a new name wrote:
Why would you be stopped from going to a bar with a rucksack? Puzzled


Have you been to a bar in the UK in the last twenty years or so?

under a new name wrote:
If you are riding chairlifts, softshell pants unlikely to keep you dry enough.


Good info, I wouldn't have known that - I suppose that would be annoying.

under a new name wrote:
Lessons. Fix the problem, not the symptoms.


I've had three weeks' worth. Now at the level of refining linked parallel turns that are quite comfortable, but have trouble on uneven and sticky snow still. Which funnily enough tend to coincide with being wet and sloppy and just about the worst thing to be in the midst of in not-very-waterproof clothing. I've had enough of getting up early, so I'm doing my own thing this season. I'll take a private lesson if I think there's something specific I need to fix. But thanks for your concern.
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86tomw wrote:
..
I'm happy to pay a premium for quality gear that does what I want and will get many years' use....


rolling eyes

Lots of talk of soft shell jackets being highly breathable - any recommendations from personal experience would be much obliged.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
86tomw wrote:
under a new name wrote:
Why would you be stopped from going to a bar with a rucksack? Puzzled


Have you been to a bar in the UK in the last twenty years or so?



Still dont understand what this means?
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@ALQ, I've used a Rab Exodus for all my skiing for the past 2 years. It's coped with everything from -20/howling gale to +15/Easter sun, obviously with different layers on underneath. Might work for the OP as well, though it probably fails on the steeze front Laughing

I wouldn't go with softshell salopettes though, if primarily doing lift-served skiing. As @under a new name says, probably not waterproof enough when you sit on a snowy or icy chair lift.
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86tomw wrote:
under a new name wrote:
Why would you be stopped from going to a bar with a rucksack? Puzzled


Have you been to a bar in the UK in the last twenty years or so?

Often, with rucksacks.

under a new name wrote:
If you are riding chairlifts, softshell pants unlikely to keep you dry enough.


Good info, I wouldn't have known that - I suppose that would be annoying. Yes, yes, it would.

under a new name wrote:
Lessons. Fix the problem, not the symptoms.


I've had three weeks' worth. Now at the level of refining linked parallel turns that are quite comfortable, but have trouble on uneven and sticky snow still. Which funnily enough tend to coincide with being wet and sloppy and just about the worst thing to be in the midst of in not-very-waterproof clothing. I've had enough of getting up early, so I'm doing my own thing this season. I'll take a private lesson if I think there's something specific I need to fix. But thanks for your concern.
always happy to help. I’d have thought something specific would be “trouble on uneven and sticky snow” and likely to fit nicely with a lunchtime private lesson.

(3 weeks (group?) lessons is hardly a lot...)
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@86tomw,

http://www.ebaystores.co.uk/Portstewart-Clothing-Company/Mens-Ski-Wear-/_i.html?_fsub=621924013&_sid=874193483&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322

Pick the 15k 20k stuff and dress like a bag of skittles comfortably for less than an abstemious night out.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Only once in 20 years did I get my rear end wet in a pair of softshell ski pants on a ski lift. It was raining and the pants were old so the water repellent coating had worn off.
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
I have a great pair of Trangoworld touring and mountaineering softshell pants in Schoeffler fabric. My jackets are just the high end of the Dare2Be range. For gore-tex I love Mountain Equipments kit, but I keep that for really extreme conditions (blizzard and 50mph winds type stuff) or wet icefall climbing.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
@DB, I don’t think DWR is waterproof... (the clue is in the name)
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
under a new name wrote:
@DB, I don’t think DWR is waterproof... (the clue is in the name)


It isn't, but there again after hours in the rain a water proof will eventually let water in - normally through the seams. Pants generally have a seam running along the bum crack.

To me goretex for skiing is like wearing wellies to work every day just in case it rains. Snow and ice isn't generally wet and I'm more likely to get wet through sweating than from outside, especially in spring. Plus once I get wet wearing goretex I'm generally wet for the whole day whereas with a softshell I dry out.

Each to their own but I'd rather wear softshell pants which I find much more comfortable and breathable than what is an expensive plastic bag for the off-chance it might rain while I'm skiing every once in 20 years. If it's raining I generally call it a day, the only reason I carried on skiing was because I was skiing with friends (other snowheads).

Of course it is permissible to own a softshell and a goretex pair of pants or waterproof overtrousers.

In this 2016 german test after 5 washes 11 out of 14 waterproofs failed to keep the wearer dry. Is this because the DWR was worn/washed off?

http://youtube.com/v/uvbaTH9rZWg

Haglöfs & Schöffel were the best two tested jackets in the above test.
https://www.testberichte.de/a/funktionsjacke/magazin/test-stiftung-warentest-9-2016/448265.html
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@DB, my seams are taped and don't let water in.

I have a softshell for spring days. It's great.

If I had to choose one only, I'd have to go hardshell.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@under a new name,

Jacketwise - I use both (Softshell Vest/Gillet & Hardshell), only using the hardshell on the rare occasions it is needed like this …..

http://youtube.com/v/PQFwEzGnyrU

Pants - I only use softshell (nosweatyballs)


Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Fri 21-09-18 9:50; edited 1 time in total
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@DB, my Goretex softshell seems to work fine for me and nowt like wearing wellies at all!!

@ALQ, lots Smile I've had a Stingray for years, been great from -20 to +20 and still waterproof! Doesn't appear to be in the current range https://arcteryx.com/gb/en/c/mens/shell-jackets/sub-cat=softshell
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
kitenski wrote:
@DB, my Goretex softshell seems to work fine for me and nowt like wearing wellies at all!!


Surprising, a softshell with a goretex membrane is probably even less breathable than a normal hardshell.

I guess some of us run hotter than others and sweat more or maybe skiing is more of an exercise for some who are less technically able. Someone booting up in the backcountry needs something more breathable than a leisurely blue run piste skier too.

Hardshell v Softshell is a bit too simplistic, it's not so black and white but more like 50 shades of gray.

http://youtube.com/v/risTxH68UEo

A softshell can range from highly breathable but not waterproof or even windproof, right up to what you have. In general terms the more waterproof a jacket is the less breathable it is.
In my experience the quality of a hardshell jacket build/seams and state of the DWR determines how waterproof it is in the real world and not the fabric waterproof ratings (as long as the waterproof rating is above 10,000mm).

Quote:
If all your skiing and snowboarding is lift-served, you don’t hike to out-of-the-way lines, and you take regular breaks in the lodge where you remove your coat, a breathability rating of 5,000 to 8,000 grams will probably be fine. If you do a lot of “high energy” riding or active sidecountry where you often break a sweat getting to your destination or returning to the ski area, look for breathability in the 10,000 to 15,000 gram range. Backcountry hardcores and people who commonly skin or boot for thousands of vertical feet in a day should look for garments with breathability in the 20,000 plus range.


https://www.evo.com/guides/outerwear-waterproof-ratings-and-breathability


I prefer Event as it's waterproof but in the real world for me more breathable than goretex but haven't yet tried some of the newer fabrics (e.g. Neoshell, Pertexshield+, Porelle dry, Outdry extreme).
https://outdoorsmagic.com/article/the-fjallraven-classic-conquering-the-king-s-trail-in-sweden/


When booting or skinning up a steep slope in the spring sun then no waterproof is going to vent enough for me - hence the windproof softshell gilet/vest without a jacket.
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Just been looking on Sportpursuit, plenty good buys on there.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
As pointed out: it depends what you're doing, where you're doing it, and what you want. Fortunately people have different preferences, or it would be hard to tell people apart.

On the OP...
  • I would not use insulated gear, because it gives you fewer options.
  • Just just set up with the number of layers you need for the day - there's no need to carry extra clothing unless you're a ski tourer or something.
  • Snow is not really very pleasant in the rain. I would not willingly ride in it or dress for it.
  • The climate in coastal places like Whistler is inherently damp, which is why GoreTex or equivalents work well there. You're not trying to keep rain off, you're trying to keep dry whilst riding in a storm of near-zero-degree snow.
  • Buy stuff with ventilation options. Expect to have to open the vents when going down and close them when going up, unless your lift is heated. If you ride with a shovel pack, remember that they keep your back warm.
  • If you have a gut and fall over, well, those things can both be fixed, but not with clothing.
  • This stuff is all pretty durable and hard to damage. I ride a lot, but our local charity shop often has great quality Gore-Tex jackets which look pretty much like new because I get bored with them.

Note that some manufacturers (eg Burton) sell multiple product lines. They range from relatively cheap "one week a year" gear to stuff which is intended for professional use. The first stuff is about a third the price of the second, and has the bonus of being incredibly fashionable, so much so that you would not want to ride with last year's as it looks old and stupid. But that's ok because it's not really designed to last that long - it's fashion gear. At the other end of the range (AK) the designs change much less year-on-year, and the stuff's robust enough to last multiple seasons of every day professional use. Hence more expensive is not necessarily "better", depending on what your requirements actually are.
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This is why I like Event for cold weather activities, when you are hot and sweaty it cools you down ….

Quote:
eVent performs with similar efficiency in both low and high humidity levels; Gore-Tex tends to favor higher-humidity environments and performs better after its PU film has collected some moisture. During rest stops in REI field tests that involved eVent jackets in cold, dry conditions, some testers were observed standing in steam-like vapor clouds due to the volume of moisture vapor escaping through the fabric.

Steve Nagode of REI's Quality Assurance Lab offers a cold-weather tip for eVent wearers: "Because the eVent laminate transfers vapor quicker than other waterproof/breathables, active users have discovered that sweat evaporates faster. So wearing eVent in cold weather for the first few times can chill users accustomed to less breathable materials. The solution: Wear another layer or a heavier layer of insulation with eVent shells.


https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/rainwear-how-it-works.html
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Yes, Event has a very good reputation.
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