Ski Wear - What to Buy Guide

For us it's a no-brainer, but there are many out there who will argue about what's the most important aspect regarding your ski/snowboarding gear - that it looks good or that it works well, the age old clash of style versus substance.

There's no reason why the two can't go hand in hand, but for us the key has to be that the stuff does its job - keeping out the elements if it's clothing and performing well if it's equipment. Remember, we're not talking about clothing for a night-out on the tiles here, or a new football kit, the stuff has got to withstand some of the most severe weather a casual sports-person is going to face - the sort of weather that might even convince a Geordie to consider putting on a long-sleeved top.

Our philosophy is what's the point in looking like a million dollars if you're freezing cold, wet and shivering. Abd obviously, the worst look EVER on the slopes is without doubt jeans. Not the denim-look gear either, but the proper, original get-it-slightly-wet-and-it-takes-a-day-to-dry jeans, the most inappropriate material ever. Usually accompanied with a brown-striped woolly jumper!

Abyway, onto the guide...

Ski Clothing Essential Do's and Don'ts

1. Do remember that layers are the key to combat the cold weather. You need three layers - an outer layer for waterproofing and windproofing, a mid layer for warmth and a base layer for wicking.

2. Don't worry about the jargon from the manufacturers, the basics are that you need some decent outerwear (jacket, pants/salopettes, gloves) and some layers that you can add/remove depending on the weather.

3. Do consider talking a small backpack with you to keep things in rather than cramming so many things into the various pockets of your jacket that you start to resemble a strange lumpy version of the Michelin man-do picture here.

4. Don't skimp or economise on gloves or outerwear, it's definitely money well spent. A cheap pair of gloves for instance can ruin a holiday if you end up with a bout of really cold weather. Modern fabric technology has come on in leaps and bounds and the mid-top of the range gear is now space-age stuff.

5. Do get a decent pair of socks and just wear them on their own. Boot fitters will tell you that if you wear more than one pair it can often lead to your feet rubbing at the back or blisters (it's worth pointing out though that my nesh wife has heeded this warning every year, worn undersocks and never suffered!). Remember to wear your socks when you go for your boot fitting so that their thickness can be taken into account.