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What do you wear to stay warm? Tips/Lists

9K views 60 replies 42 participants last post by  mhaas 
#1 · (Edited)
The snow has been GREAT up in Tahoe recently, but it also means that it has been downright frigid :dizzy:

On a couple of chair rides, it actually started to become a problem, because I was shivering so badly on the chair ride that I could barely manage to ride off the lift.

What do you wear on cold days and do you have any tips to stay warm?

My complete cold weather list:
Insulated 10k pants
Insulated 10k jacket
Underwear
Wool snowboarding socks (my feet stay cozy)
Base layer top
Fleece sweater
Helmet (keeps my skull warm)
Scarf
Fleece bandana
Goggles

... all that and I'm *STILL* freezing on the chair. I think I'm going to look into gloves with those glove warmer pockets, and maybe even like base layer compression shorts (I just hate those, cuz they look like those biker shorts in the 90's).
 
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#2 · (Edited)
1. Merino Wool Ninja Suit with hoodie up - 1 piece full suit
2. North Face Fleece Shirt
3. 800 count down sweater (not jacket)
4. Burton AK Gortex Jacket to keep out wind and breathe
5. Belaclava over merino wool ninja hoodie, then helmet.
6. Fleece pants
7. Burton Red Impact Shorts
8. Burton AK Gortex Pants to keep out wind and breathe
7. Burton snowboarding socks with merino
9. Dakine Titan Mittens

and if it is really, really cold, I will put a Burton Technical Shirt underneath my North Face Fleece.
 
#3 ·
coco, I haven't tried this (yet) but a non-snowboarding friend does this for another outdoor activity: put a hand warmer in your bra.

You probably have to wrap it in some sort of liner, since they can get pretty hot.

It makes sense; if your core is warm your body is warm.
 
#8 · (Edited)
If it gets really cold, I might actually try that. It might have other... added benefits too.

readimag said:
The real question is how cold are you on the way down? If you are sweating on the way down there is your problem also. While a 10k insulated jacket is nice you need a gore shell and an insulating layer try to stay away from down filled jackets as once they get wet they don’t hold heat. I have a arcteryx atom lt and I only use it for days in the singles or I just burn up.
I think I'm pretty comfortable on the way down, except maybe my arms/hands. I don't sweat much while snowboarding so I guess that's not a problem.
 
#4 ·
Wow, surprised you're still cold with all that on.

On the topic of base layer bottoms, don't be afraid to look a little uncool, it doesn't matter. No one sees it under your outerwear anyway and even if they do who cares at the end of the day.

I lived in a house with Nev from SnowboardAddiction.com and we used to joke that he was the most uncool looking pro snowboarder ever when he stripped down to his base layers and walked around the house. He didn't care and neither should you.

As for what I wear on the slope, honestly it's almost the same as you:

1) Base layers
2) Thick fleece
3) Shell jacket + pants
4) Helmet + airhole bandana
5) Snowboard socks

That's pretty much it, although I'll wear a second fleece on the rare occasion when it gets really, really cold.

You might want to look at getting a thick puffy jacket/pants combo if you're still cold since it seems you're already layering properly.
 
#22 ·
Wow, surprised you're still cold with all that on.

On the topic of base layer bottoms, don't be afraid to look a little uncool, it doesn't matter. No one sees it under your outerwear anyway and even if they do who cares at the end of the day.

I lived in a house with Nev from SnowboardAddiction.com and we used to joke that he was the most uncool looking pro snowboarder ever when he stripped down to his base layers and walked around the house. He didn't care and neither should you.

As for what I wear on the slope, honestly it's almost the same as you:

1) Base layers
2) Thick fleece
3) Shell jacket + pants
4) Helmet + airhole bandana
5) Snowboard socks

That's pretty much it, although I'll wear a second fleece on the rare occasion when it gets really, really cold.

You might want to look at getting a thick puffy jacket/pants combo if you're still cold since it seems you're already layering properly.
That's awesome! I use their program. He responds personally to email questions I have. Seems like a really good dude.
 
#5 ·


*RED helmet with speakers in the muffs
*under armor skull cap
*whool face mask (bandana like)
*Nike pro combat cold gear shirt and pants. Shirt is loose while pants are skin tight.
*empire snowboard pants.
*empire coat
*burton snowboard socks
*and A superhero T-shirt, DC, Marvel, Image whatev :D
 
#6 ·
The real question is how cold are you on the way down? If you are sweating on the way down there is your problem also. While a 10k insulated jacket is nice you need a gore shell and an insulating layer try to stay away from down filled jackets as once they get wet they don’t hold heat. I have a arcteryx atom lt and I only use it for days in the singles or I just burn up.
 
#7 ·
Socks - Snowboarding socks or whatever I can find that is washed.
Long Johns
Basketball shorts
T-Shirt + a long sleeve shirt
Snowboarding Pants & jacket (Burton AK2 gear usually, sometimes older stuff)
Face mask
Helmet - Red Trace
Goggles - Oakley A-frames
Burton or Dakine gloves (with fingers.. my hands rarely get cold)


Sometimes I'll wear a hoodie under my jacket and some more long johns or sweatpants if its ridiculously cold.
 
#9 ·
On a super cold day I will go with the following. Merino socks, light merino base, midweight base pant, azzpad ( aside from tailbone protection is is nice to have between you and the lift seat) and then whichever shell pant I decide on. On my upper half a compression top, then midweight base layer top, polyfill sewater ( same idea as the down sweater but a bit cheaper), then a shell with a polyfil vest either above or under it. I do have insulated pants and jackets but have never had it get cold enough to need them.
 
#10 ·
Ride the Gondola!!!

or I just cry on the chair lift.

I get way too hot on the way down. Ive been meaning to try the hand warmer inside my jacket but those things are expensive.

I wear 15k/10k stuff with thin wool base layers and I still get cold if it's below 20. brr.
 
#13 · (Edited)
Merino wool ninja suit, wool shirt mid layer or a micro fleece mid layer, wool jacket. And if it's windy I have a goretex shell jacket that I rarely wear.

Bottoms is usuall just base layer and uninsulated 15k pants. Sometimes I'll rock fleece wader pants if it's really cold (-0).

I'd ditch the insulated jacked for a good wool layer and a good shell jacked , all that insulation traps moisture when your sweating while riding and makes you cold. Wool breaths better and dries better and is actually still pretty warm while slightly damp.

Goretex is great when it's windy.

Avoid cotton like the plague.
 
#14 ·
Is your ass cold? Seriously, if the chairlift seat is cold (covered with ice? lifties not sweeping the seats?) you can lose a lot of heat thataway. When I put on my impact shorts and my spine protector I feel WAY warmer on the chair simply because I'm more insulated from the seat.
 
#15 ·
Off topic, but do those impact shorts really help much on falls? I've been thinking about ordering some. I have not really injured myself on falls but I'm kinda pushing it more in the park this year. I've thought about getting some.

OP - If I was wearing that much I'd be sweating like crazy! You might have to just cry like mixie suggested!
 
#19 ·
Salomon jacket
Volcom pants
My Army base layer top and bottoms
T-shirt
Burton socks
Whatever gloves I can find at the time LOL
Army issue neck gaiter
Adidas Beanie with a bill
Oakley Gascans
 
#20 ·
In Utah with single digits - I'm comfortable with:

Under Armour Coldgear Base 2.0 - Long Sleeve Shirt

Under Armour Coldgear Base 2.0 - Pants

Billabong - Jacket (10k/10k)

QuickSilver Shell - Pants

Burton Gore-Tex - Gloves

Smartwool Merino Wool - Socks

Smith Variant Brim - Snow Helmet


I wear the same thing from November to April.
 
#23 ·
I wear compression shorts and long snowboarding socks, and on cold days I also wear a pair of Starter sweatpants under my snow pants too.

I like the compression shorts because they stay where they are. Last season I just wore boxers and they were all over the place! :dizzy: At every lift line I had to pull them up or push them down or some odd combination of the two!
 
#24 ·
Mostly Utah and Colorado stuff with single digits I wear:

Base layer (hot chillys? or whatever) the medium strength one
Fleece sweater
Burton 10k jacket
Cheap ass long johns from walmart (like 5 bucks?)
Red impact shorts
Burton two layer pants (has like a fleece type pant underneath the shell)
Burton 10k pants
Merino socks
Helmet
Sometimes a balclava or just a simple banadana to keep from getting windburn
Goggles/boots of course.
 
#25 ·
If you're wearing all that and are still getting cold, then maybe a down (instead of fleece) midlayer would help? Down jackets still keep me way warmer than any synthetic or fleece I've tried. The only problem is that the nylon fabric might not let sweat pass through as well as fleece, but you said you don't sweat much so it might not be a problem for you.

Also, if your jacket has an insulated hood that's big enough to go over a ski/snowboard helmet then it can keep your head warm on the lift, especially if it's windy. I bought a Flylow jacket this year with a very large hood and it's been a game changer.

Do you start out the day warm? How about bringing a bottle of hot tea in the car so you can have a few swigs of hot beverage in your insides before you step outside?
 
#26 ·
I go Ninja Suit with hood (non-wool), Snowboard socks, 20K pants with very light insulation, 25K shell, Helmet, Mittens with pipe glove liners. If it's REALLY cold, I'll put on the Turlte Fur gaiter, and if it's REALLY, REALLY cold, I'll zip in my inner jacket. I may or may not also have a t-shirt on. Depends on the current laundry situation. :)
 
#27 ·
+1 for the ninja suit, or at least thats what i call them (polar max silk weight underware) I usually just wear my burton pants(not insulated) and silk weight bottoms underneath, a moisture wicking long sleeve shirt with another short sleeve over it, then my jacket over it all. blocks out all wind, keeps me dry and warm even on the coldest days
 
#28 ·
My complete cold weather list:
Insulated 10k pants
Insulated 10k jacket
Underwear
Wool snowboarding socks (my feet stay cozy)
Base layer top
Fleece sweater
Helmet (keeps my skull warm)
Scarf
Fleece bandana
Goggles
A couple things...underware.....no...don't wear any and absoutely no cotton!

Make sure the base layer (including your underwear and bra) is really good at wicking

Forget the fleece bandana, use a neck gaiter or a balacava

Maybe use a wicking scull cap or beanie under the helmet

Also men and women are different...women maintain their core temp better but their extremites get colder vs men are the opposite.
 
#29 · (Edited)
One thing I have found in my time is that over insulating the parts of you that are ok in cold really helps the parts that are hard to keep warm. My hands tend to get cold. Even though my torso or arms are never cold I started wearing another layer there. By basically over heating my torso and arms I forced my body to use my hands as heatsinks. The result is warmer hands.

For the OP i would suggest another layer on her legs. Since they are the main source of heat while riding it will cause you to get hotter by the end of the run. As long as you aren't pouring sweat it is a good thing to be a little too hot by the end of the run. Then you use the lift ride to cool off for the next run.

My gear
BOTTOM
boxer breifs
Poly base layer
knee pads
wool socks
Burton 2L AK shell
TOP
Poly/wool base layer
Poly mid weight pull over
Burton 2L AK shell
Level goretex gloves with fleece liners
Helmet
 
#30 ·
Bottom:
Poly Base john johns over underwear
Long ski socks
O'Neil Hammer 8k pants

Top:
Poly Base long sleeve shirt
Long sleeve sweat shirt
Salomon Fantasy 10k jacket
Ziener Goretex gloves

Head:
DC Auli bandana or Neoprene "Hannibal Lector" facemask when its really cold
Red Trace helmet
Oakley Canopy goggles
 
#31 ·
If your that cold.....could be a safety issue. What if the lift stops for 30 minutes ...or.....you have some sort of injury and have to wait on an evac? I see way to many people who are wearin' as little as possible. Down, wool, mittens, hood on jacket are all good. I know they make ski "shorts" for the racer crowd. They zip on and off, and insulate ass from seat. Racers use them 'cause they wear those sweet onesy skinsuits!
 
#33 ·
Coldest I've been to is -10ºC at BC interior mountains.

My setup that helped me that day from boots to helmet:
-Burton Imperials
-Smartwool socks
-Adidas 3/4 pants for soccer
-Foursquare 10K pants
-Underarmour ColdGear turtleneck fitted
-Fleece hoodie
-Analog Greed jacket
-Polar Buff necktube
-Neff Daily beanie
-Sandbox helmet
-Pow Stealth GTX gloves

Pretty toasty, and that survived a wind and snow storm at the top of the mountain when me and my buddies got caught in a whiteout.

Too warm for my local mountains though, so I shed the 3/4 pants for boxers and the UA Coldgear for a comfy yoga t-shirt.
 
#34 ·
There are many quality technical downs you can get. Those will keep you warm for sure.

If you want to beef up your base/midlayer, go with the Under Armour base 4.0. That thing is a really warm base layer. Then throw a heavy mid-layer crew over that. Then your fleece hoody and insulated jacket. Bring a backpack with you. Take it off at the top of the run if you find that you get too sweaty during the run with all those layers on. Minor hiccup to deal with, but at least you'll be warm on the chair.

For socks, get the thicker Merino Wool variety.

For gloves, go with mittens (also available in down) and a thicker glove liner.

If you still freeze after all this... time to bring a battery powered space heater for the lift ha.
 
#35 ·
I ride regularly in -20 deg C weather (-4 F) and sometimes colder. I do have a little extra insulation as part of my birthday suit which doesn't hurt! :yahoo:

Here's my outfit, only thing that ever gets cold for me is finger tips and toes.

1) H/H "dry" bottom base layer
2) Lululemon upper long sleeve base layer
3) Cheap ass firefly pants, they might be 10k rated but not likely
4) Thin smartwool socks, can't remember the brand, maybe "copper socks"
5) DEMON UPPER BODY ARMOR <-can't tell you how much this made me warmer... actually I can. With my winter jacket on I sweat on -20 days...
6) Ten year old "Planet Earth" winter jacket, if it's -10 or warmer I'm too hot and have to switch to a spring jacket/shell
7) face sheild/helmet/goggles/gloves (helmet has closable vents which is nice cause I work up a lot of heat on the way back down)

Hopefully you find something that works for you! The base layers are really important, then gear that is fully seam sealed/taped to block the wind. Close fitting stuff actually seems to make me warmer than loose stuff.
 
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