UKC

Anyone use soft shell trousers for skiing/boarding? A colleague here is asking about it - a beginner skier who is about to buy a pair of either soft shell or waterproof trousers.

I have both but only bought the soft shell in summer so haven't tested them yet on the slopes. I think they'll probably be okay but I've only worn my waterproofs in the past.

If you had to buy one pair, would you buy soft shell or waterproof?

Cheers

In reply to Nao:
http://www.theoutdoorshop.com/Outdoor/ProductDetails.aspx?language=en-GB&am...
I'd wear these. Designed for skiing as well as mountaineering, and just tested them on a week's winter walking/climbing holiday. very impressed

In reply to Nao:

boarding i'd go for hardshell waterproof trousers over leggings as you end up falling into snow and kneeling in it all day.

Skiing i gather that softshell might be ok as the opposite is true

Wilbur (a boarder!)

In reply to Nao:

Skied for years in an old ME soft shell and Ronhills (not for the fashion conscious). By far and away the best thing for keeping dry if you sweat. Mind you, I only wear a LA dry flow Tshirt underneath, so it gets a bit chilly first thing.

In reply to Wilbur:

I am a boarder! Not a very good one. My colleague's about to try skiing. I did advise her to buy something that she could use whilst doing other activities (I wear my waterproofs when camping oop north). She seems to have her heart set on soft shells, and only wants to buy one pair.

I thought that being a beginner she may spend more time on her backside than others. Then, by my recollection, it doesn't get overly wet if you stay on-piste...

In reply to Nao: mostly ski in an Odlo shirt (fleecy) & a pertex top, adding a puffball style top or a pile & pertex jacket when needed.

Unless its very warm, pisted snow is fairly hard so even if falling over a lot she shouldn't get wet (black & blue maybe though

In reply to Nao:


You still fall over lots and end up with snow in funny places. Or at least I did.

Anyone you know who skis/boards who is a similar size and isn't going with you? Could she borrow a pair or something?

In reply to Richard:
To be fair, I could probably lend her mine. But that wouldn't really be in the spirit of things... she wants to buy some! And she's a colleague rather than a mate! (Hmm, am I just selfish?)

In reply to Nao:

If she's not big, Asda sell boys salopettes for £20 that did my girlfriend fine last season.

If she's rich though, give her a list of expensive things and tell her she'll need all of them, depending on conditions (someone in front of us in the shop the other week was obviously kitting her daughter out for the school ski trip, and spent £400 on two small bags of clothes).

In reply to Nao:

I have pair of vintage 1993 Swag boarding shell pants. You need to ensure they are ludicrously baggy and hang of your arse and make you look like little Brian Harvey from East 17.

Rusbbishy ( a better boarder than that fat punter Wilbur)

In reply to Richard: Wow! Do they sell adult sallopets? I am off skiing next month and don't want to shell out on something I will only wear once a year!

In reply to Richard:
Actually, I did get a pair of gloves from tchibo (the cheapest shop ever... although I've never shopped at Asda). They lasted a week okay and were a lot cheaper than the proper ones!

All my boarding gear is just normal outdoor gear. TNF/Mountain Hardware. I didn't want to feel obliged to wear 'cool' boarding stuff on other non-boarding occasions...

Although obviously the boots are boarding boots, as I don't think the knee high leather ones are suitable for boarding.

In reply to Nao: I've got "Peak Performance" (fancy expensive Swedish make) soft shell skiing trousers. They're great, stretchy, totally non-sweaty, and look totally 'core. They also have an internal gaiter that fits over my T2s great.

I paid €40 for them so they're great value to me, but the supposed RRP was more like €250 and I wouldn't pay that for them.

I hate waterproof trousers due to sweatyness myself and have worn the softshell one happily from +3 to -20 or so with thermal underneath.

In reply to Jon Dittman:

Don't know, I'm afraid. Probably worth a look though. Other potential sources of cheap gear: TKMAXX, Aldi (only occasionally; best to check their website first).

In reply to Nao: buy softshells for ur skiing, i use a g2 ME jacket and some apex TNF pants atm along with all sorts of other gear for colder days or wat ever other day i feel like

In reply to Richard:


Prada, darling. Gore-tex jackets a mere £700. I'm sure their sloppets are equally reassuring...

In reply to Nao:

TK Maxx is always worth checking. They had some lovely Vuarnet stretch XCR ladies skiing pants last time I looked, and stacks and stacks of other skiwear.

I wear a pair of Fila insulated Gore-tex skiing trousers, as I prefer to keep my legs warm. I'm fairly lightly clothed on top with Montane Krypton of similar.

Beginners tend to stand about quite a lot, and then work hard fighting to pick themselves up off the floor. If she's set on the idea of soft shell, then she might also consider what to wear underneath; softshell trousers wouldn't be warm enough for me. Of course, there's soft shell and soft shell, ranging from things like Montane's Soft Tech Pants through to something with a membrane and thick fleecy insulation...

Then there's the issue of fitting over boots, and protecting the ankles from edge cuts, although thinner trousers could be tucked into boots instead.

In reply to John Rushby:

i look better in my all-in-one spotted pink neon ski-suit though. You can't deprive me of that...

In reply to Nao:

I'd buy waterproof, skiing isn't a high intesity enough activity to justify soft-shell. And wet seats on lifts can mean a wet arse in anything non-waterproof.

Specifically I'd get this http://www.millet.fr/millet/en/default.asp

Hot damn!

In reply to The Crow:

Link didn't work click 'products', 'clothing', 'ride on series', then 'Aspen jacket'.

If anyone wants to buy me that I'll be their b1tch...

In reply to The Crow:

That's a rather bollocks statement. You clearly aren't trying hard enough!

In reply to TobyA:

Well XC is but downhill isn't so aerobic, sure legs scream, but personally if I'm hot I just open the neck slightly and that cools me off fine and there's windchill anyway. Especially at speed.

You may ski at Mach 10 in a blind blizzard, but when conditions mean you need to stay buttoned up I'm never quite so reckless.

So I stand by hardshell for skiing.

In reply to Nao:

If it turns to rain I tend to put my waterproofs on.

In reply to Nao:

a beginner can slide along way on piste on their arse in a hardshell

In reply to Nao: Soft shell is ideal for skiing if it's windproof. Buffalo top is best, but I ski in schoeller trousers & they're great