It is always important to get the right type and amount of outdoor clothing when you venture outside, however this is arguably much more relevant when you go skiing simply because of the dangers from falling, the sun’s glare from the snow and the low temperatures.
Having the right ski clothes and accessories such as gloves is vitally important to get right before you hit the slopes, otherwise you will soon realise the enjoyment has been taken away by your uncomfort. One of the most important garments for Skiing is the Ski Jacket and below we will take a look at what to look for and what to avoid when choosing one.
It may seem quite obvious, but you need to wear clothes that are both warm an waterproof when skiing. Clothing under your ski jacket that gets wet through sweat or melted snow will result in the body getting cold as t-shirts and tops made from cotton absorb moisture so not only do you want a waterproof ski jacket to keep the snow out, you should avoid cotton undergarments underneath your ski jacket. Synthetic materials such as polyester work better than cotton.
When choosing a Ski jacket, check the label and you will notice an indicator in millimeters. This tells you how waterproof the jacket is. The higher the number in millimeters the more waterproof it is. A rough guide is that 5,000mm will offer some protection, however 10,000mm is much better against wet snow.
Generally speaking the more waterproof a ski jacket is, the more expensive it will to too, however you should also take into account the level of ‘breathe ability’ the jacket offers. While you want to keep warm and dry underneath it, if you find a jacket that ‘lets you breathe’ it will allow moisture from your body to move outside the fabric while not allowing moisture from outside in.
One very popular ski jacket that has these attributes are those with ‘Gore-Tex’ technology. This is a trademark invention made for these conditions and they currently offer all of the advantages above in their ski jackets.
