Ski clothes

[eeyore65]

Looking for some help. My DH and I are taking DS - age 5 skiing this winter in Colorado. He has never seen snow. What does he need to be comfortable and can you recommend any web sites with good kids ski stuff?

I used to live up north but it has been a long time....I need to go through my stuff too to see what still fits!

 

[tinkerbell of winter]

Lands end has nice snowclothes for kids, also llbean probably has some good stuff too.

 

[Sandy V.]

Welcome to skiiing in Colorado; I hope you have a good time here.

The Land's End and L.L. Bean suggestions are good places to start. Fleece is a great material to layer underneath because it's lightweight but very warm.

Other thoughts - Buy the best quality gloves or mittens you can. This is not an area to scrimp on, because cold hands will make your child miserable. As a safety precaution, I would buy some of those hand warmers that you can insert in your gloves - they warm when taken out of the package and are exposed to the air. They even have those for your socks as well (another area that you need to buy good quality stuff for - DON'T use cotton tube socks!!).

Buy a warm stocking hat and a neck gaiter to keep those areas toasty and free of drafts and snow. They will stay put better than hoods or scarves will.

Have fun!!!

 

[MAC3]

Also layering always works best as you can remove clothing if you get to warm and flannel underwear is a must! Tops & bottoms.

We always wear flannels then start to layer on top of them. Sweatpants then your ski pants.

 

[Geoff_M]

Also, often times they use tow ropes and such on the "bunny hills", make sure your kid's mittens (mittens are warmer than gloves) have good rugged palms on them or they'll be shreaded on the ropes in no time.

Columbia Sportswear has a lot of good kids ski stuff. Make sure they have some snow pants on. Jeans and such get soaked after just a couple of falls. I second the comments on getting some good fleece or wool socks.

Also, get fleece over flannel. Flannel is usually cotton-based. Cotton is one of the worst fibers for the cold and damp. Fleece will retain some of it's insulation qualities even when wet. Sometimes even sweat is enough to cause cotton to loose its insulation qualities.

 

[BrerMom]

... and don't forget a helmet! They are much cheaper now than they were when our kids first started skiing.

 

[Geoff_M]

I'm 40 and wear a helmet.... If people ask me why I wear a helmet I say "I'm allergic to steel plates in my head!" It's definitely helped me in a couple of spills.

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

If you haven't done it already you might check out your local yellow pages and see if there is a shop that carries ski gear. Miami has one of the biggest (snow) ski clubs in the country so there must be SOME shops in Florida that carry the gear.

That said... buy mittens that make your DS's hands feel too warm in the store, buy the "Grabber My Coals" (hand warmers). I probably wouldn't choose to put anything under ski pants other than fleece or fleece and either spandex or thermals...sweat pants are an unnecessarily bulky material especially when crammed underneath ski pants. Fleece and a thin layer give a lot of flexibility when dressing for the days temperature. Check the resort to see if you can rent a helmet rather than buying one if this will be your only ski venture this year...making sure the charge is low enough to justify that choice.

 

[TheGottis]

Just a thought - after you compile a list of 'must haves' you may want to check eBay for the higher priced items (snow suits, etc). Probably will be able to find some fairly new things - how many winters can kids wear the same outfit with them growing constantly? Good Luck and HAVE FUN!

 

[eeyore65]

Thanks to all...now a stupid question - what do you wear under ski pants? fleece pants/sweat pants under ski pants? or just thermal underwear?

Any particular brands that are warmer then others for ski jackets?

I was also thinking of checking e-bay...kids must outgrow skiwear.

I also need sweaters, boots, etc. This is turning in to an expensive trip!

 

[Geoff_M]

what do you wear under ski pants? fleece pants

Fleece pants. If possible, avoid sweatpants unless they have minimal cotton content. I sound like a broken record, but cotton is fantastic in warm and hot weather, but it's awful in the cold.

Any particular brands that are warmer then others for ski jackets?

warmth isn't as important as the quality of construction. I'm sure there are websites that will offer you reviews of jackets. The key is layering. I usually wear a fleece turtle neck shirt, ski bibs, and a jacket on top. Also keep in mind that skiiing is "work". As long as you keep moving you'll be pumping out a lot of body heat. My ski jacket would not keep me very warm if I just stood outside in it.

eBay wouldn't be a bad place to look.

 

[DawnCt1]

Will your DS be in a ski wee program? Unless he has skiied before, I would definately plan on it.

 

[PoohnPglet]

Make sure you have changes of clothes/extras! If it is wet, change it or you will get very cold!
The key is layer, layer, layer!
Colorado can be a study in extremes, not only do you want to stay warm, but there are times you need to be able to cool down too. Even in the middle of winter on a mountain full of snow.

Here is a really good site that has good cold weather gear.

www.campmor.com

Have fun!

p.s. where in CO will you be?

 

[Sandy V.]

I wear an Under Armour Cold Gear mock turtleneck and Under Armour Cold Gear long underwear under my ski gear. I wear a fleece pullover on the top, wool/spandex socks, and finish it off with ski pants, ski jacket, neck gaiter, hat, gloves, and sunglasses. (Lots of things to lose, so be careful )

I forgot to mention eye wear - either goggles or good quality sunglasses are essential. It's hard to fit kids properly in sunglassses, but that's all I really "know" because goggles never stay up on my face!

Another thing we sometimes do is pack slip-on shoes or mocs in a backpack and carry them while skiing because walking in ski boots off the runs can be torture!!

Dawn is right that if your little one hasn't skiied before, a day of lessons would definitely make the trip go better!

Again, have fun!!

 

[eeyore65]

He will be going to the Beaver Creek ski school. Me too as it has been years since I skiied.

Thank you for the detailed lists of what you wear. That really helps me visual it better. I plan on getting three complete under the ski clothes outfits and we are in a condo with a washer and dryer so i will wash and dry frequently.

Since he has never seen or been cold I really don't want him not wanting to ski because of that - so I will make sure he has all the layers.

If you need to know what to pack for the beach - I can help with that!!!!

 

[Sandy V.]

Beaver Creek is a great ski area; I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself!

Glad to help.

 

[mudnuri]

well, we ski weekly all winter.

DD's wear wool socks, liners under...long johns, fleece pants, and Colubmia Ski Bibs....on top - long john shirt- these are silk by the way...fleece pullover, and columbia ski jacket.

I wear- Hot Chillies- thats the brand longjohn I wear. I do have some UnderArmour- the stuff is great. My pants are fleece, my shirt is silk

So- my hot chillies, then my columbia pants, and columbia jacket.
I also wear 2 pair socks- 1 liner, and 1 wool

here's some tidbits..

If your socks are too tight, or your feet are hot- they will sweat, and become cold. DO NOT WEAR COTTON.....COTTON IS ROTTEN!!!

Bring more than 1 pair of gloves/mittens. Your kids wont be using poles, so give them mittens. Get the kind with liners- when you come into the lodge to eat- pull the liners out.

HELMET!!!!! for ALL of you! We all wear helmets here, I'd say about 95% of the people on the Mountain have them on.

my family is a Columbia family, we've had lands end jackets, and ll bean,but we always go back to Columbia no matter what...

Have fun!

Brandy