THE BEST GEAR GUARANTEED
Nano-Puff® and Regulator® series garments integrate clever design aspects and fabrics to keep you comfortable from the slopes to the chairlift.
Patagonia store manager Jeff Hunt helped explain why a layering system that allows for temperature regulation is a must for skiers and snowboarders.
“If you are doing high-level, strenuous activities, you need a layering system that’s going to accommodate that heat you’re producing by either dispersing it or having technology in a layer that can manage that,” says Hunt. “Your microclimate on the inside is what you try and govern with your choice of mid- layers.”
In the category of outer shells, there’s no bigger name than GORE-TEX® which first hit the marketplace in 1978, introducing a new concept in waterproof clothing: a breathable membrane layered between inner and outer fabrics. The design was an enormous success, and today GORE-TEX is used by dozens of outdoor clothing manufacturers including ski, snowboard and activewear brands like Arc’teryx, Peak Performance, Patagonia, Quiksilver, Burton, Salomon, and more. Arc’teryx uses GORE-TEX exclusively throughout their line of outer shells and jackets. Store Manager Larry Falcon describes exactly how GORE-TEX keeps you dry both inside and out, a key factor in regulating your body temperature while being active in cold weather.
“Its brilliance is that it allows moisture out. The membrane is engineered so that the moisture vapour from your perspiration is allowed to escape, but water cannot penetrate back in,” says Falcon. “It allows you to regulate your body temperature more successfully without overheating.”
There are a host of superior products on the market, which all strive for similar goals of waterproofness and breathability. Patagonia has their own H2No® (also a membrane system); The North Face uses Hyvent™ technology in their shells; and Columbia offers Omni-Tech® outer- layers. Fashion-forward brands like Spyder, Toni Sailer and KJUS each use their own proprietary waterproof coatings, all with a minimum rating of 20,000 mm resistance.
To summarize the theory of proper layering: A good base-layer should wick moisture, dry quickly and allow you to breathe. Mid-layers should provide warmth, but should also wick moisture and dry quickly to help keep your body temperature constant. Outer-shells should keep all moisture, wind and snow out, but again, still allow you to vent excess heat from inside.
When you’re cold, wet and uncomfortable, it’s hard to have fun. Proper clothing and layering is your best defence against the elements, and guarantees that you won’t wind up wasting a minute of potential skiing or snowboarding time warming up and drying off in the lodge. Remember, the best powder sometimes comes with the nastiest looking weather. If you are dressed your best, you won’t think twice about heading out there to enjoy it.