Hot answers tagged skiing
10
I strongly recommend you purchase, borrow, or possibly rent a proper ski jacket and pants.
Given that you don't have a ski jacket I'm guessing that you are a relative beginner. It is likely that you might be falling down quite a bit. One thing to consider is does your jacket give you good mobility? If it does not, you could very easily expose your waist ...
7
Motorcycle helmets should not be used as a replacement for a ski helmet:
Most motorcycle helmets weight between 1,000 and 2,000 grams, while ski helmets weigh between 330 and 600 grams.
You are expected to fall repeatedly with ski helmets (on the order of up to several times a day), so it needs to be lighter to not exact an additional toll on your neck
...
6
No, it's not vital to have thermal underwear. Layering is your friend.
During the winter months, I've been hitting the slopes regularly for the past 8 years or so. Though I do own thermal underwear, I've rarely had to use them. What I normally do is simply layer my clothes and then add/remove as needed to be comfortable. The downside to this approach is ...
6
Presuming you do not have Amateur Radio licenses, or similar qualifications, you are then limited to various unlicensed options.
The answer will then vary by region, but as you mention Canada, your best bet will be to use the GMRS/FRS (General Mobile Radio Service / Family Radio Service) which as basically replaced the old CB and walkie-talkie bands for ...
5
Telemark -- where the toe is attached, and the heel is free to rise up and down -- allow skiers to skin up back-country slopes with a more natural and efficient stride. However, AT (or randonee) rigs allow skiers that ability while doing alpine turns on the way down.
So, in this day and age, why do people still Telemark:
A different way to enjoy the ...
5
Skiing is a full-body, high endurance, activity. Being in good cardio-vascular shape is important, and can be achieved through running, swimming, rowing, etc... This can not be over-emphasized. Get your heart in shape.
Assuming you already are in decent shape, here are some exercises that will help you get through those initial days on the hill. I've chosen ...
5
In winter your worse enemy is sweating. It is really hard to deal with it once you are sweating.
An appropriate thermal underwear will help evacuating sweating instead of retaining it. This been said, an appropriate winter jacket is also essential to keep you warm and also evacuate the sweating from the the internal layers.
It is not necessary to pay a ...
4
Ventilation is your friend.
I hate to say it - but the glasses I've found that have this dialed are usually a little more expensive. After suffering through fog, wind sheer, and poor optics, I found a high end pair of glasses in the back-country, and my eyes were opened.
As a second option, removing your glasses immediately when you stop (or even sliding ...
4
It really depends on a lot of different factors. If it is a warm winter day I go sometimes skiing without any jacket just wearing a thick pullover. But during the same winter and at the same ski resort it can also be very cold. E.g. -20 degrees and a lot of wind so that the wind chill factor also plays an important role. When it is this cold I'm even ...
4
There are a variety of important features that your leather jacket will lack compared to a ski jacket. Borrowing or buying a ski jacket from a thrift shop would definitely be worth it.
Skiing is pretty physically intense. If it's not very cold (above 20?), you'll sweat, and most ski jackets don't actually have much insulation as they're designed to block as ...
4
Telemark skiis are much more suitable for cross-country skiing than Alpine skis. Having the connection only at the front of the boot allows you to walk and cover long distances very efficiently across flat snow.
But even in cross country-skiing, you will sometimes need to ski downhill, so the style of skiing with one dropped knee on corners was developed to ...
4
You have several options for keeping your toes warm, but ultimately, toes are going to get cold on really cold days... it is just part of the fun.
Try the following:
Unbuckle your boots while riding up a lift (or stoppping to rest in the back-country) -- this allows circulation to more freely access your toes.
Wiggle your toes within your boots to keep ...
3
If they are in two pieces (hard shell and soft liner) then treat them separately, washing and drying the liner before putting it away in an airing cupboard or similar warm dry place.
You want to clean the shell with clean water and a little soap, to get rid of grit, salt and other deposits, taking extra care to remove all dirt from clips and moving ...
3
I tried these and the best use would be on a alternating field. I mean, a mix of going up and down. It this kind of situation they are hard to beat. Because you don't loose time changing between ski/snowshoes. If the angle isn't too much, they climb really fast. You can also get a slide on flat surface a little bit like cross-country skiing.
I'm thinking ...
3
If I get it right, they are using the idea of hunters, who attached a deer skin (fur outside) to the ski (e.g. like this). It's called "камус" and "Steigfell", and I don't know an English word for it.
Just like you can pet your cat in one direction and can't do it in the opposite direction, with Steigfell on you can easily glide in one direction (forward) ...
3
The snow melts some days (or most days) in the late season. If it refreezes at night, it will be icy in the morning, making icy or rough skiing.
When the slow gets slushy in the afternoon, you will get much wetter than in the cold weather. The skiing will be a little slower, too, and you may be surprised by hidden rocks since your skis are digging in deeper ...
3
You definitely need to be concerned if you are using waxless XC skis with fish scales under foot. Skiing over hard dead sticks can break off the edges of these scales (or wear them down over time) making them less effective on climbs.
For smooth bottom skis, pine needles, roots, etc will likely do nothing more than scrape the wax off your skis (which if ...
3
Having snow stick to the bottom of touring or telemark skis after removing skins is a common occurrence. You can mitigate it by bringing some glide wax with your or by using a liquid or spray. I keep a little a glide wax that looks like underarm deodorant in the bottom of my avy pack just for this purpose.
3
I am not a medical professional and can only offer you anecdotal experience.
I have had great success preparing for the ski season by running on steep hills. I found the biggest hills nearby and run on them 2-4 days a week. At first, your legs and your lungs will be killing you. But you will gain muscular and cardiovascular stamina after a couple months. ...
3
From the perspective of getting the most out of the trip, you should get some learning in beforehand:
Your first lessons are likely to be the least exciting - how to snowplow, basic turns, stops etc on the beginner slopes. So you won't get to appreciate the ski trip as much as if you already have these basic skills.
Many cities now not only have dry ski ...
2
I've only gone skiing on a non-snow surface once. I was attending a ski jumping competition in Salt Lake City during summer, and they had this tiny ramp set up at the bottom of the K120 hill, so that 5-year-olds could give ski jumping a try.
The jump itself went well, but I tried snowploughing to stop, rather than just running out of momentum, and I stopped ...
2
Stair running and squats are the key exercises I do before a skiing holiday
By stair running I just mean multiple reps up and down stairs. This is easy to do at the office - if you are on the 10th floor, try running up and down 10 or 15 times during your lunch break.
Deep squats, with or without a small weight, help to develop the thigh muscles you will ...
2
I have skied at high altitude in only a pair of surf shorts, and acquired a nice tan, but that was in zero wind and perfectly blue skies.
In general the benefits of a dedicated ski jacket include:
wind protection - your leather jacket will give you this
elastication round wrists, neck and waist to prevent snow, and sometimes zips to connect to salopettes
...
1
I am a functional ski bum (if there is such a thing), logging between 70-150 days on the hill per season. I do little to nothing in terms of post-skiing care for my ski boots, and they are not any worse for the wear. As long as you are sure to let them dry after a day of skiing, the lifespan should not be compromised. If you are preparing to store the boots, ...
1
Depends on what you mean by climbing. If it is still walking up a steep slope then these should give you added grip on snow.
If you are actually climbing then they will be of no use at all, as in this situation you need to be able to use your toes and sides of your feet as well as the soles.
Personally, in both scenarios I would rather use appropriate ...
1
Given that it will be your first time, no amount of preparing on a fake hill, will turn you into a snow-shredding powder dog. Your first days on a mountain WILL be difficult, painful, and short. But that doesn't mean it can't be fun.
Also, consider there are so many different types of snow one encounters on a real mountain that invariably it will take some ...
1
Good underwear is very important in winter conditions. When you're active, you're sweating. The moisture greatly reduces the termal isolation, which increases the chances of hipotermia.
Cotton is very bad for underwear, because it absorbs moisture. When it is wet, it acts like cool compress, draining the heat from your body.
Some people find cotton fine ...
1
If you don't have proper base layers, you may be regretful during that 15-20 slow lift ride while you're sitting in your own sweat. You do not need to buy base layers made by a ski/snowboard company to get the benefit. Also, it's not warmth that you get from this layer but a place to wick sweat away. I use my snow base layers as the coolest t-shirts I own in ...
1
The two biggest risks from gouges:
Core Shot: This is when the gouge cuts through the base material* to the core layers of the ski (usually wood or composite material). If moisture gets in between those layers (it will), it can cause the various layers of your ski to separate. This process of de-lamination will rapidly destroy your ski or snowboard and can ...
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