How do you get dressed for riding? Part 2
Published: May 15, 2010Posted in: Mens Outerwear, Womens Outerwear
Ok now that you have your base and insulation layers on you need to pick a jacket and pants out of the closet. Is it going to be a gore-tex shell, a down jacket or a synthetic insulated piece. How waterproof does it need to be?
Let’s start with what all these waterproof ratings are good for.
5,000mm and under you should stay dry if it is sunny and the snow is staying frozen and not getting slushy.
10,000mm will keep you dry on most days that it is not pouring rain or super slushy.
20,000mm will keep you dry on most storm days and when it is 60* out and you are skiing in knee deep slush
10,000mm will keep you dry on most days that it is not pouring rain or super slushy.
20,000mm will keep you dry on most storm days and when it is 60* out and you are skiing in knee deep slush
eVent© and gore-tex© dont release their waterproof ratings but they are both the top of the line waterproofing and are also highly breatheble.
There is more to a garment being waterproof then just how waterproof the fabric is. You also need to remember that the garment has been punctured by a needle at all the seams. Those holes will let in water if they are not sealed with seam tape. Some garments are partially or critically seam sealed, they have just the most water prone parts of the garment sealed (usually the shoulders and the front of the jacket and the seat and thighs of pants.) A fully taped garment is just that, it has all of its seams taped. One other way to make sure seams dont leak it is called seam welding, it is lighter and alows the item to move more freely (a complaint of some seam sealed garments not sitting or moving well at the seams) it is also a more expensive process so it is not as commonly used.
There are a few more areas that can let water in : zippers, removable hoods and vents.
Good zippers vs. great zippers. A good zipper will stop alot of water from coming through where as a great zipper is going to be waterproof. A exposed zipper is going to be more prone to leaking then a zipper that has a zipper cover and the most waterproof is a zipper that has rubber in it to make a waterproof seal. A removable hood is just not as watertight as a attached hood. Vent zippers tend to be in areas that are not going to be directly hit by falling precipitation. So they are usually not as water proof as pockets zippers and main zippers although there are garments on the market that have waterproof vent zippers.
Good zippers vs. great zippers. A good zipper will stop alot of water from coming through where as a great zipper is going to be waterproof. A exposed zipper is going to be more prone to leaking then a zipper that has a zipper cover and the most waterproof is a zipper that has rubber in it to make a waterproof seal. A removable hood is just not as watertight as a attached hood. Vent zippers tend to be in areas that are not going to be directly hit by falling precipitation. So they are usually not as water proof as pockets zippers and main zippers although there are garments on the market that have waterproof vent zippers.
Now that you understand what makes something waterproof you need to decide if you want your jacket and pant to be a shell or be a insulated garment.
Down has one of the best heat to weight ratios and can also be packed very small for storage in you bag. It is very light and warm as it makes a thick layer of air and feathers between you and the outside conditions. The main issue with down is if it gets wet it is no good!!!!! So if you are going to be using a down jacket I would suggest using it on cold days where you wont have super wet conditions or making sure it is very waterproof.
Next up we have synthetic insulation, it is not as warm as down but you don’t need to worry about it getting wet.
Your last real option is a shell. This option tends to be the most popular as you can go from a 20* morning with a few layers on to a 60* afternoon with just your base layer and a shell and still have an effective moisture management system.
The reason I said the shell is the last “real” option is because you can wear what ever you want. You can wear 20 tall t’s, a hoodie, a starter jacket, a Superman cape, nothing… or what ever you want but if you want to be comfortable and have a good dry day on the slopes use the info above and in the other getting dressed articles to have a comfortable day.
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About the Author
I have worked in the ski and snowboard industry for over 8 years in many different aspects from managing ski and snowboard departments and repair shops to being a tech rep for some of the top brands in the industry. Here at Porters I do the product descriptions and I also am a wealth of technical knowledge.
