HOT page on snowboard clothing!
YOU gotta STAY WARM AND DRY!
BLOW through this HOT page about the BEST snowboard clothing for ALL snow conditions!
Starting from your HEAD to your TOES
Lets look at snowboard clothing technology
SNOWBOARDING HELMETS
3 GOOD REASONS
THE #1 REASON is SNOWBOARD HELMETS protect your melon/head from serious injury.
#2 REASON...SNOWBOARDING HELMETS are perfect for snowboarding because they are much WARMER than most hats...
#3 REASON...SNOWBOARDING HELMETS are INEXPENSIVE compared to even the price of one ambulance ride and visit to the emergency room for even a minor bump on the noggin...
There are a bunch of really good places to buy snowboarding helmets on the net.....For a full discussion on helmets and buyers guide quick jump over to the SNOWBOARDING HELMETS PAGE and then jump back here and read on!!!
SNOWBOARDING HATS
If you STILL think you should buy a hat instead of a helmet...
Go to the SAFETY GEAR PAGE and check out what happened to MY FRIEND!!!... THEN COME ON BACK AND READ ON...
REMEMBER MY FRIEND IAN...SKIP THE HAT!!!
BUT...if you do buy a hat... GET as thick a hat as possible.Ear flaps are a good idea...Make sure it's not wool...they get itchy and even if wool is warm when wet...
NATURAL WOOL is the ONLY fabric/cloth used in snowboard clothing that will keep you warm when soaking wet...proven fact...BUT NATURAL UNTREATED WOOL IS ITCHY to wear...It's not comfortable to wear for too long. A wool hat with a wicking fabric liner IS OK and works very well...for wearing in town !
TAKE MY ADVICE...GET A HELMET...SAVE THE HATS AND BEANIES FOR THE COLD NIGHTS IN TOWN...
MASKS & NECKWARMERS
Make sure you get a neck warmer AND / OR a good facemask as an important part of your snowboard clothing wardrobe....
MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT WEAR SCARVES
instead of a neck warmer or facemask...There are always accidents related to scarves catching on trees, moving chairlifts etc. they are easy to lose and a hassle to wear usually...They always seem to slide off, get bunched up or tangled at the wrong time...Plus they catch and hold a large amount of snow which melts when you head indoors...Scarves are fine for the city town or school or work SCARVES are NOT for the snowboard slopes... LEAVE scarves out of your snowboard clothing wardrobe!
OK so where can you get the best snowboard gear for your head and neck??? RIGHT HERE...Well lets look at each place I have shopped for snowboard clothing and I will give you some good advice on where to look and what to look for.
First on the list is Snowshack.com They have a full selection of helmet liners by Serius and Turtlefur in their clothing and accessories for Head and Neck, just scroll down in that section you will see a full selection...The Serius Face masks/neckwarmer made from Neofleece is a must see,they are their top seller...They also have the Serius Ultraclava which is a 3 in 1 combo clava, facemask and neck warmer...I tried one out last season on some of the colder days and really liked its comfort....If you live somewhere really cold....This is a good option...They also have regular neck gaitors by Turtlefur...Of all the places I know of, Snowshack.com has got the best selection and prices for this type of snowboard clothing product.Snowshack rules this area...
Another good place that has a good selection of masks, balaclavas and neck gaiters is REI Snow Sports They have a good selection in their snowboarding hats,gloves and socks section, you can see the subsections for each...
GOGGLES & SUNGLASSES
Although SNOWBOARDING GOGGLES really are not a snowboard clothing article...They definitely belong in your snowboard clothing arsenal of headgear along with a decent pair of sunglasses...They SHOULD BE CONSIDERED more as a snowboarding safety gear item instead of part of your snowboard clothing...
Goggles are a NECESSITY for snowy, windy , deep powder and colder days.That means just about every day I go snowboarding!!! They are a JOY to have on flat light and cloudy days...
Sunglasses are a NECESSITY for the warmer sunny days...Without sunglasses on a bright sunny day, you run the risk of snowblindness, which is a temporary condition, but other forms of UV can permanently damage your eyes very slowly and subtly without you ever knowing until years later and by then it's too late!!!
The reason is that snow reflects up to 85% of UV light compared to around 10% on land and around 20% on the water.Altitude is also a major factor in the strength of UV light reflection...ALWAYS wear A pair of sunglasses or goggles designed for sunny conditions that block 100% UV on sunny days. Make sure to buy a headband for your sunglasses to keep them in place on your head just in case you take a header... or a neck strap to keep them from getting dropped or lost if not in immediate use... Oh yeah???? not me! I never crash or drop stuff off the lift...YEAH RIGHT!!!GET SMART AND SPEND A FEW DOLLARS TO SAVE YOU FROM THAT EMBARASSING MOMENT !!!
Jump from here to check out all the killer GOGGLES and SUNGLASSES at the
SNOWBOARDING GOGGLES AND SUNGLASSES SECTION
THERMAL BASE LAYERS
A thermal base layer is the first part of
the 3 layer system designed to keep people warm and dry when its cold and wet outside...They are the first line of defense in your snowboard clothing design to keep you warm and dry...Ok what is the 3 layer system...It is simple...
Layer #1... is a NON cotton layer of clothing that soaks up body moisture and moves it away from the body....Good examples are thermal underwear made of silk or polartec or any other fabric designed to wick moisture away from the body...
THE BEST PLACE to get schooled and buy thermals for adults and kids is WICKERS.COM ...You can learn REAL FAST all about thermal technology and their fabric called.....AKWATEC...I HIGHLY RECOMMEND... THIS SITE!!!...FOR SNOWBOARDERS, SKIERS OR ANYONE WHO LIVES WORKS OR PLAYS IN THE SNOW!!!
Layer #2... is one or more layers worn over your base layer and under your outer snowboard clothing that insulate the body from cold...a good example would be a fleece longsleeve shirt and long legged mid weight bottoms...You want a thicker material that holds air but wicks moisture...The colder it is the more insulating layers can be added as needed...definitely avoid cotton...A merino wool sweater is perfect over fleece...If you snowboard in areas that are more wet than cold, smart wool or natural wool can be a good choice...AGAIN...Natural wool is the ONLY fabric/cloth that will keep you warm when soaking wet...But try not to get soaking wet..See layer #3 advice..
Layer #3... is the outer layer, that is waterproof and windproof...ie your SNOWBOARDING JACKET and PANTS...They are the most important layer in your snowboard clothing wardrobe...They are waterproof in one direction... water cannot get in, but water vapor can disperse out....The best example is GORE-TEX...Gore-tex is expensive to use in snowboard clothing as all the seams must be taped or welded...but well worth the extra cash if you spend alot of time outdoors in the cold and wet...
I just finished checking out the gore-tex website and learned a lot about gore-tex and it's use in snowboard clothing that I didn't know before...
Hey YOU can go check it out too at GORE-TEX.com Then jump back here to hele on with your snowboard clothing schooling!!! Everyone needs to wear a thermal base layer under their snowboard clothing...DO NOT wear cotton as a base layer,DO NOT EVEN THINK about dressing your kids or even your pet in a cotton base layer!!! Cotton gets wet easily from sweating and does not wick water and moisture away from the skin, and it feels cold when wet! IT IS COLD WHEN WET!!!
Always wear a thermal base layer made specifically for under winter wear or snowboard clothing...Cotton can be worn for intermediate layers, but its better not to wear it at all...Try fleece or other fabrics made for snowsports ...Some of the best base and intermediate layers are made of Capilene by Patagonia, Polartec,Cool Max mesh liners, Helly Hansen Lifa ,Smart Wool and natural wool...these fabrics are used extensively in ski and snowboard clothing...
WHERE TO BUY THE BEST THERMAL LAYERS
Check out all the shops online that have all the best thermals online
SNOWBOARDING JACKETS AND PANTS
Of all the snowboard clothing you need,these are the most expensive and the most important....Shop well and choose well before you buy....If you can... try to find GORE-TEX outerwear, Goretex is the absolute best for snowboard clothing outerwear, but is one of the most EXPENSIVE...
If you spend alot of time on the slopes or backcountry... GORE-TEX is a must have...
If the area you snowboard in is warmer and wetter, GORE-TEX is a NECESSITY
if you want to STAY warm and dry!!!
YOU CAN JUMP TO THE MOST IMPORTANT CLOTHING SECTION...JACKETS
RIGHT HERE... RIGHT NOW...TO CHECK OUT THE BEST SHOPS AND THE LATEST INFO ON
SNOWBOARDING JACKETS THE MOST
IMPORTANT PIECE OF SNOWBOARD CLOTHING
OR HEAD STRAIGHT TO THE SNOWBOARD JACKETS SHOP RIGHT HERE
YOU CAN JUMP TO THE SECOND MOST IMPORTANT SECTION
RIGHT HERE... RIGHT NOW...TO CHECK OUT THE BEST SHOPS AND LATEST INFO AVAILABLE ON
SNOWBOARDING PANTS THE SECOND MOST
IMPORTANT PIECE OF SNOWBOARDING CLOTHING
OR HEAD STRAIGHT TO THE SNOWBOARD JACKETS SHOP RIGHT HERE
MITTENS VERSUS GLOVES
Now my advice for GLOVES versus MITTENS... MITTENS are warmer but can be more difficult to use to adjust gear or other snowboard clothing items...
STILL... you can wriggle your fingers in mittens more easily and I have always found them to be easier to get on and off than gloves.
I HATE IT when one of the finger liners in GLOVES gets bunched up and your finger won't go in right...
BUT MITTENS take practice to learn how to adjust your gear or snowboard clothing with them on...
My own personal experience is that a pair of GORE-TEX MITTENS are the best way to go...
Second choice is a gore-tex pair of gloves...The choice whether to use gloves or mittens is personal...My ADVICE is to try to borrow from a friend or buy an inexpensive pair of Mittens and gloves and try them out for at least a couple of days maybe trade with your friends and then pick the one that works best for your situation...
THEN go buy the gore-tex model...Hey come to think of it that goes for all your snowboard clothing...
It is always a good idea to buy a pair of MITTENS or GLOVES that have a removable inner liner...ON warmer days, the liners can be removed AND at the end of cold wet days the liners can be removed and allow the mittens or gloves to DRY much faster...Another plus is, if you do need to pull your glove or mitten off to adjust a binding or strap...the liner will keep your hand warmer just long enough to get that adjustment made and your hand back in the bag!!!
Another option that is being offered these days is a Gore-tex insert between the glove shell and the liner...So far I haven't enough experience with these to make a good reccomendation...I have a DEMO pair now...Kick it back here in a few months and YOU will have some real feedback...
OK NOW HERE IS the feedback on the Goretex inserts, I like em as they keep my hands really dry and warm, but they are a hassle to keep in place as the mittens and the inner liners want to come apart easier as the Goretex is slippery.Don't take them apart on the lift or outside. I rate them OK.
WHERE TO BUY THE BEST MITTENS AND GLOVES
Check out all the best mittens and gloves from all the best shops here...
WHEN YOU GET BACK, CHECK OUT ALL THE SOCKS TO KEEP YOUR FEET WARM !!!
SOCKS,SOCKS,WARM SOCKS...
DO NOT WEAR COTTON SOCKS TO SNOWBOARD!!! COTTON IS THE WORST CHOICE...
THEY will get wet and then cold followed shortly after by your feet...
BUY socks made of smartwool, polartec, or any other fabric used for snowsports, even natural wool socks are ok, although they are itchy....
Natural wool is the ONLY fabric/cloth that will keep you warm, even when soaking wet...A Proven Fact...
Although that may change in the near future as technology creeps toward a material better than natural wool...
WHERE TO BUY THE BEST SNOWBOARDING SOCKS
To Learn More About Snowboarding Socks and Places to Buy Online...
Check out all the best socks from all the best shops here...
One last thing... I am a Snowboarding Master but I am NOT an Internet Master, see how this site was PLANNED then BUILT and is QUICKLY and EASILY maintained... PLUS ...more importantly how to attract the right traffic to your business website by clicking on the graphic!!!
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