Are the snowy slopes calling your name?
As a slope newbie, chances are you’re overwhelmed with preparations for your snowboarding session.
If you’re a tourist who came from a tropical country hoping to take some heat off, your regular jogging pants and sweatshirt won’t cut it. The same goes for your typical winter jacket.
So what exactly do you need to keep yourself warm and protected against the slope elements while snowboarding?
Here is a quick list of what you need to prepare when you need to snowboard:
- Base Layer
- Socks
- Impact Shorts
- Snowboard Jacket
- Snowboard Pants or Bibs
- Gloves and Neck Warmers
- Helmet
- Snowboarding Goggles
- Snowboarding Boots
Base Layer
A base layer is incredibly important while doing a snow sport, especially in snowboarding. This helps you regulate your body temperature.
A good base layer will keep you warm and dry but not too hot that sweat won’t be able to escape.
The main types of base layers include tops, bottoms, and one piece. Choosing your base layer will depend on the conditions you’re riding in.
If it’s not that cold and the wind is mild, consider wearing a lightweight base layer.
But if the weather is colder than usual or your winter tolerance is low, you’re better off with a midweight to a heavyweight base layer.
If possible I would highly recommend looking for basic layer clothes made out of Marino Wool.
Merino Wool is perfect for any winter outdoor activity. Merino Wool is really good at keeping your body at stable temperature — it provides good insulation if it’s cold and it keeps the sweat off your skin if it’s warm.
Another thing is that Merino Wool has the capability to absorb odor caused by bacteria, so you can snowboard without having to worry about the smell!
If you don’t want to get clothes out of Marino Wool then my tip is to stay away from cotton. Cotton absorbs water/sweat and if you get wet then you start freezing.
Socks
There’s nothing worse than having to snowboard with cold, wet feet.
So, stay away from cotton socks at all costs! Not only it will become soggy and smelly after a short time on the slopes, but it will also cause blisters on your feet.
Look for good fabrics such as Merino Wool that keeps moisture away from your feet.
Try to get yourself a high-quality sock that offers compression. A good compression around the ankles gives you steady support.
When looking for socks to snowboard in then I would recommend looking for socks made out of a blend of materials since it will help against blisters due to too much friction and movement.
There’s nothing worse than having to snowboard with cold, wet feet.
I repeat: stay away from cotton socks at all costs!
Not only it will become soggy and smelly after a short time on the slopes, but it will also cause blisters on your feet.
Look for good fabrics such as Merino Wool that keeps moisture away from your feet.
Try to get yourself a high-quality sock that offers compression. A good compression around the ankles gives you steady support.
When looking for socks to snowboard in then I would recommend looking for socks made out of a blend of materials since it will help against blisters due to too much friction and movement.
Look for Marino Wool, nylon, acrylic, and elastane as they will help your feet stay dry and warm.
Snowboard Jacket and Pants
A good snowboard jacket should be waterproof or water-resistant, insulated, with pockets for your convenience.
Although you can trade this with a waterproof rain jacket over your base layer, it might cause you to slide farther if you fall because the material isn’t meant for snow sports.
When getting a snowboard jacket, you should always look for a built-in powder skirt. This will prevent snow from getting inside your clothes during a fall.
The same goes for snowboarding pants but you might want to look for a good pair of pants that have a lot of pockets to hold your things and small equipment.
You might also want to look for a reinforced inner ankles patch in order to protect your pant cuffs from sharp metal edges whether it’s from your boots or blade.
When buying a new snowboarding jacket and pants try to find ones that have smart material that breathes. That means that it will keep you dry thanks to its possibility to let out heat and keep wet out.
Gloves/Mitten and neck warmers
Again, you have to choose a waterproof or water-resistant and insulated gloves.
Mittens are generally thicker and warmer than gloves so if your hands get cold easily, you might want to go for a mitten instead with heat-packet pockets.
You don’t necessarily need a specific snowboarding glove but if you want nice snowboard features like built-in goggle wipes and touch-screen compatibility, then maybe consider getting one.
Neck warmers are important, especially for colder temperatures. You can get a neck gaiter that pulls up over your nose or a balaclava for greater coverage.
This is also versatile and aside from being a neck gaiter, you can wear it as a face mask, beanie, bandana, or a half balaclava. Definitely a bang-for-your-buck purchase!
Helmet
You should not go snowboarding without wearing a helmet especially if this is your first time on the slopes.
While some ski resorts make it optional for adults to use helmets, you should definitely wear one because helmets reduce the risks of head injury when you fall.
A decent helmet offers good impact absorption, ventilation, and comfort.
Make sure that it fits you perfectly because ill-fitted helmets defeat the purpose of protect that it serves. It’s also more likely that you won’t wear one since it’s more “job” to wear something not so comfortable.
Snowboarding Goggles
Wearing goggles is a great way to protect your eyes from snow, wind, and glare.
Before getting one, make sure that they work with your helmet and it fits your face without gaps.
You can substitute your snowboarding goggles with a pair of sunglasses although it might give you trouble while going down the slopes because of slippage.
Choosing between snowboarding goggles and prescription glasses is a bit annoying and even dangerous — if you can’t see clearly, you might injure yourself but if you’re not wearing goggles, your glasses won’t withstand snow elements and still obstruct your view.
Tips when choosing snowboarding goggles
The good thing is, this ski goggle is great because of its Over-the-Glasses design so you can fit your glasses under it. It’s also anti-fog with 100% UV protection.
You also don’t need to worry about your goggles not fitting your helmet because this comes with an extra-long elastic strap that is compatible with all helmets.
And that’s basically all you need to wear in order to hit the slopes regardless if you’re snowboarding to skiing.
Snowboard boots are available at your ski resort and since it’s your first time doing this, it might be best for you to rent out your boots first before buying one.
That way, you’ll already have an idea of what you should buy on the next time you go out to the slopes.
Any snow sport might seem daunting at first, but good preparation will help you ease yourself into snowboarding! Just remember to snowboard responsibly and always stay in control.
