Would you be kind enough to guide me through keeping warm, but not having a sweaty back pls ?

[Willowisp]

Planning skiing for next year & though I might try & get organised take advantage of the sales by sorting out ski wear.

Every time I've skied I've been freezing or at least, very cold. I have skied in very cold places...Breckenridge/Norway & do always feel the cold. When I've managed to warm up or be an ok temperature, other than hands/toes, I've ended up with a sweaty back & rivulets of sweat between my boobs !

I grew up with polyester vest/thermals/cotton polos & realise its all moved on 25 + years later, but I can't quite get my head round what to wear
& I secretly can't imagine that a base layer + fleece is going to do the trick.

[TotallyEggFlipped]

Really good socks. Possibly with silk underliners to keep your feet toasty.
Really good gloves, again, possibly with underliners or gloves and hand warmers inside mittens.
A decent hat.
A scarf or snood.
Don't wear a disproportionate amount layers over your trunk. Keep your extremities warm.

[stargirl1701]

Merino wool base layer for torso. I also wear the leggings of wool. A good fleece on torso. Good quality outer ski wear. A liner hat and woollen hat. A neck gaiter. Googles. Liner socks and good ski socks.

Spend money basically

If you can ski in Scotland you can ski anywhere. You need layers you can take off if you're too hot, i.e. just wear the hat liner rather than the hat.

Is your resort wet snow or dry snow? I find that makes a big difference. High altitude resorts don't need as many layers as low altitude resorts. They seem less humid.

[stargirl1701]

Oh and liner gloves as well as outer gloves.

[Willowisp]

I'm reading lots of good things about merino but the flummoxed at weights

Day to day I wear a bra a heattech vest, long sleeve top & then jumper or cardi, not always long sleeve.

Can I wear the heattech vest (uniqlo), merino wool -> fleece (would normally be a lambswool or cashmere jumper) then coat ? I have a down ski coat bought after the last holiday freezing on the slopes [wimp].

Assume I can apply the same technique to the DC's ? Dh is always warm & toasty...I'm looking at base layers+ fleece + ski jacket, although cant understand how they'll keep warm when everything is so thin.

[Willowisp]

Btw have silk glove liners, mittens ( but not down), helmet & neoprene face mask.

I think I have a low basal temperature but inconclusive for thyroid..DH thinks I'm a reptile.

[fedupwithdeployment]

When are you going skiing? Xmas / Easter?

I wear a base layer at Xmas, a sweatshirt or 2 if it is cold and a jacket. At Xmas I sometimes wear longjohns. This year I wore 2 x base layers and a sweatshirt - was fine.

At Easter I wear a t-shirt and sometimes a sweatshirt and a jacket.

By the way, I do feel the cold! DSs wear long sleaved t shirts and one or 2 rugby shirt / fleeces under jacket. No long johns. A neck warmer is good if it is v cold.

All wear helmets (which keep your head warm!!)

[Willowisp]

Well depending where we go, if it's Norway, then maybe March, if France/Austria/Italy then Feb (after 1/2 term)

I skied in BreckenFridge (!) over Xmas & was mega cold..not sure of exact temp as over 20 yrs ago.

I've always worn long johns.

Could you link to your base layers please ?

[trixymalixy]

I usually wear base layer plus fleece plus jacket, although very often I'm skiing in just base layer plus jacket. The key is good quality breathable stuff.

[fedupwithdeployment]

er, they are both about 10 years old....one is helly hansen and one is north face. My long johns are M&S about 15 years old!! The only time I seem to get hot and sticky is when I am in car park sorting DSs out....and they are now a bit mroe self sufficient!

My DNiece came with us a couple of years back at Easter and had been told by her mum, a non skier, to wear about 16 layers...well long johns, a base la=yer, a vest and 2/3 jumpers. She cooked!!! It was warm, about 25 degrees. A lot depends on conditions at the time though.

[stargirl1701]

My base layer is all Icebreaker stuff.

[SilasGreenback]

I wear silk base layers (from damart very granny like!) then some sort of technical fabric top or t shirt if warm and then a fleece under my jackets. I'm naturally quite cold, but with a neck gaiter and helmet that keeps me warm (the hair in my nostrils and around my helmet was freezing at Christmas but I was toasty).

I think it is good to keep your torso warm, as then blood is pumped out to the hands and feet and so they stay warm. I have custom fit boots, and only need a single pair of socks unless it goes below about -10. Hands also didn't need liners this Christmas.

[SkiBumMum]

On a reasonably chilly day I would wear:
Sports bra
Icebreaker Merino long sleeve (mid weight) or Helly Hensen midweight
North Face or similar technical fleece (I have fab ones with non fleece stretchy underarm side panels for movement)
Jacket (Eider - thin looking but not complete shell)
Icebreaker merino wool leggings 3/4 so they don't rub at the ankles
2 Pairs thin Falke or SmartWool/HotChilly's ski socks
Gloves
Helmet

If really cold I add a fleece neckwarmer. If warmer I ditch the fleece.

The key to not being sweaty is to have the thermal layer next to your skin. Don't stick your usual vest on under as that won't wick the moisture away.

Gloves and socks are the most important.

[Slubberdegullion]

Embers merino base and midlayers

Fab UK company.

[deste]

I'm just back and we had - 17 first thing in the morning. The secret is to have no gaps anywhere. I feel the cold terribly but was actually ok this time apart from slightly cold hands and toes. I wore a sleeveless thermal, a long sleeved thermal and a merino jumper and then my jacket. I put my buff over my head with the fleece part over my ears and the silky part tucked into the neck of the merino and then the crash helmet on top. I don't like the wind on my neck or ears. I also had on two pairs of thermal bottoms and then the ski bottoms. I use hand warmers and when I go on the lift I take my fingers out of the fingers and wrap them round the warmer in the palm of my hand.

[Willowisp]

-17 ! Where is that ?

Just to clarify, the merino can go in the skin, an expensive 'performance' fleece (my ski one is from Asda) - can another thin layer be snuck in ? Apart from the sweaty back (which is a wrong material vest issue) I've always found wool to be warmer - even at home.

Absolutely ref keeping the drafts out...

I am thinking of buying DD2 a down ski jacket...or do you think a thin shell would be better ? I've seen some nice bright (& reduced) Trespass ones, but don't want to risk her getting cold. Dd1 is like a furnace !

[deste]

We were in Austria. Usually you would wear a thermal vest under the merino wool jumper. I also skied Glenshee on Thursday but wore a very fine zip up neck with a thin fleece lining and also had a thin fleece on top plus the buff to keep my neck and ears warm under the helmet. I had the thermals on as well. Tresspass jackets are great but make sure they are suitable for skiing otherwise she will get very cold. If she gets too hot she can open her zip to cool down, I wouldn't rely on her being hot just in case.

[madwomanintheattic]

I wear a thermal layer (long johns and long sleeved top) a fleece (just a lightweight one - nothing hugely technical) and my ski jacket. It isn't a down one.

Decent ski socks, and mitts with glove liners, and a buff that I can pull over face if it's freezing. I wear a helmet.

I live in the Canadian Rockies, and this does me for everything from zero down to about -25. If it's near zero, and sunny, I might even take the fleece off. I leave it in my boot bag in case I need it during the day though.

I can't wear wool of any description near my skin. It makes me sweat. The man made fibers for physical activity are designed to wick sweat away - wool is designed to trap the warm sweaty air, not wick the moisture.

I am fascinated about your dilemma, truly, but I'm not sure I understand it... I'm not a hot person - I usually sit under a blanket and moan I'm cold when dh is wandering round the house in a t shirt.

[madwomanintheattic]

I bought my base layer thermals in Costco....

[madwomanintheattic]

Rofl - wool isn't 'designed' for anything. It just does. not exactly what I meant, but you get the gist.

[Peetle]

My skiing jacket has underarm zips which basically open up the sides when you get too hot. The zips have quite large tags so they can be opened and closed with gloves on and I'd never buy another jacket without them, although I sometimes forget and wonder why I'm freezing on the next chair lift.

[UniS]

I wear the following and do not get too hot, nor do I freeze. I am a ski all day kind of skier, only stop when on lifts, don't do hanging about outside cafe's. Tend to ski in europe in January.

base layer ( long sleeve, long leg thermal undies)
mid layer ( a light weight fleece, long sleeve high neck)
Outer layer- salopettes and a waterproof shell jacket)

buff/ neck gaiter
Fleece mittens under waterproof over mits .

My outer jacket is not padded. I get too hot in a padded jacket.

[shonun]

breathability is the key here, you need materials that take moisture from the skin, out through base and mid and outer layers... cotton is most definitely NOT it... also am worried about you getting a down jacket, sometimes those can keep the moisture in, so check... the last thing you need when the weather is cold is moisture freezing between your layers because it cant escape.
merino wool base layer, then microfleece, then breathable and windproof goretex jacket should do the trick, have fun :-)

[monsterchild]

For me the important thing (and I grew up skiing in the Rockies, so I understand!) is to know what the layers DO. Silk and wool can keep you warm even when wet. So they are good next to your skin. Cotton can not do this. So never wear cotton, not even cotton panties! Cotton uses your body heat to dry, so you get wet and clammy, ick!

fleece has weights like down, heavy fleece is not very useful unless you're sitting around because it gets really bulky. Unless it is windblocker, fleece is useless in the wind. The space between the fleece is what holds the heat, just like down. Fleece also doesn't like to be wet, so if you have on a waterproof jacket over fleece, it can get clammy in there. Make sure your outer layer breathes, even is waterproof (such as a gortex) but if you're going where it isn't wet, don't bother with waterproofness.

I prefer mittens over gloves because then my last two fingers can stay warm. Don't wear anything too tight, as that minimizes the loft and thus the heat.

Ok, didn't mean to write an essay! i have this down to an art, because the temps here are so varied, and if you're really working hard, you will need less clothing, but riding the lift (if downhill skiing) you'll freeze, so you need those layers!