Finland in Feb Half Term

[TheHouseofMirth]

We're going for a week to Levi in half term. We'll be hiring those hideous all in one suits for going on husky rides and hanging about in the snow but need to buy some ski wear too as we are planning to do a little skiing for the first time.

I've already bought base layers, fleece tops and trousers, silk glove and sock liners, merino socks, ski tube socks and heat holder socks, fleece gloves to wear between liners and mittens, balaclavas and hats but I'm wondering about ski jackets and trousers. If we've got enough base and mid layers on can we buy regular ski jackets, would down be better? Are there any particular brands to go for or avoid - I don't want to spend more than necessary but don't want anyone to be cold.

Also any recommendations for really warm mittens for adults & kids?

[NeuNewNouveau]

Can you not ski in the all in ones? We did cross country skiing in the all in ones when we were in Finland Feb half term a couple of years ago.

The temperature while we were there varied from -28 to -5, most people wore the suits all the time.

[jo164]

Yes to normal ski wear. We skied in Levi at Christmas a few years ago and in fact we are going back for the 4th time at Easter, and just wore thermals under regular Base layers and ski jacket/salopettes. It got down to about -30 but was OK. I think you may find yourself quite warm if you try to ski in that many layers! The times you really feel the cold are when on reindeer or husky rides. Make sure you have neck warmers to pull up over nose. We all have decent gloves from snow and rock but other than that everything is the same as I'd wear in January in the Alps. We don't have glove liners or hand warmers and are just fine. My children have skied there since the youngest was 3. One of them has a trespass jacket the other a North Face - nothing special. It sounds like you will be well prepared for all weathers.

[dontcallmethatyoucunt]

Dare 2 B is good kids stuff, but layers, layers, layers. NO cotton though as it absorbs moisture and then gets cold. Sounds though like you're well kitted out.

However, it's an either or situation with the all in ones. If you have ski gear you can do the husky rides in that, you won't need anything else.

We've just got back from Finalnd and it was -20 - +1 (so quite warm), no one was cold and all we wore was layers and a standard ski coat / trousers. I use the ski jackets as school coats so they weren't super size or anything. We had about 7 layers on all together, one of those jacket, one a jumper, the rest various compression and thermal tops.

We had fires by the side of the slopes and small huts that you can pop into to warm up (and toast sausages and marshmallows) so only really cold days there is respite (although we didn't need it).

The 'lego' mittens from sports direct are what I bought. They have a very long cuff so no wrists get exposed or covered in snow. I also bought some long cuff mittens from Tog24 (very cheap, but warm) for me.

We had a great time :-)

[dontcallmethatyoucunt]

I think we must be cold souls reading jo's post! The kids did say they were warm

[jo164]

Ha ha dontcallme, I was just thinking we must be really tough or something!! We really have never felt the need for huge numbers of layers, in fact I'm not sure I could fit 7 on :-) I think 4 was our max on the really cold days. Better to be prepared though and be able.to take them off.
Oh and thehouseofmirth, my children have just said you have to go to the pancake house :-)

[Sleepybeanbump]

I think you're right to buy ski stuff- the all in ones are very bulky and stiff for skiing. You won't need too many layers for skiing as you work up a sweat even in -30, but you'll want layers that you can take in and off depending on what you're doing. I've been in Finland in -40 and think the most I wore was merino base layer, thin fleece/second thicker merino layer, outer fleece, ski jacket/all in one. Maybe one extra layer (eg thin down jacket) if really sedentary (sitting on sled, watching aurora).

The key stuff is layers for face and hands. For sedentary stuff I wore glove liners and fleece gloves under ski gloves a size too big. Fleece hat under a large trapper hat. Take several balaclavas and neck warmers each as they get really damp (and then frozen) from your breath condensing on the inside.

[dontcallmethatyoucunt]

I think merino wool is the key. I've been a bit tight having shrunk and ruined merino a few times and not gone for those and used more sports kit that the kids can used for other activities. We are going 'cold' again this year and I think I'll let some moths out of my wallet and not tumble dry the stuff by accident

[helenwilson]

Hi, we have skied in Sweden for the last two years, and are going back to Salen again this February half term too. I love Scandinavia for ski holidays, it's so family friendly and I think Sweden is about half the price of French holidays, with big wide pistes and no lift queues. There's also more to do than just ski, Salen has an amazing swimming pool complex with slides, spa area, outdoor thermal pool etc - as well as the huskies and snowmobiling. Anyway, you obviously know about the joys of Scandinavia already lol ! We normally wear a baselayer, fleece mid-layer plus ski jacket and salopettes which is as per normal, but then we wear neck buffs, silk balaclavas and wear good quality gloves and socks, we have Falke socks and the children wear Hestra swisswool merino loft mitts - we absolutely love these gloves, the children don't wear liners with them, they are toasty. We didn't have them in the first year and just wore normal Hestra kids gloves (still good quality) and the children got a little bit cold, but these merino loft mitts are lovely. Ironically they cost more than my children's (second hand) outfits cost, I paid £27.50 a pair in the sale (had a very quick look just now and they are more like £40 for the childrens pairs that I can see now - edge and wax have them for example although they are available elsewhere, have a look around). Other than that, we didn't really wear anything different and didn't get too cold, it was between -5 and -10 when we went but we were absolutely fine.