is hiking gear ok for ski-ing

[javo]

HI my DD is going to France with her 6th form in mid December and we need to get the ski outfit. As we hike a lot and she has done DoE gold so we have waterproof jackets, fleeces etc. We need to keep costs right down as she is only there for a week and hasn't skiied before (so may not like it).

Will probably buy a jacket and salopette package from a discount warehouse in cheapish brand like trepass or dare 2 be - are these ok ? or is H&M ladies ski wear ok for 17 year old. Does ski wear need to be a certain heat/ waterproof rating?What else do I need? - can she use sunglasses or are goggles a must? Could she use her waterproof walking boots instead of moon boots? Are really good gloves (£40 ish) a must too? - Gosh its all adding up. (My DD is size10)

Any help gratefully received (have read some archive threads that said dare2be etc ok)
many thanks

Dare2be are fine, Google cheap ski gear, she should get a 'set' for 60 quid.

Of course she doesn't need moonboots, they're not a legal requirement in France. ;)

I'd say it's the extremities that need the best gear. Get her a couple of pairs of proper ski socks, and warm, waterproof gloves, as you spend a lot of time landing with your hands in the snow when learning. A fleecy snood/scarf thingy is useful to stop the snow going down your neck! Any normal fleeces, longjohns etc are fine for layering under the outer layer.

What Chippy said!

And walking boots perfect. I wear mine or trainers with very good grip. Sunglasses are fine unless she wears contacts in which case her eyes might dry out. I always wear goggles because of my lenses.

Also, I would think about investing in a helmet or seeing if you can borrow one.

Oh and TKMaxx are very good for cheap ski gear!

She'll need goggles if it's snowing - quite likely in December. Get her to ask around at college, as lots of teachers ski but can't afford to go very often and definitely won't be going during term time. Most likely she'll find someone happy to lend bits of kit. I lend mine out all the time, no problems.

Thanks a lot everyone. I shall get some goggles as she does wear contacts (never even considered about her lenses bubble, great tip)and really good gloves (with a liner perhaps). Good idea about asking around, but I know she'll not be "brave" enough to ask teachers. We have really warm hats and infinity scarves and fleeces etc and I found a black Dare2B jacket and salopette set in black for £40 online yesterday so may go for that.

Thanks again

I've never worn a "skiing jacket", only ever worn a "gortex" (walking) style jacket with fleece & base layers underneath. As others have said, walking boots are fine, that's all I've ever worn. In fact when I think about it the only proper ski wear I own are trousers & gloves (never worn glove liner).

Thanks orienteerer - we have some serious north face and berghaus winter jackets and fleeces - so now thinking may be able to save on jacket . There is a Snow and rock in town - so will check out just what a "ski" jacket is like for warmth etc and see if our jackets match up.

December will be very cold so proper ski weight jacket is a must,,, not just a waterproof! As you last said JAVO berghaus winter jacket will be ok as long as its as warm as a ski one.. and fleeces underneath too....

Dh is a very good skier and wears ordinary berghaus waterproof with a thick fleece underneath. However he doesn't fall over. First year I skied I had my goretex waterproof and fell over and ripped it open. So not sure if they're more likelyb to rip. I've fallen over loads since in ski jackets and never ripped them.

Look on eBay for second hand stuff.

I've had £10 gloves from tk maxx and they've been fine. I've also got goggles and cheap socks from there and all been good.

Lidl has lots of ski stuff this week including helmets for £20.

When I say a thick fleece for dh it's a polartec 200. We ski in jan when it's cold. However remember that if your dd is a beginner she will spend most of her lessons standing about.

Normal beginner lesson is one person does something, everyone else watches. Repeat till the whole class has done it one at a time. She will get a lot colder as a beginner than someone who is zipping about skiing all the time.

Last year it was -20 when we skiied. I was freezing in the thickest ski jacket ever.

If it's -20, beginners should stay in! No point in freezing and hating it!

I'm a useless (read slow and constantly falling over) skier, and I wear layers of fleece, and my outdoor raincoat.

Waterproof pants absolutely necessary. Mine are padded ski pants, if not make sure she has enough warm layers under.

Gloves get wet = cold. Mittens with removable liners dry faster overnight, otherwise it's a good idea to have 2 pairs, so you don't have to put on wet ones in the morning.

No need for moon boots. Sneakers or hike boots fine.

Don't forget to pack lots of warm socks!

Re thermals, check if they have seams around the calves. Downhill boots are really tight, and if you're choosing between those with and without, without will be more comfortable. Don't buy new ones just for this, though.

Good goggles and gloves are important because you need to see and if your hands are cold it's hard to do anything. I use either motorbike gloves or Sealskin mittens. Then I have thermal leggings and shirt (merino wool are best because they don't smell so can be worn for several days) followed by normal shirts, sweatshirt, jumper (as many as I need) and topped off with a fleece and shell ski jacket. They key is to layer up as much or as little as you need to. I've used the same jacket and salopettes in blazing sunshine and -30 snow but with different layers.

Don't forget a thick woolly hat and a scarf... oh, and thick thermal socks.

For apres ski walking boots are ideal.

If it's a school trip she probably won't get the option of staying in even at -20, unless the lifts are shut things carry on. Even the toddler lessons were still going which I was surprised about!

In my experience, beginners shed clothes as they spend all their time expending unecessary energy.

I don't see that she'll need goggles either, lindsey vonn she ain't!

She's a beginner ffs, most of the gear being recommended is a total overkill.

Yes it's great to have good kit when you're on the mountain meaning business,but this is a teenage girl out with her friends who will spend a fair amount of time on her arse. A hot water bottle for evenings might be more useful to slap on chilly buttocks.

She will need goggles!

We started skiing last year and I'd say that good gloves, snow pants and a really warm hat are essential. I don't have a skiing jacket and neither does dh (we do have very warm coats though). I wore lots of layers under mine. We kitted the children out in second hand snowboarding gear. We never wore our goggles, and actually we all got quite hot.

There is no way I'd forgo proper winter boots though. But we do live half an hour away from our ski hill, and it has been known to hit -35 here!

We're going to have to agree to disagree then kahu. :)

Goggles are good for heavy snow and skiing at speed, she'll likely do neither. In addition, she'll shove them up on to her forehead on her hat and sweat - fogging them up. They'll spend her holiday in her pocket.

'-20 beginners should stay in!'

no-one in my country would have learned to ski then! My 2 year old had whale of a time last winter tobogganing in -25C.

Basically, the weather is the same whether you are a beginner or an expert. If it's cold it's cold, and there's no way you can mess around with that. -20C is proper cold and it is not unusual to be that in mid December. It doesn't have to be specialist ski gear but it should be appropriate cold weather gear. Borrow gear from friends, from school, if you can, no point investing in balaclavas, goggles or gloves unless she's going to take it up properly and go every year.

I wouldn't worry too much about a helmet - ski hire shops are loaded with them looking at you menacingly if you elect to go bare headed. I expect the school will get it included in the equipment hire package..

I think that children in lessons have to wear helmets in most resorts.

I guess maybe I'm a bit goggle-biased since I live in a ski resort with heavy snow & ski at speed AlpinePony . But seriously OP, if you can borrow a pair, she should take them & decent sunglasses.

mirai , by sailing pants do you mean unlined but quite thick / tough waterproofs? Depending on where / when you're going I'd do thermal longjohns with a pair of fleece pants on top. Joggers would be quite bulky with little warmth & you want to avoid cotton as it will get soggy (ski pants have an elastic snow cuff inside that keeps the snow out) TBH you might want to look for a cheap pair of ski pants (you still want some long johns underneath), you could always E-bay later. The tight longjohns will help trap a layer of air keeping you warmer.