Where is best place in Austin to get outfitted in snow ski clothing?

[chickenfry]

i gotta disagree that no ski jacket etc is needed. maybe not but if he is going somewhere really high, or this artic blast remains they are going to need everything they can get on! you can always take clothes off to cool off, but it's no fun to be freezing early in the morning, on the ski lifts etc. we've all skiied in great weather, but i have been in park city or vail or taos when it is bitter cold. austin-steve said this is their first trip. they need to be "too prepared", rather than unprepared

[iceshots]

Originally Posted by chickenfry

i gotta disagree that no ski jacket etc is needed. maybe not but if he is going somewhere really high, or this artic blast remains they are going to need everything they can get on! you can always take clothes off to cool off, but it's no fun to be freezing early in the morning, on the ski lifts etc. we've all skiied in great weather, but i have been in park city or vail or taos when it is bitter cold. austin-steve said this is their first trip. they need to be "too prepared", rather than unprepared

I think the comment implied going for a shell plus warm layers underneath,rather than an insulated jacket as the only layer. I agree with you that you have to be ready for anything.

[Trainwreck20]

Ahh....back in my poor broke college days we just scotch-guarded our Jeans and layered up. I am sure we looked pretty uncool, but we stayed pretty durn comfortable .

I would avoid buying on-location when you get there, since the convientent places will be outrageously priced, and the good deals will probably require driving to a nearby town and shopping (no my idea of a vacation, but may be for other people ).

Bring sunscreen and make sure your chapstick is sunblock rated. I actually got burned on the underside of my jaw and bottom of my nose from reflection one year!

[-RAC-]

Just my $0.02 worth. I live in Colorado and the last few weeks have been bitterly cold.

To stay warm you must stay dry and layering is the key. I would avoid cotton fibers at all cost. Cotton will absorb water and it will also lose all ability to retain warmth when wet.

Polartec or fleece works great. This type of fiber move water away from the skin and at the same time retain their warming ability even while wet. The down side to fleece is that the wind will blow right through it, unless it has a windblocker applied to it. Although this is not a big deal if you are only using fleece as a base or insulated layer under a outerwear shell.

Since this is the first trip I would not go all out and buy gore-tex shells. For example my 3 layer gore-tex shell jacket cost me $500 and pants cost me about $400.00. You should be able to get by with a nylon shell that has been waterproofed. This will save a lot. The reason for being a fraction of the cost is the nylon is coated which makes the item wear dated. Or another way to say it, is the waterproofing wears off after use and time. Just remember to brush the snow off and do not let it sit and melt on you.

Just something to keep in mind when shopping.

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by -RAC-

Since this is the first trip I would not go all out and buy gore-tex shells. For example my 3 layer gore-tex shell jacket cost me $500 and pants cost me about $400.00. You should be able to get by with a nylon shell that has been waterproofed. This will save a lot. The reason for being a fraction of the cost is the nylon is coated which makes the item wear dated. Or another way to say it, is the waterproofing wears off after use and time. Just remember to brush the snow off and do not let it sit and melt on you.

Just something to keep in mind when shopping.

You can get goretex shells for less than 500

I can buy a goretex drysuit for 650 (top and bottom) that will let me float in arctic waters for days without dying.

[austin-steve]

Thanks for all the tips. We're all prepared I think, between the rental pants and jackets and what we bought at Academy. We have lots of everything as far as middle layers, and we have really good silk and poly thermals, with extras and extra socks too.

It's really good also to know about the sunblock, chapstick, etc. We'll make sure to have plenty of that before we go out. We're picking up my neice north of Dallas on the way, and I already filled my brother in on her base/middle layer needs, but we'll end up renting her jacket, pants and other stuff when we get there. The kids are very excited and I know that our level of fun will depend largely on staying dry and warm.

Thanks
Steve

[-RAC-]

Originally Posted by Austin97

You can get goretex shells for less than 500

I can buy a goretex drysuit for 650 (top and bottom) that will let me float in arctic waters for days without dying.

Yes you can but there is a reason why it is less.

[-RAC-]

Originally Posted by austin-steve

Thanks for all the tips. We're all prepared I think, between the rental pants and jackets and what we bought at Academy. We have lots of everything as far as middle layers, and we have really good silk and poly thermals, with extras and extra socks too.

It's really good also to know about the sunblock, chapstick, etc. We'll make sure to have plenty of that before we go out. We're picking up my neice north of Dallas on the way, and I already filled my brother in on her base/middle layer needs, but we'll end up renting her jacket, pants and other stuff when we get there. The kids are very excited and I know that our level of fun will depend largely on staying dry and warm.

Thanks
Steve

Do not forget to drink lots of water too.