litterbug
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I've been toying with insulated ski pants, and recently lost enough size that the REI brand black straight-legged jeans-style shells (probably made for ski touring or something) are a little roomy, but the insulated North Face short-length pants that were a little too snug last season are now just a little big in the waist. They're less baggy than the many other ski pants I've seen but a overall a baggier fit than my shells. Yesterday was cold and blustery, so I gave them a try with my CW-X boot top tights underneath, figuring I was more likely to be too hot with the synthetic insulation than too cold.
Findings:
1. The lower leg is a wind tunnel on the lift or when skiing fast. The legs measure 18" at the knee and 24" at the pants cuff, perfectly suited for ventilation because they scoop up large quantities of air and funnel it up as far up as it can go.
2. I was surprised that the snow gaiter didn't stop the air flow, but when I looked I discovered that only the bottom inch or two of the gaiter is solid fabric; the rest is a nice airy mesh, effectively cooling off any part of my lower body that might not be frozen solid. Great for spring skiing, but not so great on the lift at 20 degrees.
It's a good thing that I was overdressed under my insulated jacket, because otherwise I'd have been an icicle at the end of the day (the snow was too nice to leave voluntarily). I'd have been warmer in my shells with the tights, Capilene 3 boot top tights, and a pair of fleece pants layered underneath, if only because the pant legs themselves fit snugly over my boots, keeping wind and powder and anything else from sneaking in. In addition, because the shells have a jeans-type fit, they hold insulating layers next to my legs where it's most effective, while the ski pants' insulation was held away from my legs by the loose fit legs.
[rant]
I'm at a loss. Why do people wear these things? Don't your lower legs freeze from the airy fit? How useful is fancy synthetic insulation if it's held a few inches away from your body while air comes in from underneath? I'm considering having someone make the bell-bottomed legs into straight legs and replace the mesh gaiter with windproof fabric, but it seems stupid.
Meanwhile, although my ski pants are still in good shape, they're starting to show wear. I've seen shell and insulated pants online that kind of look like mine, but they all seem to be fancy mountaineering gear, obscenely expensive, and highly unlikely to come in my size, to say nothing of my length. That means unless I lose 20 pounds and someone decides to gift me fancy pants, I'm stuck with what I've got. I like the idea of having a pair of insulated pants for really cold weather and a ready replacement for my beloved shells, but unless some miracle happens, it looks like I'm stuck with what I've got.
[/rant]
Findings:
1. The lower leg is a wind tunnel on the lift or when skiing fast. The legs measure 18" at the knee and 24" at the pants cuff, perfectly suited for ventilation because they scoop up large quantities of air and funnel it up as far up as it can go.
2. I was surprised that the snow gaiter didn't stop the air flow, but when I looked I discovered that only the bottom inch or two of the gaiter is solid fabric; the rest is a nice airy mesh, effectively cooling off any part of my lower body that might not be frozen solid. Great for spring skiing, but not so great on the lift at 20 degrees.
It's a good thing that I was overdressed under my insulated jacket, because otherwise I'd have been an icicle at the end of the day (the snow was too nice to leave voluntarily). I'd have been warmer in my shells with the tights, Capilene 3 boot top tights, and a pair of fleece pants layered underneath, if only because the pant legs themselves fit snugly over my boots, keeping wind and powder and anything else from sneaking in. In addition, because the shells have a jeans-type fit, they hold insulating layers next to my legs where it's most effective, while the ski pants' insulation was held away from my legs by the loose fit legs.
[rant]
I'm at a loss. Why do people wear these things? Don't your lower legs freeze from the airy fit? How useful is fancy synthetic insulation if it's held a few inches away from your body while air comes in from underneath? I'm considering having someone make the bell-bottomed legs into straight legs and replace the mesh gaiter with windproof fabric, but it seems stupid.
Meanwhile, although my ski pants are still in good shape, they're starting to show wear. I've seen shell and insulated pants online that kind of look like mine, but they all seem to be fancy mountaineering gear, obscenely expensive, and highly unlikely to come in my size, to say nothing of my length. That means unless I lose 20 pounds and someone decides to gift me fancy pants, I'm stuck with what I've got. I like the idea of having a pair of insulated pants for really cold weather and a ready replacement for my beloved shells, but unless some miracle happens, it looks like I'm stuck with what I've got.
[/rant]
). There were a lot of areas with five or six inches of powder or pushed-around snow and a few patches of noisier granular, as well as some active snowmaking; death cookies had been groomed out on piste, though I did skitter over a few off the sides of the runs. I didn't get over to Collins, though. I'm still only skiing a few hours at a time to get my ski legs back, but I did have me some fun!
I really wasn't trying to, my doctor just had me stop eating wheat. 
But I tend to settle on what fits and wear it forever because I hate hate HATE clothes shopping. I did have to buy a new jacket this year, and oy vey, you wouldn't believe how many sales people I completely wore out with my indecision!! 
