What keeps you warm?

[oneagles'wings]

This is the time of year that I start thinking, "What can I purchase to keep me warmer this year?" I get sooo cold! Especially on the lift when it's windy! I was wondering what you ladies find to be your "must have item" for keeping toasty. A certain sock, hat, glove, base layer, etc.? I love my heavy, cushy Bridgedale socks What about you?

 

[wpsally]

Icebreaker wool baselayer. Keeps me super warm, but never too hot.

 

[pinto]

Down sweater. Layers. Sticky heater things ... not only in gloves/mittens, but the medical ones for your lower back or neck ... those work great. Just be careful when you go to the ladies room -- more than once I've peeled off my longjohns and lost them in the toilet. TMI?

 

[skibum4ever]

SmartWool anything, depending on temps.

 

[whiff]

Anyone have any input on warm/super toasty gloves. Looking at Hestra Heli Glove or a pair of Black Diamond gloves. Hate cold hands.

Oh and for my addition to warming info Smartwool socks. They are sooo worth the money.

 

[ski diva]

I'm a cold person (well, temperature wise. Hopefully not in temperament), so this is near and dear to me.

For hands: Black Diamond Mercury Mitts. They're kind of bulky and run large, but they really keep your hands warmer than anything else I've found. If it's extra extra cold, slap a pair of glove liners underneath.

For torso: I agree with Pinto. A down sweater is da bomb.

And for feet: Hotronic boot warmers. My feet were always cold til I broke down and got these. Definitely worth the bucks.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Found a pair of down mittens (brand name escapes me at moment) at TJ last fall for $15.99, figured what the heck for that price. Saved my winter, January was brutal here. Generally not a mitten person, usually get by with glove liners.

Haven't gone the boot heater route yet but will probably opt for the Boot Gloves this winter.

Otherwise, all about layers, I love 4-way stretch fleece (seemingly hard to find lately??) and wind block laminates in fleece upper layers.

 

[Jilly]

Base layers - either Mark's Work Wearhouse (Canadian only sorry), or MEC (REI).

Boots heaters this year. Tried the boot gloves and loved them but opted for the heaters this year. Review to come.

Helmet - nothing warmer.

Hands - and there is the problem. I HATE Mitts. Can't stand to wear them. So its gloves. I have a pair from Swany that I just love for the cold days. Otherwise I wear a pair from the CSIA store.

Neck gaiter - bandit. I have a bandit fleece that the CSIA sold through the store a few years ago. It's great. Blocks the wind. The newer version is not the same.

Pinto - I like the hot pad idea. Have to remember that. We buy "hot shots" by the case at Costco. DH has really cold hands and he's getting electric gloves or mitts for Christmas this year.

Remember I'm skiing Tremblant in January. -20 C is normal!!

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Remember I'm skiing Tremblant in January. -20 C is normal!!

Oh yeah, I think we are in the eastern "Big Three" of Uber-Cold: Tremblant, Sugarloaf, Jay (among the bigger, well-known resorts, I'm sure others are contenders). Plus-double-digits in January are a heat wave! (i.e., over +10 F!)

 

[Jilly]

Yes sirree - in fact I was just looking at my avitar pic and that was taken at about -25C at the top of Tremblant. I've changed the helmet to black, but everthing else is the same.

Also I've bought (B-day present to Jilly from Jilly) a powder sweater from Eddie Bauer. I'll have to review it too later.

 

[cyn]

Glove liners, and on really cold days, a vest added to all my other layers.

 

[abc]

Helmet

 

[Gloria]

Hands - and there is the problem. I HATE Mitts. Can't stand to wear them. So its gloves. I have a pair from Swany that I just love for the cold days. Otherwise I wear a pair from the CSIA store.

I will back this up...I have warm hands but DD does not, Jilly mentioned her Swany gloves a couple seasons ago, and after lots of frozen fingers days, I found a pair of these (TJ Maxx of all places ) remebered her post, and bought em for her. They have been a dream, never heard another complaint after that ( and tons of other failures ). She loves them.

 

[BackCountryGirl]

This is going to sound silly, but I find that I am far colder when I am dehydrated. Sometimes we aren't sweating so we don't think that can happen when we ski, but I sure notice the difference if I'm underwatered!

 

[skibum4ever]

I agree about Swany. I have both gloves and mittens. I wear the Swany gloves most of the time, but the Swany mittens when it is cold and stormy. They have fingers inside, so they are not too awkward.

 

[oragejuice]

I've got a ginormous 10k waterproof down jacket. I've skied in single digit temps in it, fabulous.

 

[Scout]

I have a resting body temp of around 96.5 and I'm always freezing.. especially my hands and feet!

Two christmases ago I got the Giordini Fuse Women's Glove (because I just can't rock the mitten, although I should). They cost me about $100 at the time, but now they go for $50ish. I love them. They have those nifty heat-warmer pockets on the backs of the hands. Add a liner and I'm no longer stopping to warm up my hands every few runs.

I'm still not sure how to fix the toe-freeze problem though. I see some of you have warming socks, how do those work (and where can I get them!?)

Helmet - must. Still looking for a jacket that's warm enough. When I lived in Chicago and experienced -20 temps, I would put my down jacket under my ski shell. I might be doing that this year for skiing, even though it makes me look a bit like an oompa loompa.

 

[Scout]

Forgot to mention this fun tip.. I knew a girl who used to put hot tea/water in her camel bak. Not only did it keep her warm on her back but through drinking warm fluids, it became a sort-of internal heater. It would get cold, but she'd add new hot stuff every time we rested.. seemed genius.

I might try it with hot chocolate

 

[SuZieCoyote]

Lots of Layers

Icebreaker or Smartwool for base layer, down vest or sweater, heavy jacket. I use a merino wool neck gaiter and a helmet. I activate handwarmers and put them in my boots on the way to the slope, then remove them when I put the boots on and move to the inside of my gloves. Gives the boots nice warmth to start the day.

I carry a little baggie of those snack-sized snickers bars in my pocket. When I get tired/cold, I munch down one or two while on the lift. It's just a little bit, doesn't slow me down like a sandwich or lunch, but it is enough to revive me and warm things up. I always carry enough to share, so I get to be a hero on the lift.

 

[skidaup]

Seems like the baselayer makes the biggest difference for me, Icebreaker zip neck top, Icebreaker bottoms, merino wool socks, then a 1/2 zip fleece top, from there I have a variety of jackets/pants. Can't stand my neck cold so I like a jacket with a high collar or better yet a hood that fits around my helmet, and a thin gator/or bandana around my neck, mittens rather than gloves on cold days, and sticky foot warmers and had warmers if it's below 0. Think that covers it for me, I hate being cold, can you tell?