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Masks for skiing

BlueSkies

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
How is the fit? Have you worn it around anywhere? I am behind on prepping for my first ski trip of the season. I was too busy moving. And don't have snow tires on!
I wore it walking one cold day. It was warm and comfortable. Easy to breathe with the face pocket and easy to pull up and down. It's the same one @Olesya Chornoguz reviewed.
If you go to the Seirus website and they tell you it’s carried at Olympia Sports at the Newburgh Mall, don’t believe them.
They don’t have any Seirus products in that store.
That brings back memories- I remember when they first built that mall- I might have been in high school about then. Its been remodeled a couple of times.
 

TNtoTaos

Angel Diva
The Seirus I bought has the EVO mask incorporated. I like the breathing pocket it makes, very comfortable. I wanted to look at the magnemasks but the shop I was in didn't have the styles I wanted to look at.
I've been wearing the Seirus Comboclava (S/M size) for about 15 yrs, and I love it. It has openings below the nose and over the mouth to breathe thru, and even so, that area gets wet (it's neoprene, though, so I just shake it out vigorously when I take it off and most of the water shakes out).

My concern about the one with the EVO mask incorporated is that it does not have those openings (obviously), so it's bound to get very wet inside (and cold?) while skiing. The more I think about it, I'm wondering if I might like it better to wear a mask over the Comboclava, so I can drop it down when I'm actually skiing, and pull it up when on the lift, etc. Has anyone tried this approach yet?
 

newboots

Angel Diva
@diymom noted that the bioskin (I think) company tested the filtering of their masks. The NYTimes has an article about the filtering abilities of various combinations of mask layers and filters:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/24/...=footer&req_id=731223666&surface=most-popular

From the article:

"
Three layers are better than two. The best mask has two tightly woven layers of outer material with a filter material sandwiched in the middle, Dr. Marr said. You can use surgical mask material or even a piece of a vacuum bag as a filter between two pieces of fabric. Coffee filters are an option, but can be less breathable. If you like your two-layer mask, you can just wear it over a surgical mask when you want added protection. A well-fitting fabric mask with a third filter layer can stop 74 to 90 percent of risky particles, the researchers found.

Flexible material is better. Stiff material creates gaps. Look for a mask made of tightly woven flexible material that contours to your face. Masks with wire that can be molded around the nose also fit better by closing gaps where air can escape out and seep in.

Ties are better than ear loops. Masks that tie around your head fit better and can be more comfortable. Ear loop masks can leave bigger gaps around your face and cause ears to become sore with longer use.

Face shields should be used with a mask. Face shields alone offered little to no protection. Although the clear plastic shield is impermeable, air seeps out and comes in around the edges of the shield. “It was the worst of everything,” said Jin Pan, a civil and environmental engineering Ph.D. student who was a co-author of the study. A face shield combined with a mask offers added protection, particularly for the eyes.

A well-fitted mask protects the wearer. Dr. Marr and her colleagues tested cloth masks for how well they protected others (outward protection) as well as the wearer (inward protection). Although masks are most efficient at filtering outgoing germs, they do stop incoming germs at nearly the same rate in most cases, the researchers found. Masks that did a poor job protecting the wearer were those made of stiffer materials and those worn loosely and with gaps around the edges.

A recent study from Denmark suggested that masks don’t protect the wearer, but Dr. Marr noted that in that study, many people weren’t using masks properly. “Fewer than half wore them as instructed,” Dr. Marr said. Although Dr. Marr’s findings come from a lab, rather than the real world, she said her group’s latest research should offer reassurance to people who wear well-fitted masks that they are getting additional protection from other people’s germs.

The research should also reassure people about the benefits of cloth masks, Dr. Marr said. She noted that masks can’t do “100 percent of the work,” and it’s important to combine mask wearing with other measures, like hand-washing and restricting social contacts. "
 

newboots

Angel Diva
And returning to my most recent favorite gripe: It seems quite difficult to score a Seirus Evo Dana at all before my trip Saturday. I could get one with expedited shipping on Amazon for an extra $31! but not stores around here carry it, and those that do are out. I even checked EMS in Lake Placid, but they don't have it. I suppose I'll be wearing one of my ear-loop masks and pulling it down while skiing, a non-preferred solution!
 

newboots

Angel Diva
That brings back memories- I remember when they first built that mall- I might have been in high school about then. Its been remodeled a couple of times.

It is clean and well-kept, but has somewhat sad-mall stores inside. I went to Olympia Sports, which had no Seirus products at all! I noted a huge Jennifer Furniture store having a "liquidation sale" that didn't appear to be a closing-the-store sale. A jewelry store that was closed but you could make an appointment for a virtual visit, and one of those bath salts and candle stores that is so heavily perfumed that I have to hold my breath walking by it. There was also a Sears; wonder how long that will last.
 

TNtoTaos

Angel Diva
And returning to my most recent favorite gripe: It seems quite difficult to score a Seirus Evo Dana at all before my trip Saturday. I could get one with expedited shipping on Amazon for an extra $31! but not stores around here carry it, and those that do are out. I even checked EMS in Lake Placid, but they don't have it. I suppose I'll be wearing one of my ear-loop masks and pulling it down while skiing, a non-preferred solution!
Did you try calling the ski shops at the resort you're going to? They may have them in stock. Or, perhaps you could order from Amazon and have them ship it to your hotel. You might not have it on day 1, but maybe by the next day or so.
 

StayWarm

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
My concern about the one with the EVO mask incorporated is that it does not have those openings (obviously), so it's bound to get very wet inside (and cold?) while skiing. The more I think about it, I'm wondering if I might like it better to wear a mask over the Comboclava, so I can drop it down when I'm actually skiing, and pull it up when on the lift, etc. Has anyone tried this approach yet?

From my experience skiing so far this season, the cold/wet combo is a real concern for *any* mask that sits on your mouth. This is especially the case because the times when you most need to have the mask on (in line at the base of the run) are when you'll be breathing the hardest. I've skied three days now with a Rothy mask that fits close over the nose and well over the chin, but has a bit of a bubble over the mouth, and it's terrific. Folks who I see in line wearing a buff often seem uncomfortable (basically breathing in the thin material). When it's warm, I just wear the Rothy with a buff around my neck that I can pull up for extra warmth. When it's cold, I wear the mask under my Turtle Fur, and can pull the fur over the mask if I'm extra cold.
 
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Abbi

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
And returning to my most recent favorite gripe: It seems quite difficult to score a Seirus Evo Dana at all before my trip Saturday. I could get one with expedited shipping on Amazon for an extra $31! but not stores around here carry it, and those that do are out. I even checked EMS in Lake Placid, but they don't have it. I suppose I'll be wearing one of my ear-loop masks and pulling it down while skiing, a non-preferred solution!

I have not seen that mask at any of the likely stores. I went online and put one in the shopping cart at the Seirus site. And it was $10 for shipping for one little mask that weighs nothing! So I didn’t buy it, at that point hoping to find in the store. Each day I would get an email saying I had items in my cart and did I want them. And each day I just let it sit there. And about the fourth day I got an offer for free shipping and then I bought it! If you’re not in a hurry there are sometimes ways to win the battle! I haven’t received it yet but I got an email that it had been shipped.
 

newboots

Angel Diva
I have not seen that mask at any of the likely stores. I went online and put one in the shopping cart at the Seirus site. And it was $10 for shipping for one little mask that weighs nothing! So I didn’t buy it, at that point hoping to find in the store. Each day I would get an email saying I had items in my cart and did I want them. And each day I just let it sit there. And about the fourth day I got an offer for free shipping and then I bought it! If you’re not in a hurry there are sometimes ways to win the battle! I haven’t received it yet but I got an email that it had been shipped.

Thanks for the good strategy advice! I was in a hurry, but now I’m not. I ordered it from Amazon, with Prime free shipping. Arriving 12/4.
 

snoWYmonkey

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Challenging first day. Our local hardware store sells n95s and we don't have a local shortage, so I did buy a few as I am high risk.

While I feel safe without one on open chairs (simple double neckgaiter), I don't in our shared gondolas. It is turning out to be a struggle getting it, the n95, on and off while dealing with helmet, poles and skis in my hands. I did not even have students in tow for the soft opening.

For a good fit the straps really do need to be around the back of my head and it can not be crushed and simply live under my neckgaiter when not in use.

Helmet on and off while it is snowing will be a pain. Wet neckgaiter or mask is inevitable within about half an hour.

Feeling a bit depressed....

Teaching is not going to be as safe as I had hoped for.
 

TNtoTaos

Angel Diva
Challenging first day. Our local hardware store sells n95s and we don't have a local shortage, so I did buy a few as I am high risk.

While I feel safe without one on open chairs (simple double neckgaiter), I don't in our shared gondolas. It is turning out to be a struggle getting it, the n95, on and off while dealing with helmet, poles and skis in my hands. I did not even have students in tow for the soft opening.

For a good fit the straps really do need to be around the back of my head and it can not be crushed and simply live under my neckgaiter when not in use.

Helmet on and off while it is snowing will be a pain. Wet neckgaiter or mask is inevitable within about half an hour.

Feeling a bit depressed....

Teaching is not going to be as safe as I had hoped for.
I'm sorry to hear that it's being such a struggle, but thank you for being an early tester for our "new normal". What you're describing is what I've been imagining. I actually think I was dreaming about different mask-helmet-face mask combinations last night. I can see that I'm going to have to get my gear out early and start testing out different combinations.
 

snoWYmonkey

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I can see that I'm going to have to get my gear out early and start testing out different combinations.
For certain, practice your moves at home first. May I suggest not doing so after a long emotional day...my first mistake.

Official opening day, and first day of teaching about to go down! Sleep always helps, as does looking forward to skiing.

Grateful to see so many with face coverings.

Our resort is not making accimodations for ADA non mask wearing people at this time. Finding this a rather bold move, but it does simplify enforcement of the current best practice rules.
 

liquidfeet

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
....
Our resort is not making accimodations for ADA non mask wearing people at this time. Finding this a rather bold move, but it does simplify enforcement of the current best practice rules.
I'm not sure what you mean. Are people who don't wear masks being sent home? Or are they allowed to continue skiing without the mask? Does this policy only apply to people with disabilities? Is that who you teach?
 

sibhusky

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
How is the fit? Have you worn it around anywhere? I am behind on prepping for my first ski trip of the season. I was too busy moving. And don't have snow tires on!
I just received mine. (Seirus Thick and Thin ARC balaclava). Not a fan. Very snug, which I guess you need, but the mask is totally inadequate. You can see quite a bit of light though it. You'd want to combine this somehow with another mask. This is for folks who don't believe in masks, but want to pass inspection by the lift attendant. I'd return it if I hadn't had to clip it off a card. (Altho they may have said no returns, don't remember.) I'm thinking I could use it under a decent mask and just pull that up as I approach a liftline.
 
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TNtoTaos

Angel Diva
I have the HEET model, with 3 lenses: clear, resolution red, and copper dome. My default for our PNW days especially poor visibility days is the resolution red. I got the copper as I found I got some eye strain on sunny days in the spring, but it is not much different than the resolution red for brightness and I find it a duller view. Recommend the resolution red. I need another lens for the bluebird sunny days in the spring.
BTW, I decided (probably a bad idea) to peruse the Abom website to see if they have any sales: 30% off everything, and a free extra strap included! That essentially comes to a free extra lens, if you want one.
 

snoWYmonkey

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
@liquidfeet The way that our ski area is interpreting the ADA guidelines for accommodations based on breathing or other mask related disabilities is that we can not do so safely for the other guests and they will be asked to leave the premises, with a full refund for their lift ticket or season pass. It is stated clearly online in their COVID policy updates for this winter season. This policy applies to everyone as many will falsely claim a disability. I can not speak to the reasoning behind the decision, but understand it from an enforceability point of view. I do not teach adaptive. Our base are has 4 lifts, and 3 of them are enclosed (gondolas and tram).

Here is the policy copied from the website: "
Please provide Jackson Hole Mountain Resort a minimum of 72 hours of advanced notice for unique accessibility or accommodation concerns.

JHMR uses use the most up to date information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), as well as state and local public health agencies to impose legitimate safety requirements necessary for our safe operation based on real, specific risks. These safety requirements are consistent with regulations about direct threat from the ADA and are consistent with advice from the CDC and public health authorities. A direct threat is a significant risk to the health or safety of others that cannot be eliminated by a modification of policies, practices, or procedures, or by the provision of auxiliary aids or services.
Unfortunately, there is no accommodation that we are able to make for skiers with regard to wearing face coverings at this time. If you purchased a ticket to ski or ride and are unable to wear a face covering you will be eligible for a refund. "
 

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