Most improved piece of gear - Not Skis!

[SnowHot]

I was thinking of things that I've eliminated from my gear because something came along that improved upon it in a HUGE way.
The one piece that popped into my mind was the Fleece Gaiters, replaced by the high tech ones, such as Powder Fish or Smart Wool High tech.

Is there anything you have always had as piece of gear that has been reinvented and amazed you in its new form?

 

[ski diva]

I used to think that the heavier the jacket the better. Hey, this is New England. It gets brutally cold!

So I had this really heavy Columbia jacket. It kept me warm, but man, it weighed a ton! Then this year I got a new, lightweight Mountain Hardware jacket, and the difference was incredible -- it weighed next to nothing, yet it kept me toasty warm!

Jacket technology has changed so dramatically that heavy no longer equals warm. I have much greater freedom of movement now, and I don't feel quite so weighted down. Love it!

 

[Jilly]

Ladies boot in general. I remember needed to put in heel lifts, heel pads, taking out pieces in the top near calves, and cutting/modifing boots to make them bendable. (Remember I've been skiing a loooonnng time).
Ski jackets. Warm meant heavy or down fill and bulky. Thinsulate and other materials have made a real different.
4-way stretch pants. The newer versions (ie soft shell) are so much better that what was available in 1982!!

 

[vanhoskier]

Freeride ski boots. So much more comfortable and they allow more freedom of movement while still being super supportive for edging control.

Goggles...a wider variety of lens tints and styles so they fit better, help me see better, and don't fog up!

Freeride ski pants vs. "traditional" ski pants....again, more freedom of movement, more technical features.

Like Ski Diva said, what amazes me most is the technology of clothing fabrics, allowing them to breathe while being super warm and light.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

I'll go with Ski Diva on this one: the warmth-to-weight ratio of all ski clothing has evolved to the point where I'm not sure I could just pick ONE item in the "most improved" category.

One of the bigger breakthroughs came in the early 80's (I think that's the time line) with Patagonia's Synchilla fleece, which was rapidly followed by Polartec. Then came Gore-Tex. Then came Helly Hansen's Lifa polypro. All within the span of a few years, and it totally redefined comfort in cold-weather clothing.

Looking back to the days of down (useless once wet), wool sweaters (still nice, but harder to maintain), cotton turtlenecks () and Duofold wool and cotton long underwear (), it's a wonder some of us made it through full ski days back then.

We got wet, then we got COLD, either from the outside-in or inside-out.

 

[SnowHot]

The first thing that popped into my mind were the neck gaiters(wicking properties of this kind of material WOW), but after that, I was thinking..........
Ski poles(lighterweight and stronger, with better grips)
Ski Jackets and pants (mimic of what was said above)
Undergarments in general(gone are the days of traditional thermals)
Boots(how can my boots be a tighter fit, yet more comfy)
Goggles(what did I do before the turbo fan goggles)
Gloves(in the same category as jackets and pants, much improved waterproofing and great warmth)

I can't believe we skied in the heavy stuff we used to ski in, yet we did, and we loved it!!!

 

[abc]

High tech ski clothings.

I can see 3 big areas of vast improvement of the morden winter clothing:

1) breathable sweat wicking material: goes into base layers and socks.
2) water proof coating that's breathable: goes to outer layer (jackets/pants)
3) light-weight insulation: in between the above 2

On gloves, all 3 new technology are in one small package: wicking material next to skin, insulation in the middle, water proof outer shell. Keep the fingers from freezing!

 

[Elangirl]

Wow, my new four way stretch ski pants have changed my outlook on life!! Also, I love my new Icebreaker sweaters---warm, soft and lightweight---I feel so much sleeker and warmer too!!! Quite a change from the cotton long underwear that I bought at Mt Tremblant!!

 

[Robyn]

Actually, I'd say helmets. As a young ski racer we were only required to wear them for Super G and Downhill but boy were they heavy, hot and uncomfortable. Now, I wear my helmet every day I ski and don't think twice about it.