Pit zips: yay or nay?

[hollypop]

re: pit zips.
i know this is an old thread.. but.. i've never used a pit zip when i've had one? so if i bought a jacket without it i'd look like a total no0b on the hills? honestly i dont think it matters. some of us dont get that hot? plus whats wrong with just unzipping the collar? hmm. maybe im not going hard enough :p

im just saying this coz i've seen a jacket i love without a pit zip and i dont want to be judged too harshly on the slopes.

 

[SnowHot]

My killtec jacket doesn't have pit zips. I've never missed them.
Not a noob thing at all, just a feature that some like and some don't.

 

[Severine]

My softshells don't have pitzips. I haven't missed them. I have used them on the hardshell TNF jacket that I have, and I can't imagine using that jacket without them. But the softshells seem to be breathable enough to get away without having them.

If you find a jacket you love, just go for it. As long as it's suitable for winter sports and will keep you warm and dry, that's all that matters.

 

[hollypop]

ta both for replies!

 

[SkiNurse]

It's all about personal preference. If I'm deciding between two jackets and the only difference is pit zips, I'll pick the pit zips every time. I also prefer full zip on my pants. I don't carry a pack when i ski, so I can't take layers on & off. This way I can "cool" down while on the lifts or standing in a lift line, zip back up when I'm skiing.

 

[oragejuice]

No matter how cold it is, I still sweat, a ton. I've got several jackets, and only one of them has pit-zips. I LOVE it. I miss them when I wear the other ones. But I get pretty warm when I ski. I've taken to wearing a t-shirt (yes, cotton, it works to my advantage when I'm sweaty & want to stay cool, tried it this year, ) and a layer of Patagonia Capilene underneath a waterproof shell. It's a bit chilly on the lift, and the helmet helps, but I still wish all my jackets had pit zips. It's nice to get air in through the sides when it's blowing 40mph and you really want your face covered.

 

[volklgirl]

LOVE pit zips! My body always gets too warm, but I don't want to unzip the collar because then my neck and chest get chilled.

 

[Pequenita]

Love pit zips, too. Prefer them to unzipping collar b/c that's not where I get hot when I ski. I get hot around my back. Being able to unzip at the pits provides instant relief, versus unzipping at the collar, where I'd have to unzip most or all the way to get the same relief.

 

[num]

I love pitzips. I'm hotblooded, a "the more ventilation, the better" type. It's just a personal preference thing. If you don't use em, no point buying em. Don't worry, you won't look like a n00b. Personally, I'd be a bit weirded out if anyone was looking at my armpits enough to see whether or not there were closed zippers

 

[MaineSkiLady]

My vote's a yay. Had jackets without them for years. Decades. They really didn't start showing up til around the mid-80's, and then only in the more expensive, "technical" jackets.

For me, it's just a function kind of deal: they allow the jacket to be used in a greater range of temps than otherwise. Example: you're out there on a crisp, cloudy morning, then it suddenly clears out and warms up. Ummm, you're a long way from your stash. No problem. Unzip to ventilate. Makes a jacket that would be sweltering in 45 good to go.

Besides which, liquid that doesn't evaporate and cools down has this amazing tendency to turn to.......ICE Anyone ever have ICE form on the INSIDE of their jacket/shell? I have. Not fun.

 

[skigrl27]

yay. fer sure.

 

[alta_gal83]

I definitely vote yay for pitzips. Won't buy a coat without them as I, like SkiNurse, don't ski with a pack. They supply quick ventilation when you really need it.

 

[altagirl]

Yeah - if you're just doing plain old liftserved, skiing groomers, etc. - you're probably not going through that work up a sweat and then sit and freeze cycle like you would if you're hiking (in or out of bounds) and then skiing down once you're sweaty.

For shell jackets - I wouldn't buy one without pit zips. Opening the front/neck of the jacket isn't the same for a couple reasons. One - it's noisy and flaps around, whereas open pit zips just ventilate without catching the wind, etc. And secondly - quite often when I'm hiking - it's really cold. I need to ventilate sweat while keeping the cold wind off my face and neck or I'd get frostbite. But hiking inbounds can get me hot enought that I'd be dripping in sweat in my core but my hands and face are still freezing cold. Go figure.

It's quite possibly one of those things that you wouldn't miss until you've gotten used to having them - then they're indespensable.

 

[Pequenita]

Anyone ever have ICE form on the INSIDE of their jacket/shell? I have. Not fun.

Yep. I thought it was pretty neat. Once.

 

[Kiragirl]

yay for pitzips

 

[playoutside]

LOVE my pitzips. I'll never buy another jacket without them!

 

[Marigee]

I love Pit Zips too. I wouldn't buy a hard shell jacket without them, but I get really hot when I ski so I need the ventilation. I might buy a softshell jacket without them though.

 

[SouthernSkier]

I love pit zips. I wouldn't get a jacket without them. When it is really cold, I don't use or need them. But when it warms up, either Spring skiing or general mid-Atlantic skiing, then I'm really glad I have them.

 

[hollypop]

hmm.. thanks for all the replies! i think i am leaning toward the pit zip jacket now. but.. basically i will be skiing 2 weeks per year in january at big white where it's always at least minus 6 below freezing and can get as cold as -15. so i dont really need versatility in a jacket(for spring skiing, etc) as i wouldnt bother skiing at home in australia anyway.
but i'd really rather not have to remove ice from inside my jacket as one diva mentioned. brr!! and ewww. ice sweat! hehe.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

but i'd really rather not have to remove ice from inside my jacket as one diva mentioned. brr!! and ewww. ice sweat! hehe.

Yeah. That was me. It was unreal. It was 4/1 at Snowbird (bunch of years ago), a foot of new. Kinda heavy, pretty hard work. Sweat. Could not freakin believe it - the outer shell of the jacket was so frozen solid INSIDE that the thing could STAND ALONE IN A CORNER --- and then it thawed and was drenching wet. Ugh. Day was over at 2:30, finito. Came home and gave the darn thing away :mad: Got what I paid for and never skimped on features again. Just a thought.