Jackets and Pants

What jacket would you recommend for skiing?

North Face Sedition III
Arc'teryx Sidewinder
Westcomb IMirage
Westcomb Vapor FX

For pants
North Face Scarycrow
Arc'teryx Alpha, Scorpion, or Stingray Pants
Westcomb Mirage Pants

For Baselayers
Patagonia
North Face
Under Armor

For Gloves
North Face Kelvin Gloves
Hestra XCR gloves

Please tell me which you think is the best for each piece of clothing. THose are the ones that i am looking for, but you can add your own.

Is eVent much better than Gore-tex?

How did you narrow it down to that particular list of choices? Everything on your list would be more then suitable for 95% of resort skiing. What are your goals here? Do you do strictly lift-accessed skiing, or do you hike into the back-country? Will you be skiing in white-out snowstorms or do you prefer the sunny days?

The big decision is softshell vs. hardshell. There have been endless discussions about the merits of each on here. However, softshells will "out breathe" any hard-shell any day, but they're probably not the first choice for very stormy conditions. i.e., if you can only have one, and you ski "no matter what", then softshells probably aren't for you.

I only do lift-accessed skiing. I ski when it is snowing a little bit normally. Are all of the jackets hard shell? Which ones are hard shell?

Skip the North Face stuff, their quality has gone down ever since Vanity Fair bought them. The Arcteryx stuff is awesome and Hestra gloves are sweet.

If you tend to only ski in decent weather those are all overkill however. The Marmot membrain line would be a more affordable but still very high quality moderate weather choice

what about for baselayers?
would north face be bad quality?

Bzzzzt - wrong on the newer high end TNF stuff. I have not seen the new Sedition, but the new Free Thinker is right up there with the comparable high end Arctreryx stuff. Since the Sedition is right up next to the Free Thinker in the line, I'd assume it is excellent as well. I'd make my choice between Arcteryx and high end TNF based on fit. I don't know anything about Westcomb.

All the base layers listed are fine. I've used both TNF and Patagonia base layers the past few years & both have been great. Patagucci offers some nice wool options at this point. Depending on what you are looking for, Icebreaker and Cloudveil can offer some nice options as well.

Skip the Hestra XCR in favor of its slightly cheaper sibling with the removable liner (unless the XCR has changed). Bomber gloves.

Hopefully this is a real question & not a market research probe or an attempt at guerilla marketing of some sort...

What about eVent?
Is it better than Gore-tex?
What's wrong with the Hestra XCR gloves?

For baselayers I love Patagonia. Capilene 1, 2, 3, and 4. You can pick what is right depending on the weather.

You don't need to stick to just one brand for layering though. I usually use an under armour mock crew as my base layer, and then wear a DNA pullover that is equal in weight to capilene 4.

For below the waist I wear capilene 3 pants and then Mountain Hardware shell pants. On really cold days I'll also wear Patagonia micro puff pants between the capilene and the Mountain Hardwear.

It all depends on how your body works and if you are generally warmer or colder, and if you prefer to be warmer.

Agreed.

I own TNF Freethinker jacket and it's as good as it gets. It's a total hard-shell, not stretchy, but more impervious to severe weather. Big bucks, but you get what you pay for.

I also now only wear merino wool (Icebreaker) underneath. It's light, super-warm, and doesn't stink. Seriously, you can wear the same top for a week.

I'm done with $60 poly tops. They're overpriced, sweaty and smelly.

On ultra-cold days, I wear thin silk tops under the wool, and a down sweater (Patagonia) as a mid-layer. Never a problem with moisture, scent or temp.

I have had an eVEnt jacket for the past couple of years and it has been bombproof. I added a windstopper Arc'teryx jacket to go along with it, I am looking forward to seeing the difference

I would go with Kjus Adrenaline Jacket and Pant.
Smartwool baselayer. Warm, comfy, not smelly, I especially like the three quarter "knicker" length bottom base layer, keeps that crap out of my socks!

Hestra Glove for sure.

Greg

So eVent is more breathable than Gore-tex?

Cowboys Starter

Sorry, someone's always gonna say that in a jacket thread

So basically i'll be satisfied with any of the jackets and pants that i listed?

Puhleeze. Schott 618.

I used to live in Iowa, and ski at Chestnut over the border in IL.

It was entertaining to see all Packers, Bears and Chiefs jackets, with jeans and Carhart coveralls on the hill. Many were farmers.

I learned to "dress down". Arc'teryx didn't fit.

Cubs Starter jacket?

That's EXACTLY what I would go with...incredible!!!

Pricey, but worth every penny.

Probably nothing. But for a bunch less, you can get the relatively similar Heli which is an incredibly bomber glove - and it has a removable liner, unlike the XCR. If you are going to use the gloves on the road and/or ski in really mixed weather conditions, being able to yank that liner out & dry it overnight is really nice.

Other.

I like Descente and Kjus.....but dont own either because a jacket approaches $1000 (top models).....as great as they are I dont need a $1000 ski jacket, my $400 and $600 jackets are more than enough. I also like Helly-Hansen

You Kjus fans have got to be kidding me. Skiing in the PNW, I put a huge premium on gear that performs well. And I'm willing to pay for that performance. But given the price point, the Kjus stuff strikes me as a more technical incarnation of the Bogner fashion statement. And last I looked (which may well be out of date as it was a year or two ago), the attention to design and manufacturing detail was way off from the top tier technical shells & jackets. Am I missing something? Why would I pay twice (or more) the price of Arcteyx, Patagucci, TNF Summit, high end Mountain HW, Marmot, etc., etc.?

Kjus has the Juice

It seems Kjus has assumed the lofty spot formally dominated by Killy - ex-racer with ultra-lux togs.

The $900 Kjus jacket is as nice as anything I've seen.

I'll spend that money on skis & bindings (with wife approval), but not jackets - unless the Dow breaks 20,000.

You're scaring me Comprex.

Pardon my lack of understanding but what gloves are you talking about ?

Hestra XCR vs Hestra Heli.

I like the Heli a ton. I got it when I was talked out of the XCR by a dealer I trust - for exactly the reason I mentioned here. I am happy with the outcome. Although with any of the Hestras I know of, be prepared to slather a ton of their waterproofing goo into the leather.

Hestras have a nice fit but I do wonder about the need for lots of waterproofing to keep them viable. I'll check out the Helis . Thanks

So are the Hestra gloves waterproof themselves?
or do you have to spray waterproof stuff on them.

They start out snug and loosen up a bit after a couple of wearings, so don't get too much bigger than they recommend. They'll also take a few rounds of rubbing goo in and letting them sit in a warm place. But the result is a really warm, comfortable, dextrous and dry glove.

Both the initial snugness and the need for lots of goop seem to be part of the lore. I'd have blown it on both accounts but for having been forewarned via the Interwebs...

edit: the fabric is pretty darn water proof/resistant. The leather is where you need to rub the goop into. The gloves come with some, but you'll need more. It comes in little tubs & costs next to nothing.

Does backcountry.com sell the goop?
If i put goop onto the leather it will be waterproof right?

Are TNF Kelvin gloves good?
because i don't think they need goop so it should be more convenient?

Are you planning on have a snow ball fight or skiing? I have a few gloves one of them are Reusch race gloves. The test I read about them had them fail in the waterproof dept.; the only gloves that did, mind you, in spite of being the most expensive in the group tested....but guess what 'it don't matter' they never have snow on them long enough to make a difference. When I was a little boy and throwing slushy snow balls was the next best thing to opening Christmas presents, then it made all the difference in the world, now not as much.