As I outlined in my previous post, there is a priority of things you want to focus and spend money on getting the selection right. When skiing, some are much more important than others. Keep in mind this is just an opinion, which I'm sure other people will disagree with but my priorities are below.
1. Ski Boots
These can make or break any ski holiday. Finding a pair that fit well, giving you the performance you need with supreme comfort is virtually impossible. It gets harder when you rent equipment because often the equipment you rent is pre-used and has been packed out to fit someone else's foot. Usually this means, it might be comfortable, but too loose to provide you with the fit to give you enough control. I once bought a pair of boots that were nice and comfortable and fair snug when I bought them. After skiing in them for 2 weeks, I noticed that when skiing straight along cat tracks, my skis would wobble from side to side. I showed this to an instructor at a lesson and he said my boots were far too big! When buying, boots are an expensive thing to get wrong so make sure you spend the time and money to get them done properly. This will ensure you get good performance, reasonable comfort and dry, warm feet to boot (no pun intended)!
What to look for: Salomon are regarded amongst my ski buddies as making ski boots with the best compromise of performance and comfort. Obviously, boots are all about what fits but keep Salomon in the back of your brain.
Watch out: Atomic boots are terrible! I bought a pair and within 6 weeks the liners were destroyed, the buckles were falling off and the shell was beginning to split.
2. Baselayers
Its funny watching people in ski shops who have little idea about body temperature regulation at the snow. The most common question asked is "will this jacket keep me warm enough?" Most of the time, they end up going with something big and fluffy with lots of down, which is great when its cold. But have one stack or if its a bit snowy out and you get drenched and hypothermic very quickly. The key is layers. I've asked many people what they wear underneath their jackets and pants and most of the time, they don't wear thermals. When I ask them why, the usual explanations are "they're too uncomfortable", "they're geeky" or "I don't need them". To address the first point, they're obviously going to be uncomfortable if you spend $10 on them. Again, its worth forking out for the whole hog in thermals: merino wool is not only very comfortable, its also incredibly warm and great at wicking away sweat. Many cheaper options use polypropylene, which is warm until you start sweating but once that happens they get damp, which then freezes and quickly makes you cold. For the second point, because you wear them next to your skin, no-one ever sees them. For the third point, maybe you don't "need" them in spring (I still used them) but any other time of year, you might get hot skiing down the slope but thermals aren't designed to keep you warm when going downhill, they're designed to keep you warm going uphill on the lifts. If you're properly layered, you'll be hot at the bottom and be nice and warm on the way up at the top of the lift. It's also important to make sure you have a pair of good merino wool ski socks for the same reason. The other great thing is you can wear merino wool for a week without smelling, whilst polypropylene stinks after a couple of hours. Obviously, you have to pair good baselayers with other layers (lighter polar fleeces, down jackets and, obviously, your shell) but they are the most important component of your clothing.
What to look for: Icebreaker might be expensive but its well worth it in fighting off cold. Warm, comfy and durable.
Watch out: Synthetic fibres try and drive the line of reusable and eco-friendly, but they do a lousy job of keeping you warm and begin smelling bad after half an hour.
3. Gloves
Another one that can make or break your trip is glove selection. The second-most complained-about thing on the hill behind "My feet are killing me" is "My hands are frozen". Often this stems from the fact that people haven't layered up properly so the body draws more warm blood from the extremities to keep the core warm. Usually, if dressed properly, you can minimise the amount of time you spend with cold hands, although it is very hard. I didn't crack the best formula when I was doing my season in Canada so perhaps I'm not the best person to be taking advice from. However, there are some basic things to look for. Make sure they're water-proof, GoreTex is best. Make sure they're not too tight. A lot of people think that by having the glove wrapped snugly round their hand, they keep the warmth in but in fact, if they're loose, this is a good thing. It creates a layer of warm air around your skin, keeping it warmer.
What to look for: Most of the good outdoor companies will do good ski gloves. Obviously something with GoreTex and some good insulation and padding is the way to go.
Watch out: Park gloves might look great but only use them on warm, sunny days because they get wet and cold instantly. Leather gloves might also be attractive but you need to make sure you look after them.
4. Goggles
biggy too. Some goggles don't work with helmets because of the size so make sure the pair you choose do.
What to look for: Anything with a good lens that works well in all conditions, often a low light tint with a reflective lens is the trick.
Watch out: Just because it says Oakley, doesn't mean its the be-all and end-all. Yes, they are good but there are BETTER goggles out there.
5. Bindings
Bindings are deceptively important. Many people assume that they are just an integrated part of the ski but, actually, bindings exist in their own right. For instance, if you're Pep Fujas slaying the park, a touring binding isn't gonna cut it. If you're Bode Miller, neither is an average binding for an average ski. The trick to getting bindings right is by going with whatever the pro says in the ski shop. Usually, he or she has fitted more people for skis than you've met in your entire life. Why, you might be asking, are bindings more important than skis then? Simple, they are the contact point between you (or, rather, your boot) and the ski. If they aren't right for the ski or the boot, performance is compromised. Also, its no good spending hundreds of dollars on a set of bindings with 16-din if you're a beginner skier or conversely, buying a pair of bindings where your foot snaps out every time you try and land a jump.
What to look for: Marker are the leaders in the binding business, in my opinion. The bindings on my Atomics are also great and Salomon also do some good stuff.
Watch out: I had a pair of Rossignol Scratch 120's which didn't have a wide enough anchor point to the ski, meaning handling wasn't as good as it could've been. Wide anchor points are important for good performance.
6. Skis
At this point, you might be thinking I've gone mad. How can you possibly have 4 items of equipment/clothing above skis in terms of importance to skiing? The fact of the matter is, if you do all the above things right, skiing will be exponentially easier to handle, lessening the impact of differences in ski quality. Now, obviously, you can't go out there and pick up a pair of 30 year old, 5 metre long planks of wood with a blunt edge and expect to carve like a pro, but, in terms of new stuff, no-one really makes a bad ski. I have skied heaps of stuff and its all good, it just depends what you're gonna be using it for. Critically, many people want something that's good at everything, good on the groomers, in the bumps, in the crud, in the pow, on ice, in the park, the works. Trouble is, you're hard pressed to find something for everything. There are a number of skis that do most of them well but not all. For instance, many skis that are great in the bumps, ice and groomers are often to stiff for the park and too narrow for the park. Case in point: I have two pairs of skis - Atomic Nomad Savage and K2 Kung Fujas. The Atomic's are great pretty much everywhere, except when you try to land any jump, where it feels like you're landing on solid granite. The K2's are great, particularly in the pow and park but when the snow gets firm or bumpy, they're far too noodley to be of any use. My point is, often you have to compromise. If you're renting, try and predict what kind of skiing you're going to do and find the best compromise. If buying, I'd seriously recommend looking at two pairs of skis. I used both the Savage's and the Kung Fujas' equally whilst I was doing my season so its worth it.
What to look for: Anything new. Skis today are particularly easy to use. The shape, edge, reverse camber and balance make them easy to turn and still quick.
Watch out: Seriously, in terms of skis fresh out the factory, no manufacturer makes a bad one. In fact, I've tried similar spec levels of ski to my Atomic Savage's and the difference can only be felt after a couple of hours of really pounding them.
7. Shell
I love it when people complain about how they spent a small fortune on a jacket and that they're still freezing...no, wait, I hate that. Here's a tip, if you layer up better, you will not be cold! However, jackets (or shells, can be used interchangeably) do have some uses. Primarily, the reason why they're waterproof is to make sure that, if not the mis-layering, the weather and snow certainly won't get you cold. Like skis, you can spend a bomb or almost nothing, without a huge amount of difference but it is important to buy something suitable to the conditions. If you're skiing in Australia, for instance, a duck-feather down GoreTex jacket is not only going to melt you but quite possibly your wallet as well. However, somewhere like Japan, Canada or Europe, you may consider it. I have a great The North Face Free Thinker jacket with has a GoreTex ProShell membrane. This may mean nothing to you but it will keep you very dry. I don't buy insulated jackets. Like I said, if you are layered properly, the heat you generate whilst skiing is enough to keep you more than warm enough. A jacket should be waterproof in order to keep the snow and weather from getting you wet and helping you freeze to death. Anything that has GoreTex in it is good.
What to look for: Like I said, anything with GoreTex is good. Expensive, but well worth it if you want to stay dry and warm.
Watch out: Many companies dress up their own cheaper waterproof membranes to be the equal of GoreTex. None come close. It might look awesome but chances are, in a snow shower, it'll get wet immediately. Sacrifice some looks for GoreTex and you'll thank me for a long time.
8.Mid-layers
Mid-layers are a hard thing to get wrong. Depending upon the conditions, you may not need a mid-layer or you may need lots. The key to getting mid-layers right is choosing one that's flexible. Most of the time I have a synthetic down The North Face jacket and it was great. When I got hot, it was easy to undo and was really warm when I needed it. Often, something as simple as a thin polar fleece will suffice if your baselayers are correct. Obviously, if its -40 and blowing a gale, you're gonna need significantly more than that but in user-friendly conditions, a medium weight polar fleece is tops. Make sure you steer away from cotton or nylon as it isn't warm and does not dry quickly.
What to look for: Anything that's flexible: any type of polar fleece that isn't super-heavy.
Watch out: Down jackets might look great and be very warm but as soon as they get wet, they can get heavy and very cold very quickly. Make sure they are teamed with a highly waterproof jacket.
9.Poles
Finally, poles. As long as they are the right length (i.e. when holding under the baskets upside down, your arms makes a right angle at the elbow), they're fine.
What to look for: Something long and thin, with a handle and some wrist straps.
Watch out: You don't need carbon fibre Leki poles. You just don't. They're for posers, show offs and people with too much money. Plus, if you land on them and snap them, there's $350-600 down the drain. A nice pair of aluminium one's will be fine. You don't need Leki, the end.
In summary, I hope these 9 points have given you some idea about where to set your priorities when ski shopping. Once again, I must stress, these are just my own opinion so feel free to leave yours below and give your priorities on what to focus on in terms of equipment.
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