Looking to go ‘boarding, first time in years, and was thinking alternative ski wear.
Trousers, boots and gloves sorted but was thinking of just using my Montage Event jacket or getting a Paramo Fuera smock and layering.
Then when I don’t go again for a few years I can use the kit elsewhere.

Any suggestions (even if it is don’t do it)?

I use my winter climbing clothing for skiing, Paramo sallys and Berghaus goretex with fleece underneath. It works brilliantly but I don’t look like all the other skiers on the piste.

It’s up to you whether you think that is good or bad or you just plain don’t care.

I’m in the last camp

When I first started going I wore my goretex walking jacket. I think it would be worth going into Tkmax for trousers though. Pick them up for £30 easy.

Just read trousers are sorted! Ignore Pt2 of my response Please!

have a look at a few TK Maxx’s and get a jacket.

I always wear normal outdoor gear. Proper kit is better when the snow is heavy but you’ll get away with it.

I wear an old goretex walking jacket

I do have a westbeach snowboard specific jacket too, but the old walking jacket is just as good

I was away to add that most outdoor clothing is decent
Spend your extra on good quality gloves and helmet / goggles

Nothing spoils a day faster than cold hands

iamroughrider it’s not about the cost, my last jacket sat in the wardrobe for years untill I gave it to my brother.
The problem is that I find them too warm when back home for anything active, even walking the dog.

I usually wear good board pants and then just a couple of merino tops and a shell outer. Last couple of years I wore my bright orange Madison cycling jacket. Only ever bought 1 ski jacket and it is great but too hot for anything else.

Only advantage of proper stuff are snow skirts etc which help keep you warm and dry if you fall over a lot or are in really deep powder.

I wear a Columbia ‘mountaineering’ style shell jacket, this has a snow skirt, which is useful given the amount of time I spend on my ass. I have a ‘proper’ ski jacket but find it too warm on all but the very coldest of days. I typically just wear a long sleeve base layer under the shell, maybe with a microfleece gilet if cold.

As for the fashion perspective, yellow and back mountaineering jacket with red and black mountaineering shell salopettes = I don’t give a toss what I look like, as long as I’m comfortable. Colour was decided by what was in the sale at the time. Although it is handy for our group to spot me on the slopes among all the fashionista, which makes re-grouping easier.

winter climbing gear +1

apart from anything else, it is just put together better! Any snowboard specific stuff I’ve bought has lasted one or two trips (that is 2 weeks of use), whereas some of my climbing stuff is still going strong after 10+ years of fairly regular use!

Dave

Ye layers, buy a ski/snowboard jacket and you only wear it when you go skiing.

I have some ski Sallys ye but on top it’s base layers, fleece, primaloft and proshell that I can also use as my shell layer any other time of the year. Gets cold you ram some down underneath too. Good call on spending the extra money on decent waterproof gloves.

OP it does depend somewhat on when and where you are going, e.g. January above 2500m is generally cold and windy ! Layers and an outer that will keep the damp out will do the job for most places. Proper expensive kit does work better, will keep you drier and warmer but if you don’t mind drying out a wet jacket and layers most evenings you can improvise.

My base layers I wear for ski/bike/sailing, ditto fleeces and some jackets/gillets. I find proper trousers (which you have) are the most important thing.

I’ve got a few different non ski specific jackets which I’ve collected over the years (mostly “oooh! half price!” moments) Rab vapour rise, Mountain Equipment hardshell, very thin windshell thing, softshell thing. Add synth gilet and some merino base layers, and pick and mix to match conditions.

You can make a lot of things work well, look at old timey mountaineering tweed. I’ve skiied with a Danish friend a bunch of times and he just wears a big chunky jumper. Might not keep the rain out, but do you want to be skiing in the rain?

I also got fed up with so-called ‘snowboard specific’ clothing, being too warm, falling to bits after only a few weeks use, wetting-out and then getting chilly etc so tend to stick to mountaineering / outdoor style clothing and ‘layer’ as the weather dictates.

Best buys in the past few years have been Howies merino underwear and NBL & Arc’teryx Alpha FL jacket

A lot of boarding gear tends to be insulated. As above I much prefer to go with a base and a shell. Mid layer optional for when it’s chilly, otherwise I overheat.

TK is brilliant for ski/ outdoor gear IF you’re lucky with your timing. Over the years I’ve had some bargain technical gear including Peak Performance and Halti, but as long as you’ve got a wind and ideally waterproof shell anything will do. In fact I spotted a Halti (excellent finnish brand) 850 fill down jacket in TK today for the princely sum of £99. I will be ebaying my Rab!

I’ve got a couple of Norrona jackets but they’re not really much better than the ME Changabang climbing jacket I ski’d in for a few years. You don’t need a snow skirt in the jacket if you buy one that’s a fairly snug fit (it will also keep you warmer), unless you’re a powder hound.