Hi all,
Got a pair of pretty cheap ski pants, which aren’t overly waterproof, and also don’t have a well insulated bum area (bum got cold real quick when sitting down in snow).

So, can I use Nikwax or something similar to increase the waterproof-ness of these? How effective will it be?

Any recommendations for keeping my butt warm? Thermal boxxers or similar?

Thanks,
Duane.

Don’t sit down…

If they were like this from new, Nikwax etc won’t help.

Get some Merino underwear.

I’m not sure how effective proofing them will be. You could look into one of the proofing sprays you can get in outdoor shops. However, its a major problem with cheap boarding pants. You should be able to get a spray for less than a tenner.

But your main problem will be when you sit down, either on the slope or on a lift up (if its snowing 🙂 ) as your body heat melts the snow and (especially cheap) pants then soak it up. So I don’t think merino would be a good fix as you’d still have a wet ass.

I’d recommend a pair of impact shorts. I’ve had a pair of these now for over 7 years.

http://www.absolute-snow.co.uk/V/Demon_FLEX_FORCE_PRO_Impact_Shorts_Unisex_XS_Black-(42355)

As well as the protection they offer, they also lift you off the snow a bit, and also keep your cold/wet pants off your skin. Also as another bonus, you can remove the coccyx pad and it’s ideal for MTBing as well :).

Ideally you should invest in a better pair of boarding pants, Sport pursuit (yeah that website) has some cracking bargains as does tk maxx. But even with quality pants, I wouldn’t be without my impact shorts

Merino was for the cold, not the wet!

At least it’s warm when wet!

I wear uniqlo heattech long Johns , which are fantastic value, impact shorts over those, then my trousers. Very warm and comfy . I also wear soft neoprene type knee pads which help keep out the cold too.

Thanks all.

Just missed out on some nice Burton pants on ebay.

Any thoughts on these kind of budget pants (in black..)? Seem decent, no zip vents but should manage..

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-ONEILL-Escape-Hammer-Mens-Snow-Ski-Pants-Trousers-Salopettes-XS-2XL-/181108216399?pt=UK_Sporting_Goods_Skiing_Snowboarding_Clothing_LE&var=&hash=item2a2ae4124f

8000mm waterproofing is on the low side for snowboard pants.

10000mm is my minimum, 15000 is better!

What has happened to the cost of snow trousers recently? Everything seems to be under bucks. My old Burton shells were only about 70 New, now ur looking at 200+…

I’ve just re-proofed my fishing jacket with Thompsons water seal that you use for brickwork, I used it on my bivvy and it works a treat.

robbieh – Member
I’ve just re-proofed my fishing jacket with Thompsons water seal that you use for brickwork, I used it on my bivvy and it works a treat.

When i had snowboarding lessons ages ago, my instructor used Ronseal.

tkmaxx, loads branded ones for £30 that will cope with all day alps type weather.

Does pledge still work for re-waterproofing these days? just don’t use wd-40 unless you want a waxy build up

/thread hijack
I have a pair of Patagonia waterproof snowboarding/ski trousers for sale. Worn for a couple of days only, mens large. Properly waterproof. £50 posted.
Not needed – I prefer the (slimmer)cut of my old Patagonia ones more 😕
I find that layering these with good thermals (usually merino) and fleece trousers or salopettes is toasty warm.
http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=88555557@N00&q=patagonia
matt_outandabout AT hotmail.com
/end hijack

Doesn’t help on the waterproof but I wear padded shorts underneath 1) they keep cold out more wen sitting in snow 2) they help not bruising all your hips and arse bones when crashing

Tumble dry them on a low heat for 20 mins, it will reproof them a bit by spreading the DWR, works on Gore tex

OK, thanks all.

How about these? Always had a bad image of Surfanic, but they look alright, and have a 10000mm rating?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SURFANIC-MENS-HI-TECH-10000R-SKI-SNOWBOARD-SNOW-PANTS-TROUSERS-SALOPETTES-/291025579016?pt=UK_Sporting_Goods_Skiing_Snowboarding_Clothing_LE&var=&hash=item43c279ec08

Ta, Duane.