# Gearing up for Big Sky.



## ATOTony76 (May 26, 2009)

blindpig said:


> I'm starting to look at gear to protect me from the winter at Big Sky, MT. I'm not sure on all the weights for pants/jackets and what companies make a quality product. Right now I have a Special Blend Snow Patrol jacket will I want something thicker than this? Also would it be worth looking into a gore-tex jacket or is it unnecessary? My jacket has yet to get wet or freeze up on me. I do want a compatible snap waist gator thing with pants to jacket.
> 
> Also I want to get a few pair of gloves. Which companies/models should I look at? I'm also thinking maybe some with the removable lining so I still have something covering my hand if I need to change ipod or fiddle with something else.
> 
> Any other advice on base layers/mid-layers ect ect. I'm all ears. Pretty nervous to freeze my ass off up their some days from the wind. So any advice would be great!


I hear it gets F'n cold up their, you might consider a down jacket to keep nice and toasty. Personally, I rock a down jacket in the winter no matter wear i go, i like to be warm, if not sweaty. For down, check out Volcom, i know they have some pretty good down jackets (thats what i rock lol), and don't worry about gor-tex, i don't think you are going to get rained on or anything. Layer it up on the bottoms as well. On powder days i use my powder skirt that comes with volcom jackets and pants, it helps alot keepin that snow out.

From alot of buddies who have ridden their, i have been recommended to wear something over the face just because it gets so freakin cold. I am really no help when it comes to gloves tho, i use celtic park gloves, but i am a person who gets warm very warm very easily, so that body heat radiates to my hands keeping them warm. 

good luck and have fun!


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## Woosenheimer (Nov 13, 2008)

I went last year and tHe most useful thing I'd take is a neoprene mask. The first two days had a high of 10 degrees, and its nice to have your skin covered. As long as you got something w/ 10k waterproofing and some long underwear (wal-mart brand) you'll be alright body-wise. If your jacket is just a shell maybe try a hoodie? I had a 3 in 1 jacket last year and it worked fine.
Big sky is fuckin killer. he blacks on Andesite mountain are the gem there if there is some fresh pow. get there early and happy hunting.


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## Guest (Aug 27, 2009)

Yeah everyone I have talked to has had about that same reaction. I have a turtle face thing and was planning on getting a under armor face mask to put under it. I generally stay pretty warm, but I will be working at a breakfast place and have to be there at 530am so it will be VERY cold. I would prefer to stay away from a down jacket if I could, but if other jackets just won't be enough I will look into them. The jacket I have right now has a lot of padding and faux fur inside. 
I'm kind of worried about pants since I want to make sure they have some kind of padding, but still want them to work with my jackets. 
I can't wait to get up there! I'm just sitting twiddling my thumbs now, staring at my new board, and looking up new gear on-line. These new movies need to hurry up and come out! haha.


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## ATOTony76 (May 26, 2009)

i think down is the best way to go, personal opinion, but i hate being constricted when i ride, and when you have a shell jacket, and several layers underneath, it constricts a little. With down, i only wear a t-shirt underneath and then the jacket and i am basically sweating.


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

For a mountain like that I highly recommend Volcom. Their pants and powder skirts on their jackets zip together, most secure of any connection I've seen. I would just go with a shell of some sort, get a decent second layer and maybe an Airblaster Ninja suit. The polyester Volcom hoodies that most shops sell are great second layers, keep you warm and dry.

For gloves, most will do just fine. I find that durability is the most important component. The fact is, if you have the "warmest" gloves on the market but your core isnt toasty, your hands will probably be cold. All gloves do is keep the heat from espaping your hands, if your hands are cold, they'll stay cold. I rock pipe gloves all year, and this past winter at Breck we had some days in Dec/Jan where windchill put us a good deal below zero. The key is that my core was warm, so all that nice toasty blood warmed my hands, and my gloves didn't let that heat get away. The nice thing about that is I don't have to where those thick bulky gloves, I get to where something with some dexterity.

The key for all this is layers. The more individual layers you have the more adjustability you have. Keep your core warm and everything else will follow. You want something thin against your skin that wicks moisture, then another non-thick layer to keep that moisture moving, then a medium layer, like a longsleeve shirt, then your hoodie (or alternative second layer), then you shell. That would be for the coldest of days of course.


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## Guest (Aug 29, 2009)

....maybe get an airblaster NINJA SUIT?! I hit tab without reading the rest and googled this. I WILL be dressing up as an undercover Ninja most days of my winter season, especially rocking the Underarmor facemask too! Haha. 

I will agree with you to an extent with the gloves. When I went up to Kirkwood, it was about 7 degrees and windy as hell at the peak. I layer up and was really toasty (besides my face which I later went and got a turtle neck thing at lunch, got back up there and the wind had stopped lol). After awhile though my gloves started to freeze up at the finger tips, and then obviously soon after my hands are cold. Same thing happened with them and a couple other pair of gloves even at the local mountain for Las Vegas. Is there just a secret to this to keep them from freezing up? 

Everyone is recommending Volcom because of the pant/jacket zip interface. On all the new Burton line up I saw they have the same thing. I know Burton's not popular around here, same with me, but it seems a company as big as Burton would be producing some warm quality jacket/pants? Think I have heard some other people saying their gear is pretty good. And with a lifetime warranty on the PANTS and jackets (always get a tiny hole in the butt of my pants every pair!) how can I say no? Any one use Burton jackets/pants?


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## ATOTony76 (May 26, 2009)

blindpig said:


> ....maybe get an airblaster NINJA SUIT?! I hit tab without reading the rest and googled this. I WILL be dressing up as an undercover Ninja most days of my winter season, especially rocking the Underarmor facemask too! Haha.
> 
> I will agree with you to an extent with the gloves. When I went up to Kirkwood, it was about 7 degrees and windy as hell at the peak. I layer up and was really toasty (besides my face which I later went and got a turtle neck thing at lunch, got back up there and the wind had stopped lol). After awhile though my gloves started to freeze up at the finger tips, and then obviously soon after my hands are cold. Same thing happened with them and a couple other pair of gloves even at the local mountain for Las Vegas. Is there just a secret to this to keep them from freezing up?
> 
> Everyone is recommending Volcom because of the pant/jacket zip interface. On all the new Burton line up I saw they have the same thing. I know Burton's not popular around here, same with me, but it seems a company as big as Burton would be producing some warm quality jacket/pants? Think I have heard some other people saying their gear is pretty good. And with a lifetime warranty on the PANTS and jackets (always get a tiny hole in the butt of my pants every pair!) how can I say no? Any one use Burton jackets/pants?


Burton tends to get that same hole in the butt of the pants as well, and lifetime warranty might be nice, but who wants to deal with customer service when you could have a pants that will last a long time. Volcom gear is pretty solid. No warrenty, but how they are made who needs one?


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## Guest (Sep 7, 2009)

Thanks for the info!

So not to have to start another thread and to deal more with "fashion"
I really like the Burton Ranger pants in the blue and brown plaid, what jacket/color would you recommend? I'm horrible with matching so I have no idea, but I don't want anything to bright or out there, and of course warm enough to hold up in the bitterly cold.


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## Guest (Sep 9, 2009)

I found this browsing on Burton's site.
Men's Idiom Reversible Snowboard Insulator | Burton Snowboards
Looks like I could get that and most decent jackets would do. Any chance anyone has seen/used one of these? Maybe the route to go.


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## j.gnar (Sep 4, 2009)

and to think this whole time ive been taking t-shirt boarding for granted 
i wouldnt know what to do in temperatures that low hahaha


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## goalieman24 (Aug 28, 2009)

blindpig said:


> I found this browsing on Burton's site.
> Men's Idiom Reversible Snowboard Insulator | Burton Snowboards
> Looks like I could get that and most decent jackets would do. Any chance anyone has seen/used one of these? Maybe the route to go.


I'm sure it's a quality piece... but 250 bucks?!? It seems like there would be much better alternatives that would save some money.


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

Honestly I trust Volcoms High-end Gore more than Burtons. Frozen glove tips usually means that the tips got moist. Typical actually since that is where the most wear is going to be happening. Only thing you can do really is to get the appropriate water-proofer and re-apply as necessary.

True about circulation playing a big role in how gloves work. Joey Sex probably has really good circulation to his hand cause he says he doesn't even wear gloves. I also know people that have lukewarm hands wearing mitts with handwarmers in late Feb. So it definitely helps to know you're circulation. If yours is average or better, worry more about core and less about the "tech" in your gloves. If its less than average then I would make sure you get gloves with handwarmer slots or mitts.


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## Guest (Sep 25, 2009)

ok i was there in late february last year, and we had a huge snowstorm over night fresh pow you know, just perfect conditions. At the summit it was fucking cold but when i got down to this valley, they had a thermometer by a chairlift and i swear to god it was 65 degrees.

basically, the weather in montanna is really crazy. I have the burton poacher outfit, and all i wore under neath was the warm underarmour and a northface fleece sometimes. Just layer well, and youll be fine. You dont really need like a whole gore tex suit but i do recomend gore tex gloves. I had em and they were really nice

have fun


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## Guest (Sep 25, 2009)

Thanks guys. I think I'm going to get another nice and thick jacket, a few warm under layers, couple north face mid-layers, 2 gloves, and 2 pair of snow pants. Trying to get at least 2 of everything so I always have a back up. Really excited to move up there!


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## goalieman24 (Aug 28, 2009)

Moving there? Or working/employee housing?

Headed up there myself with a friend... got a place near the base of one of the lifts.


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## tekniq33 (Mar 18, 2009)

As far as gloves go I highly recommend the Marmot Randonnee mittens for super cold days. They are like big, cushy sleeping bags for your hands. Throw a pair of powerstretch liner gloves underneath and you will be set no matter the temp. 

For facemasks, I have posted this on the site before but the best one out there is the Outdoor Research Gorilla Balaclava. The thing is money. It aint cheap but its well worth it. 

I have used both of these in sub zero temperatures in VT where warnings were issued about exposed skin and I was fine. For jackets I also recommend something down or primaloft.


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