# what to wear for legs



## ace9213 (Oct 2, 2011)

Okay new to snow sports here so just want to make sure I'm not freezing when I go up to the mountains in a month. What do I wear under the pants (shell)? Do I need insulated snowboard pants? Or should I just get a good pair of long underwear and then a shell? Seems like my feet might be kinda cold with just long underwear and a outer shell? Or am I wrong? Do your feet not get too cold? I bought a really nice insulated burton jacket so I'm not worried about my torso as much as my legs. I just need to get some under armor type shirt to wear under my jacket. So as far as the legs go, how do I dress them?


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## CheeseForSteeze (May 11, 2011)

I seriously think the best thing you can wear is something like Under Armour. I have Under Armour Cold Gear 2.0 legs and I've never, ever felt cold. I prefer that much more to insulated pants, because insulated pants feel much bulkier.


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## jdang307 (Feb 6, 2011)

My first time on a real mountain, Keystone, I had some hand me down gear. So I wore thermals, sweatpants and an uninsulated pant/shell. I was still cold by the end of the day, it got real cold. Oh and I felt like Ralphie's little brother from A Christmas Story.

Depends on where you go really. I've got real gear now.


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## twin89 (Jan 21, 2009)

the most i have done is thermal underwear and a shell pants i have been fine in 20F weather with that. there are not that many insulated pants so i would just go with some normal shell like pants and then wear long underwear underneath and you will be just fine.

My legs are the last thing to get cold usually. as for your feet, just normal snowboarding socks and you should be good. snowboard boots are very warm. 

if you do get cold with long underwear, then throw on some sweat pants under those snowpants as well, but i highly doubt you will need this.


i'm not sure what you mean by "shell pants" but just get some normal snowboard pants and you will be fine. some companies for pants are airblaster, burton foursquare, 32, holden, ride, 686, volcom, thats just a few of them


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## Tarzanman (Dec 20, 2008)

It depends on the conditions and how much time you are going to spend in the snow.

For a typical cloudy resort day where the temps at the bottom of the mountain are the mid-20's, you should be warm enough with a thermal base layer on your legs (like the Under armour 2.0) and a waterproof shell. If the wind picks up a lot of you spend a lot of time sitting around then you might start to get little chilly.

For high wind conditions or daily highs around 15ºF at the bottom of the mountain then you might want to use a mid layer because you will freeze on long chair lift rides. El cheapo warm up pants that breathe are what I usually use if I wear a mid layer on my legs. 

I assume that you know to get socks that don't retain water.



ace9213 said:


> Okay new to snow sports here so just want to make sure I'm not freezing when I go up to the mountains in a month. What do I wear under the pants (shell)? Do I need insulated snowboard pants? Or should I just get a good pair of long underwear and then a shell? Seems like my feet might be kinda cold with just long underwear and a outer shell? Or am I wrong? Do your feet not get too cold? I bought a really nice insulated burton jacket so I'm not worried about my torso as much as my legs. I just need to get some under armor type shirt to wear under my jacket. So as far as the legs go, how do I dress them?


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## CMSbored (Apr 2, 2009)

Walmart.com: Rocky Mid-Weight Thermal Bottom, Black: Hunting

i bought these for when it gets below 20f. works good for me and its cheap


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## ace9213 (Oct 2, 2011)

Thanks for the replies. By shell pants I mean just regular snowboard pants with no insulation. Sorry for the confusion. I plan on snowboarding at keystone, a-basin, and breck. So I'll just get some thermal underwear and regular snowboard pants and if I still get cold with that I will throw on some sweats or something. Also yes I know not to wear regular cotton socks. I plan on buying snowboard specific socks.


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## HoboMaster (May 16, 2010)

If it's really cold, thermal underwear. Otherwise I will just wear boxers - my legs are the last thing to get cold typically.


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## hikeswithdogs (Sep 23, 2011)

My favorite is a classic 3 layer system thats been in use for mountaineers and skiers snowboarders, for years.

1-Base layer, something thin and snug fitting ideally touching your skin everywhere(so it can wick sweat\moisture away) not "hanging" off of you a good example would be something synthetic like "under armor" "hot chilly's" I personally really like the Burton "Dry ride" materiel feels great against your skin, dries instantly and they have several different weights depending on your temp requirements, coming from the midwest I like the expedition weight but it's cold as shit here(we ride in -5F air temp ALLOT) and you can find this stuff new on ebay cheap, I dual use it in wet conditions for backpacking instead of merino wool.

2-A good quality Fleece pant(polar fleece is best but unnecessary $$$), something with thickness appropriate to how cold it gets, I like the Patagonia brand but they are spendy cheaper solution exist that are probably nearly as good.

3-Layer water\wind proof "Shell" with NO insulation gortex\eVent preferable but unless you ride in uber wet conditions alot some cheap 10\15K pants will do ya just fine just re-water proof them every season.


The reason I like this solution is because layers 1 and 2 fit snug and allow me to move "within" my water\wind proof shell, shells with built in insulation are not as flexible(as far as warmth) and feel constrictive to me because all that insulation is moving around.


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## C.B. (Jan 18, 2011)

when its REAL COLD (-20 which happens alot here) i wear some cabelas polar weight long underware under some wool pands and then my "shell layer".

But if its >0 i just wear the longys and the shell 

if its warm (>20) i just rock some athletic shorts under my boarding pants and i never get cold


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## ace9213 (Oct 2, 2011)

What size pants should I get? I am 6'3 so pretty tall but I am skinny and wear a 32-34 waist comfortably with a loose belt. The jeans I am wearing have a 32 waist and are a 34 length and they arn't super long on me at all. They have a little baggyness in them but nothing major. The problem I am finding is that pants with a decent length have a huge waist of around 38-40. I'm not quite sure what to do. I have always had to deal with pants not really being long enough but do you think I could wear an XL with a belt? I know I could but I just want to be comfortable. I have found a L-Tall but it is a black pant and I really would like to have some color. Ugh help me. I hate being a tall skinny mofo.


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## C.B. (Jan 18, 2011)

yeah i am also tall and skinny. I'm 6'2 and i wear 30-34 jeans, and my board pants are mediums. my experience with snowboard pants is that they are typically longer than what the sizing charts portray.


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## ace9213 (Oct 2, 2011)

C.B. said:


> yeah i am also tall and skinny. I'm 6'2 and i wear 30-34 jeans, and my board pants are mediums. my experience with snowboard pants is that they are typically longer than what the sizing charts portray.


Wow and I was getting ready to buy XLs! I will go with a large then. And yeah I was thinking that the pants might actually be a bit longer than they advertise. It was the same thing when I played paintball competitively. Well thank you so much!


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## CMSbored (Apr 2, 2009)

really? im 6'1" and i wear large and they fit perfect. maybe sessions zoom are shorter pants?


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## C.B. (Jan 18, 2011)

CMSbored said:


> really? im 6'1" and i wear large and they fit perfect. maybe sessions zoom are shorter pants?


yeah really idk pant sizing, i usually just go to "the house" and just try shit on till i find something i like. 

But medium(Burton smugglers:dunno is what I'm wearing currently


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## C.B. (Jan 18, 2011)

ace9213 said:


> Wow and I was getting ready to buy XLs! I will go with a large then. And yeah I was thinking that the pants might actually be a bit longer than they advertise. It was the same thing when I played paintball competitively. Well thank you so much!


also idk what your shopping options are, but i always go try stuff on before i buy it. 

If you are planning on ordering pants i would highly advise waiting until you are somewhere that you can make sure it fits before purchasing


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## KIRKRIDER (Mar 18, 2008)

ace9213 said:


> Okay new to snow sports here so just want to make sure I'm not freezing when I go up to the mountains in a month. What do I wear under the pants (shell)? Do I need insulated snowboard pants? Or should I just get a good pair of long underwear and then a shell? Seems like my feet might be kinda cold with just long underwear and a outer shell? Or am I wrong? Do your feet not get too cold? I bought a really nice insulated burton jacket so I'm not worried about my torso as much as my legs. I just need to get some under armor type shirt to wear under my jacket. So as far as the legs go, how do I dress them?


Patagonia Capilene base layer? (3)


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## ELCO5280 (Oct 5, 2011)

I do a lot of commuter cycling during the winters and rock these REI Bike pants.

Then transitioned them for under my board pants and truly awesome!

Wind blocking in the front (for when your ass is sitting on a lift heading straight into 60mph wind) and moisture wicking backs.

Dual use for me but may be a little pricey for just a single use layer.


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## jsouza (Mar 16, 2011)

Whatever you end up getting, ensure you are not buying cotton garments. Cotton takes forever to dry if it gets wet and it gets freakin' cold when it's wet whether from sweat or snow. I ride a bicycle to work and the first couple weeks, I made the mistake of wearing my work clothes with regular cotton t-shirt underneath. Even in room temperatures, the wetness made me cold. It took hours to dry even while wearing the garment. I later bought synthetic base and mid layer shirts and I found that I would dry in 15-20 minutes after getting to work and I wouldn't feel cold despite being wet. 

Most long underwear or base layers are going to be polyester and if you want a natural fiber, it'll be merino wool generally. Both work well but wool will be more spendy.


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## Phunky (Oct 5, 2011)

Anything with insulation really, long-john bottoms work for me. The cotton longjohns from wal-mart work, but am active material such as fleece, or polypropylene will work better for you in the long run. Ultimately avoid cotton products, as when they get wet, they will lose all insulation value.


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

dont wear any cotton when you are boarding...ever. even on warm spring days cotton will keep sweat close to your skin and it will feel cold and clammy. 

cotton long underwear is as stupid as wearing jeans.

the term "cotton kills" is not a euphemism.

my layering is similar to what has already been posted:

outer (30 deg plus) - just wear pants and jacket with athletic shorts/tshirt (NOT COTTON)

inner (10-30 deg) - synthetic, lightweight, tight fitting, moisture wicking, NOT COTTON, long underwear.

COLD (0 deg and colder) add fleece under coat and fleece pants between the long underwear and the shell pants.

staying away from cotton INCLUDES ALL "THERMAL COTTON UNDERWEAR" any suggestion that cotton "long johns" are ok is straight up WRONG. (this is only a matter of debate in the sense that the world is flat is up for debate)

Under Armor is a top brand, also a bit pricey. My underwear is duofold, was pretty affordable, probably lower quality but works great. REI also makes their own brand of these items at a decent price (which is what my heavyweight fleece undies are)


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## ace9213 (Oct 2, 2011)

Thanks for all the replies guys. I got my pants and they seem great. I will head to wal-mart some time and see if I can find and off brand under armor type stuff.


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## CMSbored (Apr 2, 2009)

i wear plain cotton white socks snowboarding and i never had any issues. and i wear cotton underwear and a tshirt. so cotton doesnt kill everyone. im not recommending it but its not as bad as you all put it out to be.


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

CMSbored said:


> i wear plain cotton white socks snowboarding and i never had any issues. and i wear cotton underwear and a tshirt. so cotton doesnt kill everyone. im not recommending it but its not as bad as you all put it out to be.


sorry but you are wrong. i feel like magellan returning to europe after my trip. trust me bro, the world is round and your cotton blows ass. try something proper and you'll never look back.


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## CMSbored (Apr 2, 2009)

snowklinger said:


> sorry but you are wrong. i feel like magellan returning to europe after my trip. trust me bro, the world is round and your cotton blows ass. try something proper and you'll never look back.


im a robot so it doesnt matter, i wear non cotton on super cold days. like 0 degrees F. but i havent died yet from wearing cotton.


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## JayMess686 (Jul 14, 2011)

i wear a pair of under armour pants with a pair of sweats under my boarding pants and im never cold


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## WasatchMan (Aug 30, 2011)

I have to agree........

I used to think cotton was fine, I mean I didn't know any better. Even though I couldn't even take off my shirts/pants at the end of the day because they would stick to my skin... Even on the mountain, it's just one of the worst feelings ever, which I thought was 'normal' and everyone felt like this - so I put up with it. UGH just thinking about it makes me cringe.

UA coldgear all the way.


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## C.B. (Jan 18, 2011)

cotton isn't going to kill you(unless your stranded in like fucking antartica), you just wouldnt be as comfortable as you would be dressed in something synthetic or wool.


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## CMSbored (Apr 2, 2009)

ive never had a problem with it. i have ua coldgear but i dont need it often. i never really feel sticky or cold or anything bad. i would like to get some midweight smartwool socks. they are comfy. but plain jane socks work for me for now.


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

i got a bunch of used cotton stuff...cheap!...:laugh:


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## jdang307 (Feb 6, 2011)

I definitely want to upgrade but I've worn cotton then again I haven't been caught in anything crazy cold either.

After reading this thread I guess I need to step it up to some underneath garments. What's cheap and good?


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## sangsters (Jan 13, 2010)

jdang307 said:


> I definitely want to upgrade but I've worn cotton then again I haven't been caught in anything crazy cold either.
> 
> After reading this thread I guess I need to step it up to some underneath garments. What's cheap and good?


I've always thought it comes down to fit. Anything not cotton works. I like smartwool but can be quite pricey. You don't have to buy "snowboarding" anything. Any base layers will do.

Check out sierratradingpost. For base layers I don't mind buying seconds. Their return policy is great (six months as I recall), so I buy, try and return.

Capilene was really the only option when I started hiking for wicking layers but it got truly disgusting smelling when it got sweaty so I still stay away from it.


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

I did alot of research and my duofold (a bunch of their products have cotton in them ,mine dont) set seems to be pretty good for price/value for a basic thin baselayer, i'm happy with it. i put fleece between it and my shell if its subzeroish. there are plenty of options to find tho.


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## that_guy (Jan 17, 2010)

Under the shell pants? I usually just wear shorts, the pants are pretty insulating and windproof. 

For colder days, I'll rock the Patagonia base layer. Given that you're in Colorado, it might be a good investment. Snowboard or ski-specific socks are also good for that kind of weather, no cotton.


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