Staying warm on the slopes
Feb 06, 2007 · 12:13 PM · permalink
I can put up with a lot in the interest of a good snow day. Getting up at the crack of dawn, carrying my heavy gear from the parking lot to the base, standing in long lift lines, but the one thing I just can’t deal with is being cold. I spent years suffering with cold hands, cold feet, and cold cheeks (of both kind). Then one season, I decided that I didn’t have to suffer for my sport.
The first thing I did was switch from gloves to mitts. It’s just like being naked in a sleeping bag (for warmth, not the other reasons) — your fingers keep each other warm. Mitts also allow all of your fingers to have direct contact with a hand warmer or two. 
Chemical hand warmers cost a fortune at the ski slope, but you can often buy a box of 40 pair for $20-30 at Amazon
The main solution for my cold feet was getting boots that fit. If you have to crank your boots down hard to keep your feet in place, you’re going to cut off circulation, especially across the top of your foot which is most critical for keeping your feet warm. My first boots were two sizes too big thanks to an inept salesman and my own inexperience. I spent years using those boots with unpleasant results. Being able to loosely buckle my new boots and still have them hug my feet did wonders for the cold…and my skiing.
For really cold days, I use toe warmers. Attach them to the tops of your feet rather than the bottoms to keep your boots fitting right. I also have my eyes on battery operated heated footbeds, the ultimate solution for happy feet.
Until they make cheek warmers (for both kinds of cheeks) I have to go with the wind block and warmth retention combo. I have a few different weights of bottom underlayers that I change out depending on the temperature of the day.
Face protection is always tricky. Cover your mouth the wrong way and your breath fogs up your goggles or ices up your face protection making the problem worse. I use a balaclava for most days, which combines the benefits of neck coverage, light face protection and/or wicking action to take the sweat away from my head. For colder days, I use a neoprene face mask, which keeps the wind out but has ventilation enough to get the hot air away from my goggles. Yes, I look like Hannibal Lechter. A very warm, very happy Hannibal Lechter.
The last strategy in my warmth superfecta is keeping fueled. I keep the furnace burning by refueling on most lift rides. Keeping hydrated is just as important.
There are still some days where the cold can drive me away, but my threshold gets lower and lower each time I find a new solution. Gear these days is too good to keep suffering in the cold. For any problem, there’s something that can solve it.
Links to Cold-Preventing Products:
Photo from goatling. Some rights reserved.
Comments
I’m usually okay on the slopes, but the wifey knows a thing or two about being cold.
We ended up buying a whole box of hand warmers at Sniagrab. (I think we even paid more than that Amazon link above. That’s a pretty good deal for warm hands). If nothing else, having so many warmers available keeps you from being stingy with them so you’re likely to use them before your hands get too cold.
For boots, molded liners help a lot too. It gives you a nice fit without cutting off circulation. Christine has heat molded liners in her boots now, and she suffers far fewer cold toe days.
My favorite balaclava is made by Turtle Fur. I think this is the one that I have. It’s got a soft fleece neck warming part and a thinner hood part, which makes it work well under my helmet.
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