Why Layering is so important?

31st October 2011

Getting wet & cold on the mountain is no fun. Make sure you wear the right clothing and you'll be able to ride for longer!

I was once told buy a sales assistant in a snowboard shop in Canada that cotton was one of the biggest killers in the mountain. Now I am not too sure that this is correct BUT, it's certainly true that you should dress appropriately before you go out for a days shredding.

Layering is a really important and versatile way of dressing for the mountain. If you buy a super warm down jacket then this is great for sub zero conditions but when the temperature increases and you want to get your shred on in the spring, your down jacket is probably going to be retired to the wardrobe. Perhaps a better option is to get a waterproof and breathable lightweight snowboard jacket that you can layer underneath as this way you can wear your jacket in the coldest winter with lots of layers underneath and then again in the warmer conditions with minimal layers underneath.

You need to start off with a base layer*. You should wear your base layer next to your skin and as our Canadian shop assistant mentioned earlier, this should never be cotton. Cotton does not wick moisture, rather it will soak up your sweat and remain wet. As soon as you get stuck on a chair lift with an icy cold wind chill you will experience just how bad cotton can be. Don't wear cotton. Most base layers that we stock today are either straight polyester or sometimes a mix of polyester and spandex/elastine. Any sweat that is produced by your body will be wicked away from your skin keeping you dryer and therefore warmer throughout the day meaning you can ride for longer!

 

*Base Layers are also referred to as 'Snowboard Thermals' by lots of people

Back