Snowboarding, as is obvious from the name, is a snow sport. You will be using a snowboarding to glide across the snow and perform various jumps and maneuvers. A vital part of the sport is to dress right for being out in the cold temperature over extended periods of time and to be ready to take a few falls in the snow.
Dressing right for snowboarding comprises of many things. You have to find the right materials for your snowboarding dress and then wear enough layers of clothes to keep you warm and dry. And yet, you must do so without being bogged down by the dress you are wearing.
A basic rule of them is that you must divide your snowboarding dress into three layers. These are the base layer, the mid layer and the outwear. Let us deal with each of them in turn.
Base Layer
The base layer comprises of the dress items which you will wear next to your skin. These are the clothing items that will make sure that you stay warm and dry during extended snowboarding sessions.
Staying dry is very important because snowboarding requires significant exertion and no matter how cold the weather is, you will sweating after a few sessions in the snow. So the base layer must be able to move the sweat away from your skin without becoming wet in the process.
Socks: Finding the right socks is critically essential for keeping your feet warm and dry during snowboarding. Ideally, you should get a woolen pair of socks which will keep your feet dry while wicking away the sweat.
You can swap a thinner pair of socks for a thicker pair if you have cold feet during snowboarding. Wearing two pairs of socks one on top of the other is usually not a good idea as it affects your balance and may not properly wick away the sweat.
Tops: When finding the right top to cover your upper body during snowboarding, you should again go with woolen material. Cotton is a big no-no because it has no wicking properties at all and if you sweat, it will trap the sweat next to your body.
Wool is a good choice because it has very good wicking properties. When getting a top for your snowboard dress, you can choose between long-sleeve and short-sleeve options depending on your choice.
Underwear: As with the tops, go for thermal underwear that offers good wicking and at the same time keeps you warm. The right underwear material will offer both qualities. Silk, for instance, offers good wicking but little to no warmth.
Wool, on the other hand, offers warmth as well as very good wicking. Choose an underwear length suits your needs. If you feel cold only in the upper part of your legs during snowboarding, go with a short-length underwear or three-quarters length underwear. If you feel cold in lower legs as well, you can go with full-length thermal underwear.
Mid Layer
If you are snowboarding in weather that is not too cold, you can go with a base layer and then outwear. But if you are snowboarding in really cold weather, you may want to add a mid layer as well.
A mid layer will add that extra layer of warmth which will be important on really cold days. As with the base layer, the mid layer must have wicking properties or the sweat removed from the base layer will get stuck in the mid layer and make you feel cold. So finding the right material for the mid layer is important. Wool is again a great material for mid layer clothes and you can choose between a short-sleeve or full-sleeve hoodie.
Outwear
Outwear is the outermost layer of clothes you wear during snowboarding. It is that layer of clothes which will come in contact with the snow, so it must have a few qualities. For a start, outwear must be waterproof. At the same time, outwear should be breathable enough to let the sweat wicked from your skin to dry away.
Snowboarding outwear chiefly comprises of jacket and pants. The material for both should be waterproof and breathable. If they aren’t waterproof, a few falls in the snow will make them wet and you will be left shivering in no time. It is also useful to get a jacket and pants with pockets. You can rest your hands in the pockets when taking a break or carry any essentials that you may need through the snowboarding day.
Gloves
Gloves are another essential in the snowboarding wardrobe. Hands tend to get really cold in snowy conditions and if your hands are cold and numb, you may feel very uncomfortable during your snowboarding sessions. So investing in a quality pair of gloves which are waterproof, breathable and really warm will definitely pay off. The advantage of breathability is that if the weather conditions are rather warm, your hands will not get sweaty and the air will quickly dry them up. If you are not comfortable wearing cozy gloves on warm days, you may want to get an extra pair of lighter gloves for usage on such days.
Headgear
Headgear is a rather optional choice for most snowboarders when it comes to the snowboarding dress. However, headgear does offer a number of distinct advantages. For a start, a headgear like helmet offers solid protection. You are likely to incur a few falls through your snowboarding session and having your head well-protected is a wise way to go.
Another advantage of a headgear like a snowboarding helmet is that it will keep your head and ears warm. As with most of the other dressing items, you want the helmet to be breathable so that any sweating in the head region quickly dries up.
Goggles
As with headgear, goggles are also an optional part of snowboarding dress. They do make your snowboarding sessions far more comfortable and you will be thankful for wearing one on days when the sun is too bright or the wind is blowing the thin ice into your eyes.
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Ryan grew up with snow, so he has an endless passion for skiing and snowboarding and everything around these.