Our favorite skiing and snowboarding tip for beginners is to come out to Canyon Sports for both rentals and ski and snowboard tunes. But that goes without saying. So in order to be helpful, we’ve created this post to address another pro tip for beginners: dress in layers whenever you’re on the slopes.
Seasoned skiers and snowboarders tend to be very particular about how they dress. Some do try to be fashionable, but safety and comfort tend to trump all else. Dressing in layers is a vital component in both safety and comfort. Allow us to explain why.
We Still Sweat in the Winter
Most people do not think about sweating and winter together. But guess what? We still sweat during the winter months. We sweat more when engaged in strenuous activity, and that includes skiing and snowboarding. The simple fact is that you are going to sweat while on the slopes. How you dress partially determines how well your body manages both sweating and internal temperature.
Sweating is a means of keeping the body cool. Perspiration carries heat away from the body. In the summer, when we barely wear any clothes, perspiration evaporating into the air helps keep us cool. In the winter, the clothing we wear absorbs the perspiration to much the same effect. That brings us to the point of dressing in layers.
Your Clothes Are Like a Sponge
When you are on the slopes and sweating profusely, your clothes act like a sponge. Whatever layer is closest to your body absorbs the sweat. But then what? If you’re wearing a single layer that consists of a bulky jacket and equally bulky ski pants, the perspiration has nowhere to go. After a full day on the slopes, you are drenched in your own perspiration and likely to get cold. That is not good.
Multiple layers act like multiple sponges stacked on one another. Perspiration travels from the innermost layer to the outermost, working to keep you dry and comfortable. But that’s not all. Dressing in layers offers a bonus: the ability to self-regulate your temperature.
Take Them Off, Put Them on Again
When you dress in layers, you have the opportunity to take layers off as needed. You can put them back on later in the day. By taking off and putting layers back on, you can control your body temperature regardless of how cold it is outside. Your chances of getting cold go way down. Likewise for your chances of getting hypothermia.
At the end of the day, when you are done skiing, you can take off as many layers as you need to stay comfortable indoors. You will not have that bone chilling cold follow you around all evening. Why? Because you were able to regulate your body temperature during the day.
You’ll Be More Flexible
Winter clothing bulky enough to keep you warm with a single layer can be difficult to move in. You might find yourself not being as flexible as you would like on your skis or snowboard. On the other hand, dressing in layers helps you maintain that flexibility. You don’t need as much bulk when you dress in layers. That means you will be able to move more freely as you enjoy the slopes.
Now that you know the importance of dressing in layers while skiing or snowboarding, start thinking about your equipment. Here at Canyon Sports, we offer daily and seasonal ski and snowboard rentals. We also offer expert ski and snowboard tunes. Visit us in downtown Salt Lake City before your next trip to a Utah resort.