Favorite Items
In looking back at winter I found a few items that were mainstays for me and since people frequently ask me about what to wear for things like skiing or biking in the winter I thought I'd post about a few fave items. Because it's never too cold . . . you just need the right gear!
Patagonia Guide Pants - How much do I love these? An unbelievable amount! They are soft shell in the front and have stretch material in the knees/back and best they are full zip. They also breathe really well so you can wear them in a fairly wide range of temps. I wear them with a lightweight pair of long underwear and that is good enough for really cold ski nights. If I warm up because we're skiing up hill six at Blackhawk or something then you can unzip them a bit to let in some air as needed. I feel like I wore these almost every night this winter.
Mountain Hardwear Transition Jacket - After trying out many different jackets I finally settled on this. It's breathable and is great on windy days. I bought it to wear on cold nights skiing over other layers and it worked great for that. However, it has also become a favorite for bike commuting this spring as it works great on windy days and with a really wide range of temps. One big bonus is that the orange color is highly visible and will work next year during hunting season when I'm out rollerskiing on the Cap City trail as well.
Toko Artic Mitts - I wore these so much this winter it was crazy. I love them because inside the lobster mitts is the softest fleece which makes the gloves feel like little warm pillows for your hands. These really are for cold days/nights of skiing but this year had an abundance of those so I wore these more than any of my other gloves. I highly recommend checking these out if you're a skier.
Smartwool socks - I have all sorts of smartwool socks . . . for work, for hiking, for skiing, for everyday life. I wear the adrenaline socks for skiing and I have a lucky pair with pinkish/purple trim that I wear when I ski race. I also wear some heavy smartwools for my winter bike commute when the temps drop low.
Craft Boxer Briefs - It's amazing how the boxer brief can really make a light pair of tights work in a range of temperatures. I don't like to be too warm in a ski race and so I usually tend to want to wear my lightweight tights. However, I'm not anxious to be cold either but if I pair the craft boxer briefs with my lighter tights I'm almost always fine. I think I've worn that combination for almost every skate ski race I've done over the years.
Shebeest wind front tights - I'm on my second pair of these as I wore the first pair out after many years of frequent use. These are awesome for cold weather rides and can also be used on the coldest of days skiing. Powerstretch fleece with a wind front. Back before I got into skiing so much and used to ride more in the winter these saw constant use. The fit is great, the fabric is great and they make winter riding so much easier.
Marmot "Original" DriClime Windshirt - This is for those nights when you just can't bear to go out skiing because of the cold. Pair the windshirt with a lightweight underwear top and you will be fine. I've owned my Marmot windshirt for a zillion years and it still looks new too so one will last you a very long time. I've worn this on some pretty cold nights skiing and it really does keep you warm and my main concern has been being too warm. It's just that good. It has a nice cozy interior that is not bulky. I like the cut of it too as it isn't too short and it has a hemmed edge that won't ride up. I think everyone should have one in their closet.
Sporthill 3SP tights - These tights are amazing in a wide array of conditions and I almost always go for these when I'm worried about being cold but I know it is too warm for the cold weather tights. These tights are really great at wicking and handle the wind well. I have the ones that are a more casual fit for those days you don't want the tight tight. I raced the City of Lakes classic race in these tights and it was warmer than I expected but I never got too sweaty. Be warned though - they are a pet hair magnet so keep your lint brush handy!
Horny Toad cashmore fleece - This is for after the cold day of skiing or biking. Nothing is quite as cozy as some cashmore fleece pants or a top. Put those on and make yourself a nice hot cup of tea and hatch some plans for another day of skiing or biking.
Patagonia Guide Pants - How much do I love these? An unbelievable amount! They are soft shell in the front and have stretch material in the knees/back and best they are full zip. They also breathe really well so you can wear them in a fairly wide range of temps. I wear them with a lightweight pair of long underwear and that is good enough for really cold ski nights. If I warm up because we're skiing up hill six at Blackhawk or something then you can unzip them a bit to let in some air as needed. I feel like I wore these almost every night this winter.
Mountain Hardwear Transition Jacket - After trying out many different jackets I finally settled on this. It's breathable and is great on windy days. I bought it to wear on cold nights skiing over other layers and it worked great for that. However, it has also become a favorite for bike commuting this spring as it works great on windy days and with a really wide range of temps. One big bonus is that the orange color is highly visible and will work next year during hunting season when I'm out rollerskiing on the Cap City trail as well.
Toko Artic Mitts - I wore these so much this winter it was crazy. I love them because inside the lobster mitts is the softest fleece which makes the gloves feel like little warm pillows for your hands. These really are for cold days/nights of skiing but this year had an abundance of those so I wore these more than any of my other gloves. I highly recommend checking these out if you're a skier.
Smartwool socks - I have all sorts of smartwool socks . . . for work, for hiking, for skiing, for everyday life. I wear the adrenaline socks for skiing and I have a lucky pair with pinkish/purple trim that I wear when I ski race. I also wear some heavy smartwools for my winter bike commute when the temps drop low.
Craft Boxer Briefs - It's amazing how the boxer brief can really make a light pair of tights work in a range of temperatures. I don't like to be too warm in a ski race and so I usually tend to want to wear my lightweight tights. However, I'm not anxious to be cold either but if I pair the craft boxer briefs with my lighter tights I'm almost always fine. I think I've worn that combination for almost every skate ski race I've done over the years.
Shebeest wind front tights - I'm on my second pair of these as I wore the first pair out after many years of frequent use. These are awesome for cold weather rides and can also be used on the coldest of days skiing. Powerstretch fleece with a wind front. Back before I got into skiing so much and used to ride more in the winter these saw constant use. The fit is great, the fabric is great and they make winter riding so much easier.
Marmot "Original" DriClime Windshirt - This is for those nights when you just can't bear to go out skiing because of the cold. Pair the windshirt with a lightweight underwear top and you will be fine. I've owned my Marmot windshirt for a zillion years and it still looks new too so one will last you a very long time. I've worn this on some pretty cold nights skiing and it really does keep you warm and my main concern has been being too warm. It's just that good. It has a nice cozy interior that is not bulky. I like the cut of it too as it isn't too short and it has a hemmed edge that won't ride up. I think everyone should have one in their closet.
Sporthill 3SP tights - These tights are amazing in a wide array of conditions and I almost always go for these when I'm worried about being cold but I know it is too warm for the cold weather tights. These tights are really great at wicking and handle the wind well. I have the ones that are a more casual fit for those days you don't want the tight tight. I raced the City of Lakes classic race in these tights and it was warmer than I expected but I never got too sweaty. Be warned though - they are a pet hair magnet so keep your lint brush handy!
Horny Toad cashmore fleece - This is for after the cold day of skiing or biking. Nothing is quite as cozy as some cashmore fleece pants or a top. Put those on and make yourself a nice hot cup of tea and hatch some plans for another day of skiing or biking.
posted by MadCross at 6:46 AM
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