(Part 2) Best products from r/skiing

Here's a comment I posted a month or two ago about this topic. Basically everything you'd need to wax, sharpen edges, and perform small-medium ptex repairs (think small core shots and scratches on the base of the ski).

Here's a kit I would go with if I were buying a kit. I personally liked buying stuff individually that suited my needs but it's easier to just buy 1 thing: https://www.amazon.com/Demon-Complete-Tune-Kit-Wax/dp/B00MAKO69O/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1478189719&sr=1-1&keywords=ski+wax+kit

The reason why I'd go with this kit over the ones you listed is because it comes with an edge sharpener guide + gummy stone. If you're sharpening edges you'd probably want to use a file&guide when starting out.


For waxing (normally use all temp wax unless you're an every week sort of waxer. Could expand out to cold specific wax if the weather calls for it):

Plastic Scrapper: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GSLE2FO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Wax: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GAYNXO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Iron: buy one at goodwill/a thrift. If you're too good for that then here: https://www.amazon.com/Wintersteiger-Ski-Snowboard-Waxing-Iron/dp/B0040OBXXU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1476214415&sr=8-1&keywords=waxing+iron

You can also buy a nylon brush and base cleaner/a rag to clean your skis but hot waxing and then scrapping also works for cleaning.

When I'm done waxing my skis I usually go over the skis with a wine cork to make sure everything is even and smoooooth. Not something that you have to do though

For tuning:

Gummy Stone: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017I6VNO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Edge sharpener (can choose a different one):

https://www.amazon.com/Dakine-8-2300250-Green-Tuner-Green/dp/B00L6ZC1FA/ref=sr_1_4?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1476214569&sr=1-4&keywords=ski+edge+sharpener

Video so you don't fuck up your edges too much:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKpSBE8YWXk

You can also get a diamond stone/nail file from the store if you'd like.

Ptex for some base repairs:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OIPZRVU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Metal Scrapper for Ptex (could use a flat blade if you'd like but don't fuck up):

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OIPZRII/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Lighter: Gas Station/already in your house. After Ptexing a couple of times I fee like a torch lighter would work best here


Video for small ptex repair:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NA0vDNmNAEA

If you have major core shots I would probably go to a local shop and have someone fix it who does that stuff for a living. Really research what you're actually doing before you do it for the first time. You don't want to make things worse. After you get the hang of it it becomes a lot easier and can save you money. Can also do it for your friends on the cheap

1. As conditions change, so does your outfit. You'll only know what layers work for you with some experience. The solution is to over dress, and then remove layers until you are no longer too warm.
   
2. Rentals typically include: Boots,Skis,Poles, and nothing else. Helmets can be included but some places it's extra.
   
3. I'm sure some people wash their base layers after every use, but I don't. Wool or other antibacterial fabric will stay fresh enough for a week. Make sure it airs out and drys overnight.
   
4. You won't need a beanie, because you will be renting a helmet. They are nice to wear around off the slopes. Hoodies are fine to ski in if the conditions are right. New Years is an unlikely time for that.
   
5. Generally that would be enough. Sometimes a T shift is fine. It depends on the weather.
   
6. Blue jeans or a more heavy weight pant would be preferred.
   
7. Yes, You'll want something that goes around your neck that you can pull over your face if the wind is blasting.
   
8. Yes, you'll want gloves. Kinco makes good cheap gloves that will last you a lifetime.
   
9. The mountain thread rental looks okay. It's cheap. The gear will be adequate.
   
10. Those shoes will be fine.
    
11. If I was in your position, I would take a $250-500 budget and buy cheap stuff on amazon. It wouldn't be the best quality, but it will function just fine for you. These Gloves This Awesome Jacket

I've seen a lot of good advice in this thread and I'll add my 2 cents. Basically you'll want to read, watch youtube videos on technique/drills, or take a lesson. Better yet, do all three. Start with flatland drills to work on pole plant, edging, and stance. In particular:

• Get comfortable making lots of short radius turns with an even rhythm. Then get comfortable changing rhythm part way through a slope. Moguls won't necessarily have a consistent spacing so you will want to be ready to adapt to those inconsistencies.
  
• Get comfortable with your edges. Sideslip drills are great for learning edge control. Make sure to keep your eyes up, shoulders square to the fall line, and hands forward.
  
  One skill you can't learn on the flats is leg extension and compression. A good drill for this is to find an intermediate mogul field and ski across rather than down while making sure to compress your legs toward your chest as you ski into a mogul and extend your legs away from your chest into the trough as you ski over it. Try to keep your shoulders moving on a plane because this drill is all about your legs.
  
  Finally, ski moguls and don't get mad at yourself when you fall. Work at stringing together 2 then 3 then 5 then 10 good turns through the bumps. Good luck!

The snapshot comes as a 2 line kite, but it has a bridle setup to be used with 4 lines as well. I'm saving up for buying the control bar that the kite can be set up with... it doesn't use the whole back support / harness thing you appear to have in a photo but I'm hoping it will be something good for me to get used to the bar controls.

http://www.amazon.com/Prism-Control-Bar-Kites-Complete/dp/B0044UQ344/ref=pd_sim_200_11?ie=UTF8&dpID=41yLJmUQIML&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=0FSB5N2ZC7HPBWQVB0HT

Lessons sound amazing, I've looked into kiteboarding lessons locally and they are painfully expensive ($500+). I'm pretty good at flying the two line though, I have a good understanding of the wind envelope and how to control a kite (or get it out of the danger zone) in strong winds. That being said, I'm probably still on the "noob" side of things and I'd love to find some more affordable lessons locally (North / Central NJ).

Try to recycle as much stuff as you can. If you do other sports/athletic things, I'm sure you own dri-fit (or similar) t-shirts/shorts/underwear. Use that as a base layer.

For a mid layer, a fleece/synthetic hoody would be ideal, but eh, if all you have is cotton, that's fine too. It's a mid layer, it's not supposed to get wet.

For a jacket, you can just buy something cheap and reasonably waterproof, no need for expensive membrane fabrics. Personally, I'm partial to Columbia stuff. Quality is passable, and I've often found last season's jackets or pants for $50 or less.

For pants, you should consider renting something nice (Gore Tex or other membrane fabrics). As a beginner you'll probably spend a lot of time on your ass on wet snow, so...

For gloves, just anything cheap (~$20). Or maybe you'll want to rent something nice too, since you'll be touching the snow a lot. I'm personal to FreeThePowder if you want to spend a little bit more to buy, but keep in mind that leather isn't waterproof unless waxed.

Wraparound sunglasses work in a pinch, but goggles are highly recommended. These Chinese goggles are pretty good - probably the best thing short of spending $150+ for the goggles they copied. https://www.amazon.com/OutdoorMaster-Ski-Goggles-PRO-Interchangeable/dp/B014XKTFI0/ref=asc_df_B014XKTFI0

Socks - wool/synthetic for sure. Generally I tell people to use the sock to compensate for the rental boot fit. If you have narrow/lower volume feet, wear a thicker sock. If you have wide/high volume feet, wear a thin ski sock. But always wool/synthetic, never cotton (this is so much more important than for base layers IMO), and never double up.

I'd advise against earbuds of the type that block out outside noise, which is most of them since they go in your ear. Audio quality won't be as great, but for safety's sake, you should be able to hear what's going on around you so you're not an oblivious tool: "on your left" on a narrowish traverse/cat-track, someone sliding/crashing/out-of-control behind you, etc.

Assuming you wear a helmet with audio pockets on the earpads, Outdoor Tech Chips have been the most popular Bluetooth option, though their amazon reviews are pretty mixed. Note that some of the big helmet companies also just rebrand/license them and sell them with their name too. There are also a few similar cheaper options on amazon from small manufacturers if you feel like taking a chance.

If you don't mind wired, there's a bunch of cheaper options that should fit right in with most compatible helmets like these $10 ones, though without the nice glove friendly chunky control buttons.

> 2 of htem have epic passes or whatever thats 14 days at various resorts, so going to be at Alta / Snowbird for 2 days

It sounds like they have the Mountain Collective pass. If that's true, they have access to Alta and Snowbird for both days.

Alta and Snowbird have lots of interesting advanced terrain inbounds that might be tricky to access if you don't know the way. If you don't want to hire a guide, then your best bet would be to either befriend a friendly local once you get there or study the shit out of The Powder Hound's Guide to Skiing Alta by Brad Asmus (there's one for Snowbird too).

If you are willing to shell out the dough for a guide, it looks like you can get a private lesson for $810 for three people at Alta.

However, I once attended one of their off-trail workshops ($85 per person) and once the instructors split us up into small groups of up to 5, they asked us if we wanted more of a lesson or more of a guided tour. My group chose a mix of both. You might ask to just be shown around the good stuff.

No matter what you end up doing, you're going to have a blast!

I'll be honest: I have a pair of CW-X 3/4s and while the length is great, I think their support is overrated and I find myself constantly adjusting where the diamond lands. When everything is clean, I almost always find myself grabbing these instead: https://www.amazon.com/Under-Armour-HeatGear-Compression-Leggings/dp/B00KXD7S86/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474382056&sr=8-1&keywords=underarmour+3%2F4

But yes, definitely get some 3/4 pants. Makes everything just so much easier. I don't know why it's not a more standard cut. That said, I cannot imagine the ounce or two of fabric saved makes any difference in speed.

Going to the gym, walking, jogging and cycling all bore me to tears. It's great if you like doing those things, unfortunately I don't.

Inline skating has been working out for me this summer. I've been skating 6-12 miles 6 days a week (1-2 hour skate sessions). I've noticed a huge increase in ankle flexibility and my knee stabilizers are seriously beefing up. I think going with another balance sport is particularly helpful. You really need to work all those twitchy small muscles for skiing. This why the gym trips never seem to fully prepare you for ski season since you are working the large muscle groups but none of the stabilizers involved in balance. Plus it's fucking fun. I'm learning to jump curbs right now, and on downhills I can carve turns like you would skiing so it helps ease the seasonitis a bit.

I also highly recommend a balance board for the same reason. That and you can stand on it while you watch tv. I've done the gym grind before, I'm not going back!

Former ski racer here. All of our practices were at night. The biggest issue with night skiing is that it is difficult to see contrast in the terrain/snow. I would strongly recommend getting some goggles with hi-intensity yellow lenses like these, which seem to be a pretty sweet deal on amazon. Yellow lenses help make the limited contrast pop at night and on cloudy days. I use my yellow lenses for all but the sunniest days, but they really shine during night skiing.

You're probably not going to be skiing glades much at night, since most areas only light the main trails for night skiing.

With all of the high intensity lighting used for night skiing, fluorescent/reflective gear would probably look pretty nice. Unfortunately, I don't know enough about that kind of stuff to be able to make a good recommendation.

Also skiing at night == colder, so make sure to have a few extra layers.

You'll probably be renting most of your ski gear, so here are the warm items you'll want:

1. GLOVES. Since you're just going on vacation, get a moderately good pair that are waterproof, and buy some cheapo glove liners (example glove, example liner).
   
2. Scarf. Thick scarf preferably.
   
3. Balaclava (example here) - optional if your scarf is really good, but recommended.
   
4. Overpants (wear underarmour and jeans underneath). First time I went, I went to target and got a pair for about $15. (example here)
   
5. Beanie.
   
   Now my personal two most important, but expensive items:
   
   
6. Socks! Go to rei and get yourself a pair of these ski socks. Nothing is worse than freakishly cold feet, or feet that get destroyed by the crappy rental books. These socks are built to keep your feed warm and padded.
   
7. Jacket. Ok...here you can cheat a bit by layering. The 'real deal' would be to get something like this. OR, do what I did (and continue to do): underarmour + long sleeve shirt + sweater + rain jacket. Yeah, you don't have a good seal, and you'll end up getting snow on your clothes and be a bit cold by 2pm, but if you don't have hundreds of dollars for a ski jacket it's a good deal. Note: i've found that cheap ski jackets are garbage, and you will pay the price for them.
   
   Hope this helps! You can buy pretty much all this except for the jacket for under $100, and maybe even less if you're really thirfty. Helmet, boots, and skis should be taken care of by the rental folks.