Reddit mentions: The best winter sports accessories

Hey there! I moved to Boston two years ago and came to r/snowboarding to ask this exact same question.

1. Board - this board was recommended to me and I bought it. I love it. The big thing is magne-traction which has fantastic hold on ice. This isn't a great park board, but it's great for ripping around the mountain. Stable at high speed and served me very well. I'm 160lb, 5'10 and I got the 156cm length. Probably could have gone 154 no prob
   
2. Boots - best bet is go to a shop and get advice from a pro for sizing. Ski Monster downtown is great. They can also help you with boards and sizing. They'll match online prices, so if you find something you like online, consider supporting a local business and getting it from them.
   
   Accessories
   
   
3. 1, 2 and 3 is easy to use wax. I wax my board beginning of every day. Some of my friends re-wax mid day. Makes a huge difference. You'll move faster and you're way less likely to catch an edge. This is not the best wax ever but its very, very easy and takes two minutes. If you cash to spare, pay $10 to get a hot wax and it'll last you a couple days of snowboarding. A good middle ground is something like this or this. More of a PITA to apply, but better overall. Frankly, I don't think you'll notice the difference until you have more time on your own equipment.
   
4. a buff like this is great to have on really cold days.
   
5. Wool socks are great as well.
   
6. Cat crap in case your goggles ever fog up.
   
   If you're looking for people to go with feel free to shoot me a PM. Also Boston Sports & Ski club is a great way to meet shredders. Good luck and enjoy the proximity to great snowboarding!

I just taped a this big guy last night. It mostly went well but there is a chunk missing out of that center that came up during taping. So it definitely happens. It's not to bad though. I haven't flipped him over yet. I wasn't prepared and he's to large to flip easily. I had to go to home depot and buy some larger boards to put him on to prepare to flip him. Once he's flipped it wont be to hard to bring the template back up and replace the missing beads.

The ones you've made look great! I have no idea what the one in the top left is from, but I love it.

A couple of suggestions for melting:

• Do not melt them on the boards, but it seems you've learned that with the tape method. The warped boards are awful for making larger projects, the beads don't line up correctly.
  
• This is one of the best pieces of advice I can think of if you are going to display these somewhere. Decide which direction you are going to want the final product to face. Put the tape on that side, and flip it over. On the side that you aren't going to see, feel free to melt the beads a little more intensely than the other. Don't worry as much if the beads fuse a little more than you'd like. This side isn't going to be seen and will help hold it together much better. Once it's ironed, flip it over, remove the tape and lightly fuse the visible side. When you are taping the visible side, if the beads feel to loose, flip it back over (use tape again if you need) and melt more it on the non-visible side.
  
• If you're going to make a lot of these, I would suggest buying a snowboard waxing iron, like this one. The iron is flat with no point, but its easy to use the corner of if you do need a point. I found this to work a lot better than a normal clothes iron.
  
• If you're melting large ones, iron it in sections. As you iron, the sections will start to cool. As they cool they will start to curl. Put something heavy on those sections (I use my old college textbooks, yay for being useful again!). If the curling is bad, go over it with the iron briefly to warm it up and continue putting heavy things on it. The curling can be especially bad if you have only one side of it ironed. As you iron the other side the it will 'curl' both direction and be more flat.
  
  Three more non-melting tips.
  
  
• To make my templates I take the sprite image into GIMP and I use the color select tool to break the image apart into multiple layers. One color per layer. Then I decide which bead color looks best for each layer. Next I put guidelines on the image to separate it into different 29x29 pixel squares for the different boards. I usually build my beads one board at a time instead of the project as a whole. Then as I'm putting the beads down, I make all the layers invisible. I start with the black layer and put those beads down on the board. Then I make each color visible one at a time and place those beads down.
  
• If you want more boards. I suggest the craft store Jo-Ann. They frequently have perler products on sale for 40% off. And if you download their app you can frequently get coupons for 40-70% off. I've bought most of my boards on the times I've gotten coupons so I haven't spent a lot on them. They have good deals on beads as well but see below for my advice on beads.
  
• Think ahead on the projects you may want to make and buy in bulk from the Perler website. If you buy 6+ bags they are only $2 a bag, but their shipping is a bit pricey. If you buy $60 worth of beads you get free shipping! In addition, if you subscribe to their email list, they will frequently go on holiday/misc sales and you can get an additional 20-30% off. This might be a little overkill but I went ahead and made templates for my next 29 projects to complete my summoner/summon/villain from each game goal while I waited for a sale. I counted all of the beads of each color and the total was around 120,000 beads (NeoBahamut was about 8,800 beads). Buying in bulk this way I spent about $1.50 a bag (though I did buy a couple of the 6000 bead black bags from Jo-Ann with coupons).
  
  Wow. that ended up being a wall of text. I did not intend for that, but I just kept writing. Hopefully it's all useful information for you. If not, sorry for the ramble.
  
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I'm going into this season super stoked, but I need to replace a lot of my outwear this season since it doesn't fit me anymore (Went from XXL to L), and I'm not sure what to go with in terms of jackets/pants. I see a lot of talk of going with just a high quality Shell instead of an insulated jacket, and just layering accordingly. I was looking on Evo and found some items I liked, but wasn't sure if it'd be the best purchase, and was curious what you guys thought. The jacket I found was an insulated one and really liked the design, but if going the shell route is a better choice, I'd love to be pointed in a better direction.

Jacket: https://www.evo.com/insulated-jackets/ride-hawthorne-jacket

Pants: https://www.evo.com/outlet/shell-pants/volcom-freakin-snow-chino-18

I'm also trying to replace some $30 spy goggles I bought last season, they just fogged way too hard, and it was impossible to see edges in the snow. I've been looking at Anon brand, but wasn't sure if that's the best route to go:

Anon MIG MFI : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NADFIQK

Anon M3 MFI: https://www.amazon.com/Anon-Burton-Goggle-Black-Silver/dp/B01N486DPS

Is there any major difference between the cylindrical vs spherical? Any recommendations?

And lastly: Helmets? Yay? Nay?

Considered picking up a cheap one on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I886EA6

I'm basically replacing all my gear except my gloves and boots this year (Though I tore them up a little bit with the tow-rope last season, so I'm probably going to get some $20-$30 just for that). My board is definitely dated so that'll have to wait until next year, but my outerwear is non-existent at the moment, so that's my priority. Sorry for novel, appreciate any and all advice!

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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

I've been waxing my own snowboard for quite some time. I read an article on it a very long time ago, so my methods might not be good, but here goes.

Take off your bindings before starting.

First, i use an edge sharpener, rather than a straight file (like i see in board shops). Run that along your edges first, removing any rust.

Next, i take out my wax scraper, and scrape off as much old wax as i can. I am always surprised how much comes off.

When you are done scraping, clean your board. Use a special cleaner, or save your money and use something like Windex (that's what i do).

Next, you'll need wax and an iron. And old iron will do, or you can buy a dedicated waxing iron. I used to use an old iron, but then I left it in one spot for too long and messed up my board. If you plan to use an old iron, keep the temperature low on it. If your wax starts smoking, your iron is too hot. Be patient with it, spending a few extra minutes is better then having the spend hundreds of dollars replacing your board.

Take your wax, and hold it up against the iron to drip the melted wax onto the board and try to get good coverage. When you are done you should be looking at a board with a bunch of wax drops on it, not a solid layer of wax.

Now, take your iron and start moving it around the wax to spread it evenly across the board. You can add more wax as needed by dripping it on. Don't hold the iron in one spot for long, keep moving around.

Once you have all the wax spread in a uniform layer, let it cool back down to room temperature. Once it's cool (not warm) take your scraper and scrape off all the wax. What you want to be left on you board is just a thin layer. When you touch it with your hand, it should feel very smooth.

This is where I stop, but some people like to polish it further using some kind of cloth. I might use an old tubesock to just give it a quick rub down.

Put your bindings back on, and enjoy.

Hi, I have a newly 1-year-old and we opted out this year (because I'm a wimp and it seems like too much - but kudos for thoughtfully preparing). Baby will probably try to rip off any goggles unless they're super comfy, so make sure they have padding like maybe a kiddo snowsports or atv goggle? 7 months old is pretty little... but if she has a huge head a youth size with an adjustable band might work? These are supposed to fit 2-5 year olds, and these are specifically designed for toddlers.

Even if there's no dust, I recommend finding some good sunglasses for your little one. They make ones with a strap to keep them on your baby's head, or there's ro sham bo, which makes unbreakable kids glasses.


A damp bandana tied around your babies face will go a long way, but there's also classic fabric dust masks like these or these.

Right, depending on what level of protection you're after i'd say they offer 3 options:

Light - Bollé Tracker - https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Boll%C3%A9-Tracker-II-Safety-Goggles/dp/B003UGDQ66/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=bolle+cobra&qid=1570480416&sr=8-5

Medium - Bollé Cobra - https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Bolle-BOCOBFSPSI-Cobra-Safety-Goggles/dp/B006M0JPXK/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=bolle+cobra&qid=1570480416&sr=8-1

Heavy - Bollé Pilopsi - https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Bolle-PILOPSI-Pilot-Safety-Goggle/dp/B000VDLP4G/ref=sxin__sxwds-bia-wc1_0?keywords=bolle&pd_rd_i=B000VDLP4G&pd_rd_r=88ef82f1-2d0d-497d-bf8f-d096c9daaeb0&pd_rd_w=jj1tZ&pd_rd_wg=8xq9b&pf_rd_p=2159348c-d23b-4602-b79a-23a554c807e1&pf_rd_r=77J11TG4AZ8BBWN8HXY7&psc=1&qid=1570480528

I've only really got experiences with the Tracker and Pilopsi. I found the trackers slightly uncomfortable myself but i do have a rather wide head which could explain that, my brother tried them out and found them very comfortable! The Pilopsi goggles i've worn every day in work for the past 3 years or so, with very heavy use and throwing them around the shop I've replaced them twice due to the rubber seal starting to denature a little bit I'm guessing from sweat but the lens is extremely durable!

Basically I may be biased but I'd go for the Pilopsi any day of the week, extremely comfortable, virtually no peripheral view obstruction, plus the best sealing from the 3 options above!

Hope this was handy for you, if you've got any other questions in the same area i'd be happy to answer! :)

Edit - the last link was wrong sorry, corrected!

We use ski goggles which can be had readily and cheaply in many areas with used recreational shops.

What you want regardless is a layer of foam or something similar that goes along the edge between the goggles and your face. Something that produces a breathable seal.

What I like about the ski goggles verses motorcycle goggles is they tend to have a large, wide face plate similar to diving goggles. I like having that extra space in my field of vision during whiteouts. I also like this because both of us wear prescription glasses and they fit over the top of the glasses.

Honestly both my SO and I did the daytime and nighttime goggles because that is what everyone says you need. They took up too much room and we NEVER have once needed them so we ditched the different types years ago. IMHO its a waste of money. Just get a solid clear pair and go. Less to carry, less to worry about switching back and forth, and the less you have to worry about out there the better.

Let me know if you need any other help. I am always very glad to answer any and all stupid and not so stupid questions you may have. Feel free to PM me if need be.
Ours are something similar to these:

https://www.amazon.com/Bolle-Goggles-Shiny-Black-Vermillon/dp/B003902EOS/ref=sr_1_4?s=outdoor-recreation&ie=UTF8&qid=1491951247&sr=1-4&keywords=ski+goggles

https://www.amazon.com/Smith-Optics-Snowmobile-Goggles-Ripped/dp/B01D4P3H4I/ref=sr_1_12?s=outdoor-recreation&ie=UTF8&qid=1491951247&sr=1-12&keywords=ski+goggles

https://www.amazon.com/Traverse-Varia-Snowboard-Snowmobile-Goggles/dp/B01M1FAZQC/ref=sr_1_13?s=outdoor-recreation&ie=UTF8&qid=1491951247&sr=1-13&keywords=ski+goggles

Already having a workbench will make it easy to tune gear. Two raised blocks to put the board on to make it easier to wax. Two clamps that can hold the board vertically so you can tune/de-tune your edges. A dedicated waxing iron, some scrapers, a big file, dustpan and brush, trashcan, and a little shop vac. If you want to provide wax you can buy a brick of hertel super hot sauce relatively cheap that will last for a long time. Also this is the boot dryer I use and it's awesome.

Have you had a look at the Bolle X800 or Bolle X810 goggles? They're ballistic rated goggles with the lens as a separate piece from the frame, allowing for great ventilation and they're pretty much impossible to fog. I'm the sort of person that fogs any and every kind of eye protection even with antifog and I've yet to fog my X810's! I'd highly recommend them! It's as close to a permanent solution as you can get.

Something like this

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Look at slimline safety goggles they are available in lots of different styles and some have more ventilation than others.

Uvex variant.

Another Uvex

Bolle

More Bolle

Good luck.

I have this Toko iron and its worked well for me thusfar.

http://www.amazon.com/Toko-5547182-T8-Wax-Iron/dp/B001FEUCTY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418297022&sr=8-1&keywords=toko+iron

I also use Hertel wax which you can also find on amazon and get quite a lot for a great price. I like it havent had a problem with my boards being slow.

http://www.amazon.com/Hertel-Super-Sauce-Temperature-Snowboard/dp/B000GAYNXO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418297084&sr=8-1&keywords=hertel+wax

I love this stuff:

Hertel Super HotSauce

Don't bother will different types unless you are looking into racing.

Any ski/snowboard waxing iron will do.

Hertel super hotsauce wax. The best ever any temperature. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GAYNXO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_MDH9BbTB8DXBM

I have a narrower face and got these and they fit and worked great: http://www.amazon.com/Bolle-Goggles-Shiny-Black-Clear/dp/B0038ZYRGC

I have almost a full squad using them and they hardly ever fog with the top foam removed. If you are at all worried about fog I suggest getting this: http://www.wide-i.com/delta.php

The other option is to get a goggle like this: https://www.amazon.com/Bolle-Safety-X800i-Tactical-Goggles/dp/B003ICKCJQ

Which has a lens slightly lifted off the frame which allows a ton of airflow. One guy on my squad uses these and says they're fantastic.

If you source the pieces yourself you can get what you need. You usually don't need everything that comes in a kit. Buy the additional pieces as you need them.

Here's what I found without much effort:

$35 iron

$23 wax (huge brick)

$6 scraper

$14 nylon brush

$6 scotch brite sponges

That's $84 and is all you need to get started. You can certainly get kits for around the same price that include some edge tuning bits, but they also come with a very small amount of wax and surprisingly often they don't include any brushes, or just a wire brush.

Build yourself a "Boxulus Rift" for now and use your cellphone as the screen. You can DIY with a cardboard box, cheapo ski goggles, and magnifying lenses... All probably sub $50 Dollars.

Goggles on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Smith-Optics-Black-Clear-Goggle/dp/B0041PXQ38/ref=sr_1_2?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1398461076&sr=1-2&keywords=cheap+ski+goggles

Lenses (buy 2): http://www.activeforever.com/ultraoptix-lighted-led-pocket-magnifier-7-power?productid=4568

And use the shipping box they come in. :)

Bought these goggles for my first burn, they are awesome, no fogging, no dust gets in, they're comfortable, and I'm still using the same ones now. Plus they're only $15. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0041PXQ38/ref=oh_details_o05_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1#

https://handelshusetaulum.dk/webshop/628-briller/7469-bolle-tactical-x800iii-briller/

It's a Danish shop though. But I'm sure you should be able to find a shop near you. :)

Edit: found an amazon link. Go nuts.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bolle-X800I-ultra-ventilated-nylon-Black/dp/B003ICKCJQ

How "cheap" are you talking?

There are $15 snow goggles on Amazon, but without knowing your budget, it's hard to give advice.

Let me know your budget and I can help you find something.

These are cheap and good enough for most/all conditions: https://www.amazon.com/Bolle-Goggles-Shiny-Black-Vermillon/dp/B003902EOS

I bought this Bolle's cheap goggle. $16 shipped with prime.

Last week, high was high 25 and low 5. On the way home, it was prob. mid teens. It worked pretty well, but it was my first time to use it. So, the sample size is small.

I usually just use my brush after a rub-on. Works fine for me. I've been using this stuff for years. It works for all temps and either cold or hot application. https://smile.amazon.com/Hertel-Super-Sauce-Temperature-Snowboard/dp/B000GAYNXO

Just bought this kit off amazon and I'm going to be waxing my own skis for the first time in preparation for epic Tahoe pow this weekend. I've watched a bunch of YouTube videos. Any tips from r/skiing?

I have two pairs of ski goggles. One has colored lenses for daytime and the other is clear for night. I figure that most people think I look ridiculous running in the winter anyway so why not use something that works.

These are the ones that I have:

https://www.amazon.com/Bolle-Goggles-Shiny-Black-Clear/dp/B0038ZYRGC/ref=sr_1_2?s=outdoor-recreation&ie=UTF8&qid=1482257350&sr=1-2&keywords=bolle+ski+goggles

I just use Hertel on normal/warm days and a cold temp wax on cold days.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bolle-TRACPSI-Tracker-Safety-Goggles/dp/B003UGDQ66/ref=sr_1_2?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1483885157&sr=1-2&keywords=bolle+safety+glasses

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Boll%C3%A9-COBFSPSI-Bolle-Safety-Goggles/dp/B006M0JPXK/ref=sr_1_11?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1483885157&sr=1-11&keywords=bolle+safety+glasses

I use these https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003ICKCJQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and never have an issue with fogging,plus I also use these with a helmet.

Those are clones of the rather expensive Bolle X800, but as said I would get them from a brand other than Lancer Tactical. The Save Phace version is made in the USA.

http://www.amazon.com/Hertel-Super-Sauce-Temperature-Snowboard/dp/B000GAYNXO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418606273&sr=8-1&keywords=hertel+super+hot+sauce

3/4 pound brick for $21. Plenty of wax jobs!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bolle-TRACPSI-Tracker-Safety-Goggles/dp/B003UGDQ66/ref=sr_1_3?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1479206312&sr=1-3&keywords=bolle+safety+glasses

or

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Boll%C3%A9-COBFSPSI-Bolle-Safety-Goggles/dp/B006M0JPXK/ref=sr_1_18?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1479206312&sr=1-18&keywords=bolle+safety+glasses

I own both and can vouch for their quality.

I ride at Brighton, and have been waxing my own board for years. I use Hertels,
an old iron, and a credit card. I've got no complaints.

Greetings, fellow ninja!

• Bolle Mojo Snow Goggles (Shiny Black, Vermillon)
  
• Chaos -CTR Howler Multi Tasker Pro Windproof Balaclava
  
  The goggles are fairly fog resistant, though they did start icing over last night. Coldest I've been out in this is -15C/5F, no wind that day though.
  
  The goggles make the biggest difference in the wind. Without them any exposed skin gets a bit painful.