Description and selection of ski clothing
In anticipation of the imminent onset of winter, many outdoor enthusiasts are beginning to prepare for the upcoming ski season. They go to sports stores for new skis, snowboards, and accessories for existing sports equipment. But the most important purchase before any winter season is ski equipment, or rather a suit. Wearing the right clothing is an important key to a successful holiday on the snow-capped mountain peaks.
Peculiarities
A comfortable clothing option for skiers is a jumpsuit or a set consisting of a jacket with pants... At first, athletes preferred exclusively overalls, because they protected a person as much as possible from snow and bad weather conditions. Over time, sportswear manufacturers figured out the disadvantages of sets of jackets and pants, corrected all the shortcomings, so now both variations of ski uniforms have undeniable advantages.
In the manufacture of ski clothing are used specialized materials with properties such as water resistance. In addition, the fabric should not only not allow moisture to pass through, but also remove it from the suit - so that the athlete does not sweat from physical exertion.
A person, in turn, does not even notice how the material of his ammunition works, but he understands that he is 100% protected from moisture and windiness.
What layers does it consist of?
Any ski suit is made for extreme wearing conditions. And this is not surprising: the weather is very changeable in the mountains, and a blizzard can replace the sun in 10 minutes.That is why, when sewing overalls and jackets for winter sports, manufacturers use a three-layer set of materials.
The first layer is insulation. It depends on him how long a person can be on the street, engage in active recreation. A variety of materials can be used as insulation.
- Fluff - a distinctive feature of this insulation is its lightness and the ability to keep warm inside the suit for a long time. However, in snowfall, this option of insulation is not suitable, since the down gets wet from the snow, which is why it loses its main properties.
- Sintepon - synthetic material that cannot boast of moisture resistance. After washing, it shrinks, which is why the costume loses its beauty in appearance.
- Fleece - the best option for insulation, which can not only wick away moisture, but also keep warm inside the suit. Due to its elasticity and pliability, this material does not hinder the movement of athletes and does not interfere with their enjoyment of active rest.
- Polartec - quite expensive insulation, justifying its cost with excellent indicators of moisture removal and heat resistance.
- Thinsulate - synthetic down that meets all the requirements of even fastidious athletes. Comfortable, warm, moisture-wicking insulation has become the main competitor of natural fluff since its inception.
The second layer is a membrane. It is a thin material that does not allow the suit to get wet. The membrane is also designed for condensate drainage. Today, manufacturers of ski suits use different types of it.
- Porous-free - this type of material contributes to the high-quality removal of condensate accumulated inside the suit as it forms.
- Porous - this type of membrane is a blocker of moisture from the outside entering the suit. An excellent option for harsh mountain conditions.
- Combined - highly elastic material with vapor and moisture resistant properties. It is used for a long time even in case of extreme loads.
The third layer is external. The outer material may differ in elasticity and its lack.
Species overview
Ski suit is a generalized concept of clothing for winter sports. Digging deeper, the jacket and jumpsuit are only part of the outfit. There are other types of clothing that are integral components of ski uniforms.
- Thermal underwear - the lower element of the athlete's kit, made of synthetic fabrics that allow the human skin to breathe.
- Socks - an important part of a skier's outfit. If the feet are dry and warm, it means that the next morning the athlete will be healthy, otherwise he will be overcome by a cold.
- Gloves - this element of a skier's suit must be made of dense fabric. Their main function is to protect human hands from the cold.
By product type
Ski suits are divided not only by their constituent elements. First of all, they differ in type.
- Ski overalls. Initially, this type of winter sports equipment was very popular. And all because its holistic shape protected a person from snow as much as possible. Indeed, the athlete was protected from head to toe from all weather conditions.
- Jacket and trousers. A modern take on ski wear. The primary models did not differ in high quality and reliability, since when falling snow fell under the jacket, respectively, had close access to the athlete's body. But thanks to the sportswear manufacturers, this outfit has gone through a makeover. The jackets can be tightened at the bottom and at the waist, and there is a rubberized skirt in their design.
By membrane type
The membrane, that is, the second layer of the ski suit, is also divided into several types.
- Double layer - this variation of the membrane is applied in a special way from the seamy side of the ski suit.It protects a person from moisture getting inside the ammunition, while it itself has a lining that prevents abrasion.
- Three-layer - this type of membrane is applied exclusively to the seamy side of the ski suit. All three layers are firmly connected to each other, while they have additional protection in the form of a special durable but elastic lining. According to sportswear manufacturers, this is the best membrane option, which, unfortunately, leads to a high cost of winter uniforms.
- 2.5-layer - ski suits with this type of membrane have the highest cost on the market. In this case, the membrane is introduced into the suit in a special super-complicated way, due to which the finished product is durable, and most importantly, light.
Top brands rating
Thanks to numerous reviews of professional athletes and ski enthusiasts, it was possible to identify the top 10 manufacturers of specialized winter clothing. However, the presented brands gained a place in the list of the best not only for customer reviews, but also for the technical side of manufacturing their products.
Phenix
A Japanese brand that manufactures ski clothing for professionals and amateurs of conquering snow-covered slopes. The suits of this company are recognized as leaders among snowboarders, skiers and even climbers. By the way, it was Phenix that was first used in the production of membranes, without which it is impossible to imagine a ski suit today. But the most important thing is that winter clothes of the presented brand are thought out to the smallest detail. It meets all the requirements for strength and reliability.
Godwin
One of the leading Japanese skiwear brands. Each element of the created clothing meets all the criteria of strength and reliability. Basically, sportsmen use the costumes of the presented brand, and all thanks to the thoughtfulness of every detail of the ski equipment.
Snow headquarter
Distinctive features of the presented brand - quality and high level of protection, due to which the manufacturer received recognition in the history of winter sports. The Snow Headquarter assortment includes models of ski suits for adults and children. And what is remarkable, each consumer will be able to choose the right ammunition for himself, corresponding to his taste preference.
Columbia
A fairly popular brand, which originated in 1938 in America, today it enjoys immense popularity among athletes and winter sports enthusiasts. The assortment of the company is filled with a wide variety of types of ski ammunition that meet high quality and reliability requirements.
It is impossible to call Columbia suits elite, since the manufacturer focuses exclusively on quality. The question of beauty is at the very last place.
Colmar
A fairly young Italian company that has managed to win the recognition of consumers in the shortest possible time. The presented brand is engaged in the manufacture of various types of sportswear, however, when creating a new model, the manufacturer focuses primarily on the quality of the material and seams. The second factor of compliance is versatility, and the third is beauty.
Descente
A Japanese company that manufactures premium ski suits... Stylish, fashionable, beautiful overalls, presented in the windows, are characterized by high indicators of strength and reliability. A distinctive feature of the considered branded ammunition is the presence of the maximum number of protection elements hidden under the designer outer shell.
Spyder
An American brand that has won honor and respect among skiers. American athletes purchase ski equipment exclusively from this brand.Each winter suit is multifunctional, has a high degree of weather protection, and meets the requirements of highly qualified athletes.
Bogner
A German manufacturer that has managed to equip more than one thousand skiers with its products. Moreover, lovers of conquering the mountain slopes prefer this particular brand, because it has established itself as a reliable manufacturer of high-quality uniforms for winter sports.
Noname
A Finnish brand known all over the world as one of the leading manufacturers of ski suits and other winter sports equipment. Wherever there are snow-covered slopes, you will definitely see this branded clothing with a brightly highlighted brand name. Quality, protection, lightness - these are the very characteristics that have come to the taste of the connoisseurs of the represented manufacturer.
Azimuth
Russian company engaged in the production of ski suits for professionals and amateurs of conquering the ski slopes. The main task of the brand is to provide consumers with convenient and comfortable ammunition suitable for for all weather conditions. Only high quality materials are used in the tailoring of the costumes. Each individual piece of outfit works like a clock and will never let its owner down.
Criterias of choice
The assortment of sports shops is replete with a variety of ski clothing for boys and girls, men and women, even for the elderly. Experienced athletes know which items of ammunition should be paid attention to, and an ordinary lover of winter recreation and skiing may choose a completely uncomfortable option.
To prevent this from happening, it is proposed to get acquainted with the list of characteristics that you should cling to:
- the material of a suit for conquering mountain slopes must include a membrane;
- the best insulation for winter sports is fleece;
- it is important to make sure the presence of ventilation elements;
- the hood on the jacket must have an adjustment function;
- the outer seams should be covered with a tape that protects the threads from moisture;
- the presence of cords and elastic bands for tightening the suit to the shape of the body is welcomed, especially in large sizes of ammunition;
- trousers must have a high waist, the jacket must cover the lumbar region;
- it is important that the color of the suit is bright;
- it is worth choosing ammunition from a well-known brand.
Based on these requirements, it will be possible to choose a high-quality suit not only for adults.
Ammunition for children and adolescents should correspond to similar parameters. By the way, the children's series, like the women's, has a dimensional grid in the form of a table, according to which it is much easier to choose an outfit of the appropriate size.
Care rules
In order for the suit to retain its basic qualities for a long time, it is important to take proper care of it. And above all - the rejection of the washing machine. To clean the ammunition, it is worth using dry cleaning services or spending time on hand washing.
For self-washing, use a membrane fabric treatment agent.
The suit should dry naturally - no tumble dryers or electric batteries.
After drying, the suit should be coated with DWR-impregnation, due to which a water-repellent layer is formed on the surface of the ammunition.