Is an expensive waterproof jacket for skiing a really bad idea?

[Victor Lin]

My waterproof jackets always start to let water in after a year. They get a good amount of wear on the shoulders because I’m always carrying a pack. When I’m skiing I can periodically get some hard falls, or at least falls where I’m sliding along the ground for a while.

I’m thinking that in general falling can rapidly introduce microtears via torsion and shear stresses in the fabric, right? My current eVent jacket doesn’t have any visible tears but it leaks everywhere, not just in one spot.

I’m guessing that no matter what kind of GoreTex or OutDry fabric I get, it had best be protected against abrasion, right? So for skiing I should just be using a beater jacket?

[Lester Moore]

It all depends on your budget and fashion preferences, if that’s important to you. Wear what works for you under the conditions you’re skiing in, and wear what you can afford. Skiing never seemed like a high-wear activity on outerwear to me, so I just wore my mountaineering GoreTex jackets while skiing because that’s what I had. I always like WPB jackets because they shed snow well, blocked the wind and were beefy enough to survive occasional falls. If you fall a lot, then a cheaper garment seems more reasonable. I never won any fashion award while resort skiing because I looked like a mountaineer, but I did not care.

[Jeff Jeff]

Torsion on a fabric panel? That sounds impossible. Microtears? That sounds make up.

The only problem you will have is abrasion. Unless you ski through something sharp, like tree branches (it happens!).

I’m still skiing with the jacket I bought in 2009. It’s my only ski jacket and I only use it for skiing. It looks brand new but I have had a lot of falls and skied through lots of brush with it.

You don’t have to get something super expensive. My jacket uses a house brand laminate and it does fine. It’s no super breathable but it doesn’t have to be. But don’t fret about paying a lot if it’s a quality jacket. Definitely look for 3 layer and a heavy fabric.

[Serge Giachetti]

I’ve just used a light synthetic puffy (rab xenon and arc nuclei)  as my outer layer for the last few seasons and it’s worked quite well for me. I don’t take many falls, but I have taken some hard falls on ice with no damage. I wouldn’t use a wpb shell for skiing for the reasons you mentioned. Shells are expensive and limited in utility here in CO. The snow is dry enough  that the synthetic does fine. Only exception would be some heavy snow days backcountry skiing in late spring, where sometimes I’ll wear a shell.

 

[Rachel P]

I like to wear my Patagonia Snowbelle 3-1 jacket for skiing that I got during one of Patagonia’s sales a few years ago. It looks like the guys’ version is called the Snowshot.

I’m in New Mexico and you might think we don’t need a waterproof jacket and a lot of days that is correct. But if it’s snowing that means I’m going to be skiing in one form or the other and this jacket has kept me dry and also helped keep me warm on those cold windy days at Taos. I know I’ve taken falls wearing this jacket and it’s fine.

I used to just wear softshells but now I save them for the warm days in spring (that and my softshells are fitted and I can’t wear as many layers underneath them). I also like the larger pockets on the skiing jacket so I can stash snacks, water, goggles, etc.

 

[jared h]

I use the same outerwear for skiing, climbing, mountaineering, snowshoeing, winter cycling, etc… so it has to be very durable. I generally go for tougher face fabrics, 50d minimum in high wear areas. And a little stretch is preferred. 20d fabrics barely last through one winter.

My current jacket is the OR Skyward jacket – 70d face fabric with a little mechanical stretch, their own Ascentshell membrane (similar to neoshell but I like this one better), and full pit to hem zips. It is my do everything shell, and yes more expensive, but holding up really well to abrasion and puncture thanks to the burly and stretchy face fabric. If the weather is mild, I prefer a softshell for better breathability and to spare wear and tear on the hardshell. But this is the first time I have spent this much on a hardshell, and I use it a lot more, so I am super happy with the purchase.

[Eric Blumensaadt]

I ski with my 2012 REI Kimtah eVent parka all the time and I hike and backpack with it as well. So far it has no leaks.

-> I wash it in Nikwax soap made for WPB fabrics like GTX and eVent.

-> Then I rinse it thoroughly (2 rinse cycles)

->Then I spray it with REVIVEX or Granger’s DWR treatment, let it dry & spray again

-> Finally I put in the dryer on medium heat for 20 minutes to “set” the DWR treatment

This has kept my eVent and GTX PacLite parkas working well – over 10 years in one case.

 

[Armand C]

I personally don’t see the value in super high dollar waterproof shells.

90% of the time I use a softshell for skiing in Utah, my favorite being the Dynafit Mercury which I got for $80 at the outdoor expo in Salt Lake on special.

When I need a touch more protection I will use my 3 season old Patagonia Adze Hybrid which I got at the Patagonia outlet for $50.

For the most brutal, and miserable days I wear the waterproof Sherpa Adventure Gear Lithang, which I think was $160 on clearance.

[Eric Blumensaadt]

I hear you  on avoiding ‘spensive backpacking gear.

My REI Kimtah eVent parka and pants were on sale as well as my Cabela’s PacLite GTX parka and pants. It saved me over $150. total.

 

 

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