When the winter season comes, all fans of skiing go to the mountains to enjoy the beauty of nature and appreciate the quality of the prepared trails. Every athlete knows that ski clothing should be selected in accordance with all the rules - be warm, protect from the wind and provide air circulation. In order to enjoy your favorite activity, it is recommended to carefully study the features of such wardrobe items.
Kit options
Skiing gear often consists of suits. If you don't take into account other accessories, the clothing kit options can be as follows:
- for women - a women's ski clothing set includes items such as an insulated jacket, warm lined pants, thermal underwear that provides heat exchange during skiing, as well as a hat and gloves. Each element of the set can be purchased separately or as a set. The colors for women are usually calm - a blue jacket goes well with beige pants, a pink hat, black gloves. Thermal underwear is often made in a dark color;
- for men - a set of men's ski clothing is represented by a protective jacket made of thick fabric on a membrane, wide ski pants with suspenders, a separate peignoir and trousers that serve as thermal underwear. The set also includes gloves and a hat. Manufacturers additionally equip the jacket with a hood. The colors are varied: a green jacket is combined with red pants, dark underwear and black gloves;
- for children - sets for children are presented by overalls - this is the easiest and most reliable way to ensure that the baby retains heat. During active games, the child will be warm, since the overalls are one-piece, designed for temperatures below -20 degrees. Colors for girls are presented in raspberry, red shades, for boys - khaki, blue and yellow options.
The set is selected based on the sizes of standard clothing, but it is important to remember: only convenience and freedom of action will be the decisive factors when purchasing a ready-made set of ski products.
Three Layer Theory
Experienced tourists, as well as lovers of sports and recreation in the mountains, have long known about the three-layer system. It was developed to provide reliable protection from wind, snow, bad weather, without restricting human movement. The three-layer theory states that skier's clothing should consist of the following stages:
- basic - this includes thermal underwear that fits close to the body and wicks away moisture as much as possible;
- medium – warming elements of clothing that also wick away moisture;
- outer - a protective layer of things that protects a person from bad weather.
To better understand what quality ski clothing should look like, it is worth considering each layer separately.
Thermal underwear
For the first layer, which will warm the body and remove sweat and moisture, it is not recommended to use cotton materials. Such raw materials, although natural, will not help remove moisture. Cotton is dense, which is unacceptable for winter sports in the mountains. For underwear, it is better to give preference to high-quality thermal underwear. It should have the following features:
- versatility – underwear should be suitable for winter, spring and summer;
- neutralization of sweat odor - this function is necessary for frequent training;
- softness and lightness of the fabric – the material should sit comfortably on the body;
- ergonomics – all seams should be neat, edges processed and not interfere with the athlete;
- quick drying – with increased sweating this quality becomes decisive.
The material must simultaneously retain warm air inside and remove moisture outside. This is how the fabric helps to retain heat without endangering human health. If the material accumulates moisture without removing it, there is a risk of catching a cold while resting.
Insulation materials
The second layer is called the middle layer, it includes insulating elements of the wardrobe. Modern ski clothes, produced in sets, necessarily contain such a layer. Buying a ski suit with insulation will not provide the protection and warmth that a properly selected second layer can provide. The best raw materials for the production of clothes for the second layer are the following materials:
- fleece;
- wool;
- down of waterfowl.
Fleece rightfully occupies a leading position in the list of textiles for the manufacture of insulated clothing. All modern brands practice the use of fleece in their lines for children, men and women. Its fleecy structure allows providing wardrobe items with proper thermal insulation properties. Such things are able to "breathe", they are lightweight, and are also pleasant to the touch.
Merino wool is a good choice for a warm jacket as a second layer of clothing. Products for a ski resort should not absorb moisture, although this cannot be said about wool. When choosing, it is worth paying attention to the fact that the material is treated with a special water-repellent impregnation.
The warmest products are those that contain 80% down. It is worth noting that the presence of feathers does not contribute to the comfort of the athlete: they constantly strive to crawl out, which causes inconvenience.
Protection
The outer layer of a skier's clothing is always a suit or a jumpsuit. The latter option is widely used in women's and children's sets due to its optimal use. The waist in such jumpsuits is always closed, there is no need to worry about the child being blown through by a through wind. The main task of premium ski clothing is to provide protection from the outside and remove steam and moisture to the outside. Two main characteristics of the third layer:
- air permeability;
- water resistance.
Only high-quality jackets and ski pants can boast these parameters. Air permeability is necessary for passing steam through the fabric. The higher the indicators on the label, the faster the material will remove accumulated steam and moisture.
A quality ski jacket will be made of a membrane. Waterproofness is measured by the height of the water column that the outer coating of the jacket can hold: the higher the numbers on the label, the better.
Materials of manufacture
In each sport, manufacturers use a specific set of materials that meet all the requirements for reliability and convenience. When sewing the best ski clothing, the following types of materials are used:
- 4×4 Stretch – elastic base for membrane-type textiles;
- Climate Control – a material designed to regulate heat exchange inside and outside;
- Coolmax is a raw material used for sewing insulated socks for mountain sports;
- Cordura is a fabric used for sewing outerwear and bags;
- Dermizax is a “smart” material that can independently control the microclimate between the human body and clothing;
- Driclime is a warm material used as a lining in the outer layer of clothing;
- Dri-Release is a fabric used for making underwear;
- Fake Furs – soft synthetic for the middle layer, 85% acrylic;
- Midweight Infinity Base Layer P-520 is a soft material used for sewing the base layer of clothing.
All of the listed fabrics are widely used for sewing ski clothes for women, men and children. The use of such materials makes the recreation comfortable and safe.
What is a membrane and its purpose
One of the highest quality and most practical materials for the production of outer ski clothing is the membrane. It is a thin-layer coating of the inner surface of any material. Due to the provision of an internal microclimate, the membrane perfectly removes steam from the inside to the outside. The membrane can be two-layer and three-layer, here are some of its varieties:
- Venturi Stretch – elastic membrane fabric;
- Trussor – an option for sewing clothes that are not intended for extreme conditions;
- Trinitech Soft Shell – material laminated with microfleece on the inside;
- R-Tex is a high-tech raw material that guarantees 100% protection from getting wet.
The degree of membrane protection is measured in air permeability and water resistance. Good values are 10,000 mm/m2/24 hours, as well as air permeability of 10,000 gm/m2/24 hours.
New technologies and rules of care
Progress does not stand still; every year, manufacturers of ski clothing show the world new developments. Integrated paraffin capsules are used today for sewing clothes, which are capable of retaining the heat emitted by the body during increased physical exertion. Reinforced threads in the composition prevent the fibers from breaking, and the Teflon coating on the jackets protects the athlete from bad weather.
There are a number of rules for caring for such clothes:
- washing is carried out only with the help of specialized detergents;
- the water temperature during washing should not exceed 40 degrees;
- For membrane coating, double rinsing is recommended;
- restoration of the water-repellent coating occurs through the use of a special impregnation;
- drying takes place on hangers;
- It is recommended to iron ski clothes without steam.
Having studied all the features of ski clothes, you can safely go to the store for new clothes for your vacation: do not neglect the rules of care, then the clothes will last for more than one season.
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