Section 04: Clothing

4.01) "My friend says he skis in blue jeans. Do I really need to spend a bunch of money on expensive ski clothing?"

Yes and no. First of all, jeans are probably the absolute worst thing you can wear in the mountains unless you're absolutely positive that it's going to be sunny and warm all day. Cotton holds moisture and becomes a terrible insulator when it gets wet.

Expensive clothes, however, are *not* necessary. If you're on a budget then a pair of wool pants, a good warm hat (wool or polypropolene), a good pair of gloves or mittens, and a warm jacket will work just fine.

Cardinal rule: if you get cold you'll get miserable.

If you're going to really get into the sport and intend to go rain or shine then here's a list of stuff that will help lighten your checkbook:

Nordic: Don't dress for alpine when going nordic!

4.02) "What's the story on this Gore-Tex stuff?"

Steve LaSala has written an excellent article on Gore-Tex. It's far too long to include here in the FAQ and deserves its to be posted and perused all by its lonesome. In brief, Gore-Tex is not totally waterproof...a wetsuit is much better. However Gore-Tex is a lot more comfortable on the hill.

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