What to Wear Skiing and Snowboarding

If you are heading to the slopes for the first time, or taking someone who is, the gear question comes up fast. What do you actually wear? The answer is less complicated than it looks once you understand the basic logic behind it. The goal is to stay dry, stay warm and be able to move freely. Everything you wear on a slope is working towards those three things. Get it right and you will be comfortable all day. Get it wrong and you will be cold, wet and back in the lodge by lunchtime wondering why you bothered.

The Three Layer System

Everything you wear on a slope is built around three layers, each with a specific job. The base layer sits against your skin. The mid layer sits over that and adds warmth. The outer layer goes on top of everything and protects you from snow, wind and rain. Each layer has to do its job properly for the whole system to work. Swap one of them out for the wrong thing and the rest falls apart.

The reason you layer rather than just wearing one thick jacket is flexibility. Weather on a slope changes fast. You might start cold in the morning and be sweating by mid-morning as the sun comes out and you get moving. With layers you can adjust. Take one off, stuff it in a pocket, put it back on when you need it. One thick jacket gives you no control over that.

Layer One: The Base Layer

The base layer sits directly against your skin. Its job is to pull moisture away from your body as you sweat and move it outward so it can evaporate. This is called moisture wicking and it is the single most important thing the base layer does. If sweat sits against your skin it will make you cold quickly, even on a warm day, because wet fabric draws heat away from your body. A good base layer keeps that from happening.

The two materials that work best for base layers are merino wool and synthetic fabrics like polyester. Merino wool is the gold standard. It wicks moisture, regulates temperature well in both cold and warm conditions, resists odour naturally and stays comfortable against skin all day. Synthetic base layers are lighter and dry faster than wool and are usually less expensive. Both work well. The important thing is to avoid cotton entirely.

Cotton is the one fabric you should never wear on a slope. When cotton gets wet from sweat or snow it loses its insulating properties completely and takes a very long time to dry. Water conducts heat away from your body roughly 25 times faster than air, so a wet cotton layer against your skin in freezing conditions is genuinely dangerous. It feels fine at first and then within an hour you are cold, damp and miserable. Jeans on a slope are the same problem. They look fine in the car park and become a soaking heavy nightmare by the time you have had a couple of falls in the snow.

A base layer should fit close to the body. Not restrictively tight, but snug enough to sit against the skin rather than hanging loosely. For your legs this means thermal leggings or long johns. For your upper body a long sleeve top that fits close without restricting your arms. On a very cold day you might want a heavier weight base layer. On a milder spring day a lighter weight is better because you will generate heat quickly when you are moving.

Layer Two: The Mid Layer

The mid layer sits over your base layer and under your outer shell. Its job is insulation. It traps body heat and keeps you warm. Unlike the base layer it does not need to be waterproof or windproof. It just needs to add warmth without adding so much bulk that you cannot move properly or wear your outer layer comfortably over the top.

The most common mid layer options are fleece and down or synthetic insulated jackets. A fleece is lightweight, breathable and dries quickly, which makes it a good all-round option for most conditions. Down is warmer weight-for-weight than fleece but loses most of its insulating properties when it gets wet, so it is best used when you have a reliable waterproof outer layer on top. Synthetic insulated jackets sit between the two, offering good warmth and performing better than down when damp.

For your legs, most skiers and snowboarders do not need a mid layer on the bottom half. The base layer and the outer pant together are usually enough. In genuinely extreme cold, thermal leggings or insulated trousers under the snow pants make sense, but for the majority of resort days you will not need them.

The thickness of the mid layer is something you adjust based on the day. A cold January day in the Alps calls for a heavier insulating jacket. A warm March day in spring snow might mean you skip the mid layer entirely and ride in just a base layer under your shell. The whole point of the system is that you can adapt.

Layer Three: The Outer Layer

The outer layer is your ski jacket and snow pants. This is what keeps the elements out. It needs to be waterproof, windproof and breathable. Waterproof so snow and rain do not soak through. Windproof so cold air does not cut through to your other layers. Breathable so the moisture your body produces can still escape outward rather than building up inside your jacket.

Waterproofing is measured in millimetres. This is called the hydrostatic head rating and it tells you how much water pressure the fabric can withstand before it lets water through. A rating of 10,000mm handles most resort conditions. For wetter climates, heavier snowfall or all-day riding in variable weather, 20,000mm is a significantly better level of protection. The higher the number the more waterproof the fabric.

Seam sealing matters as much as the fabric rating. Even the most waterproof fabric will let water in at the stitch lines if the seams are not sealed. Critically taped seams cover the main stress seams. Fully taped seams cover every seam on the garment. For serious conditions, fully taped seams are worth looking for.

Breathability is the other side of the outer layer equation. If a jacket or pant is waterproof but does not breathe, the moisture your body produces has nowhere to go and you end up wet from the inside rather than the outside. A breathable outer layer works together with your moisture-wicking base layer to move sweat outward through the system.

For snow pants, the fit matters too. A slim or tight-fitting outer pant restricts movement and makes layering underneath difficult. If you are wearing a base layer and any kind of padding or protection underneath, a baggy or relaxed fit pant gives you the room to layer properly without anything pulling tight. It also means you can actually move the way skiing and snowboarding requires, crouching, turning, stepping in and out of bindings, without your outer layer fighting against you.

What Else Do You Need?

Helmet and goggles are not optional. A helmet protects your head in a fall or collision and should be worn by every skier and snowboarder on the slope, every single time. Research shows helmets reduce the risk of head injuries in snow sports by between 22% and 60%. Goggles protect your eyes from wind, snow, UV radiation and glare from the snow surface. Sun reflects strongly off snow even on overcast days and prolonged exposure without eye protection can cause snow blindness, a painful temporary condition caused by UV damage to the eyes.

Gloves or mittens need to be waterproof and warm. Your hands are in constant contact with snow and cold air and they will feel the cold faster than most other parts of your body. Mittens are warmer than gloves because your fingers share heat. Gloves give you more dexterity which matters more for snowboarders who use their hands to adjust bindings and for skiers holding poles. Waterproof is non-negotiable either way.

A neck gaiter or balaclava fills the gap between your helmet and jacket collar and stops cold air getting in at the neck. On colder days this makes a significant difference to how comfortable you stay on the lift between runs. Merino wool works well here for the same reasons as the base layer.

Socks matter more than people realise. Ski and snowboard boots are tight fitting and designed to transmit movement precisely, so thick padded socks work against you by reducing that precision and creating pressure points. A thin to medium weight wool or synthetic technical ski sock that fits well is what you want. Avoid cotton socks for the same reason as cotton base layers.

Sunscreen belongs in your pocket. UV levels at altitude are significantly stronger than at sea level because there is less atmosphere filtering the radiation. Snow also reflects UV back upward which means you are getting hit from both directions. SPF 30 or higher on any exposed skin, including under your chin which the reflected snow hits directly.

A Quick Checklist

Base layer top and bottom, no cotton. Mid layer for warmth, fleece or insulated jacket. Waterproof breathable shell jacket and snow pants. Helmet that fits correctly. Goggles. Waterproof gloves or mittens. Neck gaiter or balaclava. Technical ski or snowboard socks. Sunscreen.

Getting the Snow Pants Right

Snow pants are the outer layer your lower body depends on all day. They take the most punishment from contact with snow, from falls, from sitting on lifts and from whatever the weather decides to do. The waterproofing, breathability and fit of your snow pants matters just as much as your jacket, but they tend to get less attention when people are buying gear.

SnowRipper Drift baggy snow pants use a 3L breathable shell with 20,000mm waterproofing and fully taped seams. The baggy fit means there is real room underneath for base layers, thermal leggings, padded shorts or knee pads without anything pulling tight. Inner leg vents let you dump heat on warmer days. Non-slip boot gaiters keep snow out at the hem. Made for skiers and snowboarders. Adult sizes XS to XL and kids sizes from age 5.

Explore the full range: baggy snow pants, baggy ski pants and baggy snowboard pants.