Snowboarding
pants
Baggie pants can be more than just fashionable.
Do you remember the days of having to put a snowsuit on in
order to go out sledding or skiing? No matter what you did
the snowsuit would always climb, let snow in, get wet and
usually was uncomfortable because your pants where bunched
up inside. Fortunately for those of us who can remember that,
those days are long gone.
Modern snowboarding pants, and even regular snow pants, have
vastly improved over what we might remember. Snowboarding
pants are now worn like regular pants, thinner, lighter, tougher
and warmer than ever before. Of course this is only possible
thanks to demand and technological advances.
When thinking about snowboarding pants it helps to understand
how they work. Generally snowboarding pants use a three-layer
system. Some may only have two layers and are either inteended
for very mild climates or to be worn over some type of underpants.
The first layer is the base layer and it is in direct contact
with your skin. When riding outside you will heat up very
quickly and then cool down while on the lift before repeating
the process. The purpose of the base layer is to ensure that
this can be done without you getting cold. The main reason
you get too cold is because your sweat gets caught in the
base layer against your skin and begins to freeze. A modern
base material will prevent this by wicking the moisture away
while providing some temperature balancing benefits.
The next layer is the insulation layer. The purpose of the
insulation layer is to retain your body heat and the best
way to do so is by trapping a layer of air around your body.
This air will greatly decrease the heat exchange between your
body and the outside world.
Generally the insulation layer mostly consists of polyesters.
The most popular materials are fleece, bunting and pile. Fleece
is the most common material and is a dense fabric that has
been raked on one side to make the ends of the fibers stand
up and trap the air. Bunting is a fleece that has been raked
on both sides creating a tight solid weave with wooly air
retaining surfaces on both sides. Pile is a single-sided fleece
that has undergone more raking and has been processed further
to create a much thicker open fabric.
The final layer is the outer shell, which is the only layer
with direct contact to the outside world. The purpose of this
layer is to protect against wind, rain and snow while letting
moisture escape and protect the wearer from cuts, scrapes
and chaffing. This layer is made from a material, such as
Gore-Tex, which has holes that allow water vapor from your
body to escape but are too small to allow a large drop of
water in.
Now that you know how the products works you can begin shopping.
After determining the number of layers you require you must
look for other features. If you like to ride at night or in
the dusk you may want reflective strips. For security you
may wish to have inside zippered pockets. Large pockets are
great for packing around food and water and a see through
pocket is great for you lift pass.
If you keep in mind your snowboarding style, needs and what
products are available you are sure to get the correct snowboarding
pants. Having the correct gear goes a long ways towards maximizing
your comfort and enjoyment while snowboarding. Have fun and
stay warm. |
