[trd2343]

I want to pick up some snowboarding gear, but I have no idea where to start. I've snowboarded around 6 times, and can go on blue runs without much trouble.

I am really unfamiliar with the brands and everything, which in a sense is great, because then I wouldn't be buying brand over substance.

I know this topic has probably been covered many times already, so to save fellow members their time, do you guys have any magazines or websites that you recommend, where I can do my research and go from there?

Thanks

[nomo]

Check out the forums at snowboard.com,

Also try this snowboard sizing guide out. It's a good start.

http://www.frostyrider.com/tips/size-guide.htm

[Richmond69er]

get a set of gear from the option sale

[trd2343]

Should I go to big department stores like Sportchek, or go to specialty stores instead, or it doesn't really matter?

Any brands that I should stay away from?

Thanks.

[v1nce]

go to pacific boarder and boardroom

[triplexcel]

i got some pretty good gear from teh arson sale. if you want a good board, go to the option sale, they have some pretty sick boards there for a decent price. but if your 6'2 or something good luck finding a board that will fit you for under $300

[swoo]

dont even bother the snows never gonna fall!!!!!

Im jk :(

[dave123]

i bought a new suit last year

check out stuff by http://www.sessions.com/

they sell it at boardroom and westbeach

[RRxtar]

dont even bother the snows never gonna fall!!!!!

Im jk :(
no kidding. i just bought new boots and pants 2 weeks ago and i've been wearing the around the house to break them in so much by the time the hill opens they are going to be worn out and ill need new boots again

[loyanga]

realize im a little late in the game but are there anymore sales going on for boarding gear? looking to pick up a board, boots and bindings. :thumbsup:

[v1nce]

you can look at the boardroom's clearance shop, they got everything there that you would need to start out.

[Vangruver]

realize im a little late in the game but are there anymore sales going on for boarding gear? looking to pick up a board, boots and bindings. :thumbsup:

how often do you plan on going?

Factor that in, because even buying sale stuff can rack up the $$$$

[dave123]

i'd recommend investing the $ into good gear. you can wear it for at least 5+ years

the higher end stuff is the stuff thats going to last and keep you warm and DRY

i know so many people that pick up the cheaper stuff but its not water proof and at the end of the day their gear is soaked through. look for jackes and pants that have a rating of 10,000 + waterproofness and breathability

[triplexcel]

do you guys know a brand that makes good boots? my buddy told me that 32 makes good stuff..

[Vangruver]

do you guys know a brand that makes good boots? my buddy told me that 32 makes good stuff..




i have good and bad reviews on 32 boots, but for all intensive purposes, they are good boots.

any major brand will carry good boots, make sure that they fit, and that they are comfortable. And remember that if you want to buy them.....wear them in the shop at least for 30 minutes WITH the socks you intend on wearing on the hill, to ensure that there are no pressure points, or no pains on your feet.

[Vangruver]

i'd recommend investing the $ into good gear. you can wear it for at least 5+ years

the higher end stuff is the stuff that's going to last and keep you warm and DRY

i know so many people that pick up the cheaper stuff but its not water proof and at the end of the day their gear is soaked through. look for jackets and pants that have a rating of 10,000 + waterproofing and breathability

that is a debatable topic at best. But good advice regardless.

With the higher rating, the price comes up. But with some brands, the rating is only a rating till you get the apparel dirty, then it becomes useless.

For the occasional usage, weekly trips, and mild activity, any garment that is 5k waterproofing and 5k breathability is best.

The key is the layering. Synthetic materials, and thin multiple layers under your waterproof shell is KEY. Do not go with the thicker layers only because when you get warmer [and you will] you will have a tendency to take off what's convenient, and chances are that will be the under layers.

Even with multiple thinner layers, if you get damp, you will still feel warm. The thinner layers should be VERY tight fitting, wicking away body moisture, and perspiration. So if your outerwear gets wet, it isn't the end of the world.

Polypropylene and fleece are your best friends in colder sports.

[ultra-magnu]

^ Good advice. Layering is key. When you take off my snowboard gear and see my base layer, I look like a fairy or some kind of ballerina. However, I'm never wet. Feels really good on the hill. No stressing and worrying about moisture.

And to add, I think good snowboard pants are more important than a nice jacket. If your pants are soaked, you're stuck wearing them all the way home.

Investing big bucks on gear IS debatable. What's more important is knowing about the tech. My pants were $90, jacket was $80. Both 15K waterproof rated and tough. Just have to hunt down the deals.

[v1nce]

i need to pick up some good pants. I tryed wearing snowpants then a waterproof shell (not specific how many K) and i still get my underpants wet.

[Vangruver]

i need to pick up some good pants. I tryed wearing snowpants then a waterproof shell (not specific how many K) and i still get my underpants wet.

how was the board in the end vince?

[v1nce]

the board was awesome. i could turn easier, and the board was still fast. it gripped ice pretty good too. overall board seems more stable than before, well at least i felt that.

[JLC]

as some have said, get GOOD gear at the start...
Probably the most important GOOD gear you will need are good boots...
You gotta invest in good boots because if your feet hurt, get cold, or get wet, you're going to have a miserable miserable day...

Also make sure you get good quality outerwear. Like someone above said, you want to get some stuff that will keep you dry...if you're dry, you stay warm. if you;'re wet, you get cold, and again, that leads to having a miserable time.

For now, the board and bindings are not as important considering you are somewhat still a beginner - just get a decent board and binding set up on sale or even pick something up used on craigslist or any other local classifieds - but if you're 6'2 chances are you have larger feet and you might have to look into a wider/xtra wide board.

[Oshin]

anyone got hook ups for snowboarding goggles?

[Alphamale]

http://www.whiskeymilitia.com/

Sometimes, there are goggles for sale for hella cheap!

[Oshin]

kool, anybody bought stuff from dogfunk? Are they legit.

[LYC]

yeah dogfunk and backcountry are both good sites to buy from.

[LC21]

I have no idea about boards but i know ORAGE snowboarding/ski wear are pretty good..

They're around the same price as burton, and some of their stuff look pretty stylish imo.
20,000mm waterproof

[v1nce]

are the 3 layer gore-tex clothings better than those that say 5/10/20k mm?

[Oshin]

are the 3 layer gore-tex clothings better than those that say 5/10/20k mm?

depends on which kind of 5/10/20k mm you are comparing to. Gore-tex is well known for their water-proof technology. I just got this burton x gore tex pants and I noticed the texture is different. Is a lot more expensive then my regular burton snowboard pants. My regular burton did the job for me as well and it was like 10/20k mm i forgot. I have no proof of it better or not but for sure gore-tex won't fail =)

[Vangruver]

are the 3 layer gore-tex clothings better than those that say 5/10/20k mm?

Any 3 layer is better than a laminated nylon waterproofing.

3 layer waterproofing is fused in with the fabric making it far more breathable and far more water proof.

Laminated waterproofing is what you see on 2/5/8/9/10/15 k waterproofing outerware.

What they do is take a semi-plastic waterproofing material and then bond it with adhesive onto the nylon. Then after it's sewn they then spray a [DWR] durable water repellency [probably from 3m] that allows the water to bead off like a freshly waxed car. The laminate looks white under the nylon and it's good, but NOT as effective

Thing is, that DWR will wear after getting dirty, or constant usage, thus relying on the membrane material to contain the moisture from the outside.

3 layer waterproofing is literally FUSED to the fabric making it far more effective than the laminated stuff out there.

Dupont, Gore, and a few others make 3 layer waterproofing material, where the companies out there by the membrane and apply it to their products.

The big big difference between laminated and fused 3 layer, is the 3 layer usually don't have a liner built into the outerware, allowing it to be reliant on the membrane waterproofing fabric and allowing it to be a lot lighter. But they make a lot of noise when you move ;)

hope any of this helps.

[Oshin]

what's the best way to prevent goggles from fogging up? I was at grouse today and it was snowing pretty hard but I notice there some people don't get fogged up even in those condition, is there a technique or is it the brand of the goggle. I'm curious because I'm using a pair of Oakley A-frames. I know it gets fogged up when waters gets inside but shit is hella annoying, is not because I was touching my goggles is because of the snow dropping on top and starts melting and stuff.

P.S: what lens you guys use? and why? What are the best lens color for both night and sunny days.

[!YaoShi]

I use Oakley A frames with pink irridium, which i find are pretty good for both night and sunny days. But for better vision at night, should good with high intensity yellow. My A Frames don't really fog up at all even if it is snowing. Perhaps you put them on your head and the heat from your heat fogs up the lens? I never put my goggles on my head for this reason.

[Noir]

what's the best way to prevent goggles from fogging up? I was at grouse today and it was snowing pretty hard but I notice there some people don't get fogged up even in those condition, is there a technique or is it the brand of the goggle. I'm curious because I'm using a pair of Oakley A-frames. I know it gets fogged up when waters gets inside but shit is hella annoying, is not because I was touching my goggles is because of the snow dropping on top and starts melting and stuff.

P.S: what lens you guys use? and why? What are the best lens color for both night and sunny days.

I use Spy's.

It's all about fitment. You can get the $200 goggles but if they don't fit your face like a glove, moisture will seep in. You can get $100 goggles but if they fit perfect, then you won't experience lens fogging.

As everyone's face has a different shape, Narrow, Wide, some people's cheekbones are different, some people's noses are different, you really just have to shop around lots.

[yiujun]

waiting for end of season sales now to grab my boarding gear... til then ill rent :P

[misterGinster]

gearattack.com

it scans, steapandcheap, whiskey, tramdock and chainlove for gear.

Use it all the time, the stuff is cheap, can't support local shops when the gear is half off online.

[Levitron]

What's the proper way to layer? That's a question that I've always had for all the years that I've been riding.

My current strategy for my bottom half:
1) base long-john style thermal
2) semi-thin sweat pants
3) outer snowboard pants

Top half:
1) thermal long sleeve shirt that is really tight fitting
2) t shirt
3) sweater
4) outer snowboarding jacket

I need to know what is better for the layers in between my base layer and my outer layer. My current setup has served me in an OK way, but when it gets wet (i.e. rainy day at Cypress), I do get a bit of wetness that gets through and takes a while to dry.

[incubus]

youve got the right idea levi

but i prefer underarmour or burton as a 1stlayer as a sweatter fleece is always good to keep out the snow and keep you dry and then your shell :)

bottoms i just go jogging pants wit cuffed bottoms and my burton ak goretex :)

all i can say is goretex ftw!!!!

[misterGinster]

If you have too many layers, your sweat doesn't have a chance to escape.

Try a middleweight pants and top over your base layers. 2 layers rather than 3 layers. If it's really cold, base layer + heavyweight layer.

Cotton just holds the moisture, so having a nice breathable jacket doesn't work so well.

[Shred_Head]

Here's my set up dude.
-Thermal layer
-breathable layer
-snowboard jacket.

- long johns
- adidas soccer pants
- snowboard pants
but if it's -8 or lower.. i'll add a fleece layer over my shirt. My legs are usually ok because they're always moving.

But for your wetness problem, just go to Canadian Tire camping section and get the spray-on silicone and just spray your jacket and pants, maybe even your gloves if they get wet. It's been a life saver when the snow gets wet. That is... if you don't wanna get gore-tex!

[incubus]

yeah some ppl get cold more than others most the time im wearing 2 layers no hats or beanies lol but it was cold wen i went for somereason :O

normally im underarmour or first layer than a sweater :)

[woob]

Bottom:
Nike Cold Gear leggings
NFA 15k snowboard pants

Top:
some random base layer that works...
10k jacket

Head:
clava - wanna buy an Under Armour Cold Gear Hood tho, or one of these: http://store.colemans.com/cart/mask-extreme-cold-weather-us-gi-2-pack-p-1265.html - I hear they are reallly warm
Helmet (last time I skipped this and just went with a toque + hood)

[F3]

Looking to pick up some gear on ebay.
Might be a stupid question, but do they make fake snowboarding stuff?

[jam_done]

there's really good seller on ebay "sosa" that has tons of great items for cheap.

[F3]

Are there any stores locally that still have sizes for snowboarding boots left?
sportchek seems to only have size 7 or 10.5+.

[woob]

W. 4th and Burrard: Comor, Boardroom, Pacific Boarder, Showcase Snowboards
Lonsdale: North Shore Ski and Board, Second Wave, Boardroom

call em up.