Introduction to Skimo Racing: Part 3 : CLOTHING (what to wear)

"There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear." 


Yes, winter is cold...and wet...and the days are short, but with the right combination of clothing skiing in the winter can be fun. 


Randonee skiing is a unique winter sport in that your choice of clothing has to adapt to the changes while touring. When you are skinning uphill your body is generating a lot of heat(and sweat), but as soon as you turn around to ski downhill your body ceases to generate heat because the workout is way less aerobic. After you factor in the windchill on the way down that freezes that sweat you generated and you are chilled by the time you get to the bottom to turn around and go uphill again. The key is to stay dry because once you get wet it is hard to stay warm.


Luckily, there is a solution...its called layers and really is quite basic.

 *This is what I would wear if I was going skinning on the ski resort or some other controlled environment (similar to skiing at the nordic center on groomed nordic track). For true backcountry skiing I would bring and/or wear warmer and more stormproof clothing as well as bring along backcountry safety gear. 


Training Clothing 
This is what I put on before leaving the house to go skinning. 
Base layers-
Wool socks, windbriefs, lightweight wool long underwear bottoms, lightweight long sleeve wool top

Outer layers (that I wear the entire time)
Softshell pants(light and breathable), vest (windproof front& breathable back)
*if it is really cold &/or windy &/or dumping snow I also wear a softshell jacket (light and breathable) 


Nordic or cold-weather cycling clothing works well for skinning because you are at a similar aerobic level. Check your closet, you might already have clothes...


Uphill

Notice the headband(buffs are awesome!) and lightweight softshell gloves.


The goal with the clothing you wear uphill is to minimize the amount you sweat. This probably means for the first 5 minutes you might be a little chilled, but once your core gets up to temperature you are comfortable. You can also start in a jacket(or with more layers) until you begin to warm up then remove it before you start to sweat. I prefer to wear a vest uphill so that it cuts the wind and keeps my core warm while allowing the sweat to evaporate off my arms. However, if it is windy &/or snowing I wear a softshell top to cut the windchill and keep me dry from the falling snow.


Change headwear between uphill and downhill! 
50% of your body heat is lost through your head if you are hat less.  This is actually good news in that switching between a light headband for the uphill and hat for the downhill can help control your body temperature and the amount your sweating. 


Downhill

Put on a jacket, dry gloves, and a dry hat! When it is really cold I put on a lightweight down 
jacket on and if it is snowing or really windy I put a shell on top of that. I would rather an extra 2 mins to be warm and dry on the decent then be freezing at the bottom! If you are a really sweaty person I would recommend maybe even doing a quick long sleeve baselayer change(to stay dry and warm). 

Backpacks
I ski with a backpack all the time during the winter. It allows me to take extra clothing as you never know what the weather is going to do or what might happen. I can also carry food, water, and whatever else I might need. 


There are a few companies in the U.S. that make skimo race specific backpacks. Below are the two most popular(or easy to get).


Dynafit RC20                                                                                     Camp Rapid



Both of these packs have a couple features that are necessary if you want to be a competitive racers as they make your transitions really fast. 
-ski carry (without removing pack)
-safety box (allow you to store and remove skins or crampons w/out removing pack)


Racing Apparel

Ahh....spandex! Well, the good new is, you don't have to race in spandex to be comfortable and perform well. I raced for half a season before I got a race suit and figured out what worked for me. You don't have to wear much racing because most of the time you are going uphill and generating heat. The key once again is to stay dry! 


I wore lightweight/breathable pants(nordic style w/ breathable back and windproof front) with wind-briefs underneath and a long-sleeve top with a vest on. This combination was breathable enough on the uphill, yet warm enough on the downhill. Polyester long underwear cuts the wind better than wool so for racing I would recommend having a stinky polypro top. Find a vest that you can cinch tight at the bottom around your hips. This is so you can tuck your skins into the front for the descent and keep them warm. 


Racers wear one piece spandex suits because of their breathability and plenitude of skin pockets. They are great for racing because you are generating a tremendous amount of body heat and not stopping. However, if you stop or find yourself in a whiteout you will probably freeze your ass off! This is why the ISMF requires you to carry outerlayers in your backpack while you race. 

Luke Nelson looking AGGRO at Worlds last year in his spandex. Maybe it does make you faster??? 

I'll let you decide....