Cross Country Apparel: Recommendations From An Expert
Guidelines For What To Choose And Why.
[Editor Note: Thanks to Roger Lohr, publisher of XCSkiResorts.com, for this review of the latest in XC skiwear that was printed first on that site.]
Wearing the right apparel for cross country skiing can keep you warm and comfortable.
I’ve often wondered why there isn’t more hoopla about cross country skiwear. I’m not talking about the suction suits worn by cross country ski racers; rather, I mean the recreational garb, which is versatile, functional, and fashionable.
Currently, I cross country ski wearing apparel from vendors like Craft, Sporthill, Swix, and others. What is important is that the products that I select to ski in fit a number of personal parameter preferences.
Comfortable Pants For XC Skiing
XC Ski pants with zipper all the way up the leg.
The Craft AXC Touring Pants (about $80) that I wear have zippers along the entire length of the legs, and, at the ankle, there is an elastic area closed with a zipper and a snap.
I feel that this pant ankle set-up is the most significant aspect of the pants. It tightly fits around the boot and keeps snow out of the boot top, avoiding wet socks while skiing.
And if you’re worried about losing your keys, the zippered side pockets are comforting to lock away your valuables.
The comfortably lined material of the Craft pants is also enough to stay warm with or without a base layer underneath.
Craft Cross Country Ski Jacket
Sporthill, Craft, and Swix jackets have most everything I want in a jacket, except few have pit zips to provide an extra way to cool off and transport perspiration away. These jackets have a mesh liner and material that is comfortable when you zip up the collar on a very cold day.
Look for jackets with cuffs and neck closures, mesh linings and, if you can find it, under arm zippers.
I’ve used the packable hood on the jacket quite a few times when it suddenly got cold out on the trail. The high-hip fit keeps you warm, and the zipper side pockets can be closed to avoid losing pocketed items. The jacket arms might have extended fleece cuffs, which are a nice touch to keep snow out of your glove. The inside chest pocket has a zipper and a hole for an earbud cable from my phone or iPod for the times that I want musical accompaniment on solo trail outings.
Socks And Gloves
Socks, gloves, shirts, and base layers are an entirely other matter that will need to be covered in a separate article. In short, parameters for selecting socks include thickness, space for your toes, and height of the sock on your leg. Expect to pay as much as $25 or more for quality socks these days.
I have a few different pairs of gloves so I can adjust to the temperature ranging from heavier, insulated, three-fingered gloves for the really cold days to lightweight gloves for springtime. I also have base layers in various thicknesses to correlate to warm and cold days. Moving perspiration away from the body is very important, and I use very lightweight underwear on those nice winter or spring days, but on the coldest days I use a heavier or thicker base layer pants and a top that has a turtleneck.
Problem: Limited Inventory In Stores
One of the challenges that confronts cross country skiing apparel availability is the fact that there is a limited inventory of these products in retail outlets. Because the cross country market is smaller than Alpine, there are relatively few sales in the stores. Retailers react by purchasing fewer items offering less selection in the following year. So let’s break this cycle. Go out and purchase more cross country skiing apparel!
Gone Skiing
We’re taking the week off. Have a Happy and Safe New Year.
See you in 2018.
This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com: Dec. 22
Mystery Glimpse, Reasons For Nordic Skiing, Test Your Ski Knowledge, SnowSport Leader Alan Engen.
Where’s the snow, you may wonder? If you’re in the Northeast, you’ve got cold and snow, and many areas have been open since Thanksgiving. If you’re in the Rockies, you’re still looking upward, although we hear its coming this weekend. If you’re in Alaska, you’re wondering what hit you.
Alaska has been hit by humongous snowfall earlier this month, and the beat goes on. The Washington Post reports that 10 inches of snow has fallen in one hour—that’s one hour—in parts of Alaska. In all, 40 inches of wet snow fell in 12 hours from that particular storm. That is one of the most intense, all-time snowfalls on record.
Here’s where La Nina comes in. The La Nina condition, the cooling of sea water in the Eastern Pacific, interacts with the atmosphere, bringing moisture-laden air into the jet stream and focusing it in the Alaska-Yukon area. Perhaps you’ve heard of the Atmospheric River, streaming from the Pacific into the Northwest? This amazing snowfall is in line with the winter prediction from NOAA. That prediction includes moisture for the Northern latitudes and dryness for Southern latitudes across North America.
The good news for Western skiers is that this La Nina condition resembles what happened last year. And you remember what snow conditions were like in the Sierra, right? Awesomely amazing. Keep those skis and snowshoes ready.
Reminder: FREE Subscriptions
Did you get your FREE subscription to SKI magazine yet? If you’re a SeniorsSkiing.com reader, you can sign up by clicking on the SUBSCRIBER-ONLY CONTENT box or look under the COMMUNITY menu for SUBSCRIBER-ONLY CONTENT. [Note: US residents only.]
You can also get a FREE online subscription to SKI HISTORY, the publication of the International Ski History Association. Just click SUBSCRIBER-ONLY CONTENT.
Mystery Glimpse: New SeniorsSkiing.com Feature
This week, we’re launching a new feature, Mystery Glimpse. We’ll publish a picture from a museum’s archive, a private collection, or from a news source, and you guess who it is, where it was taken, or what its significance is. Just reply in the COMMENTS box under the photo. This week’s inaugural photos is a famous ski racer. Let’s see who gets it right.
Also This Week
Alf Engen and Alan Engen jumping at Alta, circa 1949.
We are putting the spotlight on Alan Engen, a snow sports leader whose career as ski jumper and industry executive started the moment he was born. Find out how that happened by clicking here. SeniorsSkiing.com is proud to have Alan on our Advisory Board.
XCSkiResorts.com publisher Roger Lohr responded to last week’s Top Reasons for Being A Senior Skier with his list of Top Reasons For Being A NORDIC Senior Skier. We love Nordic skiing and agree with the benefits of being outdoors in the quiet woods on a brilliantly cold winter day. Thanks Roger.
In another first, we have a test-your-knowledge quiz about the sport of skiing from Correspondent Don Burch. It’s a challenge; we didn’t fare very well. Perhaps you can score a 10.
SeniorsSkiing.com Assets For Subscribers
Another reminder to our readers. We have some incredibly useful resources for our readers. These include:
- Where seniors can ski for free (or almost free)
- Boot recommendations for seniors
- Ski recommendations for seniors
- Free Historic Ski Poster Booklet
- Discounts from Experticity for those who are eligible
- Ski Younger Now tips every senior skier should know
And we point you to where you can find ski buddies from the club listings of the National Ski Council Federation. Note: Ski clubs can be accessed by clicking the Find Ski Buddies Box on the top menu.
Quote of the Week:
“How Old Would You Be If You Didn’t Know How Old You Were?”
K2 Ski Ad Circa 1970s
Have a Happy Holiday and a Happy New Year. Remember, there are more of us every day and we aren’t going away!
SeniorsSkiing.com will be taking next week off for the holidays.
[authors_page role=contributor]