Ski and Snow Clothing

Joe

Joe

Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Messages
47
Why does it seem all the snow clothing is geared for those over 6-feet tall with model bodies? What about those of us that are a shorter and a bit husky? I went shopping at Recreation Outlet today for snow pants or a pair of bibs. I buy a 'medium' in snow pants. The waist fits OK, but they are too long, so they will bunch at my snowshoes. It would be nice to buy clothing of this type that fits properly without spending a fortune.
 
Try being monkey arms. I rock a large but arms never work on those or even XL
 
I bought a pair of snow pants at Recreation Outlet today, but I'm going to have to exchange them in hopes I might find SOMETHING that fits better. I'm 5'3" and 168 pounds. I buy a pair of 'medium' snow pants, and it looks as though the inseam is 35" rather than the 29" or so that I need. I see online that there are a few companies that make snow pants and bibs for people my size, but I'm not willing to spend several hundred dollars for snow pants! One possible consideration is that it is likely to be so cold during my upcoming snowshoe yurt hike that the snow will likely be very dry. I could probably get away with a pair of thermals and blue jeans. Buying outdoor clothing, especially in an area with so much outdoor recreation shouldn't be this difficult.
 
Joe go try the women's snow pants. They are made shorter when my son was younger we had to buy women's snow pants to fit his bigger waste but shorter legs. Heck he didn't even know they were women's.

Now my problem is he won't stop growing!! I quit until someone stops giving him fertilizer.

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blueeyes said:
Joe go try the women's snow pants. They are made shorter when my son was younger we had to buy women's snow pants to fit his bigger waste but shorter legs. Heck he didn't even know they were women's.

Now my problem is he won't stop growing!! I quit until someone stops giving him fertilizer.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2
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Well, I'm 49 now, so the only direction I'm growing is outward. I'm trying to combat that problem by walking, hiking, snowshoeing, etc. :)

I exchanged my purchase at Recreation Outlet for a pair of Sherpas. They fit better, but are still a bit long. They are also pretty much just a shell, so I would need to wear some sort of thermals for warmth. I may return these after receiving my order described next.

I just placed an online order from skis.com for a pair of Burton Cargo snowboarding pants. These come in a mens MEDIUM-SHORT, so I should have the 34" waist with a 29" inseam. Even a 29 inseam is a tad long, but I wear that with regualr jeans and pants and don't complain. This is my first time at ordering ski clothing like this online. As expensive as the pants are, I hope the return policy is as painless as they describe.

I don't get why the short sizes are so difficult to find. They are apparently made, but nobody carries them. Don't shorter people ski, snowboard, or snowshoe?
 
Women's inseams are shorter than a mans and they have more waist size options. Seriously go try the women's section. Alot of our sizes also come in petite that doesn't necessarily mean small it means short! A pair of plain black snow pants and you would never know they are women's.

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I find it amusing but also irritating how hard it can be to find stuff that fits if you aren't "average." Even worse that when you do find stuff that fits it costs a pretty penny. REI has been a godsend for me. Maybe the solution is for us Un-average Joe's to start emailing some of the companies making outdoor threads to suggest they make a wider variety of sizes if they want our hard earned dollars.
 
I usually bite the bullet and buy Arcteryx clothing. I have found them to fit me nicely, even when I was 20lbs heavier. My triple layer Goretex bibs and shell are over 5 years old now, and look like new almost. The goretex has held up, and works like it did when new. Bomber stuff. Expensive as hell, though.
My $.02.
 
Mountain Hardwear has been what I've found fits best. I actually go down a size in most of their things. however I've been trying on down jackets everywhere, and the only down jacket I've found to fit (that is an actual women's jacket) is Patagonia I'm just not ready to spend the money on it yet.

As for the snow pants issue Joe I would recommend you don't wear actual snow pants while snowshoeing. I just wear my hiking pants and layer underneath those (I usually just need the one layer especially if I'm not stopping constantly). If I buy the convertible hiking pants, I can use them year round and I find that they were worth the money I spent. To keep my boots and and legs dry when traversing through deep snow I just use gaiters.
 
I just try everything on until I find a good fit. However the best fitting cost the most, but I generally bite the bullet and pay up. The pain of the expense dissipates quickly but the pain of ill fitting pants lasts as long as you have them.
 
Nick said:
Joe - The uninsulated snow pants are a good thing, IMO. It makes them more versatile so you can use them in warmer conditions. Just layer up underneath for warmth as needed.
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Yes this is the way to go. You wear an appropriate thermal layer underneath. Most companies snow pants are a little spendy because of materials and features like full side zippers. Blueeyes has a good point on checking out ladies models, they often are not too different than the mens. I got a down puffy from Cabela's. ( hard to beat $35 bucks, for 650 fill goose down) Ladie's XL, because they were out of men's LG. Could not tell the difference. I like Mt Hardware too.
Another route to go is full zip rain pants made of a waterproof breathable fabric. You'll have a thermal layer underneath and you can unzip to vent if it's a little too warm. A little less stylish, but usually quite a bit cheaper.
Funny thing is, back in the day they made ski pants really short, so they'd just cover the tops of your boots. I just saw someone wearing some old school pants the other day.
 
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