Hunting outerwear vs ski wear

[Birdman88]

My kids are finally old enough to take on a ski trip this coming spring break, but I haven’t skied since I was a kid. My wife thinks I need ski wear but I would rather buy hunting wear that would double as ski wear. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

 

[dtrkyman]

Something windproof.

 

[3Esski]

Lots of good soft shell stuff out there that will cross over well.
Most of the ski stuff I own is far superior to the hunting stuff for cold weather.

 

[SonnyDay]

Camo and jeans for the win!

 

[LongWayAround]

I would happily wear something like the Kuiu axis.

I'm a very occasional skier and have been wearing my fleece lined softshell hunting pants for several years, in place of more traditional snow pants.

 

[StopMakingSense]

I was a skier before a hunter. Most of the gear I use crosses over which is why I love solids. My Grumman probably gets more use backcountry skiing then hunting. However the rain jacket and pant is where I differ a bit especially for downhill at the resort.

I use the dew point jacket backcountry skiing when going downhill but will use the ambient and/or the evo uphill. I love the ambient as a mid at the resort. I use the same under layers skiing and hunting as well.

Think twice about your pants, there’s a reason most downhill ski pants have a thick denier on the inner ankle cuff. Skis are sharp, they will get cut! I would never use my dew point pants.

Other then that this question is like asking what rain jacket do I need to go hunting with? Depending if you were going to Kodiak in October for goat or Montana in September for elk you’d be taking two very different jackets.

Where are you headed? Big Sky in January or Tahoe in April? If it was Tahoe in April I’d even say wear jeans and a camo shirt, you’d probably fit in with the locals.

Dew Point crushing pillows!

 

[Birdman88]

Thanks for all the pointer. It’s appreciated

 

[Kenai_dtracker]

I ski in my stone glacier M7 jacket in the northeast, and it works great. However, like StopMakingSense said, hunting pants and ski pants do not mix, so get a dedicated ski bottom for sure.

 

[2ski]

You see people wearing their sitka on the slopes in MT. Especially the smaller mountains.

I've spent way more on ski gear than hunting gear. I don't buy $500 coats to hunt in. I do to ski in.

You don't need to buy expensive for ski pants. Something to keep you warm. You need more expensive the more active you are when you ski. Steeps and moguls. Breathability and all that. If I was a green/blue run skier I'd buy something cheap.

 

[Poser]

I use quite a bit of the same gear for both with exception of pants and bibs.

 

[ForlohFamily]

My kids are finally old enough to take on a ski trip this coming spring break, but I haven’t skied since I was a kid. My wife thinks I need ski wear but I would rather buy hunting wear that would double as ski wear. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

100% sourced and made in America. Great for hunting and skiing!!

https://forloh.com/collections/mens-down-jackets-vests/products/mens-thermoneutral-down-jacket?variant=32311189045332

https://forloh.com/collections/mens-outdoor-pants/products/mens-thermoneutral-down-pant?variant=39357811392596

 

[P Carter]

Kuiu and Sitka are all over the ski slopes here in idaho!

 

[jimh406]

It depends on how you ski and how you hunt.

My ski coat has zippers in the arm pits. I wear windproof gear with merino pants/tops, fleece top, thin ski socks, gaiter, hat and good goggles and gloves. I'm usually pretty cold on the first lift, then warm up pretty fast. I usually sweat. Cheap ski wear isn't very good and not usually windproof.

For hunting, I avoid sweating and move much slower. If you are an inexperienced skier, you'll probably be very hot really fast when you keep getting up after falls. Or, if you are helping kids get up, you'll also warm up.

However, you only have to be as warm as the coldest kid. I do suggest getting some of the hand/foot warmer packets for the kids.

 

[Texasbuckeye]

I used my ambiet hoodie and jacket as mids under my ski jacket shell, with a base under the ambient. Depending on the temp and the level of exertion skiing, i was either completely comfortable or sweating some. Definitely use the same base layers when hunting and the only dedicated ski gear is the shell outer (i dont regularly hunt in areas i need a shell outer layer), ski pants, and mittens that i always sweat in but keep my fingers warm. I could easily hunt in the gloves but have not needed to.

 

[CMF]

Where are you headed? Big Sky in January or Tahoe in April? If it was Tahoe in April I’d even say wear jeans and a camo shirt, you’d probably fit in with the locals.

Figured, I'd tac on to this thread since I have the same question... I am taking the wife and daughter on a ski trip with some friends to Keystone, CO the first week of January.
Being from MS, I don't have much cold-weather gear. The latest I've hunted was the beginning of Rifle in MT, when I saw 6° one morning, but I just had a lot of layers and no big jacket.

Most of what I have is kuiu and plan on using the base and mid layers I have. I'm just not sure how many layers we'll need and what I should do for the outer layers. My puffy is just the ultra.
There is a good Kuiu sale right now and I'm wondering if I should add a more waterproof jacket like the axis hybrid that I can use in the future on AK hunts?

 

[WaWox]

I switched over from standard active wear to wearing Kuiu and first lite base and mid layers and it massively improved my ski enjoyment. Less sweaty, less cold, better temp regulation, i don't smell terrible. So definitely reuse any (wool) base and mids. Depending on how good the fit of your ski boots is, even the long wool socks you'd use in hiking boots will work. If your boots are too loose then use bulkier socks (and think about getting better fitted boots).

I have also used kuiu chugarch rain jacket as an outer layer over those mid and base layers and it's better than my previous cheap skiing jacket in terms of breathability, water resistance, and mobility but I could imagine a dedicated expensive ski jacket would have it beat. Kuiu super down jacket underneath was fantastic for lift rides up in foggy cloudy mornings and packs so so small when the sun comes out.

I would not wear my chugarch rain pants.

 

[Poser]

Figured, I'd tac on to this thread since I have the same question... I am taking the wife and daughter on a ski trip with some friends to Keystone, CO the first week of January.
Being from MS, I don't have much cold-weather gear. The latest I've hunted was the beginning of Rifle in MT, when I saw 6° one morning, but I just had a lot of layers and no big jacket.

Most of what I have is kuiu and plan on using the base and mid layers I have. I'm just not sure how many layers we'll need and what I should do for the outer layers. My puffy is just the ultra.
There is a good Kuiu sale right now and I'm wondering if I should add a more waterproof jacket like the axis hybrid that I can use in the future on AK hunts?

Keystone (and all of Summit County) can be brutally cold by CO standards, especially in the early mornings when the skiing is the best. That being said, hands and feet are what you'll wan to pay the most attention to. Ideally, you'll have an option for gloves and mitts, but being January, I'd go with Mitts if it is one or the other.

 

[WaWox]

Oh yeah to add to this: in not too cold northern Idaho and Washington, I did Kiln or furnace base + not very insulated ski pants for bottoms, for tops I did kuiu 140 base + kiln or furnace mid + down for mornings. I run hot when skiing and hate being sweaty so other people may want to add another 200 base layer or so and definitely go with the heavier trousers.

For gloves I'd do thin liners + insulated gloves but in colder places down mitts might be better.

I can't stand anything heavier than a kuiu merino balaclava on my head.

 

[Blowdowner]

You see people wearing their sitka on the slopes in MT. Especially the smaller mountains.

I've spent way more on ski gear than hunting gear. I don't buy $500 coats to hunt in. I do to ski in.

You don't need to buy expensive for ski pants. Something to keep you warm. You need more expensive the more active you are when you ski. Steeps and moguls. Breathability and all that. If I was a green/blue run skier I'd buy something cheap.

Actually being out of practice and skiing a green with your kids going in different directions will make you a LOT sweatier than moguls solo.