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Beginners advice for eqipment
#944221 - 21/04/10 03:35 am
Beginners advice for eqipment
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Atho
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Does anyone have any comments/advice on hire outlets at Falls Creek in regards to price, service and gear quality. Also need to purchase goggles,gloves ect. what do you need to spend to get ok gear for beginners??
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#944222 - 21/04/10 03:52 am
Re: Beginners advice for eqipment
[Re: Atho]
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tbnext
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Rental, they are all as good as each other, I take it you are an absolute beginner. If they are not listening to you, like being superior, go elsewhere.
Goggles, gloves, are you really sure you cannot beg or borrow?? Why I ask is if you have to buy it is going to cost you because you should never ever buy the cheapies. Goggles should have multi purpose lenses and should fit (PROB 150), gloves to be decent are at least $100. This is entry lev, if you borrow you are prob in $4oo worth. Goggles are compromisable, gloves aren't. Sure you can't borrow???
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#944223 - 21/04/10 05:56 am
Re: Beginners advice for eqipment
[Re: tbnext]
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Atho
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Not really an option here in WA as don't know anyone that skis and we're taking whole family so gunna have to face up to some expenditure just trying to get a handle on what's what! looking at stuff on ebay but not sure what is ok and what is cheap crap that will be a waste of money. What do you mean by "multi purpose lenses"? Would it be best to spend more on gloves then goggles and then hire jacket and pants? If so what brands should I look out for and at what price and where from?
Appreciate any advice as it's a bit of a head spin when it's all new!!
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#944254 - 21/04/10 08:29 am
Re: Beginners advice for eqipment
[Re: Atho]
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Snow Blowey
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Not really an option here in WA as don't know anyone that skis and we're taking whole family so gunna have to face up to some expenditure just trying to get a handle on what's what! looking at stuff on ebay but not sure what is ok and what is cheap crap that will be a waste of money. What do you mean by "multi purpose lenses"? Would it be best to spend more on gloves then goggles and then hire jacket and pants? If so what brands should I look out for and at what price and where from?
Appreciate any advice as it's a bit of a head spin when it's all new!!
get onto some online ski stores in the US. You should be able to pick that stuff up very cheaply in thier end of season sales. You can import up to $1000AUS (including shipping) before you need to pay duty.
_________________________
Visit - http://www.ozbc.net - For Information on Australian Backcountry Skiing
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#944260 - 21/04/10 08:39 am
Re: Beginners advice for eqipment
[Re: Atho]
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currawong
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At Falls Creek, Central Snowsports (sometimes referred to as its old name Winterhaven) is the best rental place. I'm not sure how their prices compare, but they win on service and equipment. you can check their website. i'm sure if you ring them you will find them very helpful
The lift co run a number of ski hire outlets: Falls Creek Sports at the bottom of the FC Express and in the bowl and Gebi's at the bottom of Gully chair. They do ski rentals packaged with lift & lesson tickets. I have been very disappointed with service there.
there is also the option of hiring in Mt Beauty before you go up the mountain. Rocky Valley Ski Hire, Kiewa Valley Ski Hire, Bogong Ski Hire and A-Team Ski Hire should all have cheaper prices than on mountain hire. You need to check that they have an arrangement with an on-mountain ski hire in case you have any equipment problems. eg Rocky Valley customers have been able to take any gear problems to Snowrider at the FC Hotel
Hiring jacket and pants is a good idea. Decent gloves will probably cost about $100. FC Sports, Gebi's, Central Snowsports, Snowrider are all good places to look. (Apres Vous also has some great gloves, but you need to be there when they are sale)
Goggles are a worry. If the weather is good, then you don't need them. (There are some who believe that wearing sunnies is a fashion crime, but these tend to be the same people with their pants around their knees.) If the weather is bad then you need good goggles. Cheap goggles are a complete waste. (Althugh very small children usually use goggless instead of sunnies and seem to get away with cheapies). I think the best approach is to take sunnies and then buy goggles if the weather requires them. Goggles keep snow (and other precipitation) out of your eyes. They also protect from wind and extreme cold. Perhaps most importantly, they help you see better in foggy or low light conditions - if you have the right lens. They increase the contrast and help you see the ground and variations better. Otherwise you can almost be skiing blind. A multi-purpose lens aims to give you good contrast in foggy conditions as well as cutting glare in sunny conditions. If you are not going to wear them in sunny conditions, then it is not required. Lenses that work well in fog tend to be yellow or orange or pink. It is good to buy them on a foggy day and try to look out the shop window with them to see what works best for you.
Other considerations with goggles are helmet compatibility and ventilation. Goggles are no good to you if they fog up inside. If you get hot easily, you must buy well ventilated goggles. if you are slow to get sweaty, then you don't need to be so concerned. Not all goggles fit with all helmets. This is a real pain. Are you and your family going to wear helmets? I think kids in ski school have to have them (not 100% sure). Helmets are a subject of vehement debate around here that I don't want to get into. Suffice to say that a significant number of experienced skiers/boarders believe that wearing a helmet reduces head injuries. When you buy goggles, take your hire helmet with you to make sure they fit. Talk to the shop staff about how they fit with popular helmet styles, maybe try some on. You don't want to spend money on great goggles this year and then find that you can't buy a compatible helmet in future
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#944269 - 21/04/10 09:06 am
Re: Beginners advice for eqipment
[Re: currawong]
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Ian D
Man with big stick
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All this is good advice.
Re gloves, yes the cheap gloves wont keep your fingers warm and dry (well they will for a little while but not all day). So while they seem tempting be aware that you will need to stop a few times each day to go into a cafe to warm them up. That said depending on what time of season you go and the weather you get if it is nice and sunny and 2-5 degrees cheapies will actually do you just fine. If it is wet or cold and snowing your fingers will get cold!
Most kids gloves a cheap and depending on the age of your kids sometimes mittens are better as they keep the fingers together and trust me getting gloves on a 5yo is a challenge, even more so when their fingers are damp because they took their glove off to do something (and they WILL do that!).
You will find some interesting tips here on all sorts of things:
http://wikiski.com/wiki/index.php/Category:New_to_the_Snow
You might find some interesting stuff here as well:
http://wikiski.com/wiki/index.php/Falls_Creek
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wikiski.com - go and add something
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#944746 - 21/04/10 04:36 pm
Re: Beginners advice for eqipment
[Re: Atho]
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K10
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Not really an option here in WA as don't know anyone that skis and we're taking whole family so gunna have to face up to some expenditure just trying to get a handle on what's what! looking at stuff on ebay but not sure what is ok and what is cheap crap that will be a waste of money. What do you mean by "multi purpose lenses"? Would it be best to spend more on gloves then goggles and then hire jacket and pants? If so what brands should I look out for and at what price and where from?
Appreciate any advice as it's a bit of a head spin when it's all new!!
As far as expnditure goes, the 2 things that will make your experience better on a bad weather day are googles and gloves so spend some money either online and take a punt for fit etc or when you get there and take a hit in the wallet
You dont really want to borrow someones stinky ski gloves and, like my underpants, I wouldn't lend anyone my goggles 
There are different types/colors of lenses available - basically - yellow/rose for overcast/foggy days , blue? or orange/brown for sunny days
There are also lenses that suit all weather - each brand has different lense types and colors
I usually ski in sunnies on warm still days and all purpose (orangey brown)goggles on cold windy bright days and special yellow goggles on really foggy days
If you buy yellow lenses they will be way too bright on a sunny day and dark ones too dark to see on an overcast day so hence the all purpose lens advice above
I think most goggles suit helmets these days - which I would recommend hiring for the kids as a minimum (mandatory @ kids ski schools usually)
Unless its r@!ning (swear word around here) hire clothing will be OK on your first trip so again wait till you get there and hire where you get your skis
Next year consider getting some clothing and gradually buy the gear in the order of personal items like googles and gloves first then clothing then boots and finally skis
I hope that didn't confuse too much !
P.S. welcome to the forums
_________________________
"You dont close your options when you get old, you get old when you close your options"Dr Ken Kamler
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#944880 - 21/04/10 07:43 pm
Re: Beginners advice for eqipment
[Re: K10]
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waylow
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Definatley check out the US online stores, last week I got 2 pairs af $250 goggles over here for just over $100 delivered to my door, for BOTH pairs.
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#944885 - 21/04/10 07:51 pm
Re: Beginners advice for eqipment
[Re: waylow]
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Atho
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Thanks to all for the tips. All starting to make a bit of sense now as far as priorities. Waylow could you suggest some US online stores to check out please?
Cheers everyone!
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#944894 - 21/04/10 07:59 pm
Re: Beginners advice for eqipment
[Re: Atho]
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waylow
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sierrasnowboard.com Their big sale just ended, though they still have 50% off most stuff, gloves and goggles included. You might even find some cheap clothing on there too
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#945579 - 22/04/10 02:56 pm
Re: Beginners advice for eqipment
[Re: waylow]
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Alpinex
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For kids stuff (depending on age), just goto aussie disposals where you can pick something up cheaply as you can bet it won't fit next year. Same with gloves. The main thing is to make sure everything is waterproof so they don't get wet and cold. Don't buy expensive gloves for kids because they will loose them. Same with goggles, they will loose them too.
Get kids snow boots, not gum boots, otherwise their feet will get cold playing in the snow. Also make sure the kids wear a ski helmet when skiing/boarding(it could save their life,ski school may provide this for young children or ski hire can also).
For adults gear, go and try some gear on at your local outlets for sizing, then goto US online sites such as http://www.dogfunk.com and find the same stuff there at probably less than half the price. Some stuff they may not be able to send outside of US due to distributors export restrictions, however, they tell you on their website what brands can be sent over seas so you don't waste your time looking at stuff they can't sell you.
I hope that helps a little.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=403246120621&ref=ts#!/group.php?gid=403246120621&v=wall&ref=ts
http://www.alpinex.com.au
Australias Indoor Ski & Snowboard Training Centre
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#945582 - 22/04/10 02:57 pm
Re: Beginners advice for eqipment
[Re: Alpinex]
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Alpinex
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Just had a though! Maybe Aussie disposals don't sale ski gear in WA??
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#945712 - 22/04/10 04:32 pm
Re: Beginners advice for eqipment
[Re: Atho]
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hpsauce
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Gloves...take the hit and buy everyone some waterproof gloves
Socks: again, take the hit and get everyone some quality socks
Thermals: Everyone to have some. BUT if you can see some polyprop ones at a good price....go for it. But otherwise have a look in Target, Kmart etc.....I've got long underwear from there that is as good some more pricey stuff. Sure, fine wool base layers are superb, but relatively pricey.
Outerwear (jackets, pants, Euro one-pieces) and mid layers (fleeces): I reckon you have some time to try and collect what you need for a family. Again, if on a tight budget, kmart, target, Big W (whatever cheap department stores in WA) will prob have fleeces that are 90% as good for the job on OZ slopes as a $250 fleece.
Otherwise, keep an eye out for ALDI's once a year snow gear sale (and get there early).
There is always someone selling kids ski gear on ebay, in local trading posts etc.
Otherwise, yes online US stores a great place to shop at the moment......
Sierratradingpost.com (has some kids stuff)
Backcountry.com (has more kids stuff)
Both have lots of stuff. Sure shipping will be between 45-75 USD......but don't let that put you off casue the prices are so good on many things.
I'm afraid I don't know jacket/pants rental rates in OZ to do any total cost comparison though
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#946786 - 23/04/10 05:11 pm
Re: Beginners advice for eqipment
[Re: hpsauce]
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2ndeffort
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I buy my kids new gear every year. Both boys, ages 13 and 8. I buy them new clothes from Sierrasnowboard and last year bought them both 686 brand 3-in-1 jackets for about US$25 each. They were old year/model jackets but my kids didnt know. I've just bought them both new boards/bindings for this season. Boards were just over $US 100 + shipping from the states. Sierrasnowboard 70% off sale is over, just 50% off now but every other year they have another massive sale in a month or so. Folks are still spring skiing in the US, wait 3 weeks when it is all dried up and the clearances start again!
When my kids were younger I used to buy them 2nd hand jackets on ebay from the UK/US. To avoid the chance of buying a fake dont search for ski jacket, search instead for 'helly hansen' or another brand you know of. Dont buy any ski gear on eBay from China or anything where the description is written in broken english.
I normally sell my kids last season gear at the start of the next season on eBay. Occasionally I actually sell it for the same price or better that I bought it a year or so before.
In terms of online shops there is a whole thread for it over in the equipment area. Shops I've used most are:
Sierra Trading Post
Sierrasnowboard
USoutdoorguys
skiers peak
watch out for shops that look cheap but then smash you with postage like Backcountry.com
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#953343 - 03/05/10 10:41 am
Re: Beginners advice for eqipment
[Re: 2ndeffort]
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UncleKel
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Nodnerb, Aldi - Aldi - Aldi. They will have thier sale soon and will have everything you'll need real cheap. believe me when I say that most of the gear will only be used a few times a year if you ski every year and if you think your fingers are cold then go and buy the expensive gloves on mountain - or just get some shnapps into you and dry your "you beaut" Aldi gear at the bar's fireplace. You'll save a fortune on the the kids stuff alone. Hope this helps, Aldi Kel
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#954719 - 04/05/10 05:03 pm
Re: Beginners advice for eqipment
[Re: UncleKel]
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2ndeffort
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We bought my youngest one of the pants/jackets sets from Aldi 2-3 years ago, still have it hanging in the wardrobe. It was OK on a nice day, soaked through in 10 mins when it was raining. We now get him better stuff as per above.
Aldi is probably Ok though for things like Apre boots etc (if you are into those). Wife told me the Aldi ski gear sale was madness though!!!
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#1042576 - 29/07/10 10:42 am
Re: Beginners advice for eqipment
[Re: 2ndeffort]
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vacances_de_ski
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I'm also a beginner on skiing. and I'm also searching for
goggles,gloves, and other ski gears that are affordable
I hope someone can post it in this thread.
Edited by vacances_de_ski (29/07/10 12:57 pm)
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#1053546 - 09/08/10 09:53 pm
Re: Beginners advice for eqipment
[Re: vacances_de_ski]
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2ndeffort
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have a look at http://www.levelninesports.com and click on the link for their Cloudveil sale. Awesome technical gear at crazy prices. I bought a softshell jacket and it arrived in under a week. Cost me a fraction of the price that they wanted for lesser gear (columbia etc) here in Oz.
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#1056813 - 12/08/10 05:45 pm
Re: Beginners advice for eqipment
[Re: 2ndeffort]
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BoofHead
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I bought some siberia goggles off ebay for my lad with no complaints after 2 trips to Japan. worth a look. http://cgi.ebay.com.au/NEW-SKI-SNOW-SNOW...ng_Snowboarding
As mentioned previously, mittens keep little fingers warmer and are easier to put on. Great for adults too.
You don't need to spend a fortune on gear as long as you layer correctly. Outer shell to keep wind and wet out (I would personally buy something that you could also use back in WA for general winter use); Mid layer - A fleece from Big W; First layer - some thermals (preferably polyp to wick moisture to mid layer. if your outer shell isn't very good then maybe another mid layer.
Having said all that, probably best to hire clothing if its a one off.
Your Trading post or equivalent will surely have some stuff. Even in WA.
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