FreeRide – What To Wear

FreeRide is different from other types of skiing or boarding and requires a different wardrobe too. Most inbounds riders will wear an insulated jacket and trousers designed to keep them warm in the lift queue and which can be easily peeled off in the après bar. At the other end of the spectrum, ski mo racers tend to favour lycra outfits first made fashionable in the 1980s aerobics boom. While you can certainly get by with standard in-resort ski clothing when riding the side country, the backcountry can be an extremely hostile environment. As you venture further from the piste you’re going to want to trade up for some specific FreeRide gear.

Layering is a way of dressing in cold climates using multiple garments that are worn on top of each other to trap heat but can be removed when things start hotting up – which they quickly will if you’re cutting the booter.

In addition to providing warmth and dumping heat when necessary, FreeRide layers must also wick sweat away from the body, protect against the elements and must be sufficiently rugged to cope with mountain terrain without constricting movement.

Here’s how each layer is designed to function:

1. Base-layer (underwear layer): wicks sweat away from your skin, keeping you warm and dry.
2. Middle or mid-layer (insulating layer): retains body heat to protect you from the cold.
3. Outer-layer (shell layer): shields inner layers from wear and tear, protects against the weather and keeps the pow where you want it – on the outside.

It’s a good idea to take all layers on every outing. You can always peel off if things heat up, but you can’t put on layers that you didn’t bring along. We also recommend carrying a spare mid-layer in your pack. If you’re static for a long time you’ll most likely appreciate the extra warmth for a very minimal trade-off in space and weight.

Read on to learn what to look out for when selecting your FreeRide layers.

Layering is a way of dressing in cold climates using multiple garments.

Base-layer

Your base-layer is the layer closest to your skin. Its primary function is not to keep you warm but to keep you dry by wicking sweat away from the body. What is sometimes referred to in polite circles as “moisture management”. Your regular underwear, especially if it’s cotton, is not going to cut the mustard. In fact cotton does the exact opposite of what you’re looking for in a base-layer and absorbs moisture. Even worse, once wet it will start to extract warmth from the body. Cotton socks, t-shirts and underwear all have their place but it’s not on the mountain.

No matter how awesome the pow, a rash somewhere unmentionable will negatively impact your stoke.

Instead look for garments that have been specifically designed as base-layers, although beware of cotton long johns masquerading as base-layers. This will ensure you’re buying a fabric that does a decent job of wicking sweat. Other qualities to look for are durability and odour resistance. Generally speaking, synthetic materials such as nylon and polyester are the most durable, while natural materials such as silk or merino wool base-layers are naturally resistant to odour causing bacteria and don’t stink up as quickly as the man-made stuff. If you’re multi-day touring your fellow riders may thank you for remaining fragrant for as long as possible.

Finally, consider fit and feel. In order to wick sweat your base-layer needs to be touching your skin. But because you’re opting for that snug fit you also want to ensure the material feels good and isn’t going to itch or scratch. No matter how awesome the pow, a rash somewhere unmentionable will negatively impact your stoke. Merino wool base-layers are soft and comfortable and are generally a good choice for people with sensitive skin.

Mid-Layer

Your mid-layer traps and retains body heat to keep you toasty. The more efficient this layer is at trapping heat the warmer you’re going to be. Mid-layers tend to offer light, medium and high levels of insulation. We recommend you have one of each. As a general rule it’s a good idea to wear a light insulating layer, such as a micro-fleece, over your base-layer. It’s then a bit of a toss up depending on the weather which layer goes on your body and which one goes in your backpack.

As with your base-layer, there are a broad range of synthetic and natural fabric options to choose from. Polyester fleece, with good reason, is a popular option. It comes in a variety of different weights and retains its thermal properties when wet. It’s also quick drying and highly breathable so you’re less likely to overheat. A Merino wool base-layer is generally lightweight and snug, but Merino wool also has heavier weights to retain more heat, plus very good breathability through both layers.  Consider full and half zip options for dumping heat quickly without having to strip off. The downside of fleece is that it offers no wind protection so it’s not suitable as an outer-layer.

Down jackets are also a popular choice as they offer more warmth for their weight than any other material and are highly compressible for easy packing. Down jackets also offer some wind and water resistance so may also double up as an outer-layer. But bear in mind that down tends to clump up when wet and jacket shells are not usually the most durable option. You can earn extra gnar points at the apres bar by taping up your torn shell with gaffer tape – but faulty or failing equipment wins no prizes on the mountain.

We think it’s a good idea to have a half zip micro fleece or Merino wool equivalent as your light insulating layer, a fully zipped fleece or Merino wool equivilant for medium insulation and a down jacket as your highest level of insulation.

Outer-Layer

Your outer-layer comprises a shell jacket and pants and is the final barrier between you and everything the mountain can throw at you. While the one-piece has made a comeback in recent years we don’t think it’s especially compatible with the layering system as it’s harder to swap out mid-layers. But if you’re bold enough to wear one we’ll give you the respect it deserves.

As a FreeRider you’re going to be asking a lot more from your outer-layer than most but the one feature you don’t want from your shell is more insulation – your mid-layers have already got this covered. Here’s what we think you should be looking out for:

• Durability. Whether you’re scrambling over rocks to get to that perfect line, skiing through trees, or wiping out at speed your shell protection is going to take a beating so it needs to be hard wearing. As a FreeRider we think you need to trade weight for strength. Lightweight ski touring gear is probably not going to cut it in the FreeRide.
• Weather protection. Your shells must offer bombproof protection against the weather so look for a high waterproof rating (above 10k mm) and know the difference between water resistant and waterproof. Hint, one is waterproof and one is not. We’ll leave you to connect the dots…
• Breathability and venting. In addition to keeping moisture out, your shells also need to wick away internal moisture. Choose a fabric with a high breathability rating (10k mm or above) and look for venting features such as pit zips and thigh vents that will help to prevent overheating in the skin track.
• Movement and fit. You’re going to be wearing your shells for long periods of time so they need to be comfortable and shouldn’t constrain movement.
• Sound: The waterproof finish on some shells can be seriously noisy. This may seem like a minor inconvenience but we guarantee perpetually sounding like a family size pack of your favourite potato snack will get on your nerves eventually.

Jacket Features: Your jacket is pretty important. Here are some additional features worth considering when choosing your shell jacket:

• Helmet compatible storm hood and collar. A good storm hood and collar that fits over your helmet and covers your neck, chin and mouth is a feature we hope you don’t have to use too often but which we know you’ll be grateful for when you do.
• External chest pocket. We don’t recommend hip pockets because they’re not accessible when wearing a backpack with a hip belt or a climbing harness. Instead, opt for an accessible chest pocket (or two) that’s large enough to carry a map, phone and other essentials.
• Lift pass pocket. Having a lift pass specific pocket on the left sleeve makes life easier in the lift queue and means you won’t accidentally drop your pass when reaching for your multi-tool.
• Velcro wrist cuffs. Velcro wrist cuffs are a must for sealing out the weather – and the after effects of a yard sale.
• Internal zipped pocket(s). Somewhere secure to stash your credit cards is always useful.
• Internal pocket for skins. Plenty of jackets offer an internal goggle pocket – aimed at inbounds skiers who don’t want to wear a backpack. A skins pocket is much harder to find but it’s a great feature that will keep your skins warm and dry between runs when performing multiple transitions.

FreeRide pants. Your pants are going to take even more of a beating than your jacket. We’ve listed some key features to look out for below:

• Articulated knees. A good range of movement through the knees is as essential for booting up steep pitches as it is for slaying the moguls.
• Reinforced knees and seat. Some extra protection for knees and bum is always welcome.
• Zipped cuff with internal gaiters. Transitioning between ride and hike modes will be much simpler if you have zipped cuffs, while internal gaiters are a must to keep the pow where you want it – on the outside.
• Instep protectors. Instep protection will guard against nicks and cuts from crampons and ski edges.
• Bibs, belts and braces. How you fasten your pants is a matter of personal preference. Some prefer belts, others like braces. If you’re not sure which camp you fall into, some pants offer detachable braces so you have the best of both worlds. Bib pants are another popular option. Great for keeping pow on the outside they can be constricting and may also make things a little too toasty in the boot pack.

At the Republic we think the layering system offers the best combination of protection and comfort for your FreeRide adventures. What setup do you prefer? Let us know below!