Looking for snow gear, mainly clothing and accessories, but I may buy a snowboard if it were cheap enough.
Any suggestions for either brick and mortar shops in Sydney or online stores (both international and local)?
Thanks very much!
Snow Gear
Lmein on 09/08/2012 - 06:53
Comments
if you are looking for good gear at a good price I couldnt find much better than torpedo7.
http://www.torpedo7.com.au/division/snow/home.do
i brought most of my ski apparel (google, pants, gloves, etc) this season for the cost of just pants at a store…
what is also good about torpedo is that they have product at a range of prices.and luckily for you it is free freight for this month if you spend over $125, which is pretty easy when getting ski stuff.
I am a sucker for snow gear, I've bought loads of it from all around the world. Do you just want some cheap stuff for a 'one off' weekend to the snow or are you interested in real gear.
Fashion aside, there is nothing worse at the snow than being cold, wet and uncomfortable. The reason you buy gear is to avoid being uncomfortable. Snow clothing is normally rated for its waterproofing and its ability to stop wind getting through whilst still letting perspiration get out. Both ratings are measured normally in a range from about 5K to 30K with the higher number being better. The cheaper stuff normally has ratings of 5K (although I have seen some at 2K). The higher ratings from fabrics like some versions of GoreTex can be up to the 30K with most at around 20K.
In my opinion, if you are going to be sitting in a lodge/bar at the snow and need a coat for a quick dash to the pub and maybe a 2hr beginner lesson between hangovers then a 5K jacket might be OK as long as it doesnt rain and its not very windy. If you are going to be doing some serious skiing/boarding way out somewhere in the wilds of the ski resort then I would be looking for a 10K at least. There will be people that claim they have skied Everest in an Aldi 5K jacket, either they have ice in their veins or they were wearing 8 layers of thermals! I ski all over the world and if you shop around you van get clothes 200% better than Aldi for not too much more!
If you are just wanting the cheapest gear for a weekend once a year then Aldi is probably your best bet. Quite regularly the 'deal of the day' website www.1-day.com.au has snow gear sales but you have to check each day at mid day to see if it is on. www.Catchoftheday.com.au had some Dragon ski goggles for sale yesterday at great prices. I would expect the Dragon goggles to be better than Aldi goggles, there is nothing worse than goggles that fog up when you are skiing/boarding.
In terms of serious gear, I have bought all of mine from overseas, mostly from the US. If you are buying from overseas you need to be careful of shipping costs. Some shops have bargains right up until you check the postage costs. Also, understand that the Northern Hemisphere is in the middle of summer. The reason there is so many bargains is because you are buying what is left over from their last winter. All the styles/colours and sizes have been picked over. Their B&M shops are probably full of board shorts and surfboards so you are buying the clearance rack stuff!
Places I have bought stuff from:
Skis, Snowboards and clothes - www.levelninesports.com I bought my son a snowboard from here, cost me about $150 and arrived in about 3 working days from the US. Also bought some Spyder and Cloudveil ski clothes and a pair of ski boots. Very cheap, good customer service and their website normally has video reviews of most of the clothes as well as a live inventory of sizes. They are having a sale on ski helmets right now, good Smith helmets are going for under $50 according to the email I received earlier in the week.
Clothes: www.sierratradingpost.com Massive site and I have bought loads from these guys. Sign up for their 'Deal Flyer' email service and you get a coupon every day or so for clearance items. Also check on the website www.retailmenot.com for discount codes that you can use at checkout to get additional savings. Reguilarly there are codes for an extra 40% off. I normally only buy gear from these guys that is on special. I am currently skiing in a Descente jacket that was about $700 in the local ski shops and cost me under $200 from Sierra Trading Post!!! Watch out for shipping costs, not too bad but be careful. These guys are also good for things like Thermals and ski socks. I have loads of ski socks that sell for up to $50 locally that I bought from these guys for $5-$6 on special. You will also get gloves, neck warmers etc cheap from these guys as well.
Clothes, maybe snowboard boots/bindings www.outdoorsportsguys.com I have bought my kids ski clothes, snowboard boots and bindings from these guys. Hit and miss as to what is left but worth a look at their specials. Their postage was reasonable.
Clothes: Amazon.com Occasionally they have a sale, I bought some good Spyder gear earlier in the year but the cupboard looks bare right now!
There are loads of other sites, some don't post to Oz, some brands wont let their gear be sold outside of the US to protect international distributors etc. Some of the biggest online shops like backcountry.com have an amazing range but the cost of their shipping makes buying from them normally non viable. If you are looking for something unique or want to shop around, there are 2 comparison sites I use:
www.spadout.com is a specialty outdoor gear shopping comparison website. US based so the cheapest results might not ship to Aust (so you would need to use a mail forwarding agent)
www.thefind.com a general comparison site for the US but I find it is good for ski stuff comparisons.
This question comes around every once in a while.
Your reply is very helpful. I think we should create a OB wiki and your reply should be added on skigear.
Thanks so much for the long response. I'll read it when I get home tonight. I'm an avid snowboarder having snowboarded for close to 15 years, so I'm definitely after quality gear.
Bump.
Thanks for the very helpful replies. Got a giro g10 for $70 from torpedo7. =)
Aldi had some snow gear a few weeks ago, I noticed some left in the Canterbury store last week. Check any Aldi. wilderness.net.au are having a sale.