Skiing is by no means a budget sport. Even if you have all your own gear, a single day lift ticket can run upwards of $120. (At Vail and Beaver Creek, tickets cost as much as $169, which is currently the steepest rate for a day of turns in the country, and that doesn’t include the most expensive chicken fingers money can buy.) There’s also lodging, meals and the inevitable hot chocolate (or beer).
And then there’s the gear. There’s a lot of it, and like everything else that comes with skiing, it’s downright expensive. If you aren’t an avid skier with easy access to a mountain or only make a few trips per year, then owning all the hardgoods may not make sense (that can all be rented anyway).
When it comes to softgoods, there are a ton of options, and unlike other activities, the price usually does reflect quality, at least on the lower end of the spectrum. For the one-trip-per-year skier, buying an entire ski kit will seem like an unnecessary expense — it’s not. That down jacket you wear around town isn’t as waterproof as you think, and no, sunglasses are not a substitute for goggles.
Luckily, there are a handful of brands making solid gear that’ll stand up to mountain elements without putting too big a dent in your wallet. Below, you’ll find a selection of the best bang-for-your-buck ski gear — jackets, pants, helmets, goggles and gloves, or in other words, everything you can’t get at the rental shop.
Jackets
A ski jacket should be two things: waterproof and warm. But a jacket should also have practical features like pockets and vents, and look good enough to take you straight to the bar when the lifts stop spinning.
Wyeast Jacket by Dakine $260
Gatekeeper Jacket by The North Face $299
3-In-1 Snowshot Jacket by Patagonia $399
