My friend, Kay Beckerman, recently asked me to repost my recommendations about clothing to wear while cross-country skiing, and I am happy to oblige.
Along with the maxim that there is no bad weather, only bad clothing choices, I would add that to be truly comfortable while out cross-country skiing, you do have to under-dress a bit and be willing to be uncomfortable for the first 5 minutes while you get your heart rate up and start producing heat internally. If you go out in a big parka that you feel cosy in while standing still and then start skiing, you will soon be sweating, and sweating=getting cold and miserable.
In Fargo, where we often have wind, it can be tricky to balance the wind protection you want to stay warm in the wind, with the breathability you need to expel excess heat when your body is working hard. Specialized ski clothes are expensive, and I have been a skier through many years of living below the poverty level, so I know there are workarounds that are less expensive. For example, clothing for winter bicycling is less expensive and does double duty for cycling (and using a bike for transportation instead of a car is one way I survived those lean years). I have also made a lot of my ski clothes myself with a serger, a roll of fleece and a roll of stretchy lycra.
Basically, dress in layers and don't wear cotton that gets wet and stays wet. Fabrics like polypropylene and wool that are breathable, wick moisture away from the body, and still insulate you even when wet are the best choices. When using wind protection, choose shells that have some panels that are breathable. Windblocking material in the front of a jacket and breathable material in the back works well.
That said, here is an example of what I wore on a day when it was 18 below.
From top to bottom: a fleece hat (thicker than the hats I usually wear), earmuffs, and a neck gaiter; Three layers on top: a thin skintight Odlo baselayer, a fleece sweater, and an REI shell. Two layers on my legs: Odlo baselayer and Novara bike tights with a wind panel in the front. Smartwool socks, Alpina boots with thinsulate. I wore lobster mitts. If I were to stay out longer than the hour I was out, I would add overbooties and a liner to my mitts. Possibly a thicker layer under my bike pants would be helpful too.
For today, when it was 15 above, I swapped out the thick hat for a thinner one, and a thin shirt for the fleece. I stayed toasty for 2 hours.
Along with the maxim that there is no bad weather, only bad clothing choices, I would add that to be truly comfortable while out cross-country skiing, you do have to under-dress a bit and be willing to be uncomfortable for the first 5 minutes while you get your heart rate up and start producing heat internally. If you go out in a big parka that you feel cosy in while standing still and then start skiing, you will soon be sweating, and sweating=getting cold and miserable.
In Fargo, where we often have wind, it can be tricky to balance the wind protection you want to stay warm in the wind, with the breathability you need to expel excess heat when your body is working hard. Specialized ski clothes are expensive, and I have been a skier through many years of living below the poverty level, so I know there are workarounds that are less expensive. For example, clothing for winter bicycling is less expensive and does double duty for cycling (and using a bike for transportation instead of a car is one way I survived those lean years). I have also made a lot of my ski clothes myself with a serger, a roll of fleece and a roll of stretchy lycra.
Basically, dress in layers and don't wear cotton that gets wet and stays wet. Fabrics like polypropylene and wool that are breathable, wick moisture away from the body, and still insulate you even when wet are the best choices. When using wind protection, choose shells that have some panels that are breathable. Windblocking material in the front of a jacket and breathable material in the back works well.
That said, here is an example of what I wore on a day when it was 18 below.
From top to bottom: a fleece hat (thicker than the hats I usually wear), earmuffs, and a neck gaiter; Three layers on top: a thin skintight Odlo baselayer, a fleece sweater, and an REI shell. Two layers on my legs: Odlo baselayer and Novara bike tights with a wind panel in the front. Smartwool socks, Alpina boots with thinsulate. I wore lobster mitts. If I were to stay out longer than the hour I was out, I would add overbooties and a liner to my mitts. Possibly a thicker layer under my bike pants would be helpful too.
For today, when it was 15 above, I swapped out the thick hat for a thinner one, and a thin shirt for the fleece. I stayed toasty for 2 hours.
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