Telemark Talk / Telemark Tips Forum

Ok so has anyone found long underwear you can put on without taking your skis off? I’d like to be able to drop my shell pants to my ankles and put on long underwear. It’s gonna need either a zipper, buttons, or Velcro up each leg to put em on.

Or maybe asked a different way, what do y’all use to layer and control body temp on your legs? Tops are easy because you don’t need to take your skis and boots off.

Cheers!
-kook

I don't use or own these, but I have an AT friend who I ski with who does. It is sort of like a magic trick and every time he puts them on or takes them off he lets me know what a marvel they are. It is his way of countering my magic skis, boots, and bindings.

I tend to assume I won't be changing legwear during the day, so I check the temperature before hand and decide on my layers. I normally ski in pants with venting on the legs (typically these: https://www.revolutionrace.no/herre/buk ... Color=9502). That way I can regulate my temperature depending on output - also if I'm overheating, then unzipping/removing a layer from my top half is way more effective!

I do normally carry a pair of these: https://www.swixsport.com/no/klar/herre ... 5952355368 if I'm going to be stopping for any length of time. I just layer them on top to trap warmth, then remove them when it's time to get moving, I also have a full length version, the one I carry will depend again on weather, length of trip, terrain, etc.

I'm looking for socks that I can change without removing my boots...

my leg warmth system consists of a number of things, but I have never found the need to change my base layer while skiing. my experience ranges from -40F to +40F.

- under armor long johns
- Salomon running tights
- Smartwool 350 weight long johns
- smart wool wind briefs

- dynafit softshell pants
- Helly Hanson bibs
- skimo race suit
- Swix full zip warmup pants

by mix and matching the stuff listed above, I have never thought I needed to change my base layer

I'm trying to imagine a scenario where I would want shell pants and on/off of base layer. I think that would have to be a long tour in deep wet snow where temps are swinging up/down or wind conditions are extremely variable. I have not yet been in this situation...so I have not worked out a solution.

I only wear wool underwear and socks plus a thin silk t-shirt to stop any itch. I have skied down to the minus 40 range and never felt any need to wear more than my medium weight merino wool long johns, my fairly thin Arcteryx ski pants and when very cold a GTX shell pant over it.

For winter camping I have a pair of US army $10 insulated pants liners. You could buy one of these and split it, seal the split and sew some velcro strips and have a $15 solution. BTW these are priceless for winter camping and boost your sleeping bag rating, got my ten bucks worth! They are very light.

They actually make some that have button already in that go all the way down the leg, harder to find but they are out there.

I think it's a better idea to lighten up your shell pants and/or base layer, so that the base layer and your shell pants combined are never too warm. Then it's easy to add some full zip pants, either a second, burlier shell, or something insulated, over the top for lunch/rests/camp. I have shells that are very light,just a single layer of windproof, not waterproof, fabric plus they have thigh vents, so I can wear them over my base layer until it gets seriously warm. When it is that warm I will take them off and ski in just the base layer; and at those temps not really a big deal to stop and take off my boots to do it, so these pants do not have full side zips - to save weight. But we are talking temperatures in the 60's for the shells to come off.
I could just go without the base layer, and just have pants that are about right for nearly always, and add warmth over for rest/lunch/camp, but I have found myself skiing in the base layer enough times to like that option. I could just ski in shorts on those days, but at 10 or 12k elevation, all that UV makes for a heck of a lot of sunscreen I would need!