| When putting on clothes in preparation for downhill | | | | allows for a greater degree of movement when |
| skiing, there is one central goal: to prevent getting | | | | skiing. However, the fabric is sometimes not |
| cold. Naturally, when one puts oneself in a situation | | | | completely waterproof, a definite drawback. A |
| that requires remaining in the snow for hours at a | | | | waterproofing spray may be used to counter this |
| time, maintaining an acceptable body temperature | | | | problem. Additionally, the style of tucking the pants |
| becomes paramount. The accepted approach when | | | | into the boots does create at least one logistical |
| selecting skiing clothes is to combine garments that | | | | problem. If a person falls down, snow can often |
| will retain body heat with those that will prevent | | | | become packed into the space between the inside of |
| moisture intrusion. One of the most essential clothing | | | | the boot and the shin. Not only does this bruise the |
| items, as one might expect, are the ski pants. No | | | | shin while skiing, but when the snow melts, it travels |
| matter what a skier does, at some point her pants | | | | down the pants and into the boot, making the foot |
| are going to come into contact wit snow. Therefore, | | | | cold and wet. To avoid this problem, boot gaiters |
| it is very important that her pants be able to repel | | | | may be used. A boot gaiter is essentially a piece of |
| water. At the same time, the legs must be kept | | | | waterproof cloth that wraps around the boot and |
| warm enough that the muscles continue to function, | | | | the pant leg, effectively sealing off the boot. |
| yet scantily clad enough to allow for adequate | | | | Most outside-the-boot ski pants are noticeably bulkier |
| movement. Clearly, there are a number of | | | | than the tucked in versions. This bulkiness can |
| prerequisites that must be met when choosing the | | | | hamper movement to some extent. However, the |
| correct pair of ski pants. | | | | trade off is that these pants tend to be warmer and |
| Downhill ski pants, at least those designed for | | | | are often made of completely waterproof materials. |
| women, fall into two basic categories: those that go | | | | The issue snowpack at the shins is eliminated. An |
| outside the boots and those that go inside. Ski | | | | additional bonus is the fact that these pants tend to |
| clothing, like all other apparel, undergoes fashion | | | | have more pockets, which are always sealable with |
| trends. If one takes a look at the pants being worn | | | | Velcro or zippers. |
| by the female skiers of today, it becomes plain that | | | | It should be noted that the evolution of |
| most of them favor the outside-the-boots style. | | | | snowboarding clothes has effected what people are |
| However, a similar poll taken fifteen years ago would | | | | wearing on their legs to ski. Some skiers have |
| have revealed just the opposite trend. It is probably | | | | adopted the cargo-style pants traditionally used in |
| safe to assume that these two styles will continue to | | | | snowboarding. Such pants are essentially completely |
| trade off the top spot. | | | | waterproof versions of typical cargo pants: quite |
| Inside-the-boot pants tend to be very formfitting. | | | | baggy and possessing multiple pockets. Snowboarding |
| These pants are of a comparatively thin fabric, which | | | | pants also fall under the outside-the-boot category. |