Ski Gear Prep: Get Your Kit Ready Before the Snow

Check your kit while you still have time

Do not wait until the first day on the slopes to discover the jacket leaks. Get the whole set out – ski jacket, ski trousers, gloves, mittens, neck gaiter and mid-layers – and go through it in good time. Most garments need maintenance, not replacement.

• Drop-test the shell on jacket and trousers: if water beads, the proofing is good; if it soaks in, the garment needs washing and re-proofing.
• Check whether gloves and mittens have stains, stiff leather areas or worn fingertips.
• Test the zips in the jacket, trousers and pockets up and down – cold and snow are hard on sluggish hardware.
• Look for worn seams and taped seams that have started to lift.

Wash your ski gear before you re-proof

Ski gear gets dirty from sweat, sunscreen and ski wax, and proofing will not bond to dirt. A wash first is therefore not optional – it is what makes the new treatment last. Wash the jacket and trousers separately from the gloves.

1. Close all zips and hook-and-loop, and secure loose straps so they do not fray in the drum.
2. Use a technical wash for shell and outdoor garments, not ordinary detergent or fabric softener.
3. Wash at the temperature the care label recommends, and run an extra rinse.
4. Let the garments dry fully before you proof them.

Re-proof the shell, trousers and mittens

On clean garments the proofing settles evenly and restores the water- and snow-repellency. Use spray when you want to keep the product on the outer fabric – handy on lined ski jackets and trousers – or wash-in for even coverage on simpler shells. Activate the treatment with gentle heat according to the care label, either a low tumble dry or a low iron with a cloth in between, so slush beads off again.

Do not forget gloves and mittens

Gloves and mittens soak through first and are forgotten most often. Textile gloves can be proofed with spray the same way as the shell. If the gloves have leather palms, the leather should not be sprayed with textile proofing – it needs its own leather product that keeps the leather soft and water-repellent. Treat textile and leather separately, and let gloves dry at room temperature, never on the radiator.

Check zips and seams before the lift opens

A zip that fails on the mountain in sub-zero temperatures ruins the day. Run each zip up and down and look for teeth that will not close, or a slider that opens itself. Feel for loose seams at the crotch and shoulders where the strain is greatest, and check whether taped seams inside have started to lift. Small things you fix yourself; a fully worn zip or lifting seam tape is a job for a professional.

When should ski gear go to a professional?

If the ski jacket or trousers are expensive and technical, if you are unsure about the membrane and taped seams, or if the gloves need leather care you are not equipped for, you can send the garments to us – we help you across Norway. We clean and re-proof according to the garment and its care label, and can replace a worn zip or seal a seam in the same round, so your kit is ready before the snow arrives. You order online, and you see the price before you order.

Frequently asked questions