Heliski Holiday: Outer Jackets
Outer jackets form one of the most important parts of any outdoor enthusiasts kit. They can range in quality, style and of course, price, but how much do you know about how your jacket works? And If you’re looking for a new one before your next heli-skiing holiday, which do you choose when there’s so much variety on the market? If your skiing endless days over a winter, or even just coming for a small amount of heliskiing in Canada then we want to point you in the right direction. So, here’s our guide to kitting yourself out with the most appropriate gear.
A completely waterproof jacket, in the true sense of the word, is just not practical for heliskiing, or any kind of outdoor action sport. The bright orange rubber suits worn by sailors in the northern seas are great for their purpose, but for skiing you’ll want something a bit more breathable. And this is where the payoff comes – finding the best balance between waterproofing and breathability for the intended purpose.
A waterproof, breathable fabric literally has a membrane-like coating, or a high energy surface that repels liquids from the outside but allows moisture to escape from inside. In this way the snow doesn’t pass through to your skin, but just as important the sweat released from your body through the physical exertion of skiing has chance to escape, making for a drier and more comfortable time on the mountains.
A combination of the most extreme of wet weathers, and the high output activity of hiking for miles, or spending a good 100 days on the mountain, then a jacket that utilizes GORE-TEX® fabric, in particular the Pro Shell and PacLite versions, is a must. Used by many different companies on their high-end gear, GORE-TEX® is really the best in breathable waterproof fabrics. This is not surprising if we look and see how long and how hard the company has worked to produce the best material for us outdoor types.
Since the jackets first hit the market in 1976 they’ve been truly leading the field. Only PTFE membranes such as eVent can rival this, but can be harder to manufacture and subsequently harder to find.
For more casual use, (and this can actually include heliskiing with use at Last Frontier – our snow’s so dry anyway!) we would recommend a GORE-TEX® Performance shell, or anything by leading brands, some examples being Helly Hansen with their HellyTech XP or Patagonia’s H2No fabrics. Combined with welded or fully tapered seams, unless you manage to fall into a river somewhere along the way, you should remain nice and dry all day long, with no worries but looking great as you rip down the mountain.
Tags: Heli Skiing, Heliskiing, Heli Ski, Heliski, Heli Skiing Tour, Heli Skiing Holiday, Heli Skiing BC, Heli Skiing Resorts, Heli Skiing Lodges