If you鈥檝e ventured into the sport of cross-country skiing,听you鈥檝e likely made the mistake of being hopelessly overdressed and underprepared. As if this听weren鈥檛听already the world鈥檚 hardest sport, you鈥檝e weighed yourself down with parkas and snow pants, which inevitably wind up sweaty and unzipped, superfluous layers flapping in the wind. Symptoms听also include drenched neck gaiters and oversize听fleece hats haphazardly stuffed into HotHands-filled pockets in a moment of desperation.
Yes,听cross-country skiing is hard. But the real issue is听that you鈥檝e dressed听yourself like you鈥檙e going downhill, not up. To the uninitiated, this is an easy mistake to make. Even seasoned nordies are prone to overdressing sometimes.
After four years听as a professional nordic racer, I鈥檝e amassed an armload of tricks that make a day on skinny skis much more enjoyable.
To start, drop any preconceived notions of what you think is cool in snow sports. Baggy jackets? Nope. Helmets and goggles? Nix. Nordic ski style is part cyclist, part speed racer, and undeniably Scandanavian, with pieces that are slim, simple, sleek, and highly functional. Since it鈥檚 an aerobic sport like running, cross-country skiing layeringusually doesn鈥檛 require too many clothes to keep you warm. The key is to wear just enough to avoid getting cold without winding up overheating on the first hill. Unless you鈥檙e doing a lot of standing around (think: long, slow skis with lots of wildlife-viewing breaks and snack pit stops), you likely don鈥檛 need more than two layers each on your top and bottom. You certainly do not need a heavy parka on top of fleecy layers. Here鈥檚 what I recommend.
Choose Your Underthings Wisely
Generally speaking, start your layering from the inside and work outward. First, wear a pair of moisture-wicking undies that fully covers your butt. Most women and a few men will understand the distinction I鈥檓 making here. Second, start your upper-body layering system with a light, tight tank top; this piece will warm your core while also keeping your arms free for movement. I borrow from the cyclists鈥 playbook and have a couple muscle-cut merino base layers on hand for extra chilly days. Add a long-sleeved base layer on top. For warm days, skip the tank and head straight for the base layer.
As for socks, you鈥檒l want a pair that鈥檚 lightweight and not wooly. Heavy socks can retain moisture and cause blisters, even in the winter. You鈥檒l also want socks that rise above your ankles to keep out snow. As long as your feet are moving, your toes will be warm. If you鈥檒l be doing significant standing around in your ski boots (cheering on the sidelines of a race or hanging out by a scenic view) or if it鈥檚 particularly windy, boot covers听add extra protection for your feet.
Layer Up Your Torso
Once you have your next-to-skin layers dialed, you鈥檒l want to add a soft, breathable jacket, like one you鈥檇 wear for running or fast-paced hiking. Great cross-country ski jackets are lightweight, stretchy, slightly wind blocking and moisture resistant, and have several pockets for snacks. If it鈥檚 cold, don听a light vest as well. In fact, bring the vest along no matter what. In warm temperatures, you can wear it over your base layer without a jacket.
Wear Soft-Shell Pants鈥攐r No Pants!
For the legs, two layers will be enough. Start with a pair of light long undies (merino wool听is the best听because it resists stink) with either a pair of cross-country pants听(more on those below) or a set of spandex tights.
Like jackets, good cross-country ski pants will be light and breathable. They鈥檙e typically made of a stretchy soft-shell material听so that they鈥檒l wick moisture and move with you, and they鈥檒l have a fitted cut. Some might feature听slight wind resistance in front with a more breathable fabric听in back. I use听mine听for camping during the summer and running in the fall.
But the fun thing about nordic skiing is that you actually don鈥檛 have to wear pants. Nordorks love spandex. If you have a pair of running tights, those will work really well, especially in temperatures of around 30 degrees or more. (Just make sure that you wear them under your boots, not stretched over them, ya noob!)
Accessorize
Finish off your kit with a neck gaiter, hat, and gloves. Light Lycra neckies with no fleece are best, except on extra cold days when you might want additional听insulation. Either way, they warm up the cold air around your face and in your throat, reducing your risk for lung burn, .
For your hat or headband, say it with me now:听鈥淟ighter is better.鈥 Careful, though. Your neighborhood ski shop might try to sell you something called a racing hat,听because you鈥檙e buying all this other cool gear and clearly fit in with the nordies. These things are spandexy and tight, likely have your local听ski-club logo screen-printed onto them, and have gained the nickname 鈥渃ondom caps鈥 in the ski world for a reason. Best to avoid them听unless you want to look like a dork. .
Finally, opt for gloves over mittens. Unlike听downhill skiing,听proper cross-country form requires you to grip your pole each time you plant it and then听release听the grip as your follow through your stride, which means you need good dexterity鈥攁nd mittens are like hot prisons for your fingers. I听always have three pairs of gloves ready to deploy: a听lightweight pair, an insulated听pair, and one set of lobster gloves that offer the warmth of mitts without compromising too much fine motor control.
Pro tip: when shopping for gloves, look for a thoughtfully placed patch of fleece on the outside part of the thumb. That鈥檚 a very important feature designed specially for nose wiping. You鈥檙e gonna need it.
Wear Sunglasses鈥擜ny Sunglasses
This doesn鈥檛 have to do with layering, but I cannot stress it enough: goggles are not sunglasses. are for shredding pow and protecting your face from the pounding downhill airflow. They鈥檙e heavy, tight, and tend to fog up when you get hot. When worn without a helmet (which you also should not wear for nordic skiing), goggles听also make you look like a Minion. Leave them at home.
When choosing what eyewear to bring, don鈥檛 get too caught up in fashion. Any sunglasses will do, so long as they cover your eyes. The ideal option is a pair that has听interchangeable lenses for different sun levels. Large-framed sunnies are very hot right now with the nordies. But wearing nothing is still better than wearing goggles.