for the most part your car harts should get u buy best thing u should up grade is gloves

 

Good helmet and Gloves are a must best way to ruin a ride is cold hands and/or frosted up helmet shield or goggles. In regards to bibs and jacket ur carhartt will keep you warm just not a very athletic feeling in my experience

 

Good helmet and Gloves are a must best way to ruin a ride is cold hands and/or frosted up helmet shield or goggles.

I agree, helmet and gloves are key.

but seriously, like ANY outdoor sport it is much more enjoyable done in good quality clothing suited for the activity.

if you shop around you can find good deals on Klim, FXR or OEM brand clothing, look for stuff that's waterPROOF and breathable, Gore-Tex is your pal. also keep in mind that if you buy good stuff it should last for a very long time, and cheap is usually just that, CHEAP. a few years ago when I got back into the sport I bought a Klim coat and bibs leftover (older style by one year) from Country Cat for 1/3rd of what the current models cost at the time, they are just as warm, comfortable, vented and waterproof as the full priced current models. this is a sport in which being uncomfortable, wet and/or cold will make for a miserable day. At the worst, at least get waterproof shells to wear over the Carhartt's.


EDIT: $400ish for a non-current pair of Klim bibs and a jacket
Riding Gear if not in your size, change some parameters on the left of the page.

also check here, https://skidoooutlet.com/outerwear/?season=snow&model-year=2020,2019,2018,2017&age=adult

or here, Best Snowmobile Jackets for Racing & Riding - Buy Winter Jackets

 

Carharts suck ass but you don't have to buy klim that stuff is way over priced.
There are lots of brands just as good or better, for less money. And you don't look like a yuppie.
Carharts are heavy and wet and are ok around the farm but not very good for riding.
There are even lots of used clothing for sale either on Facebook groups or craigslist. Fxr has good stuff and I've been very happy with my Arctic cat gear. Biggest thing with carharts is it gets wet and heavy and it stays wet and it's just lame. Don't waste your money on Klim though.

 

Layering is key, to the conditions you are riding in.
And DO NOT wear cotton as your base layer !
Base layer should be a good quality synthetic blend that has WICKING properties.

Carhart is ok, I wore em the first year or two of my riding, but they are only water resistant, not waterproof,and heavy. I wouldn’t wear them anymore.

Choco is a good brand, and much less expensive than Klim. You pay a lot for the name with Klim. Not saying it’s not good gear, it is. But you can get quality gear for much less. Do your research, you don’t need to spend that kind of [emoji383] on quality gear.

I recommend gauntlets on your sled too, gloves aren’t nearly as critical when you have these.

All of this is my own opinion of course, except the cotton, that’s FACT. Cotton traps perspiration to your skin.

Good boots are a MUST too, gotta be prepared out there....hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.

 

Good boots are a MUST too, gotta be prepared out there....hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.

Boots recommendations?

All I have are cold weather hunting boots and they KILL my ankles.

 

It also depends on your riding plans. I mostly go back and forth from my cabin (5 miles) and occasionally ice fishing around the lake. I either way Carhardt knockoff lined jeans or my regular old snowpants, with a warm jacket and a pair of chopper mittens. If I were going to ride trails for 6 hours in -10 temps, I would probably upgrade to better jacket and gloves.

Your planned type of riding and the weather makes a difference. I would also say that you shouldn't push your wife on cold days to do long rides. If she gets cold/wet/sore and doesn't want to ride again, then you've dropped a lot of coin on a hobby that only you will want to do in the future.

 

Does not matter what you wear as long as it keeps you warm. The wife sounds very practical and most of the time it pays to listen. I think she is right on this one and if she was ok spending cash on the cool toys and other things so far I would say ride out this season with what you have and pickup some new gear next year if its in the cards.

 

The main thing to keeping warm is keeping the “bare” spots covered and warm. Head(helmet), face/neck(balaclava/neckie) and hands(long cuffed gloves. Most sleds keep your feet warm if you ride feet forward. Layer your jacket and pants/bibs.
As for fashion......that’s up to you!!!
Whatever you wear, ride!!!!


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It's the warmth triangle. Helmet, gloves and boots. Without these staying dry and warm you are doomed. Spend the money there. Use your Carharts for now and layer up. I've not often been cold if those three are warm and im layered up. From there you can make sure you both are enjoying the sport and can add stuff. Remember the good clothing, though expensive, will last a decade.

 

When it comes to boots just make sure they are warm. They dont need to be $600 "snowmobile"boots just whatetever you would wear to stay warm outside all day.

 

If you have larger windshields you can skimp on snowmobile specific gear for a season and then some. Wind protection will combat getting cold the most.

Best budget friendly snowmobile gear, arctiva, drift, hjc, choko. Fxr is is getting into the higher end, while not being anywhere near klim prices.

gloves you should get. Otherwise good brands with more material on top of your hands if you can find them for gloves. Your hands will be warm from the warmers.

Boots there are many options. I habe hjc snowmobile boots. They are 95 bucks a pair. I'm on my second set. My last set lasted 10 years before the insulation broke down. Ive never had cold wet feet when they werent broke down. Also they are easy to put on. No laces. Just ratchet and Velcro. If you go with the hjc boots get one size bigger than your shoe size.

Your in Minnesota so you have dennis Kirk for last years left over gear. Also up north sports has a massive selection on last years gear on their website ive bought from them before with good deals. Many dealerships have old new gear for sale also. Its always best to try gear on. But if you cant, find the manufactures measurement chart and havd you and your wife measure yourselves and write down the measurements.

 

I'm gonna check out the HJC boots. I know my hunting boots will keep my feet warm, but they're freaking huge and uncomfortable.

I'm literally 20 minutes from Dennis Kirk. We were there last week getting helmets, so I'll check their closeout stuff.

Thank you!!!

 

Nothing will ruin your day like being cold. One thing to think about. Some clothing items that are designed to keep you warm aren't necessarily real wind proof or waterproof. Some of these clothing items are application specific. Snowmobile gear is designed to keep you dry and wind from penetrating your garments while traveling at high rates of speed. I have winter clothes that work great for fishing, hunting, or snow blowing my driveway but would fail miserably traveling 60 miles an hour down a trail at 10 degrees. Keeping the wind out and staying dry is important but also be comfortable. I wear Castle X jackets and bibs. Also have Ski Doo, HJC, and Arctic Cat stuff. Castle X gloves. Three different balaclavas. A neck toque is a must. Good base layers items are important. Don't wear denim. No heat retention at all and is usually stiff. Cotton doesn't have real good insulating qualities and loses most all of it's heat retention capability when wet or damp. I like fleece lined items. Wool is stretchy, comfortable, and retains body heat even when wet. You don't have to spend big money on gear. I bought a pair of Lacrosse pac boots on sale at Gander Mtn for $75. Good to minus 30 degrees. My feet have never even been chilled in them. There is a lot of used snowmobile gear for sale on Craigs List locally. Stick to the name brand stuff. Don't skimp on gloves or helmets. Warm hands are your friend. For a helmet there are many. I would go electric shield. Got it if you need it. Snug but not tight. Drafty noisy helmets suck. More view is better.

 

Nothing will ruin your day like being cold. One thing to think about. Some clothing items that are designed to keep you warm aren't necessarily real wind proof or waterproof. Some of these clothing items are application specific. Snowmobile gear is designed to keep you dry and wind from penetrating your garments while traveling at high rates of speed. I have winter clothes that work great for fishing, hunting, or snow blowing my driveway but would fail miserably traveling 60 miles an hour down a trail at 10 degrees. Keeping the wind out and staying dry is important but also be comfortable. I wear Castle X jackets and bibs. Also have Ski Doo, HJC, and Arctic Cat stuff. Castle X gloves. Three different balaclavas. A neck toque is a must. Good base layers items are important. Don't wear denim. No heat retention at all and is usually stiff. Cotton doesn't have real good insulating qualities and loses most all of it's heat retention capability when wet or damp. I like fleece lined items. Wool is stretchy, comfortable, and retains body heat even when wet. You don't have to spend big money on gear. I bought a pair of Lacrosse pac boots on sale at Gander Mtn for $75. Good to minus 30 degrees. My feet have never even been chilled in them. There is a lot of used snowmobile gear for sale on Craigs List locally. Stick to the name brand stuff. Don't skimp on gloves. Warm hands are your friend.

Thanks my man. You've been a great help here.
Looking forward to making a ride together. Thanks again for the help.

 

Dennis Kirk is a GREAT resource ! [emoji106]

 

I am about 30 miles from Dennis Kirk. Great place to go to try stuff on before buying. Just got a new set of carbides from them.

 

oh, and look into a Tekvest

it's like a mask, for your ribs, spine and internal organs

 

Good call, I don’t ride without mine on. Forgot to mention that.

The price of admission to the sport is pricey, but SO worth it. Then the obsession kicks in !

 

Hey Fruity, the important question is....what kind of sleds did you get ?

 

2016 Polaris Switchback Pro S 600, that is now the wife's model. (5k miles)
2015 Ski Doo GSX SE 1200 4-tec for Daddy (5k miles).

 

If you're in MN there is the fxr outlet store, Dennis Kirk, and check out Bob's Cycle. Bob's has all the major clothing lines, you can try on all the gloves and mittens there, as well as all the other gear you could buy, good prices locally owned, often big sales too.

 

so in summary, yes - you do need good quality and value priced riding gear.

 

 

I like Spanky’s a lot too.

 

 

Notice they are both ski doos because one is always powerful enough to get two home [emoji2]

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What kind of trailer did you get ?

 

@Toecutter61

 

best advice i can give on boots read the label there r two types , active ,and non active types to my knowledge ratings , i buy mine with the highest non active rating , exp mine r -55 non active and my feet never get cold. on the flip side a active - 55 will not

 

Go with non-current stuff to save $$. Some guys like the newer styles, selling their year or two old stuff at a very reasonable discount.,and I've bought used if it looks to be a decent deal, and not worn too much. FXR has a lot of nice features on their stuff, the high end stuff (Klim, Motorfist) is a step above in most cases. What size boots you wear? I have a decent pair of Motorfist for sale, size 11, but they ran tight that model, so a ten to 10.5 fits pretty good. I have them listed in the stuff for sale section on here.. Snowest has a section for clothing, too. One of the nice things about going to snowmobile shows, is they often have close-outs for cheap. Trying stuff on there can help determine if they fit well, can be a money saver if you find something you like, and it could be on sale later or online if not ready to buy that day. I wear a Tekvest, so I keep that in mind if sizing a close-out if it would fit underneath and not be too bulky. Layering is important... newer fabrics wick away moisture rather than causing you to over heat, sweat, and then get cold. Dennis Kirk has a lot of choices, I had em bring out 50 pairs of gloves before I settled on two pair one day.

 

Go with non-current stuff to save $$. Some guys like the newer styles, selling their year or two old stuff at a very reasonable discount.,and I've bought used if it looks to be a decent deal, and not worn too much.

+1,
I've bought lots of stuff on discount / clearance, at ~40 to 80% off (and even 90% for some brand new Klim Extreme pants, but with suspenders needing replacement.)

As for base layer, for longer trips I prefer merino wool.

Tekvest: I havent ridden with a tekvest, but I've sported a dainese back protector, won't ride without

 

Your clothing can be warm but if you get wet your screwed. Their are 3-4 types of fabric that is 100% waterproof and breathable. Gortex and variations of it. @bedlam bikes or @culator can go over specifics of each material because they sell gear that is made from it.
My katahdin bibs are super warm but if I make the mistake of wearing them when it's wet snowy out and they get soaked. My Klim bibs do not. Worth every penny. You can buy used or closeout to not make it sting so much.

 

This sport is not inexpensive. You don’t always need top of the line everything but in my experience, sooner or later, I end up there after I’ve wasted a bunch of money on the inexpensive stuff. That said, yes, all of my riding gear is now Klim. I’ve bought bits and pieces of it over the years and some of it is actually pretty old but all of it works MUCH better than any of the cheaper stuff that I’ve had. Hell, my boots are almost 12 seasons old now and are still plenty warm!

I agree with the layering part. Whatever you’re doing, layer. This will take time for you to determine what layers work best for you in what conditions but once you figure it out, you’ll never go back. 👍🏻

 

Can’t agree more I wear mostly Klim gear and love it. It’s pricey but does the job of keeping me warm and dry. You got 2 nice sleds don’t let your clothing option ruin your trips

 

Do not wear Carharts, they get wet, stay wet and you freeze. As mentioned previously, you do not need KLIM or FXR stuff to stay warm and dry, but those are top notch stuff. There are deals on non-current OEM clothing too. There are brands that cost less, but may offer less- but still offer the features you want/need- like staying warm and dry. Same with boots and gloves. There are good economical alternatives out there, even used.