New rider and just bought my first sled... help a guy out.. Should I really plan to spend at least $1000 here? I need everything essentially. I am overwhelmed with all the options and where to look and go. I am also a bigger guy (6'1" 250lb) so not sure buying online without trying stuff on is smart. Recommendations? Tips? Thanks!
Revobasher
I NEED GEAR!
Unfortunately there aren't snow shows this year. That's a good place to pick up some good deals and try things on. People on here can give you some tips but first share what kind of riding you are going to be doing, temps, time of day, on or off trail or mix, etc. How much do you want to spend? First things to decide if you want to buy insulated gear or a layering system, and also what kind of helmet you want - full face or goggles. You don't have to spend $1,000 but it's not hard to do either. Not sure where you are at but getting to a bigger dealer with a bunch of brands would be a good place to start for sizing and type of gear.
Well your going to get a lot of opinions. But remember you get what you pay for, but you also do not need top of the line. Initially you will spend a lot. And then change it up every few years. Best bang for your buck is FXR. My fuel gloves have been the best glove I have owned. My hands never get cold even sub zero I have no a low windshield w hang guards, no gauntlets. Their jackets are premium as well. As far as pants/bibs, I bought columbia snowboard pants at dicks sporting goods. They have lasted me 10 years. They are wider, more pockets and non rescrictive.
Boots- dont skimp out- if your feet get cold your screwed.
I had fxr boots for 12 years same pair, awesome till they gave out.
Now I have 509s and love them. Not as heavy bulky as the fxr, so easier to flip my leg over from gunnel to gunnel.
Helmet- well again a million opinions. You dont need a $500 helmet contrary to belief. HC, 509, BVR Castle all great helmets. I do not recommend sno-cross style w goggles. That look is designed for off trail low speed, not 70 plus mph riding-again my opinion.
Baklava- I hate my klim! Its friggin cold. I have had 2 from Mountain Gear-Amazon which are snow ski baclavas- best money can buy. Super warm in the coldest days.
Base layer- I wear cabela hunting fleece thermals and a pair of sweat pants for comfort.
Under armour cold block shirt base, turtle neck, fleece pull over. Fleece is best it sheers water. Wool is warm, but non breathable and when wet it will stay wet!
Socks- I wear a moisture sickening base layer so my feet dont get cold from sweating and then a heavy cotton sock over.
Search online for deals or buy some used items to start-nithing wrong with that!
I hope this helps! Ride on!!
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Lots of great advice and things to look for . What I have learned . Are you going to wear a Tek Vest ( Upper body protection) . If yes you might need one size up on the jacket . Color. The safest bet is a neutral black or gray . It will match most sleds and if you switch colors of sleds two years from now it will be just fine . You can get a ton of different brands ! Investing in quality stuff makes you more comfortable and they last . You can always do a Goggle search for discounted Snowmobile clothes and you should have 25 places to shop. Helmets are one of the most important pieces of equipment. Get one that fits your needs and is warm . Having something flashy but cold doesn’t work for long . Good luck .
A lot of times people can be tempted to throw the majority of the budget at a fancy, colour coordinated suit. IMO concentrate on better then good quality helmet, boots and gloves. Those are what can make riding unbearable if they get cold, fogged up or uncomfortable. With a basic suit you can always put on extra layers and then just upgrade pieces as you go. Lots of guys change things up frequently so always good deals on "previously enjoyed" high quality stuff. Enjoy the season.
These hjc snowmobile boots ive been using for 15 years. My feet are never cold. I'm on my second pair. You will need to buy one size bigger than your normal shoe size. They can be had new for 60-90 bucks on eBay.
HJC SNOWMOBILE BOOTS BOOT SNOW WINTER NEW SIZE 12 PART NO. 971-012 | eBay.
Castle x or Drift gear is on the lower price point while being good gear. I have castle x snow pants and they fit what you'd expect to be sized at. Snow pants you can be a size too big and still be ok.
Fxr is what i have for a jacket and gloves. Both are very warm. Price is middle of the road. And they fit the same as you would expect for normal cloths.
My helmet is a 509 r3 2.0 with a heated shield. You dont exactly need a heated shield if your buying all gear for your first year of riding. HJC makes really good lower priced snowmobile helmets.
HJC SNOWMOBILE BOOTS BOOT SNOW WINTER NEW SIZE 12 PART NO. 971-012 | eBay.
Castle x or Drift gear is on the lower price point while being good gear. I have castle x snow pants and they fit what you'd expect to be sized at. Snow pants you can be a size too big and still be ok.
Fxr is what i have for a jacket and gloves. Both are very warm. Price is middle of the road. And they fit the same as you would expect for normal cloths.
My helmet is a 509 r3 2.0 with a heated shield. You dont exactly need a heated shield if your buying all gear for your first year of riding. HJC makes really good lower priced snowmobile helmets.
Just another guy with an opinion here...I would plan to spend that much likely easily, but it's your money. I'm big on safety and I ride across lakes often. I bought the FXR FAST tech gear for safety. I also now always ride with a tech vest. Vest can be had around 150. I recommend bibs for warmth and storage. I don't spend $ on gloves, I ride with gauntlets and either mechanics or motocross gloves, receiver gloves, or no gloves as I really like to feel and handle the controls. Boots and helmet are paramount. You don't have to spend big $ on boots IMHO, you can get hunting gear for a lot less. Helmet, I've run the gambit from $150 to my last purchase(just last week) nearly 500. I bought the ckx mission helmet. comfort and safety in a helmet are important to me.
I would say, if you're not convinced you don't need to spend big bucks until you have the bug. Maybe a friend has some used gear you can use. I know I have 3 full sets of gear and If a guy needed to try...
Good Luck!
Neal
I would say, if you're not convinced you don't need to spend big bucks until you have the bug. Maybe a friend has some used gear you can use. I know I have 3 full sets of gear and If a guy needed to try...
Good Luck!
Neal
I have a slightly different approach...I also ice fish a lot, so I use ice fishing gear for snowmobile riding. It is warm, totally windproof and as a bonus it has floatation. Ice fishing gear works for riding, but riding gear isn't so great for fishing. I know it's not for everyone, but it works great for me.
it sort of comes down to HOW COOL you need to look
there are tons of good gear that isn;'t SNOWMOBILE targeted and can work just fine and maybe you already even have some!
the most specific snowmobile item you will need will be a helmet
and this also is a question on price, as they range from cheaper to HIGH, all depending on what you feel you mneed most
MX style and goggles, , or heatedshield
ME, I prefer a heated shield helmet and a modular at that, I find it works best for ME< but this will be something that depends a LOT on where and HOW you ride!
so you have to ask a lot of honest questions about what you/how and where your riding!
but a decent helmet set up can be cheap or HIGH pending what YOU want!(close outs ion helmets are always cheaper to buy, but some times you cannot return close outs so be careful, as IMO< as of the last decade or so, it seems helmet makers sizes vary a LOT from what they used to, they all seem to run smaller now??)
as for gear, like jackets, pants/bibs and so on again, close outs can be your friend on saving $$
but I have used and worn things NON snowmobile related and worked JUST fine, I have a CAT( Caterpillar branded work jacket that I wore for 3 yrs and LOVED it, was wind proof, warm and had a Zillion pockets that safely held things, cost me like 99 bucks at a local Sporting good store and wore in in temps down to minus 30) Still have jacket too and its held up fine to a lot of abuse!
But when dealing with snowmobile gear or things you can wear when riding, it just has to be IMO< wind proof and of decent insulation, water proof is nice, but NOT always needed, most things wind proof have decent water resistance to them
and you can always look at HUNTING gear if no snowmobile shops near you that carry clothing, as much of it is also made to the same specs and designs, just NOT colors to match sleds!
SO< like I said, odds are you may already have some gear that will work just fine
advantages of BETTER snowmobile(or even hunting gear) is they have more venting, to help you cool off, but many folks get by just fine on gear that isn;t top shelf, or most costly
some times its best to ride a first yr in lesser gear and find out what you WANT in better gear, plus along the trails there are many time SHOPS that sell gear , you THEN can try on and remember things and at end of season, odds are NEW gear will come out and that older stuff will end up in close outs, on many online larger stores!
and also, keep in mind, that NOT all folks handle cold the same, so what works for ME or someone else, may NOT be what works for you!
decent layers of gear are a way to start, get some decent base layers you can remove or add, as needed along the trail, a good bag on a sled can carry quite a bit these days
you DON"T have to be super cool looking to enjoy this sport or spend a ton on gear, just try and keep all your outer layer windproof, as wind/windchill is what tends to get most folks cold
all them tiny windscreens sleds have to make them look COOL< do NOTHING to help keep a rider warm, if your not a cold hearty person, investing in a taller windscreen is money well spent, over buying higher costing gear IMO
another tip, you can try, is join a snowmobile club and since most have facebook pages or web sites, and place a add asking if any have any gear they wish to sell, then you an get some deals maybe on good gear, slightly used, as a LOT of guys buy gear often and have extra s laying about they don't use anymore!m, OR want to upgrade,so, asking never hurts and might save you some $$$
there are tons of good gear that isn;'t SNOWMOBILE targeted and can work just fine and maybe you already even have some!
the most specific snowmobile item you will need will be a helmet
and this also is a question on price, as they range from cheaper to HIGH, all depending on what you feel you mneed most
MX style and goggles, , or heatedshield
ME, I prefer a heated shield helmet and a modular at that, I find it works best for ME< but this will be something that depends a LOT on where and HOW you ride!
so you have to ask a lot of honest questions about what you/how and where your riding!
but a decent helmet set up can be cheap or HIGH pending what YOU want!(close outs ion helmets are always cheaper to buy, but some times you cannot return close outs so be careful, as IMO< as of the last decade or so, it seems helmet makers sizes vary a LOT from what they used to, they all seem to run smaller now??)
as for gear, like jackets, pants/bibs and so on again, close outs can be your friend on saving $$
but I have used and worn things NON snowmobile related and worked JUST fine, I have a CAT( Caterpillar branded work jacket that I wore for 3 yrs and LOVED it, was wind proof, warm and had a Zillion pockets that safely held things, cost me like 99 bucks at a local Sporting good store and wore in in temps down to minus 30) Still have jacket too and its held up fine to a lot of abuse!
But when dealing with snowmobile gear or things you can wear when riding, it just has to be IMO< wind proof and of decent insulation, water proof is nice, but NOT always needed, most things wind proof have decent water resistance to them
and you can always look at HUNTING gear if no snowmobile shops near you that carry clothing, as much of it is also made to the same specs and designs, just NOT colors to match sleds!
SO< like I said, odds are you may already have some gear that will work just fine
advantages of BETTER snowmobile(or even hunting gear) is they have more venting, to help you cool off, but many folks get by just fine on gear that isn;t top shelf, or most costly
some times its best to ride a first yr in lesser gear and find out what you WANT in better gear, plus along the trails there are many time SHOPS that sell gear , you THEN can try on and remember things and at end of season, odds are NEW gear will come out and that older stuff will end up in close outs, on many online larger stores!
and also, keep in mind, that NOT all folks handle cold the same, so what works for ME or someone else, may NOT be what works for you!
decent layers of gear are a way to start, get some decent base layers you can remove or add, as needed along the trail, a good bag on a sled can carry quite a bit these days
you DON"T have to be super cool looking to enjoy this sport or spend a ton on gear, just try and keep all your outer layer windproof, as wind/windchill is what tends to get most folks cold
all them tiny windscreens sleds have to make them look COOL< do NOTHING to help keep a rider warm, if your not a cold hearty person, investing in a taller windscreen is money well spent, over buying higher costing gear IMO
another tip, you can try, is join a snowmobile club and since most have facebook pages or web sites, and place a add asking if any have any gear they wish to sell, then you an get some deals maybe on good gear, slightly used, as a LOT of guys buy gear often and have extra s laying about they don't use anymore!m, OR want to upgrade,so, asking never hurts and might save you some $$$
eBay.......You can find great deals on non current gear....I just picked up a set of insulated bibs that normally sell for $229 for $99....I have two boys and we all wear the same size everything so i'm always sniping stuff cheap....your a big dude so there are always deals on the 2x gear. The pants and jackets all run like the same size as normal clothes. Helmets are always and issue so go to a dealer that has multiple brand and types to try on! Goodluck
If you are looking at new gear, look at UpNorth Sports website. They have great video's on a lot of the products they sell. They show someone wearing the jackets and tell you his height/weight. I find the videos very helpful in identifying the jacket or bibs I want.
KLIM has the best face masks in my opinion. Then helmet depend on your style.
KLIM has the best face masks in my opinion. Then helmet depend on your style.
Check out FB marketplace and ebay, always a lot of lightly used gear there. Instead of dedicated snowmobile boots, try Sorel or Baffin. Don't skimp on gloves or helmet. Bibs are key too. I used to ride with an old work coat with lots of layers and I was never cold. Carhart also has some warm options too.
I sell and have worn a lot of different gear. Because I sell a lot of times I buy new more often even if my old stuff isn't worn out or only a year old. I also have bought brands I don't sell because of the name and percieved quality.
Right now I am wearing Fly Racing Snow gear that is only 2 years old and is holding up great. I also have a pair of Klim bibs in perfect shape I use for back up. I have HMK siut I wore for 3 seasons. I tend to spend more on boots. I feel the boots and gloves are the most important. I have the new 509 boa boots and love them. I also wear the 509 Backcountry waterproof and breathable gloves. I would say there in a lot of nice gear in that midddle of the road price range such as 509, Fly racing, HMK, FXR and so on. I would check out the new Fly Racing Snow gear is is really nice.
Right now I am wearing Fly Racing Snow gear that is only 2 years old and is holding up great. I also have a pair of Klim bibs in perfect shape I use for back up. I have HMK siut I wore for 3 seasons. I tend to spend more on boots. I feel the boots and gloves are the most important. I have the new 509 boa boots and love them. I also wear the 509 Backcountry waterproof and breathable gloves. I would say there in a lot of nice gear in that midddle of the road price range such as 509, Fly racing, HMK, FXR and so on. I would check out the new Fly Racing Snow gear is is really nice.
Attachments
You want gear thats going to last and hold up to the bad weather elements, have a
FXR Adrenaline jacket, warm, waterproof, blocks the wind out and has a liner for the
coldest days, great choice. Get one size larger, and try on if wearing underneath body armour. Gloves you can use liners, sled guantlets, handlebar warmers, The real test is to
purchase waterproof materials to keep your warm and dry, for the elements and in case
any member of your group has a sled breakdown....
FXR Adrenaline jacket, warm, waterproof, blocks the wind out and has a liner for the
coldest days, great choice. Get one size larger, and try on if wearing underneath body armour. Gloves you can use liners, sled guantlets, handlebar warmers, The real test is to
purchase waterproof materials to keep your warm and dry, for the elements and in case
any member of your group has a sled breakdown....
One thing to watch for when buying used stuff. Clothing improperly cleaned can have a negative affect on the wind and waterproofing capabilities of the materials. When cleaning your gear pay attention to the labels. I have seen jackets and bibs that were real faded from incorrect washing/cleaning. Friend did it with a Ski Doo jacket. He said it wasn't as wind proof or waterproof after a couple of cleanings in hot water and drying on hot. Stopped using it to ride as he said he got cold wearing it. Never put your stuff away damp. I hang all my stuff in the laundry room to totally dry. I always carry extra gloves, neck gaiter, and balaclava with me.
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