Snowboarding Jackets
By Jakob Jelling, Thu Dec 8th

Winter jackets have changed a lot over the years as technologyhas improved. The best solution used to be those big, puffy,down filled jackets. While they where warm they really didn'tstand up all that well to wear and tears, moisture or activemovements. Once again technology has come to our aid with theinvention of new materials.

The new materials available have resulted in jackets that arewarmer even when wet, lighter, more compact, tear resistant andfashionable. The most important area of improvement is thefunctionality of these new products. The main areas ofimprovement are in waterproofing, wind proofing and breatheability.

Waterproofing is perhaps the most obvious idea and potentiallythe most important as well and is linked to your jackets abilityto breath. Your body heat will be drained off very quickly ifyour clothing is wet make you cold much faster. Waterproofinghas moved way beyond a simple chemical coating. Now it is at thepoint where there is a standard for waterproofing that ismeasured by how many centimeters of water can rest on top of thematerial before leaking through. The best fabrics can supporttens of meters of water before leaking!

Waterproofing is more than just the type of fabric used sincethe final product is only as strong as its weakest link. Whatgood is a waterproof jacket of water can pour through thezipper? A good quality waterproof jacket will have many extrafeatures built into it that may not be visible. For example ajacket should have all of its seams sealed with a waterprooftape, the zipper should be covered, the inner layer must notabsorb water and the entire jacket should be made of waterproofmaterials not matter what the section is.

The next area to consider is wind proofing. Wind proofing isalmost becoming a thing of that past. Of course the wind willgreatly effect how fast you loose body heat but is a non-issueif your jacket is highly waterproof. A jacket that can withstand a column of water tens of meters high is wind proof. Theonly time wind proofing is an issue is

if your jacket is eitherentirely fleece or not fully waterproof.

The final thing to consider, and arguably the most important, isthe breathe ability of your jacket. As we work and ride wecreate heat that translates into sweat. Of course a build up ofsweat is a bad thing since it will allow cold to be conductedthrough to us so it must be dealt with. In order to deal withmoisture we must use layers of clothing. The purpose of thefirst layer is to pull the moisture away from our skin but itmust go somewhere. A breathable cloth will allow the moisturethat is pulled away from our skin to escape outside our jacketwithout letting water seep in.

One option that you may find when shopping for a snowboardingjacket is something called a shell. A shell is a relativelyspecial purpose adaptation of the jacket in that itis intended for those who live in mild climates or who are notbothered by cold very much. A shell is a stripped down versionof a full jacket in that it still provides wind and waterprotection but does not provide much, if any, climateprotection. A shell is intended to be worn in relatively warmclimates where the rider may only need a little water proofingand will add their own insulating layers as needed.

After deciding the amount of protection that you require youmust then think about options available and if you want them.Things commonly available include removable hoods, over sizedpockets for snacks and drinks, lift pass pocket, cooling vents,waist pull cords and reflective materials. Then of course youneed to consider the style of the jacket if you haven't alreadydecided.

Putting all of these elements together will ensure that you havea good jacket for all of your needs. While you maynot need to know all of the details, being well informed willhelp you make a better decision that will enable you to enjoysnowboarding even more.

About the author:Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.snowboardinghelp.com.Please visit his website to discover the world of snowboarding!