Snowboarding Gear Necessities, For Your 1st Time On The Mountain

So you’ve decided to jump into the awesome world of snowboarding. Good for you, it’s an epic sport and you’ll love it. Keep in mind that it’s an expensive one too. This is especially true when you buy the wrong type of snowboarding gear or the wrong size boots. However if you follow this guide, and the guides I’ve attached to them. You’ll have an epic time on the slopes.

In our list below we’ll be going over the basic snowboarding gear you’ll need when going to a mountain resort for the first time. If you’re looking for backcountry information, you’ll need more extensive gear, but I’ll place that information in another blog post sometime in the future.

Snowboarding Gear: Helmets are Mandatory

In years past snowboarding gear has not included helmets. Even looking back 7-8 years ago I laughed about wearing one. Then I received multiple concussions one season and my whole tune about helmets changed.

If you’re not wearing a helmet, you might as well not snowboard. The chances of you getting a head injury are pretty high especially when you’re a beginner.

I’m not trying to scare you here, I want you to have a good time on the mountain, and learn to do the sport I love, however, I don’t want anybody to get hurt. concussions are awful, minimize your risk. You’ll thank me for it.

If You’re Unsure What Kind Of Helmet To Get, Check Out Our Helmet Purchasing Guide Here.

Snowboarding Gear: Goggles

These are condition-dependent, you don’t need sunglasses at night, right? But conditions change on the mountain, and you must protect your eyes.

Some people don’t like them, however, I’m a fan because they block the wind and with certain lens color combinations you can see better on the hill. Other people might have a different opinion, but I’ll tell you to grab a pair or borrow some from a buddy.

If you’re purchasing goggles, use the correct lens for the proper conditions. If you don’t know what that is, check out our Blog Post where we break down goggle shapes, colors, and tech.

Balaclavas; Weather Dependent

Balaclavas are cozy and warm. They protect your face, and neck from the cold. When temperatures are in the 20s or 30s, they’re not needed. In the mountains, I always ride with one just in case, but if it’s not cold there’s no need.

Pro Tip: Use sunscreen when not covering your face. It seems weird, but you can get a bad sunburn if your skin is unprotected.

Jackets; Weather Dependent Snowboarding Gear

I have a couple of snowboarding jackets and they work great. They’re classified a bit differently than normal. One is a heavy one that I wear under 15 degrees F, and the other is lighter. I do that to wear layers while shredding and not freeze.

As a good rule of thumb, when you’re out snowboarding, you’ll want to be a little cold when you start. Not a lot, just a little. People generate a lot of heat snowboarding and you’ll heat up quickly.

That’s where layering comes in handy, you can always take layers off, but if you’ve only got a heavy jacket on, that makes the temperature hard to adjust.

Snowboarding Pants; Mandatory Gear

I consider these mandatory because they’ll keep you dry. Once your butt is wet, the day is over. Not to get graphic but chaffing and wetness don’t give you a lot of fun on the mountain.

There are multiple styles of snowboarding pants with different sweat drying to waterproof rations. Check out our blog post on snow pants for more details.

Snowboard Bindings

The next 3 items are the most important on the list. Without a snowboard/boots/ or bindings you won’t be able to snowboard.

If there’s somewhere you need to save money, save it on the bindings. Especially if you’re starting. Purchase bindings with a low flex rating and you’ll be fine for a season or two.

Check out our Binding Guide For More Information on bindings and flex.

Snowboard Boots

When I bought my first snowboard at a snowboard shop. A huge sale was happening and I was able to upgrade my boots.

ALWAYS upgrade your boots when possible.

My reasoning is simple, foot pain will ruin your day on the mountain, and having ill-fitting boots is the fastest way to foot pain. So Always upgrade the boots.

Check out our latest blog post about Snowboarding boots a purchasing guide.

The Snowboard Itself

Now we get to the fun post, the snowboard itself. By now you’ve probably seen me put links to other posts. That’ll happen here as well. However, there are a few quick questions to go over here too.

What Kind Of Snowboarder will you be? Will you hit up terrain parks, cruise the resort, or shred everywhere?

Here are a few quick tips before purchasing a snowboard or picking up a rental.

• Find out if you’re regular or goofy-footed.
• Grab A Snowboard and stand it on its tail next to you. When the top of it is between your chin and nose. That’s the correct length. (I ride shorter but it is a preference)
• Get something with a softer flex, it’s more forgiving for beginners and you’ll have a better time.

My Favorite Companies are GNU for snowboards, ride for all my binding needs, and DC for epic boots.

My opinions might change, but I currently love these companies. They make great gear and I’ve had epic experiences with them all. I’ll probably create an epic snowboarding gear page sometime in the future where I can talk about awesome companies too.

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