White snow, a steep track, bright overalls, a sense of freedom and personal strength - this is what alpine skiing attracts. The most important thing is speed, which should not be hindered by anything, including what is called "sports underwear" or "underwear."
Why is it needed?
Thermal underwear has two main functions. It should keep warm and regulate perspiration. People whose work or hobbies are associated with activities in extreme conditions need underwear in which they would feel as comfortable as possible in such conditions. Thermal underwear manufacturers take into account the needs of their customers and produce pants and T-shirts of different thicknesses and materials. So, those who have to remain motionless for a long time in cold weather need rather thick underwear that provides maximum thermal protection. A skier has variable activity, he moves quickly for some time, then climbs the slope and can remain motionless for a short time. That is, he needs underwear that is not too thick, but provides maximum freedom of movement. In this case, thermal underwear should quickly remove moisture. Thermal protective functions in this case play a secondary role. Thin thermal underwear is ideal.
What is it made of?
Leading manufacturers of thermal underwear offer customers sets or individual items made from natural fibers, synthetic and mixed. Natural fibers - wool and cotton, they can be used in different combinations. Woolen underwear is warmer than all others, but it is not suitable for a skier for a number of reasons. Firstly, wool easily absorbs moisture and dries slowly, that is, even after a single descent, you run the risk of being in wet clothes and catching a cold. In addition, wet wool irritates the skin and can even injure it, which will not make your holiday more pleasant. 100% cotton is also not good, because it gets wet almost as easily as wool.
Of synthetic materials, polypropylene and polyester are mainly used. Material requirements are quite strict. There should be nothing in the fibers that would cause allergies or injury.
Linen made from natural materials, of course, is more pleasant to the touch, but it has a very significant drawback: it does not remove moisture well, that is, it is unsuitable for a skier. It is best to choose either synthetic underwear or mixed underwear with a high content of synthetics. The fiber composition is usually indicated on the label. In this case, polypropylene is preferable from synthetic materials, since it does not absorb moisture at all, that is, your linen will remain dry throughout the entire ski weekend. Polyester absorbs moisture, but dries very quickly. Synthetic underwear has another significant advantage - it is lighter. This is especially important for someone who is already skiing confidently enough and wants to show good speed.
That there was no smell
As a rule, a person goes to a ski resort for several days. And not everyone has the opportunity to buy several sets of good thermal underwear, while conditions for washing are not available at all ski resorts. Therefore, it is important to choose underwear with a special antiseptic impregnation. This is also indicated on the label. It should be borne in mind that this impregnation is short-lived and is unlikely to withstand more than five washes. But in sports stores you can now buy impregnation or even make it yourself. In addition, there is a relatively new technology where a silver thread is added to the fibers. This underwear is quite expensive but it is more durable. So the best option for a skier is synthetic thermal underwear with silver thread.
