Decathlon skiing gear keeps you warm and dry, whatever the weather

WHEN you’re caught in bad weather, it’s never much fun, but when you’re up a mountain on a pair of skis, in freezing temperatures with poor visibility, having the right kit is never more important.

Decathalon offers a range of reasonably priced, good quality but affordable sporting equipment, so whatever you enjoy, whether its camping, cycling, hiking or skiing, it won’t cost you a fortune to get kitted out.

My new ski jacket and salopettes, by Wed’ze thankfully proved themselves to be more than up to the job during my spring ski trip to the beautiful French Alps.

Although I did get a bit of sun, and a glowing face to match, much of my week’s weather contained moisture, at times lots of moisture and even rain, so it was good to see the water beading off the breathable waterproof fabric, while I stayed nice and dry inside.

TheWed’ze AM580 Men’s All Mountain Skiing Jacket costs £59.99 and has a warm blue lining, and a pocket for a mobile phone, complete with a built-in hole to thread your headphones through. The sleeve has a zip-up compartment for the ski pass and some sensibly sized usable pockets – always handy for sticking your gloves or lip balm in.

A snow skirt, especially for those who like a bit of off-piste powder, or those less skilled who regularly find themselves horizontal on the slopes, is essential to stop the wet stuff finding its way inside your hacket.

The Wed’ze AM900 Men’s All Mountain Ski Trousers at £69.99 were also a good choice, keeping my legs warm and dry throughout my week’s skiing. They also have zips and press studs to make getting your ski boots on and off that bit easier – something I always seem to struggle with!

But the piece de resistance were the goggles, the Wed’ze G 940 E All Wather Adult Sko and Snowboard goggles.. Unlike my friends who had to swap lenses as the conditions changed from overcast to cloudy, to bright sunshine, and sometimes back again in the space of an hour or two, these goggles switch from bad weather to sun mode at the touch of a button. They have an LCD lens which immediately changes colour in manual or automatic mode depending on you selection. The lens is orange for use in low light, but switches to a dark tint when you press a button mounted on the side of the head strap.

It works by a rechargeable battery which takes about an hour to recharge, and during full days out on the slopes, I had no issues with the batteries running flat.

It’s such a great idea, however the battery pack can’t be moved and is mounted adjacent to the side of the lens, which meant that I didn’t always get a good seal as the edge of my ski helmet lifted the side of the goggles off my face slightly which meant I got air inside, which was especially noticeable at speed. A different helmet would probably solve the issue, but it’s worth bearing in mind before making a purchiase, as they are not cheap.

The Wed’ze goggles come in with a price tag of £129.99, but they do come in a nice case, and with a soft bag which doubles as a lens cloth to wipe them with and ensure  you don’t scratch the lens.

For more information and to see the full range of products, visit www.decathlon.co.uk.