How to Buy Snowmobile Pants
The range of specialized pants available to snowmobiling enthusiasts encompasses everything from fleece trousers to elaborate bibs for racers. Even basic snowmobile pants should offer lightweight waterproof protection and added insulation. Read on to learn more.
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Instructions
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Find the Right Fit in Snowmobile Pants
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Shop for your snowmobile pants at a specialized retailer. You're always better off buying from staff who are in the know, many of whom snowmobile themselves. The advice you'll get at general sporting goods stores won't be as thorough or well-informed.
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Start by selecting a pair of lightweight fleece pants to wear beneath your snowmobile snow pants. Dressing using an effective layering strategy is essential to shutting out the cold when you head out to face winter's harshest elements.
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Wear your fleece pants when to go to buy your snowmobile pants. This will help you gauge how your outer-layer snowmobile pants fit with better accuracy.
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Navigate your options. The majority of snowmobile pants you'll encounter will be made of a space-age synthetic fabric (Gore-Tex is widely popular). Features like pre-curved leg design, knee gussets, 100 percent waterproofing and cross-brace chest, shoulder and back supports should be standard. Additional features usually mean additional dollars.
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Upgrade to a mechanized bib if you're a serious racer or if you snowmobile in extreme conditions. A mechanized bib is simply a set of snowmobile pants that have an added outer layer (the bib) which offers additional waterproofing, insulation and protection of critical areas. Bibs tend to be more expensive than pants, but can be a good investment if you anticipate doing serious snowmobiling, since most mechanized bibs can also double as simple waterproof snowmobile pants.
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Try on the pants you're interested in. They should have a fit that is snug but not tight, and certainly not loose. It is also a good idea to have your pair of snowmobiling boots with you so that you can get a more precise idea of how long they hang lengthwise.
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Buy the pants that offer the most economical match of functionality and value for the kind of snowmobiling you're going to do. You can always upgrade later if your interest in snowmobiling develops to the point where you need more intricate accessories.
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Tips & Warnings
Talk to other snowmobiling enthusiasts about which brands to trust and which to avoid when buying snowmobile pants. You can link with snowmobilers from around the world on the message boards at a site like SnowmobileWorld.com (see Resources below).
