Advice needed Snow Mask Recs

I used a lightweight merino buff, and it worked very well for me. Stayed in place well, comfortable in both cold and warmish conditions. When it snowed hard, did get a little wet, but not too bad. Dries out quickly. Easy to pull up or down if you are stopping for a drink or eating etc. I also tried one of the lycra type buffs, and didn't like that at all.

I had never regularly worn a mask or buff before, and thought I would hate it. ACtually got used to it very quickly, and quite liked it in the end. It definitely stopped my lips getting burnt and blistered like a normal season

 

+1 for merino buff or long neck warmer, due to all of the above points.

Just a warning if you have glasses you will get significant fogging, apparently it can be solved but the tips didn’t work, so it was easier not to wear them.

 

I had trouble with fogging in some but not all of my goggles. My Oakley rose low lens was the worst for some reason, making them unusable.
There were lots of people with neck warmers being pulled up, but they were more often useless as people didn't put them over their noses. The Perisher Staff were getting a little sick of people pulling their neck warmer up over their mouth but not their noses toward the end; quite understandably.
My preference was a face mask with exhalation holes pointing downwards, velcro on the rear straps to tighten or loosen. Safer, and better to use with goggles. By the end of last season, I reckoned there was a better mousetrap - and an opportunity for a savvy entrepreneur to get some branded, coloured, highly functional face masks ready for distribution. I always envisaged something like this coming out of the northern hemi ski season, ready for our season in 2021?

 

Oh, forgot to mention a friend bought some new Goggles which came with a magnetic face mask attachment at the end of the season . He reckons they were brilliant - can't remember brand.

 

Anyone tried these in our ski season climate?
https://skispartan.com/collections/masks/products/xtreme#looxReviews

 

As some of the others have pointed out, if you have a buff, you have to tuck it under your goggles, to make sure it stays up. I didn't experience any fogging issues, but I don't wear my glasses when skiing

 

There are quite a few options being used in N. America. The one I decided to try after it was recommended by several people is the
Evo Arc Dynamax Dana. A good friend like the Bioskin, the version with ear straps. The Buff Tube with filter is getting mixed reviews. In general, people have issues with filters bunching up.

One day I forgot my Dana. Used a cloth mask with soft ear loops covered by a thin buff. It was snowing lightly. That combination worked okay. I had a second mask to use in the afternoon.

Another approach is to add something to a helmet so that ear loops can be put on the outside.

https://www.headwall.org/store/p1/maskclip.html#/

 

Anon.

 

I had a bamboo buff. (le bent).
Great bit of kit.
Also carried a mask in my pocket for other times.

 

Perhaps relevant, particularly the relative ineffectiveness of bandanas and neck fleeces,

 

I had read somewhere that a buff isn’t really effective as a mask

 

A second for le bent bamboo/merino buff.

 

victoria allowed any sort of face covering initially but moved to requiring a fitted mask, no buffs, bandanas, scarves etc. who knows whether nsw will make that call this year. maybe face coverings ok outdoors bu a proper mask indoors?

 

Assume this might not be for you (unless you're also looking for one for a kid) but my 10 year son loves the Aldi motorcycle buff.

Keeps the slush / snow off his face, but let's the air through, and even more importantly.. he thinks he looks cool.

EDIT: Just saw the covid part of the OP, although legally in Vic we could wear any face covering at one point, the motorcycle buff would not meet the new face covering criteria. To be actually safe, you'd need an actual mask underneath. But for kids, they don't need a mask legally.... long winded edit...

 

This year in NSW the type of mask was not specified, it just had to be a face covering, proper mask, buff etc. The resort even handed out free branded buffs at one stage. Who knows what the regulations will be this year?

One thing to bear in mind is that although proper masks are good, if you are working out and exerting yourself heavily, they become more difficult, whereas a buff is a little easier. So depends a little how hard you are skiing or walking up a hill etc. Even in Victoria at the peak of regulations you could remove a mask if you were running or riding a bike etc, but you had to keep it on at Perisher at all times (except eating).

I think if you wear a buff, it is a good idea to carry a mask, for if you go inside etc. I always kept one in my jacket pocket. However, I just never went inside, unless it was 7am in the morning and there was nobody there. Just stayed out all day, ate my food and drank coffee outside. Outside is extremely low risk, whether you are wearing a mask or not

Pic or yours truly and @SMSkier showing our mask usage, pic thanks to Steve, BTW, we do not look cool

 

Tried a few options - I found a buff kept sliding down from my nose - possibly as it wasn't tight enough for me. A standard face mask with ear loops hurt behind my ears with the ear covers of my helmet even though they never really bothered me that much at other times. I tried stitching ear loops onto a buff and my partner loved that but didn't work for me.
What I found best was to see a button onto the outside of my helmet ear covers and loop a standard mask around that instead of my ears. Don't have any pictures of it but worked really well and easy to change out the mask when it got damp or take off and wear normally around my ears if taking my helmet off to go inside.

 

This has prompted me to start thinking about how we are going to manage masks/face coverings at the snow this year. Mstr 10 is going to be a particular challenge due to his sensory issues. We didn’t ski last year, but the only face covering I’ve had any success with him in the past is a polar fleece neck warmer pulled up over his face. I suppose I’m going to have to try different things well in advance until we find a solution that works.

 

While riding last Northern Season I hit upon the perfect combo for me.

A regular thin buff - which sometimes slipped down, and sometimes got saturated and sometimes wasn’t quite warm enough on its own.

And a heavier knitted Roxy Neck warmer - it was the Torah Bright one with essential oils embedded out of interest but any polar fleece weight neck warmer would do.

The neck warmer helped keep the buff from slipping down. It also meant you can flip the buff if it got wet and because it was between mid layer and neck warmer it he wet patch didn’t freeze and get uncomfortable. I could also sink my face already covered in the buff into the neck warmer as well if it was freezing on the lift, or the person next to me was coughing (or if I was coughing).

I also used a breathe essential oil blend dropped onto the buff to help keep my sinuses clear and saved experiencing my own recirculated stale breath at the end of the day.

Carrying an actual face mask for post ski, or entry to restaurants etc seems like a good idea also.

 

+1 MeToo

 

OK not withstanding the issues with glasses/gogs, (i have them too) but a lot of people really don't understand the mask thing.

The whole idea of masks (unless you have access to DRY and perfect fitting N95 / P3 mask) is to stop you infecting others. Surgical masks / material masks don't offer a whole lot of (any) protection, against Covid. They do decrease your potential to spread covid).

Masks with valves or holes in them are useless for the intended mask wearing purpose of decreasing the spread of Covid.

 

Agree, but until they have sporting masks (eg: with filters in exhalation areas), your breath aiming downwards would be better than straight out; no? I recall those videos early in covid where they showed how a person's breath/cough etc spread out a couple of meters. Surely aiming breath downward will be better than people pulling them off because they couldn't breath after some exertion. I recall getting to lift lines quite exhausted and breathing through a mask was troublesome right at the worst point - as you saddled up behind or beside others in the lift line.
We need a better mousetrap!

 

Personally.
The mask regs at Perisher outside were over the top.
Pointless.
Inside. Skitube. Guest services. Sure.

 

Maybe take a moment slope side to catch your breath ahead of the last turns to the gate and then ride/ski in slowly.

I was sick in Feb but had to do exams (in hindsight perhaps not a smart choice) but I managed to keep my mouth and nose covered at all times, except when I was blowing my nose away from others, or sucking on my ventolin. Also only when separate from the group. If this old asthmatic girl can do full days, hike the park over and over, and keep the buff up to protect others (none of them got sick) then so can you.

 

I have worn a tutu on the snow.
On my birthday two years in a row!

 

In general, American ski resorts don't allow a single layer gaiter/buff.

 

A mask that isn't made specifically for skiing is proving pretty popular. A friend I skied with yesterday has one and is pretty happy with it for skiing. There is a framework made of plastic that keeps the shape and the material off the mouth. Primal makes clothing and accessories for cyclists.

https://www.primalwear.com/collections/mask-2-0

 

Wash your mouth out! That's what the chairlifts are for: resting. I was going to say "Imagine Normo resting before standing in line?" but then remembered Normo is so fit he never puffs.

 

Like.

 

Agreed.

But I wasn’t the one complaining about puffing and struggling with wearing a mask into the lift.

 

Here is what is on the Keystone website about face masks, and probably all the Vail Resorts websites for the USA.

Do I have to wear a face covering while I’m skiing and snowboarding?

While face coverings are not required during the physical acts of skiing and snowboarding if the guest is maintaining proper physical distance and is not in the vicinity of others, it is recommended guests do so. Otherwise, face coverings are required in every part of our operation, including while loading and riding on chairlifts and in gondolas, inside all buildings, and during all ski and snowboard lessons.

Face covering should follow CDC guidelines, with two or more layers of fabric that completely cover your nose and mouth and they should not have vents, valves or holes.

Are you allowing neck gaiters/buffs?

Face covering should follow CDC guidelines, with two or more layers of fabric that completely cover your nose and mouth and they should not have vents, valves or holes. ​