Replacing Gear (Helmets, Ski Boots), etc.

[surfsnowgirl]

I have only been skiing in earnest since around 2012-2013 so I've never replaced my helmet or my ski boots. I had a different helmet when I snowboarded and wore that when I snowbladed. I've had my current helmet for about 4-5 years and have never hit my head when I've fallen so it's not had any impact falls. I'm assuming obviously if you crash and hit your head you should replace it but what if you'd never smacked your head. How do you know when it's time to get a new noggin protector?

This is my first serious pair of ski boots so not sure what the shelf life is. As far as my boots go I've 102 days on my current boots and after this season I'll likely have close to 160. I'm pretty rough on my gear and have an intimate relationship with my fitter since my right boot needs lots of customization plus I go in every October for a pre season set up analysis. I know it depends but is there an average. I was thinking one more season with these boots and then in the fall of 2019 I'll get new ones?

I was thinking of just replacing my helmet every time I get new ski boots just to simplify things.

 

[KingGrump]

For helmets, 3-5 years is the usual rule of thumb.

Boots, I know some instructors replaced theirs after one season (~15 days). Some more, some less.
I generally replace my boots every 2 seasons (200 to 250 days). Cracking of the lower cog at the instep is the usual failure for me.

 

[Talisman]

Boots need to be replaced typically if the inner liners "pack out" which vary a lot by materials used and number of ski days. The soles of the shells can wear and most come with replaceable heel and toe pieces. Helmet replacement for me is dictated by wear on the interior and the number of "knocks" from tree branches. The two replacement cycles are very different for me and I replace when required like gloves, skis, bindings, jackets and bibs.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

Thanks. My helmet is about due for replacement then. Getting a helmet is such a pain to me because I don't have a small head and there's the goggle fitting component too. I also like vents, a brim, removable ear pieces and I prefer it to be all black so I can sticker it . I really, really, really like my helmet so i wish I could just order another. It's an Atomic Nomad that I just love a lot. Might start perusing online.

I'll have Nick take a look at my boots when I go see him in 3 weeks, he'll give me his assessment. I'm having the bottom piece replaced on one of my foots as it's come off. Not sure what you call it but it's missing from one of the boots. I think my foot beds are still going strong. I really like these boots so I'm hoping to stick with them for even a couple more seasons if I could.

 

[Poolskier Vinny]

Helmets: As you mention replace after a fall/impact. Otherwise 3-5 years but I think 3 years is a bit conservative. My rule is to replace when I notice a fit issue or there has been a significant tech upgrade....or the new helmet has features i want etc. (brim/venting/shape/etc.) Probably 5-6 years ish.

Boots: I used to HATE getting new boots...the whole ordeal....however as a consumer I've really noticed big improvements in boot tech making it way easier to get a more customized fit - performance without the agony! (better lasts/shells/thermo-moldable plastics/custom liner options etc. So it definitely makes it easier to replace my boots sooner rather than later. A lot will depend on how many days you have on them....how custom a fit/performance you need...how sensitive to cold....how much your feet change...and how much your liners pack out...how hard you are on your gear.

Most times for me it's a liner packing out/fit issue and rather than getting a new liner it's just as easy (now!) to get new boots. Usually the tech will have improved and/or will be lighter/stronger have improved features etc. I think the 200 day mark give or take 50 days is a good estimate. I love the glove-like custom fit of my boots (no cramped toes, no heel lift, instant response to ski) - all the performance and no discomfort...once it becomes too difficult to maintain that fit/love...I'll replace em.

 

[silverback]

If your boot shells are good and you like your boots you could get a new inner boot if yours is packed out. That would stretch the lifespan of your boots (and possibly make them better than new) and put off the new boot hassles.

 

[KingGrump]

I think my foot beds are still going strong.

Foot beds last a long time. My last pair held up for over 900 days. Got my money's worth.

 

[EricG]

Why not just look into new liners? I’m having a set of Boot Doc liners made next Friday.

As for helmets I always replace my mtn bike helmet ever 3 years or so, so I’m using the same cycle for my ski helmet. Lots of good deals out there right now. I just picked up a 2018 Smith Vantage for 60% off.

 

[Andy Mink]

Helmets are 3-5 years. Even just sitting around they can deteriorate. Adhesives, foams, and even the plastics have a shelf life. It's like tires. Even if you don't wear them out they should be replaced every 5-7 years, more in tough climates.

I'll be checking new boots this year. My Technica Cochise have a little over 100 days on them but the liners are starting to pack and, honestly, the shell gets really soft in the spring or warmer winter days. Even at a 130 flex they're mushy on those warm days.

 

[HDSkiing]

Ski area replaces my helmet every other season, not sure if that is insurance or manufacturer driven. For a full time employee like myself that is about 200 days of wearing it 6-8 hours/day. Part time it’s after three seasons. My Smith Vantage still looks like new but I’m told the inside can become compromised.

Boots I do the same every other year or about 200 days.

Ski’s? Well, whenever a shiny one catches my attention

 

[mister moose]

Why not just look into new liners? I’m having a set of Boot Doc liners made next Friday.

I'm in this camp. I think aftermarket liners, if done well, can actually improve the boot. Very few people actually wear out the shell, whereas packing out the liner is commonplace. A quality liner can approach the cost of the shell, so it isn't as common, A lot depends on how fussy a fit you are. If you have the common factory last foot, you'll be fine with a spring sale new boot with minimal adaption. If you have special issues, like a far more narrow foot, you need a custom fit, and that's where special liners can shine.

As far as how to tell when it's time - it's when you need to buckle the boot down 2 clicks farther than when it was new and the boot deforms enough to create hot spots, or you can't get a comfortable firm fit. That's the liner packing out. In the fall it will have fully relaxed and will feel like it has life left, but by lunch time on your first day you'll be clanking around in the shell again.

If you stay in the same model boot, you can likely take a custom footbed with you, if it's young enough.

Skis - never get thrown out, they either get sold or fall down the rungs to progressively rockier rock skis.
Poles - Use em til they break, or get stolen (happened once)
Goggles - the face foam will tell you via smell or delamination, or the lens goes hazy and scratched. Or you lose it.
Boots - usually shell or buckle failure.
Gloves/mittens - pack out just like boots, and then they are cold. About that time the fingers split, so out they go.
Clothing - when Ms Moose says, "You not wearing that, are you?"

 

[BGreen]

Helmet: I’d replace it every five years or less. Even the most expensive helmets are cheap compared to a concussion.

Boots: General rule of thumb is about 400 days on shells. Liners vary. Shells will degrade slowly from the first day you use them, but the will get to a point where they feel sloppy. At that point, they are done. My last couple pairs went from ok to not ok pretty abruptly. For liners, on aftermarket, ask your fitter. Intuition probably two seasons, foam probably three seasons or the life of the shell. Zipfits last a good while. Stock liners vary immensely in quality. The liners on one pair of boots were shot after about 30 days, but I’ve been nursing them along going into season three (and suddenly thinking I should retire the boots). Race level stock liners are usually good for a season or so (150-250 days) depending on whether they are foam or cork/oil.

On boots, unless you know what you are doing, just focus on what you’re feeling, find a top notch boot fitter that you can communicate and work with and just tell them what you’re feeling.

 

[EricG]

Clothing - when Ms Moose says, "You not wearing that, are you?"

Funny. I just got that similar statement the other day from the Mrs when I was washing our ski clothes and doing a TX Direct treatment before bring the gear to the condo. She left me the Patagonia catalog with a few sticky notes in it with new more fashionable suggestions.

 

[tch]

Funny. I just got that similar statement the other day from the Mrs when I was washing our ski clothes and doing a TX Direct treatment before bring the gear to the condo. She left me the Patagonia catalog with a few sticky notes in it with new more fashionable suggestions.

Whoa! If you're not gonna take advantage of that offer, can I borrow your Mrs. for awhile?

 

[surfsnowgirl]

Helmet: I’d replace it every five years or less. Even the most expensive helmets are cheap compared to a concussion.

Boots: General rule of thumb is about 400 days on shells. Liners vary. Shells will degrade slowly from the first day you use them, but the will get to a point where they feel sloppy. At that point, they are done. My last couple pairs went from ok to not ok pretty abruptly. For liners, on aftermarket, ask your fitter. Intuition probably two seasons, foam probably three seasons or the life of the shell. Zipfits last a good while. Stock liners vary immensely in quality. The liners on one pair of boots were shot after about 30 days, but I’ve been nursing them along going into season three (and suddenly thinking I should retire the boots). Race level stock liners are usually good for a season or so (150-250 days) depending on whether they are foam or cork/oil.

On boots, unless you know what you are doing, just focus on what you’re feeling, find a top notch boot fitter that you can communicate and work with and just tell them what you’re feeling.

Thanks. I'll be scouting around for a new helmet this season. Need to try it on with goggles, etc. I really like the one I have so ideally I'd love to just order another of the same but it's a few years old so probably not made anymore. I'm excited to start stickering a new helmet like painting on a blank canvas ha ha.

I have a boot fitter I completely trust at Mount Snow in Vermont. What he says I do. My right liner particularly has been modified lots as my right foot is a pain in the a$$. I have my pre season consult with him in 3 weeks so I'll see what he says. I do like the idea of keeping the shell and getting liners when that time comes.

 

[Guy in Shorts]

When the footbeds smell better then the helmet time to replace the dome lid. Every year or two. Use my poles and helmet to block tree branches so my equipment takes a beating. Wife replaced her helmet last season that was less than a year old.

View attachment 42725 View attachment 42726

Boots- 200-250 Days

 

[EricG]

Whoa! If you're not gonna take advantage of that offer, can I borrow your Mrs. for awhile?

I already placed my order this morning before she woke. Lol.

I found the receipt for her stuff from the Obermeyer site last night in the laundry room; I left it untouched and won’t say anything since she’s at home with our kids everyday.

 

[KingGrump]

I left it untouched and won’t say anything

You are smarter than you look.

 

[Doug Briggs]

Boots need to be replaced typically if the inner liners "pack out" which vary a lot by materials used and number of ski days. The soles of the shells can wear and most come with replaceable heel and toe pieces. Helmet replacement for me is dictated by wear on the interior and the number of "knocks" from tree branches. The two replacement cycles are very different for me and I replace when required like gloves, skis, bindings, jackets and bibs.

Liners pack out in a short while. Maybe 10 - 12 hard ski days. When boots are purchased you and the bootfitter should be allowing for the packing out as part of the fit. That is one of the reasons I don't get adjustments to my boots until I've worn them a bit. They change over the first few weeks.

As has been mentioned aftermarket liners are the way to go if the shell is still ok and the liner is pooped out.

I get new boots when they are worn out or broken. I don't count the days, I use my eyes. Are the lugs worn? Are there cracks that affect the performance? I also change them when they don't suit my skiing. Am I not racing now? I might want a more forgiving boot.

Counting days has no significant correlation to when a boot should be replaced excepting the aforementioned wearing out, breakage or not filling the bill any more.

Helmets every 5 years. Earlier if they are stinky or beat up from trees. Never longer. They are mostly styrofoam and it degrades. As someone alluded: what is your brain worth compared to the price of a helmet?

 

[Marker]

Thanks. My helmet is about due for replacement then. Getting a helmet is such a pain to me because I don't have a small head and there's the goggle fitting component too. I also like vents, a brim, removable ear pieces and I prefer it to be all black so I can sticker it . I really, really, really like my helmet so i wish I could just order another. It's an Atomic Nomad that I just love a lot. Might start perusing online.

I'll have Nick take a look at my boots when I go see him in 3 weeks, he'll give me his assessment. I'm having the bottom piece replaced on one of my foots as it's come off. Not sure what you call it but it's missing from one of the boots. I think my foot beds are still going strong. I really like these boots so I'm hoping to stick with them for even a couple more seasons if I could.

Saw this checking out other gear...

https://www.levelninesports.com/atomic-nomad-lf-helmet-2084