Cheap ski gear review

It’s almost that time.

Last week, Chad and I picked up our season passes to Sunlight Mountain Resort and are anxiously waiting until opening day, when we can start our season on the snow.

Last March, Chad and I went skiing for the first time in over 10 years. Predictably, we fell in love…Quickly. It was so fun and it only took two times for us to feel a great improvement.

If you, like us, are preparing to head out onto the slopes, it might be worth your time to start looking into gear options. Chad and I did things a little backward: we didn’t start skiing until the middle-to-end of the season, and started making purchases immediately. In fact, we purchased all of our gear within a week of going skiing for the first time.

When I get into something, I dive in. Go big or go home, I guess.

Here’s another thing that we did: Chad and I bought everything as cheaply as possible. Second-hand, online, meet-ups in parking lots, you name it. And since we were so speedy in our gear acclimation, we were able to use everything and test it all out before the end of the year.

I’ve decided to make our experiment your gain. Here’s my review of our new-to-us, super cheap gear, along with my advice, and tips for finding your own.

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Snowboard

Brand/type: Elixir Liquid
New or used? Used
Size: 153 cm
Bought from: Facebook Marketplace
Amount paid: $30
Retail price: ??? Honestly no idea lol

Review

The two times that I’ve used this board have been great. I got a full tune up from a local ski shop (highly recommend Brian’s Bench in Glenwood Springs!!) and got a stomp pad for it. It was great! Just what I needed to ease back into snowboarding. Someday I might invest in a new board, but for beginner purposes, buying used is the much more affordable option.

Should you buy used? Sure!

Pair of Skis

Brand/type: Salomon Scream Series
New or used? Used
Size: 169 cm
Bought from: Facebook Marketplace
Amount paid: $40
Retail price: $180-ish?

(Chad’s) Review

According to Chad, these skis were great. They were smooth and dependable, especially thanks to their recent tune. Skis seem to be even more expensive than snowboards in our area, so this was huge in the savings department.

Should you buy used? Sure

Helmets

Brand/type: Bern Brighton MIPS Helmet
New or used? New
Size: Small for me, large for Chad (I probably should’ve gone with medium)
Bought from: SteepandCheap.com
Amount paid: $65

Review

Helmets are important! You never know what will happen on the mountain (same with on the road for bikes) and it’s critical (not to mention super easy!) to take the necessary safety precautions. Wear a helmet. Ones with MIPS are preferred. They can be pricey, so I recommend renting until you’re ready to pull the trigger.

Should you buy used? Nope

Snowboard Boots

Brand/type: Burton Mint
New or used? Used
Size: Women’s 7
Bought from: Facebook Marketplace
Amount paid: $25
Retail price: $200-ish

Review

Buying used boots has been great savings for me. I loved these boots, and especially the ease of a Facebook Marketplace transition; it was as simple as a Venmo transaction, pick up at my leisure. On the slopes, theses worked great and I appreciated that they were already broken in.

Should you buy used? Sure

Ski Boots

Brand/type: Atomic Hawx 90
New or used? Used
Size: 28.5 (men’s 10.5)
Bought from: Facebook Marketplace
Amount paid: $30
Retail price: $225-ish

(Chad’s) Review

Ski boots, again, are typically super expensive. This FB Marketplace purchase was perfect for our budget, and seemed to get the job done really well for Chad. He had some soreness, but that’s 100% expected after 10 years away.

Should you buy used? Sure

Ski Poles

Brand/type: No clue
New or used? Used and re-purposed
Size: Giant
Bought from: Inherited, for free, with our Nordic skis
Amount paid: $0
Retail price: (for real ski poles), anywhere from $40 – 100

(Chad’s) Review

Should you do it our way? Not at all. Downhill skiing requires downhill ski poles. Cross country poles are meant to help pull you, whereas downhill ones are more of an occasional assist.

Bottom line: these were comical and unpractical. We thankfully found some real ones for $5 at a garage sale over the summer, so Chad will have new-to-him ones this season.

Final Notes

• You get what you pay for. We paid for entry-level items that won’t last forever. Investing in higher-quality, more expensive equipment is better for long-term use. We’ll likely make upgrades in the distant future.
• Safety is important! Don’t sacrifice quality entirely for price, especially when it comes to items that could save your life. Don’t go cheap on things like helmets.
• Look at the best deals during off-season. My go-to sites are Steep and Cheap, REI, and Backcountry.
• For information on clothing and accessories, check out my post Winter Gear Essentials and Picks.