"Monique Y. Herman" wrote in
:

On 2004-01-14, Bob Lee penned:
Monique Y. Herman wrote:


Sierra Trading Post can be a good on-line source for inexpensive
quality skiing apparel. Closeouts mostly, with a lot of high-end
brands: http://tinyurl.com/3c2cb


Thank you, but I'm loathe to buy clothing online. You just can't tell
exactly how it will fit or how good the quality is. And if I find
something in a bricks-n-mortar store, I feel like I need to support
physical shops by buying there.

I returned the REI jacket -- after a day's reflection, it just wasn't
what I wanted. It seemed like a great rain jacket, but not suited for
skiing. I picked up the EMS shell I mentioned befo

http://tinyurl.com/2h3c6

(EMS Summit Parka, Women's)

It's longer, has a powder skirt, has three outer pockets and two inner,
and generally feels sturdier and more like a ski jacket. Made out of
GoreTex XCR. The XL is roomy even with long johns and a turtleneck
underneath, and it has the teeth for a zip-in liner, though I'm not a
fan of that route. My only complaints are the lack of an obvious lift
ticket spot, the lack of a bicep pocket, and the presence of a hood,
which in my opinion looks kind of dorky when rolled up. It has the look
and feel of a well-made piece of clothing, with obvious attention to
detail. I'm going to keep the tags on it a few more days before
deciding for sure, though. We'll probably be mountain biking instead of
skiing this weekend, anyway, if weather predictions hold true. It was a
$299 jacket on sale for $209, though I don't know whether EMS is one of
those "on sale all the time" kinds of places.


EMS which means EASTERN Mountain Sports is a GREAT store.
They are not necessarily a discounter, though they will have
seasonal sales. They do not sell through anyone else. They
reverse engineer other people's lines and offer them at
better prices, while the store is carrying the original.

For instance, the EMS store sells The North Face as well as
others plus its own house brand.

I bought an EMS clone of a North Face Denali fleece jacket
which is every bit as good and may be a little better
than the North Face original for 50 bucks less.

Further, I have EMS stores within 15 miles in either direction
and the home office is in Peterborough, NH, close to where my
daughter lives and is where you can get EMS closeouts and
blemished merchandise at good (though not Sierra Trading
Post) prices.

They are mountaineering specialists, not a ski shop. In fact
they don't sell any alpine gear at all. A lot of cross
country and some Tele is all. But lots of climbing gear
and GREAT clothing. The also have kayaks, canoes, and the like.

I tend to buy inner layers from Sierra. I like to get long
johns, fleece and socks from them, but I generally like to
try jackets on too.

RW