re: School me on snow ski gear (update page 3 post-ski trip)

Agree with the socks. I thought I could get away with layering normal socks but your feet will sweat and then freeze and will be numb which is annoying.

Helmet is a must, I don't care how good of a skier you are, its not about you, its about other skiers who suck and pose a risk. I had some out of control idiot zoom by me and whack me on the helmet with his pole. Who knows what happens if I didn't have a helmet on.

I prefer goggles that make it easier to see in cloudy/snowy conditions than goggles that darken things in sunny conditions but that is my preference.

You don't need to splurge on an expensive jacket and pants. The $65 pants I got at Dick's are just fine and I want to say my jacket was from REI around $200. Layering is more important. No idea why someone would spend $800 on a jacket.