PeterG 0 Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 G'day! I am going to be in Niseko next week with my family; we are expecting it to be pretty cold (although it seems to have been amazingly mild recently!) Do we need to get facemasks? If so, should we buy them here in Australia or are they resaonably priced in Niseko? (Usually the further from the snow, the cheaper it is, but maybe increased volume brings down prices there?) Any thoughts appreciated. Peter, Melbourne Link to post Share on other sites
js 0 Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 Have been there twice - don't need a face mask. If you feel the cold (a subjective thing), best to use a neck-warmer and pull it up under your nose. Powder shots in the face is one of the enjoyable parts of riding - beats the cold water and ice we get in OZ! If you find the need to get a mask, catch the local bus to Kuchan and do what every other Aussie does - visit the cheap gear shop and buy one, along with the almost mandatory 'disposable' powder ski's. Link to post Share on other sites
keba 0 Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 I nearly lost my nose on one of the lifts at Niseko, with a cold in-your-face wind at the top of the lift (at the big thermometer - I forget the name of the hut there)... I suggest you get one - they're as cheap as chips - and keep it on standby. Link to post Share on other sites
johndknm 0 Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 They are available easy there eg the food place at the bottom of the hirafu gondola Link to post Share on other sites
Snow Rat 0 Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 Kathmandu have a sale on at the moment where just about everything is 50%. There is a Kathmandu in Melbourne. I picked up a neck warmer and 2 head tubes today for $15 each. I picked up some other cool stuff as well, all 50% off. Link to post Share on other sites
Fatwombat 0 Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 I brought one last year for the first time. I couldn't stand it on my face and decided it was better to be cold. Link to post Share on other sites
SirJibAlot 0 Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 I have one of those things and have only used it twice. I agree with the Fatwombat - they are uncomfortable, and it kept fogging up my goggles. Use a gater (neckwarmer) or get a good pow jacket that comes up high (That's what I got now). -SJA Link to post Share on other sites
nzlegend 1 Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 A neck warmer pulled up sucks, get a facemask and cut the mouth out. Somedays you need a facemark the wind is so biting and cold, its not the face shots you need to protect your face from. I cant be as tough as others as I say you need it. I never used one in NZ but then I went to Colorado and there were days of - 20deg with windchill added it was like a razor blades slashing at your face. There have been many days in Japan I have needed one, Niseko included. Googles fog up? get better googles. Link to post Share on other sites
keba 0 Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 Funny, Phool, that's where I bought mine... Good to see you now have some free time to spend on the forums again Link to post Share on other sites
Powderoo 0 Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 Face masks, balaclavas, ski masks, neck warmers. etc Yeah I'd suggest the local Aussie Disposals, you can get em for less than $30. Seeing it's summer they'll probably be cheaper than that. Ring the store to avoid disappointment, so you don't show up and they don't have stock. Maybe I'll see you on the slopes, or if you get one of those camo ones, maybe I wont see you... Link to post Share on other sites
Powderoo 0 Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 Other places in Melbourne I forgot that have that sort of thing: -Snowgum -Kathmandu (previously mentioned) -Rebel Sport (depending on season, and if they stock ski gear) -Any Ski shop on Hardware Lane in the city should have something like that -Mountain Designs Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 Peter, Right now, you don't need a face mask in Niseko. The temps are very mild and the winds are not that strong. Sitting on the lifts would be the coldest time, but you can always take the gondola and then the King hooded lifts. In Hirafu, there were a few of your countryman walking around in teeshirts. I guess they were the less gifted bunch. Link to post Share on other sites
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