When it’s this early in the season it’s easy to forget how cold it gets on Mammoth Mountain, so the team at ASO Mammoth is adding another entry to its gear guide so no one has to call their day early because their face is too cold.
Today, we’re breaking down goggles. We will cover why they’re more than just glorified sunglasses, what you should consider when purchasing some,
and how to keep them in good condition on and off the mountain.
Think you already know everything there is to know about ski goggles? Check out our other gear guide posts like What to look for When Buying a Hardshell Jacket, Guide to Basic Ski and Snowboard Terms, and 5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Rent Ski or Snowboard Gear.
The Tint of Your Lenses Matters
Many people approach goggles based on their looks, which makes it easy to forget that goggles are meant to protect your face from the cold and your eyes from the sun and its reflection off the snow which grows stronger the higher your altitude is. While nearly all goggles provide UV protection, there are varying degrees for you to choose between based on the conditions you expect to ride in. For example, if you’re expecting to ride under blue skies then mirrored or polarized lenses will keep you front squinting all day long. On the other hand, if you’re riding in cloudy, foggy, or nighttime conditions these goggles could limit your visibility which is extremely dangerous for yourself and other riders.
For this reason, many goggles come with interchangeable lenses, and some goggles are even designed with quick lens change systems to keep you from wasting time changing them out.
Whatever you’re riding in, make sure your goggles have the proper lenses to keep you safe.
Try Your Goggles on With Your Helmet
It’s easy to assume that all goggles are going to fit the same, but thanks to a wide variety of sizes and styles there’s no guarantee that the pair you buy will be compatible with your helmet.
The good news is that most fit issues can be fixed by adjusting the goggles. The bad news is that some goggles just won’t fit your head and your helmet, which can cause pinching or a gap between your goggles and your helmet.
To avoid all goggle fit problems, try any pair you’re thinking about buying with a helmet before you make any decisions. The same goes for any riders who wear glasses. While there are over the glasses goggles designed to fit glasses underneath, some even come with built-in fans to keep glasses from fogging, they should always be tried on first to make sure there are no fit
issues.
Fogging is Easier to Avoid Than You Think
Similarly to how wearing lenses with the wrong kind of tint puts your safety at risk, fogging goggles are also a problem that can persist all day and make riding dangerous. The good news is that there are several ways to avoid fog in your goggles.
The name of the game is to keep moisture out, so that means keeping all vents on your goggles uncovered so air can flow through, and not putting your goggles on your forehead where sweat and snow can get trapped inside. Plus, you should never try to clean your goggles out with your gloves. Not only are gloves typically wet or covered in snow, but the rough surface of your gloves can damage the lenses.
The best solution to cleaning your goggles out is a simply microfiber cloth which is easy to find and even easier to carry on the mountain.
Goggles today come in every shape and size imaginable along with a wide variety of lenses and gadgets attached, so before you make any goggle purchase go into your local shop and talk to the professionals there to figure out what goggles are right for you. Of course, if you’re heading
up to Mammoth Mountain, stop by ASO Mammoth for the best advice and winter gear rentals on the mountain!