We are pretty decided on going with lessons for all of us, though I've heard it's quite expensive.
I'm also pretty set on a pair of snow pants. I'm looking at some in the $40-$60 range. Every year I go out in the snow and wish I had a pair. They will serve a purpose beyond just this ski trip.
Good news is I have some time to look for deals.
Thanks for the info. Keep it coming.
I have been a ski/snowboard bum for 20 years, lived in ski towns, taught snowboarding for 10 years, and also sold snowboarding gear and outerwear. My perspective is from someone who is skiing 50-100 days a year, camping, hiking, etc in their gear. Might be a bit overkill for what you need.
In my experience there is a sweet spot in the $200 range for pants and jackets (each), but you can find stuff on sale. Most of the <$100 range stuff is pretty low quality. The stuff in the $500-$1000+ range just isn’t much better than the mid range stuff, or is way overkill for what normal people are doing. Kills me when I see expedition jackets in a nyc subway. I would actually try to convince people not to buy these $1000+ jackets even though the commission was better.
For the kids I would say cheaper stuff is fine, they will use a couple times and grow out of it. 5 year old can get a 1-piece and save some money. Used, big box stores, etc. all in play. Probably around $100 for a low end set of ski pants and a cheap jacket.
For the adults it’s worth spending a little extra if you will use it for years. Look for jackets and pants with a waterproof rating of 10,000mm+. Look at ski & snowboarding brands for good mid range pricing and high quality (burton, dakine, spyder come to mind). Outdoor gear brands like arc’taryx, north face, Patagonia, etc. make excellent gear but the price point makes it not worth it in my opinion.
Personally I almost exclusively buy burton gear for jackets, pants, and gloves. I think the quality is really high and the price point is fair, and sales are plentiful. I wouldn’t buy anything less than 20,000mm waterproofing for pants and 10,000mm waterproofing for a jacket for myself. Could get into quality pants and jacket for $300-400 on sale for both with msrp in the $500-600 range. I would expect to get 300+ days on snow before this stuff was starting to ware out. Although my go-to jacket is in the 500+ days range now and still going strong, I’ve had it 15+ years now. I wouldn’t touch anything from Walmart, Costco or similar. Anything that is being advertised with more than 20k waterproofing is either stupid expensive or they are lying (probably).
Also, jackets and pants are meant to be waterproof shells. They do not need to keep you warm. The layers underneath will provide your insulation. Avoid buying big thick heavily insulated jackets, once you get moving they make you sweat and you will get cold when you stop moving. There is a big difference in needs between standing outside and skiing. You create a lot of heat while skiing.