Bulgaria Ski discussion board

tk maxx is good some good brands there, buy helly hanson baselayer it has multi uses and is one of the best , try and get anything that is gore tex if you can afford it, never buy any thing that says its snow proof as after a while snow turns to water and it will soak through, go for something that says its at least 10000 mm waterproof if you can not get gore tex that should keep you dry all day, dont buy tube ski socks get a proper ski sock not the racing ones like i use you wont need them something like the salomon all rounder sock about £10 at tk maxx dont get a bulky jacket but do the layer thing with fleece etc try to avoid cotton and stick to polyester.
one final thing once you have skied theres no going back

I wouldn't say I was recommending this, but the first time I ever went snowboarding I didn't have ANY proper gear. It was -8 and I wore combats, a couple of t shirts, a thin jumper and a hoodie. I had a cold backside by the end of the day, as I spent most of my time sat in snow, but that was it, I was fine. Oh, apart from gloves that is. You NEED decent gloves.
I'm not recommending that, just saying you don't have to spend a fortune if you don't want to. Unless money's not an issue I wouldn't dream of going and buying all Goretex gear for a first trip.
I now wear waterproof trousers, but that's it for specialist gear. I have a fleece top (£10) and wear a normal outdoor jacket (£35) and that's fine for me. Most of the time (I tend to go late Feb/early March) I don't bother with the fleece and just wear a t shirt under the jacket as I get too hot!
Matt

Thanks for that Matt. I have a waterproof regatta jacket with a removable fleece, it did cross my mind to wear that and just by some decent gloves and a friend has given me a pair of black salopetts (they will go with anything. Do you think I would be ok with these then? Don't know what to do about goggles as I wear glasses. Might just wear my specsaver sunglassess and see how I go. Are goggles expensive to buy over there? Sorry about all the questions. By the way I think this forum is a mine of infomration. Di.

Sun glasses have been ok for me so far. I guess in falling snow you may want goggles ?
Buying a jacket that's a colour you can wear back at home if out for a walk etc makes it something you may use more.
I usually carry a small back pack and in that I put a light weight "pack a mac". If it gets cold up top it's nice to be able to slip it over your ski jacket. I was glad of this last year when stuck at the top for 2 hours because the gondola had broken down ! A couple of emergency Mars bars and some water came in handy too.