For the first time in my career, I have dared to make a change in my clothing for the 2024-2025 season. For almost ten years now, we have been associated with the CKX company, which provides us with our winter clothing every winter for evaluation purposes. As the columnist most connected to the trail side, CKX certainly wanted me to wear the clothing focused on the trail section to evaluate it and give my assessment.
Although a large percentage of the time I do my mileage on the trail, there are a few occasions when we have to do some off-trail testing. Well, for 2024-2025, I have opted for what is called a One Piece, that is to say, a piece of clothing that covers the body from head to toe in a single piece, which is usually seen more in off-piste snowmobiling. Some will say that it is less well suited for trail riding. However, I would say that this type of clothing breathes a little more than trail clothing, which allows for the evacuation of additional heat caused by more intense activity. This is often the case for me when I ride on trails.
Characteristics
As the clothing is designed for off-piste riding, which generally requires greater physical effort than on-piste riding, the clothing is less insulated. We are talking about 60 grams of Vivo insulation compared to 200 grams of Primaloft on on-piste models. All the zippers are completely waterproof, which will keep you dry all day long.
Cordura fabric reinforcements are found at the knees and inside the ankles for superior durability when rubbing against the snowmobile tunnel. The back of the legs and the buttocks are reinforced with flexible and durable Reetex fabric.
✓ Insulation: 60 g Vivo
✓ Wind resistance (membrane): 20,000 mm
✓ Water resistance (membrane): 20,000 mm
✓ Breathability (membrane): 15,000 g/m²/day
The advantages
The advantages of a one-piece suit surely lie in the fact that there is no air intake when the zippers are closed, which avoids a poor fit that would allow frostbite or additional cold in more intense temperatures. Ease of movement is certainly a very important point in the equation, which will be discussed later. The addition of more resistant Cordura parts at the knees and inside the ankles increases the durability of the garment. And depending on your size, you can adjust the height of the pentathlon bottom with a Velcro.
The disadvantages…
The less practical aspect is certainly when we stop at relay stations or other points. With a two-piece outfit, we can remove the top part while keeping our overalls on, which frees us from the top part of the outfit at relay stations, for example. With a one-piece suit, the handling is different. The whole suit must be kept on at all times. However, the addition of suspenders inside allows us to remove the top for greater comfort. The thermal aspect is also to be considered, more insulating underlayers at a lower temperature must be provided to avoid feeling cold.
On the track…
Honestly, the greatest pleasure and advantage of a CKX one-piece set is definitely the ease of movement. It’s the most impressive point, without a doubt. I like to get out of the snowmobile when cornering to counterbalance, and from the very first corners, it’s obvious: you feel a much greater freedom of movement. The absence of friction between the coat and the overalls (in the case of a two-piece suit) gives us a very pleasant feeling of freedom!
In conclusion…
The choice of snowmobile clothing is very important, because it is for several seasons, and you need to be well equipped. A good clothing retailer should always ask you what kind of snowmobiler you are. Your answer will help them greatly in advising you on the right clothing, the most suitable for your style of riding. And don’t forget, the underlayers play a decisive factor depending on the clothing used…
