While we’re always thankful for a bit of snow, the harsh winters we get in Canada can leave a bit of a sour taste in our mouths. Chief among these is the feeling that accompanies slipping on a freshly waxed ski slope and seeing double. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to remedy this. One of these is to swap out your ski goggles’ (specially designed to protect your eyes from the whipping wind and debris floating by) standard straps for some thicker, stronger ones. This is especially handy during the off season, when the chairlift isn’t running and you don’t have someone to hold on to while skiing.
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The Reasons For Stronger Straps
Reinforcing the straps on your goggles will not only prevent you from slipping and tearing off down the mountain, but it’ll also improve the overall fit and feel of the goggles. Thicker, stronger straps will make a world of difference when compared to the cheap, thin plastic ones most shops offer. Even better, you’ll be able to tighten them further around your face if you’re prone to feeling loose.
A Few Tips For Replacement
If you’re planning on doing this yourself, take the time to do some research online before ordering a pair of specialty goggles that you’ll need to take apart and reassemble yourself. This will save you the headache of needing someone to help you afterwards. Also, don’t bother with the cheap plastic ones as mentioned above. It’s always best to go for something stronger and thicker. Last but not least, be careful not to cut off any of the grooves that the original straps were molded into.
For further reference, here’s a quick tutorial on how to replace ski goggle straps on your own:
Materials Needed
- Sewing machine
- Needle-nose pliers
- Alcohol wipes
- RTV silicone spray (re-usable tin tin)
- PVA glue
- Ski goggles with straps
- New, thicker straps
How To
Taking off the old straps will undoubtedly feel a little awkward, so take your time wrapping your head around it. You’ll need to remove them by pulling downward and to the side, ensuring that you don’t rip off any of the grooves that the originals were molded into. When removing the first set of straps, make sure to leave the cheek pieces in place as these will need to be reseated once you’ve finished removing the others. This is where most people struggle, so take your time and be careful not to over-twist or snap off any of the plastic pieces. With the new set of straps, apply a liberal amount of RTV silicone spray to the back of the head piece and around the area where it meets the forehead. While applying the spray, be certain to keep your head still so that you get an even coat. Wait for about 5 minutes for the silicone to fully cure and tighten your head strap comfortably. Now, using the needle-nose pliers, grab each of the side pieces and pull them towards the center. When these are stretched taut, apply a small amount of PVA glue to the center area and let it soak in for a few seconds before repeating the process on the other side. Finally, when you’re satisfied with the amount of tension you’ve created, let the glue dry completely and reattach the head strap to your goggles. Your goggles should now feel much more secure and comfortable on your head while reducing the chances of slipping. If all this seems too complicated, just go for the cheap and thin ones at the shop since they’re more than likely to rip off during use anyway.