Basic protective clothing

[Darren B]

The standard bits seem to have been covered by everyone else.

My advice regards the rest:

Balaclava - I would recommend that you get one.  Not only for it's fire retardent properties, but the main reason I wear one is that it means that the inside of the helmet stays clean, especially on hot days.

Gloves - Strongly recommend gloves above all the 'recommended items'.  Should the worst happen and you get fire in the cockpit (spilt fuel/oil or similar) then trying to undo your harness without them will lead to a serious injury and even to the point that you may not be able to undo it at all.  You don't have to buy high end race gloves.  Just something that'll keep your hands safe whilst you escape.

Underwear - I didn't always wear my fire retardent underwear for sprinting, primarily because I had a good quality race suit and found it a bit too hot in the summer.  For racing I always wear it, but the risks are a little higher.

Boots - I got some proper race ones for sprinting, but karting boots would suffice.  Primarily beacuse I couldn't find any regular shoes that I was comfortable to drive in with the relatively small confines of the footwell.

Order of priority for kit if I was buying now:

1. Helmet - biggest proportion of the money.

2. Suit - Next biggest proportion.

3. Gloves - Mandatory in my book, but not too high a spec required.

4. Balaclava - Mainly to save on cleaning the helmet lining.

5. Boots - comfort for driving.

6. Underwear - lowest priority.

[stephenh]

If you dont wear nomex underwear (and I wouldn't bother for sprints/hillclimbs) it is a good idea to wear cotton rather than nylon or other man-made material. If the worst happened and you were badly burnt, man-made material is liable to melt into your wounds, and make them much worse. Cotton (or wool or silk) will not and will give some slight additional insulation under your nomex or proban suit.

[Fraser]

Underwear - I didn't always wear my fire retardent underwear for sprinting, .... found it a bit too hot in the summer.  

...although it has been said "If you think that's hot, try a fire!".

I don't wear any underwear either (fireproof that is  ), but I am considering it.  However, as someone commented on here before (Beeland perhaps), extremities (hands, feet, head) are the worst places to get burned, so gloves, balaclava, socks and boots are a sensible minimum in addition to the mandatory.