Whether you are heading to the snowy hills for the day or
going out west for a ski week, what you pack has a big impact on your ski
trip. Forget your goggles, and you are spending the day blinking and crying
as you cruise the slopes without eye protection - or you are shelling out
serious dough for a replacement pair - no last minute deal for forgetful
dummies.
Skiing with the family - you need to remember a mountain of gear. You need systems for your ski packing ,
so you don’t forget someone’s ski pants, ski pass or goggles, or spend the morning in the ski
shop instead of on the fresh snow. And you need to know
how to dress for skiing.
Here are our tried and true ski packing tips:
Ski Bag: Every skier in the family should have their own
snowboard/ski boot bag, labeled with name, address and cell.
Ski Bag Checklist:
ski or snowboard boots, ski socks
helmet/hat
mittens/gloves
googles/sunglasses
neck warmer or balaclava
base layer –thermal long undies, and a fleece layer
wind and waterproof ski pants and jacket
season pass or lift ticket coupons
hand/toe warmers, lip balm, sunscreen, energy bar
Bonus items:
camera & extra batteries- cold zaps battery power
après ski clothes and a swimsuit (just in case = hot tub)
cell phone with a ski app - trail map and vertical tracker
portable boot dryer
Check each ski bag before and after each ski trip to be
sure everyone’s inner and outerwear is clean, dry, and ready to go. With
young skiers, pack extras of everything from base layers to socks and
mittens since they tend to get wet, often.
Dress
rehearsal: Before your first ski trip, have a full dress rehearsal
to make sure your ski outfit still fits and is
functional. You don’t want to find out Saturday
morning that Suzie lost one mitten last March. See our
Dress for ski Success tips.
Ski Equipment: Store all your hardware: skis, boards,
poles, in one place – so you can grab everyone’s gear and go.
Ski Resort: Go on-line, visit the ski area’s website and
check on lift hours, lesson registrations and times, rentals, parking,
ticketing, everything you need to know. This saves considerable time at
check in, guarantees space in kids ski camp and often unearths special discounts
or events that weren’t otherwise promoted.
Airline Ski Bag Charges: If you are
skiing out west, check out our tips on shipping skis, or renting from a ski
rental service, versus paying the airlines for excess ski and boot bags.
I hope these ski travel tips will help you get to the slopes more often with
less stress!
New England Ski Resorts |Canada |Rockies |Family Ski Resort Guide
