Snowboard and Skiing

Finding Good Discount Ski Equipment

November 23rd, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed

If you are going on a ski vacation, you need to be sure to take the right gear. If you have booked a ski package the chances are that all the hard goods – the skis, boots, bindings and poles will be taken care of by the representative of the ski vacation company. This makes it really easy if you are new to ski vacations and skiing in general. All you have to worry about is what’s called the soft goods – the ski jacket, ski pants, gloves, fleece, scarf and goggles. Hard goods are generally quite expensive so it pays to get a bit of experience before you think about buying this type of gear. You may not even like skiing or may find that you ski so rarely that it doesn’t make sense to spend big money on these items. Renting this gear initially is your best bet. After you have become a ski addict and can’t wait for the ski season to start each year, then you can think about buying some hard goods. However things like ski jackets are not as expensive as skis and you will get more use out of them than skis because they are not exclusively made for skiing. This article will give you some ideas on finding hard and soft goods and finding good discount ski equipment.

First of all, there are good discounts to be found towards the end of the season. That’s around February/March/April (In the northern Hemisphere) and September/October (In the Southern Hemisphere). If you are looking for things like skis, snowboards, boots and bindings then this is a good time to shop. The ski shops are basically getting rid of stuff they couldn’t sell during the season so it may not be the latest gear but it’s going to be pretty new.

Things like jackets, pants and gloves are also likely to be cheaper in the off season. And of course things like this are more fashion conscious. They may not be the latest color or style but that really doesn’t matter in the whole scheme of things. All you want is something that will keep you dry, warm and allow air to circulate.

You can also look online. There are plenty of online ski and snowboard shops that have everything you need from skis to bobble hats. Many of the online stores offer discounts on many goods but they often charge a postage fee and you can’t try the item on before you buy. This has to be factored in before you buy anything online. Check their return policy or know what you want before you buy (go to a store and physically try the item on and then order through the cheaper online store). You can also find used good on places like Ebay or used goods in the online stores.

Some places have swap meets where people are getting rid of gear that is surplus to requirements. They are often willing to sell these items for a fraction of the original cost. These meets happen at ski resorts or even ski clubs in your local town or city.