Snowboard and Skiing

What To Pack for your Ski Holidays

November 11th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed

If you are new to ski holidays you may wonder what you need to pack for the trip. Packing comes down to three things. Your ski gear, your ski clothing and clothing for non skiing activities. If you are new to ski holidays the chances are you don’t have your own ski gear. So this article will cover the kinds of things you need to keep warm during your stay and the other clothes you need when you are not skiing.

What Kind of Ski Clothing Do You Need

For ski holidays, you should keep your mind on layering of clothes when you pack your suitcases. A good tip is to pack in the order that you put on your ski attire so you will be less likely to forget anything. Begin with your primary base layer which would be your long underwear and follow it with your middle layers which usually consist of a long sleeve turtleneck or a sweater. Your insulating layer is what traps in your body heat and could include fleece button up shirts or jackets.

The final layer to pack for ski holidays is the outer ski pants and jacket which should be weather and water proof. Pack your suitcase based on the number of days you plan to be away. However, the golden rule is typically one base layer and one mid-layer for every two days you are gone because you can wash them if necessary.

Packing Ski Equipment

Although you may not be taking ski’s, boots and poles there are some other essential items that you need when skiing. You will need to pack at least three pairs of ski socks, some form of head protection, be it a helmet of hat. You will also need gloves, sunglasses or goggles and a scarf. You will also need sunscreen and lip protection (zinc cream or lip balm).

If you do plan to take ski equipment, like ski’s, poles and boots then you need to pack them well. If you are flying to the ski resort for instance you will need a proper ski bag for the ski’s and poles. The boots will have to fit in your luggage. If you are not an experienced skier then it is probably a lot less hassle to rent this equipment at the ski resort. This saves time and effort. If you have a package holiday then you can get a really good deal of ski equipment rental.

Packing your Non-Ski Clothing

You will not be spending all your time on the slopes so you want to take other clothes for non skiing activities. Pack warm and follow the same principle with ski clothing: pack clothing that can be worn in layers so you can remove as the temperature dictates. Good boots or water proof hiking boots are a must as they will keep your feet dry and warm when you walk around the resort. There may be other activities, like swimming pools or saunas to try, so take your swimming costumes and a towel.

You also need all the regular stuff, like toiletries and grooming items. At the very least you need a ski jacket and pants and some good boots. Head gear, gloves and eye protection are also essential. Much of this stuff can be bought at the resorts but it will be quite expensive and depending on what kind of budget you are one, this might not be an option.