Packing For Your Ski Trip? Keep it Light

If you are one of those people whose holiday suitcase is always bursting at the seams, then the mere thought of packing everything you need for a skiing trip may bring you out in a cold sweat. The good news is that there are lots of ways you can ensure you have everything you need for your holiday, but still manage to drag your case into the departure lounge.
Nina Hasinski, Co-director of Redpoint Holidays, specialists in ski and activity holidays in the Austrian Ziller Valley, has drawn on 15 years of experience in the ski industry to put together a set of tips that you may find useful when packing for your trip.

Those essential items you mustn’t forget
1. Make sure you include a thermal top and thermal long johns: the weather can vary quite considerably, but if you hit a cold spell, these will keep you warm all day on the slopes.

2.  A long sleeve polo neck, gillet and long sleeve warm jumper will keep out any chilly winds.

3. One pair of salopettes and one ski jacket with a waterproof, breathable, outer layer. Ideally, they should be just a shell without padding – you can always wear extra fleeces and thermals if it’s cold, but if you go skiing in March and get great weather, the padded varieties will be too hot.  Make sure it has a really good wrap-around hood. You can also use the same jacket for walking or wearing around town at home, so it’s a much better value buy.  The same goes for the salopettes - the shell variety with less padding are more versatile – although you’re unlikely to wear them around town afterwards!

4. Shoes and boots are a must: bring a pair of winter walking boots or moon boots (for wandering around the village, or going tobogganing) and a lightweight pair of shoes (for wearing around the hotel or going to the apr?s ski bar).

5. Mobile phone chargers and adaptor plugs are two of most common items to be left behind.

6. Most hotels have leisure facilities, so don’t forget to pack your swimsuit – it’s not that bulky and then you won’t miss out.
7. A warm hat is a priority: you can lose 40% of your body heat through your head.

8. Good quality ski gloves are vital when spending the day skiing.

9. Goggles, sun glasses and sun cream are a must. Sunglasses will stop the glare from the sun which is reflected up from the snow. You should also put a high factor cream (at least 30) on your ears, under your chin and nose.

10. There’s nothing worse than cold feet so proper ski socks are essential. They are specially designed to wick the moisture away from your feet so that they remain warm and dry. If wear two pairs or thick socks, the moisture from your sweaty feet will freeze. Ski socks cost up to ?15 a pair, and really are a worthwhile investment.

Your top tips for keeping your packing light
1. Buy in the resorts which are full of sports shops. Goggles aren’t worth buying ahead if you don’t already have some – if you hit on a blue-sky week, you won’t use them and if it’s blizzard conditions, you can buy them on the spot.

2. Choose your apr?s ski outfits carefully – make sure they can be worn with your practical shoes or boots. Casual clothing is all you need to wear after skiing, even in a nice hotel. 

3. You are wearing ski gear for most of the day, so apr?s-ski wear is only worn for a few hours in the evening.  This means you can wear the same outfit most nights, or take a couple of items that you can mix and match.

11. Wear some of your apr?s-ski clothes for the journey over with your bulkiest fleece and your ski jacket on top and also wear your boots.  You will then be prepared for the weather in the ski resort on arrival.

12. Ski socks will easily dry overnight, so you only really need to invest in a couple of good pairs and wash them in the evenings.  Don’t be tempted by the cheap “tube socks” (3 pairs for ?1) that you will be told are for skiing – they’re not. 

13. Underwear, socks, thermals, hats, gloves, fit inside and around your ski boots, or can be used to pad out your ski bag, adding a bit of protection for your skis and giving you more room in your case.

14. Roll your clothes for the best use of space.  The rolls can then be fitted around the harder items in your case.  If you have thin clothing from fine materials, roll a few items together to stop them from creasing.

15. You can buy special compression bags that you put your clothes in and seal.  You then press the air out of the bag through small vents, which to compress your clothes.  This is great for bulky ski gear, like fleeces and jumpers, which contain a lot of air, and means that you can fit more into your case.
16. Don’t pack hair dryer, towels, alarm clocks or other extras if you think they may be available at the hotel – check before you go.

17. Buy mini toiletries, or decant your everyday toiletries into smaller holiday-size pots. 

Following these common sense guidelines, it should be possible for anyone to fit everything that they need into a robust medium sized suitcase. And remember, if this is your first skiing trip, you don’t have to buy everything you need – ask around family and friends to borrow your kit - and boots and skis can easily be hired at your resort. Then, on your next trip, you will have a much clearer idea of which equipment you really want to invest your cash in.

Background
Redpoint Holidays (www.redpoint.co.uk) is a Midlands based company run by husband and wife team Nina and Greg. Established for over 10 years, the company specialises in running skiing trips for all ages and abilities, from learn to ski breaks to woman only ski courses. They also run a range of activity courses in the summer months, including walking breaks, mountain biking and white water holidays.

3 February 2006