In the Part 1 of this serial, we talked about some considerations on getting to the ski resort. In this post, we are going to talk about what to pack with you for the ski trip.
Ski Equipment (or Not)?
If you know what you need and plan to go ski frequently, it make sense to purchase your own ski equipments (ski, ski boots, poles, helmet, goggle). The price range for a pair of ski boots range from $100 to $1000 and the ski also cost a couple of hundred dollars. You could go to the local sport store such as Dick’s, REI, Sports Authority to check it out first before you buy it.
You can also rent the equipments from the ski resort (EXCEPT the goggle) for a fee. For the resort we went, the rental fee for ski+boot+poles are $30/day, helmet for $10/day. So you could do some math to decide which option make sense to you. If you are flying to the ski, you would need to check in the equipment so count those baggage checking fees as well.
Since we are planning the first ski trip, so I assume you are similar to me. Basically I have no clue on which ski and boot to choose. So we decided to rent from the ski resort. One thing you might consider is to rent from your local ski shop or the ski rental outside the resort, they might offer better price. We will probably shop around for better pricing as we gain enough knowledge from the first trip.
We did purchase the adult helmet and all the goggles. We found some deal on helmet which cost $50 and it was worth owning one (rental vs purchase difference is too small). Because the kids are very likely to out grown the helmet so we decided to rent for them. For those of you that are considering skipping helmet, I would recommend you to reconsider. After all, ski is a pretty dangerous sport (because of our own speed and unpredictable fellow skiers), all it take is a single collision to ruin the whole vacation. Safety should be high priority.
The goggle is essential because the snow blind effect, you could get one for as low as $20. If you are wearing eye glasses, you might want to look for one that is eye glasses compatible, such as this one: Smith Optic Knowledge OTG Snow Goggle Black Frame with Ignitor Lens KN4IBK15
Ski Apparel
This is probably the essential part of your preparing process. If you are living in the colder area, you might have your wintery dress ready. But if you happen to live in warmer area, you might want to plan it earlier. It might need more than one trip to the REI or Dicks. Check out the following post for some tips on how to wear for ski
http://www.wikihow.com/Dress-for-Skiing
Basic principle is to dress in layers, with the bottom layers that fits well and can wick moisture from your skin, no cotton. You can choose from synthetic and wool for your base layer. There are many posts about the comparison, you can go through those, but I think the best way is to get a hand on these two material see which one you might feel better in.
Other Stuff
Sunscreen
You might forget that because it was cold, but the sunscreen is actually very important because of the high altitude and high reflection from snow.
Medicine
It is possible that somebody got sick or injured in the ski trip. Pack some OTC medicine such as Tylenol could be very handy.
Favorite food
You are going to stay in the ski resort for several days. Even though there would be restaurants around, you are limited by what they offers. Sometimes there is no grocery store nearby as well. So if you have room, you could pack some of your favorite food or snack with you. For example, we actually brought the raw material for a authentic Chinese Hot Pot. It felt awesome!