A Rundown of Everything You Need – or Maybe Just Want – to Have a Perfect Day of Skiing.

By Steve
Owner - Skis.com

As a father of two skiers, I’ve learnt over the years the importance of keeping a gear checklist. Just making sure I have everything needed before hitting the lifts can tricky enough, but add in looking after the kids and you end up with a many a day that starts with a helmet-less son or a daughter without her gloves.

I put the following checklist together to help make sure you hit the slopes with all the necessary gear. I’ve broken down what you need into three lists, starting with the bare necessities and working up to a catalog of luxurious items that’ll leave your chairlift partners green with envy. All three lists are organized from the bottom up, but if you just want to check things off, you can use our printable checklist (PDF) so you can be assured you never leave the sunscreen back at the condo again.

The Bare Necessities: Don’t leave home without ‘em

Forget about heading out to the slopes without these essentials.

  • Skis: Renting skis works if you’re not ready to buy or if you want to demo a new style; just double check that the ski shop gives you the right binding settings for your ski level.

  • Ski boots: Rent boots at your own risk.  Getting the right ski boot fit, as outlined in my Ski Boot Camp article, takes time. Thus I recommend that even occasional skiers buy their own boots beforehand. Use our ski boots buying guide for help on finding the boots that will be right for you.
     
  • Ski poles: Make sure your straps and baskets are tightly secured.
     
  • Ski pants: The days of skiing in jeans have passed. You should be able to snag a pair of basic, waterproof pants for as little as $50.
     
  • A pair of ski socks: Whatever you do, leave the cotton gym socks in your top dresser drawer; your feet will be soaked and miserable if you wear them. Don’t be cheap – cold feet are no fun. A good pair of sock cost only $15–20.
     
  • Long underwear: Like with socks, a few extra bucks spent on long underwear that wicks away moisture will go a long way in keeping you warm and dry. Again, stay away from cotton.
     
  • Fleece/sweater: Layering is key to dressing for the slopes. To learn why, review my article on Dressing for (Slope) Success.
     
  • Jacket: While you’ll be best off in a ski jacket, your winter coat can work provided it’s waterproof.
     
  • Gloves: Just make sure they are both waterproof and breathable.
     
  • Goggles: Sunglasses work in sunny conditions, but in flat light and/or snowy conditions, goggles are key.

  • Hat: Unless your skiing spring conditions, you’re going to want to keep your head and ears covered. Fifty percent of your heat loss is through your head; if you’re feet are cold, put on hat and see what happens.

  • Helmet: A hard hat is warmer than a regular hat and a lot a safer. If you think you’re too good of a skier or snowboarder for a helmet, I encourage you to read this article on why you need to wear one.
     

The next step: Added comfort and protection

You probably won’t need all of these items, but you’ll certainly want most of them.

  • Skis, freshly waxed: What a difference a tune-up makes. At minimum you should have a tune and wax every 5 to 10 ski days.

  • Ski lock: Skis can be an easy target, particularly when a base area is close to a parking lot where thieves can quickly stash their ill-gotten goods. Keep them safe by locking them up when taking a lunch break.

  • Custom-fit ski boots: Get your boots as close to perfect with a custom boot fitting. Along with creating custom footbeds, a reputable shop can heat and stretch liners, add or subtract foam, and even grind away areas like the heel cup to make a more exact match. I recommend doing this at the slopes so you can ski a run between each tweak.
     
  • Cat Tracks: Pop a pair of cat tracks onto your ski boots whenever you’re walking long distances to provide cushioned support and to keep your boot soles clean and clear of grit.

  • Boot bag: Instead of Cat Tracks you can also choose to carry your boots to the slopes in style with a purpose built boot bag.

  • Ski pants, high-end: If you’re going to stick with skiing, then shell out for some high-end ski pants. Along with being waterproof and breathable, they should come with handy pockets and side zippers that open the pants for natural air-conditioning on warmer days. Plus, they won’t split on you in the middle of a mogul field.

  • Several pairs of good ski socks: A better sock doesn’t mean a thicker sock. Instead it means a combination of a thin-but-still-warm water-wicking fabric, seamless construction and extra support for pressure-point areas. You should have a fresh and clean pair for each day out, as dirty socks get compressed and lead to more discomfort…and stench.

  • Pairs of long-underwear: The best long underwear will keep you warm and dry, but is also wicking to keep you from overheating. A second or even third pair will keep you from trailing a stink cloud and give you extra time between trips to the laundry. I like to wear two pairs on particularly cold days.

  • Micro-fleece: Avoid looking like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man by investing in thin layers like a micro-fleece.

  • High-end ski jacket: Like with pants, a high-end ski jacket can smooth out the rough edges of your skiing experience. You’ll find plenty of uses for all the pockets (ski pass, cell phone, iPod, wallet), plus standard extras like pit-zips, powder-shirts and rollaway hoods will keep you covered in all conditions.
     
  • Backpack: Where else are you going to store all this gear? Plus you can pack along a lunch for a backside picnic away from the crowds.

  • Hand warmers: If you’re the type that can never keep their fingers – or toes – warm, rip open package of hand warmers and let them magically (ok, chemically) thaw you out.

  • Neck warmer: Basically a hat with a large hole in it, neck warmers slide down to make sure the space between your jacket and hat/helmet remains covered. These are critical on a cold, windy day, so I always carry one in my pocket in case conditions change.

  • Balaclava: You might look like a bank robber with one of these facemasks on, but at least you’ll be a warm bank robber. A key extra whenever you’re caught riding a lift in fierce, driving wind or snow.

  • Goggles with extra lenses: Several companies make goggles with lenses that can be switched out to match the current conditions; darker tints for sunny times, lighter tints for flat light. Easier still, just have two sets of goggles, including clear lenses for night skiing.

  • Audio helmet: A novelty no longer, virtually all helmet companies have a line of speaker-wired helmets. Star in your own personal ski movie by blasting through the snow to your own custom soundtrack.

  • Sunscreen: All that snow reflects sunshine stronger than a sandy beach. Avoid the classic raccoon-eyes slope burn with a dab of sunscreen every few hours.
     
  • Lip balm: All that mountain wind along with the sun wreaks havoc on unprotected lips; keep a stick of balm (with SPF 15 or better) in your jacket and you’ll be the hero of the day.
     
  • Flask: Nothing works better than a dash of "juice" to revive the spirit.
     

Deluxe Delights: The sky’s the limit

None of these items are absolutely essential, but then again neither is a chairlift.

  • Adjustable flex skis: Made by both Rossignol and Volkl, these new adjustable models sit on the cutting edge of ski technology. Whether it’s flicking a switch or inserting interchangeable arms, these high-tech planks let skiers’ increase or decrease flex to match that days conditions and riding style.

  • Ski boot warmer: When driving to the slopes, plug in a warmer and drop it into your boots to ensure a fresh and toasty first fit.

  • Ski boot heaters: And while your skiing, turn on your ski boot heaters. Using rechargeable batteries, these babies click onto the back of your boot and keep your feet in heated heaven throughout the day.

  • Ski boot dryers: And once the day is done, plug in one these fans to completely dry out your boots. As anyone who has left their boots outside overnight – which would be pretty much every skier – can attest, few things are more miserable than starting off the day in wet, cold boots.

  • After-ski boots: Treat your feet to slipper-like comfort with a pair of after-ski boots.
     
  • Hydration backpack: With a hydration pack you can chug until your bladder bursts without having to unzip. Critical in high elevations to avoid high-altitude sickness.
     
  • Electric fan goggles: Particularly useful for those who wear glasses, these high-end goggles come with silent, micro-electronic fan that run continuously to eliminate fog.
     
  • Bluetooth audio helmet: A step up from regular audio helmets, these high-tech models replace wires with Bluetooth technology.

  • Personal Audio/MP3 Player: What better way to enjoy your day of fun on the mountain than with your favorite tunes.

Checklist, Please

The Bare Necessities

  • Skis
  • Ski boots
  • Ski poles
  • Ski pants
  • Ski socks
  • Long underwear
  • Second layer: turtle neck or other moisture wicking item.
  • Fleece/sweater
  • Jacket
  • Gloves
  • Goggles
  • Hat
  • Helmet


The Next Step

  • Skis, freshly waxed
  • Ski lock
  • Ski straps
  • Custom-fit ski boots
  • Cat tracks
  • Boot bag
  • Ski pants, high-end
  • Several pairs of ski socks
  • Pairs of long-underwear
  • Micro-fleece
  • High-end ski jacket
  • Backpack
  • Hand warmers
  • Neck warmer
  • Balaclava
  • Goggles with extra lenses
  • Audio Helmet
  • Sunscreen
  • Lip balm
  • Flask
     

Deluxe Delights

  • Adjustable flex skis
  • Ski boot warmer
  • Ski boot heaters
  • Ski boot dryers
  • After-ski boots
  • Hydration backpack
  • Electric fan goggles
  • Bluetooth Audio helmet
  • Personal Audio/MP3 Player