Heading away on a ski trip? Whether you're a teacher, pupil, or parent, make sure you know exactly what you'll need to pack with our handy guide!
Skiing is an incredibly exciting adventure - a chance to develop new skills, make new friends and create lasting memories. But there are a few essentials that everyone will need to keep them safe, warm and dry on the mountain. After all, no one enjoys being wet and cold.
Perhaps you're the parent of a child who's heading away skiing for the first time or you're one of the teachers leading the group. Whatever situation you find yourself in, our travel experts have put together this school ski trip packing list to ensure you don't forget a thing.
With 35+ years of experience in organising and running school ski trips, it's fair to say we've seen our fair share of packing mistakes and mishaps, so here's a rundown of everything you'll need.
School Ski Trip Packing List
1. Ski Gear: Skis, Helmets & Boots
It can be a bit of a nightmare for groups to bring all their equipment with them, especially if travelling by air, as most airlines will charge an additional supplement for the carriage of skis and snowboards.
To avoid this extra cost, we pre-book skis, ski poles, snowboards, boots, and helmets for our groups. You simply collect everything on your first day at the resort. We only work with reputable companies and equipment is serviced by qualified ski technicians. If you hire skis, they will be no older than last season and snowboards will be no more than three years old.
Of course, if you're bringing your own gear, then it's a must-pack!
Do I need a helmet?
Legally, in many ski resorts these days (certainly in Italy and most of Austria), children must wear a helmet, and those caught without one may face a hefty fine. Most ski schools will insist on it, and the Ski Club of Great Britain recommend that all children under 14 years of age wear a helmet when skiing or snowboarding.
For adults, it is usually up to individual discretion. However, it's increasingly common for helmets to be compulsory for over-18s on certain parts of the mountain.
Helmets can't prevent all head injuries, but they reduce the severity of many. It's always worthwhile reminding your group of this, as some skiers are guilty of feeling that wearing a helmet makes them invincible, which it does not.
The most effective way to ensure safety on the mountain is to stick to the Skiway Code.
Pro tip - don't put stickers on helmets. The adhesive can weaken the shell material, causing the helmet to be less effective.
2. Ski Socks
A small but essential piece of every skier's kit.
You need to wear suitable socks that will keep you dry and will keep your feet comfortable. It is not recommended that skiers don two pairs of normal socks, as it is likely that this will simply lead to painful blisters.
Instead, we recommend tube or inner loop ski socks. It is also worth taking the time to cut your toenails before you travel, trust us!
If you're travelling for a week, you might want to bring a couple of pairs so you can change midway through.
3. Thermal Tops & Pants
Make sure to bring at least one set of thermals, depending on how long you're going for. The thermal top along with the thermal pants form your base layers - keeping your top and lower half warm and dry. Get a couple of sets to cover the whole trip.
Typically made of cotton or polypropylene, these materials are effective at transporting moisture away from the body and keeping you warm.
4. Fleeces
You'll then want to create a series of mid-layers, so most skiers will add a t-shirt and light fleece over their thermal top before putting on their jacket.
The key word here is layers. Not only is layering an effective way of trapping air to keep you warm, but it also means you can remove a layer if you get too hot. That's not an option if you opt for one very thick layer.
5. Waterproof Ski Jacket & Trousers
Both your jacket and trousers must be water and windproof. Opt for plastic zippers rather than metal (metal can freeze to the skin), and avoid anything too chunky, as you will need to be able to move your limbs freely.
You should ensure that your jacket is long enough to fully cover your kidney area and it is better to choose cuffed sleeves to stay warm.
When looking for ski trousers, it is handy if they unzip at the bottom, so that they will fit around your ski boots. Generally, salopettes are the most popular type of trousers for skiing as they have both a high back and shoulder straps.
6. Gloves & Mittens
Invest in a good pair of waterproof gloves - cold hands do not make for happy skiers. Gloves will also protect your hands from the sharp edges of skis or snowboards.
There are gloves purposely designed for skiing that you can buy, and they're a must.
Whatever gloves you choose, it's essential to check that they're waterproof, warm and breathable. If you're prone to cold hands, you might benefit from gloves with liners or hand warmers.
And this sounds super obvious but it's really important to make sure your gloves fit properly. If they're too long, you'll struggle to hold the poles properly and if they're too short, you risk exposing your wrists.
You may also want a pair of softer gloves or mittens for whenever you're not skiing. Mittens generally keep hands warmer as they allow better circulation than gloves.
7. Neck Buff Or Scarf
Most skiers will add a buff to keep their necks warm and stop any cold air from entering via the top of their jackets. As a bonus, you can pull a buff-up over the lower part of your face if it's snowing or there are particularly bitter conditions.
This will also offer protection from the sun, as well as the risk of wind chill or even wind burn (where high winds strip the ski of its natural oils).
If you don't have a buff, a scarf can work just as well.
8. Woolly Hats
As you can lose up to 40% of your heat through your head, it's essential to keep it covered while on the slopes. In general, we recommend both children and adults wear a warm hat for walking around the resort.
9. Sunglasses Or Goggles
Some form of eyewear is essential on the slopes. Goggles are your best bet if it's snowing heavily. If not, you may prefer sunglasses with good UV protection.
And that UV protection is essential. Even when it's not that sunny, the reflection of the sun's rays on snow can cause snow blindness. Eyewear without UV protection may block out the bright light, but it won't filter out the sun's radiation.
If you do opt for sunglasses, make sure that they are made of unbreakable glass (and perhaps take a second pair or some goggles, as backups).
10. Non-Ski Clothes
Whether you're having breakfast or you're finished skiing for the day and relaxing at the resort, you'll need a few sets of non-ski clothes. Consider taking:
- Walking boots (trainers are often unsuitable due to the slippy and frozen grounds around the resort)
- Warm coat (to save packing space, you could double up and use your ski jacket as a coat for the trip)
- T-shirts and tops
- Pants
- Jumpers/hoodies
- Underwear, including normal socks
- Swimming costume/trunks (some resorts have swimming facilities)
11. Essential Travel Items
Aside from your clothes, you'll need several key items:
- Passport
- Medication
- Camera
- Mobile phone
- Chargers
- Plug adapters
- Rucksack
- Wash bag
- Toothbrush
- Sunscreen (essential - it's very easy to burn on the slopes)
- Towel
- Water bottle
- Tissues (for runny noses)
Optional Extras
Back protector
Because of the unusual movements, back problems can be an issue for skiers and snowboarders. A back protector can help with this.
Back protectors usually come as part of a traditional ski suit, or you can buy separate ones that sit under ski jackets. Some are hard (like a turtle shell), while others are more flexible and made of the same material used for motorcycling clothes (they're warmed by your body, which makes them more flexible).
Just be careful to choose the right size. If it's too long, it'll stick out above your collar and pick up snow.
Protective shorts
One of the most common injuries when skiing is to the coccyx. Protective shorts can help prevent or lessen these types of injuries (they can also help prevent crushed vertebrae).
They're padded on the areas that are most likely to take the hit when you fall (i.e. the backs and hips).
Wrist guards
Snowboarders in particular may benefit from wrist guards. Of course, the natural instinct when falling is to put your arms out to break your fall - but this can do serious damage to your wrists.
Wrist guards will keep your wrists rigid and absorb some of the impact.
Knee guards
Knee guards are also most useful for snowboarders, as their knees can take a bit of a bashing.
There are two types of knee guards - rigid and flexible. The more flexible ones are becoming more popular than the rigid ones, as they allow you to move your freely.
Extra School Ski Trip Packing Tips
Choose sustainable
Winter sports clothing is notoriously difficult to recycle. And, when it comes to dressing children for the slopes, last season’s clothing will more often than not be too small.
If you're a parent who is keen to save money and help keep winter sports clothing out of landfills, take a look at the WhoSki website. This peer-to-peer marketplace specialises in good-as-new ski clothing. And when the children have grown out of these clothes, parents can resell them.
Plus, WhoSki donate 25% of their commission on every item sold to teenage mental health charity stem4!
Avoid getting burnt
Despite the cold temperatures, sunburn can be a real issue on the slopes.
At high altitude, the sun's intensity actually increases. For every 3,280 feet of elevation, your UV exposure increases by 10% (and that's not taking into account the reflection of the sun's rays off the snow).
You must wear sunscreen with a high SPF, and you absolutely need to be reapplying it regularly to make sure your skin is properly protected (the recommendation is to apply everywhere 20 minutes before going outside, and then reapplying every 2 hours).
It's also a great idea to take a lip balm with a high SPF to protect your lips from radiation and dryness (which can be so painful).
Take plenty of water
Again, just because it is cold, people can forget how easy it is to become dehydrated on the slopes.
If you're a teacher leading the group, make sure that everyone takes a bottle of water out with them and drinks regularly. There are usually places on the resorts where reusable bottles can be refilled for free.
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