The season is approaching and the excitement is growing day by day. And while your flight might still be a little way off still, packing for a ski holiday is something that cannot be left till the last minute.
Especially for those who have never been skiing before, you’ll need to think hard about what you need to buy and pack for your trip. And we thought we’d help you out a little – we’ve created a list of things you’ll need to bring on holiday with you: from clothes, to equipment, to other important belongings. This is not an exhaustive list, but just some guidance especially for those of you who don’t do this year on year.
Clothes
❄ Thermal underlayers – and more than just one pair as you won’t want to be wearing the same lot each day
❄ Salopettes, otherwise simply known as ski trousers
❄ Ski jacket
❄ Thermal fleeces, because your standard jumper from TK Maxx won’t cut it if it’s really cold
❄ Good quality ski mittens or gloves so your hands don’t get cold, and maybe some normal gloves to wear underneath for extra warmth
❄ A snood or a “buff” as some places call it
❄ Hats for out and about and extra warmth under your helmet
❄ Clothes for evenings because you won’t just be skiing – you’ll likely be going for drinks and food in the evenings and won’t want to be wearing your salopettes. Also bring some warm lounge clothes for chilling in your chalet in the evening
❄ Woolly tights as an alternative to thermals, or can go under thermals for extra warmth. And they’ll be good for wearing under your jeans if you go out in the evening
❄ Sunglasses – an absolute essential! The sun is so bright when it reflects off the snow so you need good eye protection. Every heard of snow blindness? Yeah you don’t want that.
❄ Goggles, and a change of lens for different light conditions
❄ Lots of socks – both normal socks and thick ski socks. Good ski socks not only keep your feet warm but also make your ski boots much more comfortable.
❄ Jumpers
❄ Gaiters to stop the snow going up your trousers
❄ Snow boots/walking boots because it’ll be slippy when walking around the resort. And you’ll want these for playing around in the snow in the evenings
❄ A rucksack to store water and snacks and your Chardons lunch pack
❄ Pyjamas!
❄ Helmet or boots if you have your own
❄ Sun cream – you can get badly sunburnt from the sun reflecting off the snow
Other important items
❄ Sun cream lip balm
❄ Lip balm because your lips will get very dry
❄ Moisturiser – skin gets dry in the cold
❄ Water Bladder – an addition to taking a water bottle, a water bladder has a straw-like function that means you can rehydrate as you ski
❄ Home comforts or snacks you can’t get in France
❄ Mountain tools if you’re a more serious skier, but they do have tools for adjusting or fixing equipment at the bottom of ski lifts
❄ DVDs – our chalets come with a selection of DVDs, but you may want to bring any films you really want to watch. You can also bring your own games to play in the chalet game consoles
❄ Gadgets and chargers
❄ European plug adapters
❄ EHIC card unless we leave the EU, in which case you’ll need to think seriously about health insurance
❄ Passport
❄ Ski equipment if have own- if not Chardons can help with discounted hire!
Is there anything you always bring on a ski holiday that we’ve missed? Let us know in the comments below so we can help beginners with packing for their holiday!