Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Must haves for a ski vacation or day on the slopes!


My girls have been going to ski club with the school and I was talking with some parents about why I dress the way I do on the hills and also the kids. I was stopped multiple times and told my ski suit was cute, but more so than that it is noticeable. That is tip #1 wear something that stands out and put your kids in something that stands out. I had a ski instructor stop and tell me I was right about him always seeing me after I pointed out my reasoning for my snowsuit. Both of my daughters also wear outfits that I can spot. When you look out onto the hill normally you see a sea of black on black snowsuits and everyone has on a helmet and looks identical. If you aren't about the snowsuit even a helmet that is noticeable will help.

Tip #2 is set a meeting spot with times. Even with outfits you can see I still make sure they check in from time to time and have an exact meeting place.

Tip #3 warmers. Don't forget the hand and feet warmers! This speaks for itself! Another tip is to wear mittens and not gloves. It is easier to put hand warmers in and your hands stay warmer. Also they make ski mittens that have wrist holders attached so you can take them off and they hang without you losing them.

Tip #4 buy boot and ski bags. Boot and ski bags help transporting the equipment. It also keeps them from getting all scratched up and ruined.

Tip #5 If traveling with equipment pack heavy things together and put in a carry-on. When we traveled to France during Christmas I packed our carry-on suitcases full of boots. I usually just ski with a base layer on which makes the suitcase lighter. I packed both girls helmets in the luggage and filled them with their gloves, etc. It also helps to have a face cover for days when it is really cold.

Tip #6 check out yearly rentals if your child is still growing. A lot of ski stores near me have a yearly rental program. You pay a one-time fee at the beginning of the year and pick up your skis. Then at the end of the season you return them. This is great if your child is still growing and you don't want to have to keep spending money on new equipment.

Tip #7 if you are buying equipment check out skis.com. Skis.com sells kid's systems that are used. I purchased my daughter brand new skis in the summer (tip #8- buy off-season) and used boots. The boots were a huge deal and looked barely worn. I also purchased myself used skis and boots and neither looked worn at all. I had been skiing on skis that I gotten when I was in middle school, the last time I had grown, and it was time to upgrade. Due to my height and weight, I was also able to buy youth skis, saving a ton of money.

I am sure some of these tips are pretty common-sense and might not be looked at as tips, but hopefully some are helpful!

Below I will link some of the items that we have!