How to Pack for a Ski Trip
Let's make sure you have all the gear you need to get the goods.
Table of contents
Nearly every fruitful pow-chasing adventure owes much of its success to planning. A significant part of that is what gear you’ll take and how you’ll get it to your destination. While that may sound obvious, failing to pack the correct items—or not optimizing how you’ll transport them—can result in frustration and frayed nerves before you ever hit the snow. We’ve lived it all, which is why we’ve compiled this handy guide to help you tick all the boxes and shred to your heart’s content.
Conditions Check
If you’re anything like us, you’ll spend the days (and, if we’re being honest, weeks) leading up to your ski trip feverishly refreshing weather models for your destination. Variables such as the amount and quality of any new snow, forecasted temperatures and wind speeds, and the altitude of the mountain will all affect what you take in your ski bag and/or suitcase.
If conditions are looking like they’ll be frigid and windy, for example, you’ll want to make sure you pack an extra-warm insulated ski jacket or a lofted midlayer, as well as thick base layers and a heavy-duty puffy for walking around town. A milder forecast might have you opt for a lighter fleece as your midlayer and a more casual around-town coat, while an incoming storm will require a highly waterproof shell and pants, so you can slay pow without getting soaked (or seal out rain, if it comes to that).
Even if you refuse to get pulled into the pre-trip hype about conditions speculation, make sure to keep an eye on the weather a day or two beforehand. You don’t want to be stuck with inadequate apparel if it’s cold and snowy, or sweltering in unnecessary layers if things are on the warmer side.
The Gear List
Now that you’ve scoped the weather, it’s time to get everything together. Here’s what we recommend for a weekend-length ski trip in average winter conditions:
- Waterproof ski jacket (shell or insulated)
- Lofted insulation midlayer (if not bringing an insulated ski jacket)
- Fleece midlayer
- Two base layer tops
- Two base layer bottoms
- Extra pair of glove liners, if yours are removable
- Two pairs of ski socks
- Ski Goggles with extra lenses
- Skis
- Poles
- Ski backpack, if you want extra storage or hydration
- Beacon, shovel, and probe, if going out of bounds
- Sunscreen
- Chapstick
Do You Need to Bring a Ski Quiver?
Choosing what apparel you’ll be bringing is, of course, essential, but picking your ski loadout is where the real fun begins. If you have multiple pairs of skis—but only room for one pair in your ski bag—this is another instance to follow the weather forecast's lead.
Now, if you have enough space in your ski bag for two pairs and aren’t bumping up against your airline’s baggage weight limit (more on that later), or are driving to your destination, you might be inspired to bring a full quiver—that is, two (or even three) sets of skis that encompass a wide range of snow conditions and skiing styles. We’ll never argue against bringing a ski quiver, as it’s the best way to make sure you have the right tools for the job. Just remember that skis take up a lot of space, and you might not always have room to pack the whole gang.
Stuff for Off the Slopes
Whether you’re headed to apres, dinner in town, or an excursion to the hot tub, you’ll want the right apparel for your off-mountain adventures as well. Sure, a lot of what you’ll be wearing is your normal winter clothing; just make sure you factor in how cold it will be even when you’re not on the slopes, as well as how snowy the streets will be. Here’s a general list of what to bring that’s not ski-related gear:
- A warm puffy (if not wearing your ski jacket)
- Casual, warm midlayers, such as a thick fleece
- Warm socks
- Winter boots with a decently grippy tread underneath
- Hat
- Gloves
- Bathing suit (for a relaxing soak at the end of the day, if you have access to a hot tub)
- Your usual shirts, pants, and underwear
- Sunglasses
Luggage Solutions
We’ve listed a lot of gear and apparel so far, and it all has to go somewhere. Thankfully, there’s a variety of specially designed ski luggage that’s extremely handy for keeping your items organized and protected.
This is the star of the show and the piece of luggage into which you’ll pack the majority of your gear. Most ski bags can fit much more than just skis—the largest ones, such as the Evo Deluxe Snow Roller and the Dakine Fall Line Ski Roller, can fit multiple pairs of skis, lots of apparel, and even a pair of boots. If your ski bag is spacious enough, it becomes a one-stop shop for storing just about everything you’ll be taking on your trip, save for some personal items and apparel you might want to throw in your carry-on. Even smaller bags, which include designs intended to fit only a single pair of skis and non-roller models, can still house plenty of soft goods packed around the skis themselves.
How to Pack a Ski Bag
Maximizing your ski bag’s packing space isn’t exactly an art, but if you do it correctly, your travels will become a lot simpler. First, load in your skis, securing them with the straps on the bag’s floor and/or sides that you’ll find in the vast majority of trip-worthy bags. If you’re only taking one pair of skis, you can separate them and lay them flat on their bases if you want; taking two pairs will probably necessitate putting each pair together and placing it on its side. After that, put your poles either between or to the side of your skis—hopefully, there’s a handy compartment and straps in the bag’s sidewall to help keep them in place.
Now, it’s time to get your money’s worth. In the dead space around your skis, place your apparel and other soft goods. Putting them in stuff sacks can keep things a bit more organized, but gives you slightly less flexibility; on the other hand, loading everything in willy-nilly is probably the best way to truly maximize the space, but can result in some of your clothes getting a bit dirty or scuffed. (Thankfully, some bags also have separate pockets on the inside or outside for more secure storage.) As a rule, try to keep more delicate items such as puffies and nice town clothes away from ski edges and bindings—if you’re forced to pack next to those areas, a burly shell, a pair of ski pants, or thick ski gloves are all better bets.
Some ski bags have room at the bottom of the bag for your boots, which helps simplify the packing equation. And depending on how much padding your ski bag contains—or lacks—you may be able to fit your helmet in as well. Be warned, though, that if your bag doesn’t offer much protection, your helmet’s shell may pick up some dings or even crack, which means you’ll have to replace it. Regardless, if you’re using a ski bag with wheels, try to pack heavier items down towards the bottom so the bag doesn’t become too top-heavy and droopy when you’re pulling it through the airport.
If your bag doesn’t have room for boots, carrying a separate boot bag may make sense. As we’ll discuss below, ski bags and boot bags usually count as only one checked bag when used together. Boot bags usually contain a bit of padding to protect their contents and have some room to stuff some socks, a shell, and so on. They also prevent your dirty boots from sullying your soft goods if you’re stowing those in a carry-on or someplace other than your ski bag.
Travelers with slim ski bags or those bumping up against weight limits may need to take their town clothes in carry-on luggage. There’s no shame in that—especially for us chronic overpackers, the author of this article included—but shouldering a carry-on can add a bit of awkwardness if you’re navigating long walks through the airport or to your accommodations.
These days, it’s standard practice for airlines to count ski bags and boot bags as a single checked bag under their sports equipment baggage policies. That means that if you pack efficiently, you should be able to get all your gear to your destination for $30 or $40, depending on the carrier.
However, be aware that weight limits still apply. It’s common for airlines to limit the total weight of your ski bag and your boot bag together to 50 pounds; go over that limit, and you’ll have to pay an oversized bag fee. (Note that some airline loyalty programs may increase your allowed weight limit for a checked bag.) To prevent that, try not to go overboard with your gear—you probably don’t need that pair of super-fat skis “just in case” or a pair of muck boots as backup to your town footwear.
Our favorite roller ski bags have external attachment points that you can use to secure a boot bag or carry-on luggage. Consolidating your bags (within reason) makes maneuvering through airports and mountain-town streets all the easier, especially if you’ve packed correctly. We’re also big fans of duffel bags—whether carry-on size or larger—that come with backpack straps, so you can shoulder them and still have full use of your arms to pull one ski bag and carry something else if necessary.
If you don’t have a roller bag, it might pay to pack a little lighter—or travel with friends who don’t mind lending a helping hand en route to the powder.
get kitted this winter
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