Coming Soon

Ski trip packing list

Most packing lists cover the riding and stop. The half that gets forgotten is the evening, which is the longer half of the day: lifts run six or seven hours and you are awake for sixteen. This list is split that way on purpose.

This list assumes midwinter at a North American resort: average highs around freezing and average lows into the teens or below, which is the range across the ten resorts we have climate data for (4°F at the cold end, 39°F at the warm end).

What you ride in

  • Base layers, two sets: Synthetic or merino, not cotton. One on, one drying.

  • Mid layer: A fleece or light insulated layer. One is enough for most trips.

  • Shell jacket and trousers: Waterproof. This is the layer you cannot improvise.

  • Gloves, two pairs: The second pair is not a luxury. Wet gloves do not dry overnight in a hotel room and riding in them is grim.

  • Socks, one pair per day: Ski-specific, thin rather than thick. Thick socks in a boot make your feet colder, not warmer.

  • Helmet and goggles: Plus a spare lens if you have one, flat light and bluebird want different tints.

  • Neck gaiter: The cheapest comfort upgrade available.

  • Sunscreen and lip balm: Altitude and reflected snow. People who skip this regret it by day two.

What you change into

The rule that makes the rest of it work: change your top layer before you leave the mountain, not when you get back to the room. Whatever you rode in is damp and it will not improve.

  • A dry top layer per two days: The thing you change into at the car. This is what we make, and it is the item most often left out of packing lists entirely.

  • Something other than ski trousers: Jeans or anything you would wear on a cold day at home. Ski trousers are built to be worn over a boot and are miserable to sit in.

  • Boots that are not ski boots: Waterproof if the village is walkable. More comfort is lost to staying in ski boots than to any other single decision.

  • Dry socks, separate from the riding pairs: Keep these apart from the ski socks or you will run out of both.

  • A warm hat: Your helmet is not a hat and you will not want to wear it to dinner.

  • Swimwear: Hot tubs, and if you are in Japan, onsen.

The boring but trip-ruining items

  • Pass or ticket confirmation: Downloaded, not relying on signal at the base.

  • A bag for wet kit: So the drive home is not shared with it.

  • Chargers and a power bank: Cold drains phone batteries fast, and your pass may be on it.

  • Any medication, in your carry-on: Not in the checked ski bag.

What not to bring

  • Cotton base layers. The one genuinely wrong choice on this list. Cotton holds moisture against your skin instead of moving it away. We sell cotton sweatshirts and we still would not put one under a shell to ride in.

  • A different outfit per evening. Nobody at a ski resort is looking.

  • Thick socks. They compress in a boot and make your feet colder.

  • Your whole toiletry bag. Altitude and dry air mean you want lip balm and moisturiser more than anything else in it.

If you are flying with a board

Airline ski and snowboard bag policies vary by carrier and change season to season, so check yours rather than trusting a list, including ours. What is consistent: a board bag counts as checked baggage, boots usually travel inside it, and anything you cannot replace at the resort belongs in your carry-on.

Common questions

What should I pack for a 4 day ski trip?

Two sets of base layers, one mid layer, a shell, two pairs of gloves, a pair of ski socks per day, and separately: two dry top layers, trousers that are not ski trousers, non-ski boots and dry socks for the evenings. The evening half is the part most lists leave out.

Can I wear a cotton sweatshirt skiing?

Not as a layer under your shell while riding. Cotton holds moisture against your skin rather than moving it away. It is the right thing to change into once you are off the hill, which is what we make it for.

How many base layers do I need for a ski trip?

Two sets for a three-to-five day trip. One on, one drying. They are the layer that gets wet, so a third makes more difference than a third mid layer would.

Do I need snow boots for après-ski?

If the village is one you walk: Breckenridge, Park City, Whistler, Steamboat: yes, and waterproof ones. If you cross a car park and drive, anything dry will do.

The layer we make

Cotton sweatshirts for the evening half of the day. Why cotton works afterwards and not during, or when the resorts open this season.

  • I'm Difficult Sweatshirt. A black diamond on a white crewneck, the trail rating for runs that aren't for everyone. 100% Cotton. Sizes S, M, L, XL. Colours Lucent White. $34.99

  • Board Meeting Sweatshirt. Three riders on a chairlift, the only board meeting worth attending. Sizes M, L, XL. Colours Flower Gray. $44.99

  • Snowboard Social Club Sweatshirt. Nine illustrated riders across the front of an all-cotton crewneck. 100% Cotton. Sizes S, M, L, XL. Colours Apricot. $34.99

  • Born To Snowboard Cropped Top. A cropped cut with a goggles graphic across the chest. 80% Cotton. Sizes S, M, L. Colours Black, Flower Gray. $49.99

  • SNO Mountain Sweatshirt. Our mountain mark, with the peak is just the beginning underneath. 85% Cotton. Sizes M, L, XL, 2XL. Colours Beige. $49.99

  • Snowboarders Are Cooler Sweatshirt. A small chest print with striped collar and cuffs. 100% Cotton. Sizes XS, S, M, L. Colours Maroon. $59.99