Tips and Tricks and Packing List for a skiing trip with kids

So what DO you pack for your first skiing trip with your kids? You don’t want to buy everything you read on the internet because

a) Your kids may hate skiing and not want to try it again for the rest of the trip.

b) They will very possibly out-grow everything you buy in a year.

c) Not everything is absolutely required, some things are more useful than others.

Layering

Layering is key to comfort and fun on the snow. Depending on the person, we layer up as needed.

Our daughter doesn’t feel cold but our son freezes at 60 degrees.  So he gets an extra layer.  This is how we layer.

Bottom

• Inner layer – a quick-dry layer like athletic pants. The normal athletic capri or full length pants will work. Buy at Amazon – Gymboree Little Girls’ Active Colorblock Legging, Multi, M
• Middle layer – optional – a fleece pant
• Outer layer – snow bib/pants – These are not easily available in Florida, Columbia outlet store has some options and we were lucky to get them on sale. Target also has snow pants during winters for a reasonable price. These are available for rent at most ski resorts for around 10 dollars a day.  Buy at Amazon – Columbia Youth Bugaboo Pants, X-Small, White

Top

• Inner layer – a quick-dry athletic shirt. A short sleeve shirt works too which is what we normally have in Florida. The reason for this layer is that skiing is sweaty business after the first hour and you don’t want to have a cold wet cotton layer next to your skin for hours in the freezing weather.
• Middle layer – thin fleece jacket/sweatshirt
• Outer layer – outside jacket that will not let through snow/ice not get wet.  This is the normal puffy jacket we buy for them in Florida for those extra cold days or trips to colder regions.  I normally get a larger size that lasts them 2-3 years.
  Buy at Amazon – Columbia Little Boys’ Powder Lite Puffer Jacket, Black, XX-Small

Snow boots

If you plan to play around in the snow, go snow tubing, etc., then you will need some kind of snow boots.  They should have large tread to provide traction and some kind of waterproofing to keep feet dry. Most snow shoes/boots come with some kind of fleece lining to keep feet warm and comfortable.  For the kids, I got them a size 4 when they were still wearing 2.5 and 3. The boots stayed on even when they were bigger because of height and the fleece lining.  They were able to use them on two trips over two years so it seemed worth it for us.

Buy at Amazon – HOBIBEAR Kids Winter Snow Boots Waterproof Outdoor Warm Faux Fur Lined Shoes With Velcro (4,Black)

 

Socks

I had read that wool or wool blend socks tend to be more comfortable.  I got two pairs of wool blend each and they are general size so I can see years of use with them.  They are much more comfortable than the cotton socks. However, I know friends who use thick cotton socks and didn’t regret it, so the wool socks would be optional.

Buy at Amazon – Eocom 6 Pairs Children’s Winter Warm Wool Socks For Kids Boys Girls Random Color (8-12 Years, Deer)

Ski Gloves

These are definitely useful. Our kids preferred gloves over mittens as they were easier to use when unlatching skis and snowboards. The normal knitted gloves will get wet in 5 minutes and will numb the fingers within 15 minutes making for a very uncomfortable skiing session.  Yuri used to take quite a bit of time to latch and unlatch his snowboard and his ski gloves would be soaking wet by lunch time.  I packed 2 pairs for him and that worked a lot better. A single pair worked for skiing as the gloves don’t come in as much contact with the snow.

Buy at Amazon Andorra Kids’ Zippered Pocket Ski & Snowboarding Gloves,Red,L(10-12 Years)

Regular Gloves

We forgot to pack these and found that we needed an extra pair of gloves after skiing and the ski gloves would be wet.  I would definitely pack an extra pair of regular gloves for non skiing time.

Ski Mask

We saw some people wear ski mask. We didn’t take any and did not miss it.  This may be something useful where the weather is much colder than North Carolina.

Neoprene Ski Mask – Tactical Winter Face Mask – Perfect for Skiing, Snowboarding & Motorcycling

Helmet

Helmets are recommended, especially for kids when they are learning because they fall so often and there is a risk of concussion if they hit a hard surface.  Most places rent a helmet for 10 dollars a day.  Next time I will carry their athletic helmets especially since we are driving.

Buy at Amazon – Child Multi-Sport Helmet With Knee Pads Elbow Wrist Protection Set for Skateboard Cycling Skate Scooter Pink

Neck Gaiter

A neck gaiter is a small round scarf that fits around the neck to protect it from extreme cold when skiing downhill. This is not very useful for the warm weather where we live so we just wrap my son’s scarf around his neck. He normally doesn’t want it as its not that cold in North Carolina. For the most part when we were there, it hovered around 34 degrees during the day.

Buy at Amazon – Turtle Fur Kids Original Fleece Neck Warmer The Turtle’s Neck Winter Face Mask Ballerina

Ski Goggles

They look cute but do you really need it? We found that they are not required if you stay on the bunny hill while learning. If you go up the ski lift, a lot of ski resorts in North Carolina are making ice all through the day and people are literally skiing through a man-made snow storm.

Our son couldn’t do downhill run till he got a snow goggle.  So this one is needed if you are advanced enough to go up the ski-lift.  Regular dark glasses are enough to protect the eyes from glare on the bunny hills.  Most ski resorts have an onsite store for selling such of items.

Buy at Amazon – Picador Ski & Snowboard Goggles with Dual Layer Anti-Fog Lens for Kids (Black)

Warm hat

A warm hat without a pom pom is useful to keep the head warm and the helmet fits better on these little heads.

Sun screen and Lip balm

Good UV protection is a MUST when spending hours out in the sun with the white snow reflecting the radiation as well.

Water

It is important to stay hydrated during skiing. Not only is it tiring work, you also sweat a lot. The cold weather can fool you into thinking you are not thirsty.  We normally load up on bottled water and keep it in a bag inside the lodge because no one wants to drink chilled water from the vending machines.

Lunch

Many ski places have less than adequate options for lunch at very high prices. We were happy to find that Wolf Ridge offered many options for a hot lunch including chilli, sandwich, cheese burgers, hot dogs, corn dogs, salads, chicken tenders, soups and fries all reasonably priced. There were some families and large groups that brought their own food in a cooler and enjoyed them at the picnic tables inside the lodge.

Are there other things you find invaluable when taking your family skiing? Would love to hear about them.

More tips on our skiing trip to North Carolina here.