Search

A Beginner Skier's Kit List

Henry
1 day ago
5 min read

Getting ready for your first Ski Trip? Skiing Unlocked breaks down the essential gear you’ll need to make your first time on snow amazing.

Going skiing for the first time can be a daunting experience. There’s so much more to think about than, say, organising a beach holiday to Spain, so much more to plan, and so much more to remember to pack.

If you are looking for inspiration on organising your first ski trip and understanding what you can expect on snow, I wrote a piece here on the topic. You can also watch a talk I gave with the Ski Club of Great Britain available on YouTube here.

This piece will dive into one of the more complex sides of planning your first ski trip; what to pack and bring with you. We’ll divide this up into three different areas; what you need to buy, what you can rent, and what you can repurpose or borrow from other sports or sources.

Let's start with what you may have already, and piece together a perfect beginner skier's kit list.

What You May Already Own …

If you play any number of different sports, there are several pieces of gear you may already have lying around at home.

Baselayers are a really good example here. From playing rugby or football, or going for a jog you may already have a pair of sweat wicking base layers in the cupboard. Despite what you may think, it’s not essential for all clothing layers to be super warm, and for baselayers in particular it is more important that they wick sweat away from your skin.

Why? Because whilst you generate your own body heat when skiing, you cool off when sitting on the chairlift. It’s at this point that the sweat begins to cool and freeze if not properly dealt with – something that doesn’t happen when you’re moving. Therefore it’s critical to remove sweat away from your skin, which is what your baselayers do.

The next couple of layers can also be found about the house. Good quality fleeces that you might have from autumn hikes or even your favourite sweater can be used on the slopes – this last one may go against every principle I’ve ever advocated for, but if you are just starting out you don’t need super technical gear. As long as it’s thin and not a thick, woollen, sailor’s jumper (or similar) you’ll be grand.

What you may own: baselayers and warm fleeces

Recommended brands? If I'm honest, I've been skiing in 15-year old Mountain Warehouse merino base layers the majority of the time. These are now being replaced by Helly Hansen layers instead. Fleece wise, a trusty Arc'teryx Delta is seen as often around the house as it is on the slopes, but the North Face Glacier fleece is a good-value, warm, icon!

What to buy …

This part of the list might be a little facetious; you may have to buy everything on your beginner skier’s kit list! But there’s a couple of things that I’ve pushed down to “rent” that we’ll come on to, and you’ll hopefully see why!

So what do you definitely have to buy? Simply, all the small things that are skiing specific. That includes goggles, a buff or balaclava, and ski socks.

Ski goggles can be bought for really cheap if needs be, sometimes as low as £20. That makes it ideal just to buy and forget about, and have in your back pocket when you return to skiing into the future! As a beginner, you don’t need to worry about super-duper technical lenses, quick-change features, or the difference between cylindrical and spherical lenses, so grabbing a pair without thinking about it is a good move.

Next is ski socks, and let’s get one thing clear – you need ski socks; long football socks or hiking shops are not appropriate. I would always spend a little bit more and buy a couple of pairs of merino socks. Not only are they warm and comfortable, but they are naturally anti-bacterial, meaning you can wear them for two days in a row without them stinking, which is perfect for saving space in your luggage.

You then have a couple of pairs of nice, warm socks for the middle of winter at home, too!

Along a similar vein, gloves. You can buy good quality pairs for good prices – I bought a pair for £10 from a snow dome when I forgot mine once – and because of the amount you sweat in them this isn’t necessarily something to borrow either, although this can be a good idea if someone is willing to lend you theirs.

Finally, a balaclava. I’ve always used a buff around my neck, pulled up over my nose in really cold conditions, and it is an essential to have. You may already have one tucked away somewhere, but I reckon probably not? So that is living here as something to buy!

What to buy: socks, gloves, balaclava/buff, and goggles.

Recommended brands? Darn Tough or Smartwool can't be beat for socks, Buff are the original and the best, and I've always been a firm believe in Oakley for goggles.

What to Rent …

Let’s start with the obvious – skis, boots, poles and helmet. These are all things that can be rented as part of your ski rental package with your tour operator or ski shop. And whilst the helmet may have been worn by thousands of people before you and the boots are famously uncomfortable, this is all just the cost of doing business.

But you’ll notice there’s something missing from the rest of this list that I have purposely left until this part.

Ski jackets and trousers can also be rented, and this is something that is becoming more common and also much higher quality recently. As such, it is something I strongly advocate for beginner skiers, for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, this is the most expensive part of your ski gear to purchase (other than skis and boots, but some people go their entire skiing lives renting these!). By renting, at least when starting out, you can save yourself a whole load of money.

There’s also a sustainability question. Let’s face it, if you have never been skiing before then you may not be certain that you’ll love it, and not only would it be a waste of money to buy a ski jacket and only use it once, it would be a waste of materials, plastics, and water consumption, too. By renting, you can ensure that you are making the most out of every jacket produced.

If you are UK based, then EcoSki is a really good option. They offer some really high quality – and sustainable – ski gear on the market, including brand such as Ortovox. They’re also really well looked after between wears, so long gone are the days of renting dirty, disgusting gear!

What to rent: skis, boots, poles, helmet, jacket and trousers.