Review this list when packing!
1. Synthetic polypro, silk, or merino wool long underwear should be worn on top and bottom. Do not wear cotton, as it becomes moist and cold. Your long underwear pants should fit snug and smooth to your legs, like nylons or pantyhose would. They should not be so long that they wrinkle around the ankle and shin area where your leg goes into the ski boot because that will get uncomfortable very quickly.
2. Ski socks should be purchased from a ski shop. They are thin and made of moisture-wicking material. To prevent uncomfortable hotspots, make sure they are taller than your boot. Pull them on over your long underwear without wrinkling them.
3. A long-sleeved fleece turtleneck is worn over your base layer.
4. An additional layer for days that are extra cold should consist of a thicker knit sweater.
5. Ski pants are waterproof or water resistant and breathable with a Gortex layer or another similar breathable layer to allow moisture to escape. Good ski pants will have elastic bands to seal around the cuff of the ski boot to prevent snow from getting onto your socks and into your boots. The pants need to fit comfortably so that the bottom of the ski pant can fit comfortably over the boot.
Some ski pants are full-length and can be nice on very cold and deep powder days, but they are more difficult to negotiate when going to the bathroom, so I recommend ski pants that terminate at the waist unless you're an extreme skier. Suspenders can be purchased at most ski-shops to keep them up if you need.
6. Your jacket or parka should be lined and warm and include velcro around the wrists. The collar should zip up over your neck. If the jacket advertises itself as being made of Gortex, this is a good jacket.
On warmer spring days, a parka may not be necessary, and in fact may be too warm so I would bring a thinner jacket, or "shell" as we call it.
CHILDREN: make sure the sleeves of the jacket can easily go over your child's mitten and then secure with velcro, OR that the mittens can easily go over the sleeve of the parka and secure with velcro. If the sleeve of the jacket and the child's mittens do not overlap significantly, snow will get in as they fall, and the child will constantly be battling his/her mittens from falling off because the jacket sleeve will be pushing them off. The jacket should hold the mitten on the hand with the velcro closure, or the mitten should have a big enough cuff to go over the parka and velcro close.
7. Accessories should include:
-a nice non-itch hat that covers your ears, or a ski-specific helmet.
-A neck gator to cover your chin and nose on cold days.
-Good sunglasses with 100% UV filtering (I like polarized) for sunny days.
-Good goggles for cold or snowy days, that fit over your helmet.
-Mittens for cold days, I recommend mountaineering mittens, the type used for ice climbing with cuffs that go over your parka and velcro close. They are very warm, keep all the snow out, and are easy to take on and off.
-Gloves for warmer days
-Sunscreen and lip protection to prevent burning
2. Ski socks should be purchased from a ski shop. They are thin and made of moisture-wicking material. To prevent uncomfortable hotspots, make sure they are taller than your boot. Pull them on over your long underwear without wrinkling them.
3. A long-sleeved fleece turtleneck is worn over your base layer.
4. An additional layer for days that are extra cold should consist of a thicker knit sweater.
5. Ski pants are waterproof or water resistant and breathable with a Gortex layer or another similar breathable layer to allow moisture to escape. Good ski pants will have elastic bands to seal around the cuff of the ski boot to prevent snow from getting onto your socks and into your boots. The pants need to fit comfortably so that the bottom of the ski pant can fit comfortably over the boot.
Some ski pants are full-length and can be nice on very cold and deep powder days, but they are more difficult to negotiate when going to the bathroom, so I recommend ski pants that terminate at the waist unless you're an extreme skier. Suspenders can be purchased at most ski-shops to keep them up if you need.
6. Your jacket or parka should be lined and warm and include velcro around the wrists. The collar should zip up over your neck. If the jacket advertises itself as being made of Gortex, this is a good jacket.
On warmer spring days, a parka may not be necessary, and in fact may be too warm so I would bring a thinner jacket, or "shell" as we call it.
CHILDREN: make sure the sleeves of the jacket can easily go over your child's mitten and then secure with velcro, OR that the mittens can easily go over the sleeve of the parka and secure with velcro. If the sleeve of the jacket and the child's mittens do not overlap significantly, snow will get in as they fall, and the child will constantly be battling his/her mittens from falling off because the jacket sleeve will be pushing them off. The jacket should hold the mitten on the hand with the velcro closure, or the mitten should have a big enough cuff to go over the parka and velcro close.
7. Accessories should include:
-a nice non-itch hat that covers your ears, or a ski-specific helmet.
-A neck gator to cover your chin and nose on cold days.
-Good sunglasses with 100% UV filtering (I like polarized) for sunny days.
-Good goggles for cold or snowy days, that fit over your helmet.
-Mittens for cold days, I recommend mountaineering mittens, the type used for ice climbing with cuffs that go over your parka and velcro close. They are very warm, keep all the snow out, and are easy to take on and off.
-Gloves for warmer days
-Sunscreen and lip protection to prevent burning
-a hydro-pack to carry water on your back. High altitude dehydrates you fast without your even noticing! You can wear it under or over your jacket.
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