Advice needed re kitting out 13yods for school skiing trip

[ILoveAFullFridge]

Last time I skied was 30 years ago, when it was all string vests and woolly jumpers! Ds's school has issued a kit list, but I'd appreciate some extra advice.

I intend to buy ds a set of good quality ski coat and salopettes at an outlet store next week. Any particular makes to go for or avoid?

How many pairs of ski socks will he need for 5 days of skiing? What should he wear under the ski socks?

I presume he will wear thermals and mid-layer under the salopettes, and thermals, mid-layer and fleece under the jacket. Is that enough? What should the mid-layer be? Presumably not cotton? Are Milletts/Peter Storm thermals OK, or should I buy him a premium make?

Will a windproof fleece hat be OK under a helmet, or should I buy him a knitted beanie?

I was contemplating putting his gloves on an idiot-string. Is that safe when skiing?

when is he going ? You don't usually wear a hat under a helmet but maybe an ear warmer. We usually do thermals under salopettes and a cotton top or light fleece over thermals and under jacket on top. A neck gaiter can help keep the wind out and be rolled up over the face. Most brands are fine, you don't need to spend £££ - Millets, Decathlon etc are fine unless you are expecting very cold - but make sure outer layer is wind and water proof and avoid the very cheapest Peter Storm type. Allow at least 3 pairs foo good quality ski socks and nothing under as they would bunch up, cause the boots to fit badly and blisters. Unless he is 3 gloves on elastic are a no-no.

Decathlon is your friend even if you have to travel to get to one. Cheap and good, even the basic " specials"

No to gloves on an idiot string.

No hat under the helmet, just a warm fleece or woolly one for when he's not wearing the helmet.

3 pairs of ski socks should be fine, and unless there are freak weather conditions he shouldn't need to wear more than one pair. I don't suppose he will give them a quick wash at the end of the day? He can wear each pair for two days otherwise, but needs to hang them out over a radiator or something to make sure they're not damp.

Working from the inside out he needs thermal top and leggings with long sleeves and high neck. Possibly a t shirt or two if it's very cold, thin but warm fleece with high neck, ski jacket and ski trousers. Gloves, socks, hat, some sort of waterproof boots. Goggles or glasses. (You don't need expensive thermals or fleeces, the lower priced ones are fine).

It can get expensive, so borrow as much as you can from friends if that's possible, just in case he never goes again.

We find tog24 excellent. There is an outlet store near us, and the prices are good. The clothes are good quality but without a ridiculously expensive designer label.

I would buy a jacket that he is happy to wear as a normal winter coat, not just a special coat for skiing only.

Don't buy a helmet, that will be hired at the resort.

I find mittens warmer and more comfy than gloves, but my kids prefer gloves. You can get very thin glove liners that my DD (16) wears, but she tends to feel the cold more, and I've certainly never needed them, I find ski gloves/mittens are wonderful these days.

Scarves are not recommended for skiing, but I have a sort of thin fleece tube thing which I love. I wear it around my neck and it fills that gap between jacket and helmet. You can pull them up over the face if it's windy, great on the chair lifts.

He also needs high altitude face cream to stop him burning, and lip protection. You can usually get a little two in one set, they're not expensive.

I have kids gloves as v small hands (Level brand). They have wrist straps. I wouldn't be without them! Seriously I'd have lost them so many times. Not as sad as homemade elastic ones nut def practical. A lot of the snowboard brands have wrist straps built in.

H&M does decent ski gear.

Let him choose jacket & get black/navy trousers. I have nightmares about the C&A "purple puff" my parents bought me for school ski trip.

Spend on gloves & socks. Don't need hat under helmet.

Did he get Christmas money? If you live near a indoor or dry slope, a couple of basic lessons make such a difference before you go.

Tell him to have fun. Best thing I ever did - gave me a lifelong love of the sport & lifestyle

My children ( and us) wear:

Silk socks under ski sock. X2 of each. The smart wool ones are best as merino so antibacterial etc so tech dont need to wash each time ( but we rinse when skiing)

Thermals leggings and long sleeved top- buy a plain round neck rather than zip and he can wear at home throughout winter also as looks like normal long sleeved top. Again merino is generally warmest but can be pricy. Buy him adult size if poss so they will last years

Regular tshirt over thermal long sleeve

Regular not too thick knitted jumper over top

Ski jacket and salopettes. Get salopettes you can Attach high back/ brace style to incase he decides to go snowboarding now or in future as stops back getting soaked and wet

A neck warmer buff/ snood. You can pull up over head and neck on cold days. Thin material so not bulky and will fit under helmet. Don't get fleece as will make him sweat and too thick to pull up over mouth/ nose if caught in a white out. Again merino

I say invest where you can as it really makes a difference. ESP with thermals and socks. Buy them in black/ navy and you can wear all year again and again. Look online for best deals. Boxing days sales great. Merino as much as poss. For ski jacket and salopettes go to tkmaxx. They will have £300 coats for £40 if you search well and go often. Don't get dare2be or the range from mountain warehouse

Oh and I would say roughly x2 of everything. Ie leggings, thermal tops, socks, jumpers. Then enough t shirts for every day, plus 2 spare for evenings.

Beginners spend a lot of time falling over so I would probably make sure gloves are waterproof (not all are!) so hands don't get cold and wet. I invested in a good pair my second year of skiing as I fell over a lot!!! Pricier but worth it. You can save in other areas like others have said. TKMaxx normally does good ski stuff at very reasonable prices as previous poster mentioned.

Also, it depends when he's going. January can be very cold (face protectors & thermal leggings) March usually warmer (layers that can be stripped off & a ton of UV protection). IMO boys rarely change their ski socks twice in a week if you're lucky

This is great, thank you. I'm hoping to keep budget down (he's already paying for his lift pass and spending money out of his own savings - he offered without our needing to even suggest a contribution) and use as much as we already have: Milletts thermals, fleece jackets, down gilet, ski gloves, fleece hat, fleece-and-microfibre snood.

I would get merino, but I think they would be too expensive. And I can't get adult sizes to grow into over the years, as ds is still a slender twiglet. He doesn't tend to feel the cold except on his hands, so I have bought him silk glove liners.

I hadn't thought about Decathlon, there's one not too far from us, if I can brave the crowds. Dh wants to get Tog24 at the outlet centre as it's a brand he likes and we have used many times in the past. I've just had a look at the Decathlon website, and am confused: how can ski pants at £15 be good? There doesn't seem to be anything between outfits at about £50 and outfits at £100+. Tog24 sale would be about £100 for an outfit (ie jacket and salopettes).

I will probably get the outfit at the outlet centre, and Decathlon for any more midlayers.

Will high-factor sunscreen left over from summer do, or does it have to be something designed for skiing? He will be skiing in Italy in February.

I think everything you have sounds ok if you already have. I would look for a merino snood though. Dh spent £15 on his last year. The fleece and microfibre will be really too hot if they are at the base near accomadation, and really pointless if snow blizzard etc as can't pull over face as can't breathe.

Any high factor sun cream is ok. Factor lip balm is main one as can get burnt chapped lips easily

I think tog24 is ok

Uniqlo heat tech thermals are really good and the long johns are thin enough to wear under school trousers at home. They are also treated so they don't smell.