Ski newbie - I have lots of daft questions 😬

[NoAprilFool]

First ski holiday in half term. Just me and the kids (10 and 12)
Ive got us all base layers, fleeces and ski jackets, salopettes, socks, goggles and gloves.
do you wear trousers as well as base and salopettes? What kind? What do people wear in the hotel? I live in dresses/skirts and jumpers and don’t have any trousers beyond exercise leggings.
How do you carry all your gubbins for the day?
do I need sunglasses for us all in addition to goggles?
is there anything I’ve not thought of that you wish you’d known before your first ski holiday?

thank you 😬😀

Gubbins for the day: phone, mini Mars bars etc, money, sun cream. You really don’t need much else and they all fit into pockets. I have never used a rucksack. For water, anyone can go a couple of hours without a drink, and you’ll be stopping for lunch

Also unless you’re wearing your phone on a lanyard, don’t take it out on the chairlift unless it’s a gondola lol

This is great thread. We are newbies and this info is really useful, thank you!

Make sure your lip balm has SPF in it. Take spares. Also someone usually loses their sunglasses.

Yes I see lots of people wearing and nobody takes off at the lift. My husband included it drives me crazy but he wont take telling. The chances are slim but they are still chances you could get caught into something on the lift or another person's poles. Honestly if you look on YouTube you'll see people dangling from a lift from their rucksack. Not nice. It's not worth the risk in my opinion. It adds more safety not wearing it on the chair lift.

If it’s going to be quite cold then wear your base layers, a fleece or jumper, then ski jacket, with snood for lifts etc. I’m a cold person and sometimes wear a gilet as well 😂. Decent googles and sunglasses. Ski mittens with silk gloves underneath if you can. SPF and lip balm, tissues in pocket.

I hate carrying a rucksack but always take one for water as I get so thirsty. I get DH to carry it.

Agree re evenings, I take jeans, some nice chunky knit jumpers and boots, nothing fancy.

Prepare to hate it before you love it.

Enjoy!

Just base layers and salopettes.
In the hotel I just wear jumpers/sweatshirts and trousers. You'd be fine in a dress/skirt and tights.
YES to sunglasses. I forgot my DS's sunglasses a couple of years ago and had to spend a fortune in a ski shop on a pair (when he has a million pairs at home...) It was just too bright for him to see when we stopped for a break. He was sat eating lunch in his goggles for two days haha.

My DH carries a backpack with extra gloves, snacks for the kids etc.
I have bought the nylon Uniqlo crossbody bag for this year, to carry little bits I want handy. But that's only because my new ski jacket has less pockets than my last (but I love it)
My DS sometimes wears a small camelbak backpack (the Rockrider one from Decathlon) so he always has water available and doesn't mither for a drink all day when it's inconvenient

Footwarmers are good as well, especially in Norway!

Your jacket will have a small dedicated pocket for your ski pass, flat on the lower part of one arm (probably right arm). Just put it in there and forget about it.

You’ll be surprised how cosy your legs feel with base layer and salopettes straight on top. I’ve skied in Japan at -20 and not had cold legs.

Do make sure you have neck warmers that can be pulled up over your mouths (don’t have to be too thick though) as you can feel quite exposed on some lifts, even in warmer weather.

You’ll probably have thought of this but definitely take lots of paracetemol and ibuprofen. Kids legs will ache on first few days or they may have a little fall. My last ski trip I misplaced mine and ended up paying €11 for some in a pharmacy!

have a great holiday! xxxx

Great thread. Can I ask a newbie question - why are goggles necessary? My DC is going snowboarding at half term (not with me) and doesn't have any. Can you hire them?

Sunscreen and lip balm
just goggles to ski but sunglasses when you stop for lunch and sit outside
hand warmers for everyone
stuff the children’s pockets full of chocolate
don't open pocket ski pass in ever
take v little evening stuff to wear you only need an outfit to travel in and one thing to wear at dinner in the week - breakfast in ski baselayer
thin balaclavas
invest in super good socks but only two pairs each
i like to take a spare pair or two of gloves as someone always loses one and they are v expensive to replace in resort
if your children are fussy eaters fit in a couple of familiar foods from home
take way more adaptors than you think you need to stop fights!
swim suits useful as most children enjoy an afternoon off or swim after skiing
the hours in the hotel are long as ski days short so have packs of cards etc to keep them occupied
plasters and painkillers
tissues for all the loos that run out
insist children use loo even when they say they don’t want to - cold makes you want a wee more and it’s pretty difficult to find a loo up the mountain sometimes
i was told you always have a warning before an accident and it’s true- if you ever have a feeling you are tired or ‘it’s only one more run’ stop there and then
also most injuries end of second day so stop earlier than you want to
you don’t need a whole resort pass as a beginner if there is a cheaper option take that as you will be on limited slopes
if it’s a bad weather day be prepared to not ski - it’s a killer when you have paid so much but it’s easy for your children to hate skiing if you force them out in it
make sure you have good travel
insurance with winter sports cover and what that covers - sometimes it excludes
things like transport down the slope if needed
take your global health card
you and the children will be unbelievably tired so eat well and go to bed early
enjoy !!!’ Its my favourite family holiday by miles

Take a photo of the receipt for each ski pass. You'll need it if your dc lose their pass.

You can take one of those tiny pouches for water, I used to when dc were small, but tbh they never really drank from it, they needed regular breaks at the cafe anyway.

You may want to get chemical hand warmers that you put in your mittens if you expect it to be very cold. Mittens keep you warmer than gloves, and you can wear thin (I like silk) undergloves underneath.

When it's windy or the visibility is poor sunglasses just don't cut it. Goggles are absolutely essential.

Do you mean why do you need to wear them, or why take your own?

They can be hired, and it’s more common now that people hire helmets. But hire shops don’t tend to offer them as standard as they are quite short-lived if hired out again and again, they get scratched or broken too easily. Plus people have more variations of personal preference.

You can get pretty cheap ones in Decathlon. Also available to buy in resort but tend to be more expensive there.

Yes unfortunately there was a tragic accident a few years ago where a boy died because his rucksack straps got tangled up in the lift mechanism. If you wear a rucksack (and I do) always take it off at the lifts!

Jeans or skirt with thick tights are fine. I wear prescription sunglasses but have clear goggles. Small backpacks. Resorts do vary a fair amount though, some are definitely more casual than others

On a glorious day, if you want to put on a pair of sunglasses you can wear your goggles around your neck. Put them upside down on the back of your neck with the elastic on the outside of the collar. It's quite comfy. Much easier than trying to find space in a pocket that's already jammed full of random stuff.

Keep phones in an internal pocket if you can. Very easy to forget to zip something up and if they get really cold they can stop working.

Kids gloves need to have strings that you can attach under the velcro bits on the sleeves or run through their jacket old school style. It's really common for people to lose a glove off a chair lift and then they are stuffed.

Tissues for the loo/your nose.

As beginners I'd try to avoid using a back pack at all. Too much of a liability with everything else that's going on.

If you are usually strict on sweets now is not the time. A packet of smarties, M&M's or something that doesn't melt and can be poured into your mouth can keep everyone tootling along. They will be burning so much energy you could eat sweets all day and still have your own body weight in alpine cheese in the evening.

Don't eat the yellow snow ! Can't believe no one has said this !!

I find a water camelback type thin rucksack essential tbh. It’s strapped on tight and no loose straps.
we stop a lot at cafes for main drinks and food, but it’s it’s windy or hotter than usual you can get really dehydrated. And skiing down a hill to cafe when you’re feeling lightheaded isn’t great safety wise.

Some salopettes are shell so just a thin layer of goretex or whatever and some are insulated and lined. You will def need thermal leggings for shell and for most people would wear them with insulated too.

If you are using sunglasses and goggles you can go with cheaper goggles for low light only. When it's snowing and grey skies goggles really are necessary. If relying on a single pair, then a lens that will deal with sunshine and poor light is really useful.

Keep your gubbins to the bare minimum. That is, only take what you can put in the pockets of your jackets.

think everyone has covered all the bases, but want to emphasise- factor 50 zinc based sunblock for you and the kids!

wear goggles for skiing, but take a pair of sunglasses to use during lunch, coffee / bar breaks.

even when it’s -5 , you’ll get hotter than you realise so don’t overdo the winter layers.

don’t bother packing anything dressy, you’ll live in casual clothes.

Thermal leggings are the same as a base layer.

Get a soft bottle for water. They squish down when empty and fit in pockets better. They don't hurt if you land on them either when you fall over!