How many of each clothing to take skiing?

[chicaguapa]

I have a skiing box in the garage and am collecting bits and pieces for our skiing holiday at NY. Obviously I know we only need one ski jacket & salopettes but I wondered what we need more than one of, ie fleece tops, thermals etc and if so, how many would you recommend for a week's holiday? DS is really into his hoodies, would these be ok or will he need proper fleeces?

Also what do we take to wear when we've finished skiing? We are staying in a catered chalet with just extended family. But there'll be so many kids and there's a bar in the chalet so I don't think we'll be going out in the evening.

TIA

It's easy to take too many clothes. It's surprising how happy you will be to wear the same fleece and jeans every night.

What you need a lot of, possibly changing everyday, is the understuff for ski-ing. Whatever you wear, tshirts, long sleeve or short sleeve, or thermals, or whatever. Socks. Surprisingly, we get through a lot of bandanas as they are so useful for round the neck and over the mouths on the lifts!

You don't need (imo) nice shoes, different set of clothing every night etc etc. Our routine was ski-ing, hot chocolate at the bottom, home, baths, evening meal and cards in pjs. We have maybe one set of clothes for not ski-ing.

New Year will be cold. Get your kit right for the slopes, it's a priority, don't worry about the not-skiing clothes. And chalets are usually hot. So if you don't go out you won't need that much.

Hoodies are no good for skiing. He'll need proper thermal layers or he'll freeze because his sweat will cool on them. Save them for the evenings.

You'll need one big top layer and probably 3-4 changes of underlayer and 5 pairs of ski socks.

Only one or two outfits for the evenings and no shoes other than houseshoes/slippers (or trainers) for inside and moonboots/walking boots for outside.

We went last christmas for a week and DD1 managed with

2 thermal underwear tops
2 thermal underwear leggings
4 pairs ski socks
4 pairs tights
2 pairs gloves
1 thin fleece
2 thin cotton polo necks
1 thin fleece balaclava/neckwarmer

plus ski jacket and salopettes from Tchibo which performed superbly.

She wore tights instead of thermal leggings some days or normal (thick) socks with thermal leggings on others, she would get the sweatiest around her ankles/lower calves when wearing her long ski socks.

Think in layers - base layer (thermal) mid-layer and jacket. As it was DD1's first time having a spare pair of gloves was most important, as hers got completely soaked the first couple of days and having a spare gave them time to dry out. Don't forget ski goggles, snowboots and something like slippers to wear indoors to go down to dinner in. (Which is when he can wear his hoodies with a t'shirt and jeans - agree with others you don't need much for the evenings))

Depending on where you are it might be quite cold, but it wasn't where we went and the learners were on south facing slopes drenched in sunshine every day. DD was also in a small class so there was less standing around waiting to do stuff so she never got cold at all.

I'd suggest taking several pairs of gloves, not just because they will always lose one but so that the children can play in the snow, build snowmen etc and not have the dreaded 'wet gloves' scenario next morning. You can buy them cheaply in the likes of Matalan or even on Ebay and have at least a couple of pairs each.

My sons also wore thick 'school' type tights under their salopettes, for the first couple of years skiing, as their socks always rolled down making their boots uncomfy. We told them that they were special undertrousers and that ski instuctors wore them!

You only need casual comfy clothes for the evening, especially if you are in a chalet - no-one gets dressed up.

Echo everyone's suggestions re plenty of thermals - would suggest taking thinner layers rather than bulky hoodies as it can vary quite a bit on the mountain and this gives you more flexibility. Check out TK Maxx for thermals once their winter stuff comes in. Mine tend to just run about in their thermals in the afternoon.

Certainly take some sort of face protection for if it's really cold esp on lifts - a balaclave (you can get ones with a thin top to fit comfortably under a helmet - or a buff that you can pull up over their face. Extra gloves are also a good idea - again TKMaxx do good quality kids skiing ones later in the year.

Goggles are a must.

Ours travel in their normal trousers and just take one extra pair for evenings.