What to wear on the slopes
So you've spent the time researching where to go and now you've booked the perfect ski holiday. You'll be hiring your skis/snowboard and boots so nothing to worry about there, but... What do you wear for a week on the mountain?! Let’s take a look at a short guide of what to wear on the slopes.
One of the biggest things to factor in about what to wear on the slopes is the time of season you're travelling and therefore the weather. January is a much colder point in the season than mid-March so what you’ll need to wear as well as the amount of what you're going to need is something to think about. If you're travelling in March/April, definitely don't forget your sunglasses! These are essential for those sunny lunchtime drinks
Salopettes – These are basically warm and waterproof (to a degree) trousers. In terms of sizing, you don't want to go too tight. You're going to be spending a lot of time in these and a lot of time bending over (especially if you're a beginner falling over...) so you want them to be comfortable. With regards to the waterproof aspect, the same as your ski jacket, it will keep the wetness of snow out, but don’t necessarily expect to be standing in torrential rain in them. They will have a waterproof rating, which is measured in millimetres, the higher the number, the more waterproof they are. Remember, you may be falling over a lot and no one wants a wet bum all day.
Ski jacket – Similarly to your salopettes, you need your ski jacket to be warm and waterproof, particularly if you’re going in the earlier months when you may find yourself caught in snowfall and lower temperatures. Pockets are always helpful to save having to wear a backpack. Have a look for jackets that have lift passes pockets in the wrists/sleeves. These make swiping at lifts super easy. Some of our favourite brands for jackets are O’Neill, Westbeach and Billabong.
Underlayers - You're going to be on a snowy mountain, we’re sure we don’t need to tell you, it's cold. Without sounding like your parents, layers are going to be your best friend! Thermal trousers and a thermal top as a base layer are a very smart move to keep you warm. Not to mention they are the epitome of fashion…
Top half layers – As we mentioned, layers are key to keeping warm. We normally suggest the best way to stay warm would be a thermal base layer, a t-shirt and then some sort of jumper or hoodie. You want something that is going to be comfortable so don’t go for anything too tight or fancy!
Socks – Your feet can get cold quickly. Make sure you have thick socks or ski socks for your trip, you can even double up on these. Don’t forget to take these socks to the ski hire shop when you collect your equipment so that you can wear them when you’re trying on your boots. Otherwise, the boots you tried on with your trainer socks may not fit when you have your ski socks on.
Helmet – Helmets are super important whether you’re a beginner or an expert in skiing who goes on 3 trips a year for the last 20 years. They can literally save lives. We would advise making sure that you have a helmet and that you wear it. The good news is that these can be picked up pretty easily and cheaply. Alternatively, you can rent these in resort however these can be quite expensive to rent and quite cheap to buy so you may as well just buy one to use each year!
Ski goggles – Ski goggles can become a bit of a minefield if you’re new to all this so definitely do some research. Ask any friends that may have skiied, or see if you can try some on. This is another time you want to think about when you’re travelling as you can get different lenses which are more suited to different weather conditions. If you’re going to be skiing in bright, sunny conditions you’re going to want darker lenses to help keep the sun out of your eyes. If you’re going to be going in colder times when the risks of white outs and cloudy skies are more likely, you’re going to lighter lenses (yellow, amber etc). You can get goggles where you can swap out the lenses, or you can buy two different pairs of goggles, it’s whatever is best for you. Be careful when you think about getting polarised lenses. These block out glare from a surface, which on the mountain can help you spot icy patches. Some of our favourite goggle brands are Oakleys, dragon and Bolle.
Some people think that the mountain is a fashion catwalk, and it can be very easy to get carried away with all the expensive gear out there! It’s great to look good but there are plenty of cheaper options too - take a look at sports direct, decathlon and mountain warehouse. Aldi and Lidl also do ski gear in their special buys throughout the year so keep an eye out for those.
Don’t forget you are (probably) only going on holiday for a week so don't go OTT with how much you take with you. You are going to be exercising each day and getting pretty warm so maybe more than 1 x t-shirt would be appropriate but 20 may be a little excessive...
If you have any questions about what to wear on the slopes, just drop us an email and the team can help you out!
Ps. you don't want a gap on your forehead between the top of your goggles and your helmet... There's a phrase for people that have that gap. You don't want that nickname....