Ski/snowboard checklist

Getting the right gear or not can make or break your ski holiday so if you are investing in the holiday you should invest in the gear too. It might seem as though it is a waste of money to buy stuff for just a week or two but there are reasons you need it and hopefully here we can explain why. If it is your first ski holiday it may well be worth trying to rent some of the outerwear but if you plan to go again it is worth buying your own gear as they can last a long time and are well worth the investment. The best suggestion is to always buy stuff that you can see yourself wearing outside of your ski holiday - a jacket or fleece that you like is much more likely to be worn again in other circumstances and worth the investment.

The next step is to understand layering. Layering in winter sports activities is essential due to the range in temperatures your body faces. At times you can be sitting still (imagine a long cold chairlift) and can get cold, at other times you are exerting a lot of energy and can get very hot, add that to the varying weather conditions and you may understand why you need the right stuff. To maintain your body's temperature at a medium - not too hot, not too cold - it is important layer up correctly. Layers not only trap additional air between them for insulation but all have their purpose and can be removed/added to if needs be.

First should be your technical base layer, probably the most important layer other than your jacket, it is used mostly for moisture management and insulation. The technical bit is that the base layer wicks any moisture away from your skin and passes it through to the next layer ensuring that you always have a dry layer next to your skin - really important! Not only is it really uncomfortable to sit in but once your base layer is wet and you get cold it is really hard to warm up again and can ruin your day. Don't be afraid that these technical base layers are mostly made from man made fibres, they do the job far better than any natural ones going and please stay away from any cotton based ones as these soak up moisture like a sponge and stay wet.

For your 2nd layer it is ideal to wear a thin cotton layer, this could be a t-shirt, a long sleeve tee or a lightweight sweatshirt depending on the weather conditions and your other layers. Wearing cotton over your base layer draws perspiration through to it in vapour form effectively speeding up the wicking process but try not to use a thick layer as the moisture can then get stuck in it.

Light to medium weight technical fleece is ideal to wear as your 3rd layer, the thickness depending on what type of jacket you have and the weather conditions. Technical fleece carries the highest warmth/weight ratio of any other material and breathes amazingly.

The last layer is your snow jacket, ideally this should be lightly insulated to enable you to control the insulation through your layers and be comfortable in all temperatures/times of season and ideally contain a snowskirt to stop the snow traveling halfway up your back. It is essential for your jacket to be either highly water resistant or completely waterproof (to stop you getting wet from the snow) but that also has a good rate of breathability as it is a common problem to get wet from the inside due to your moisture not escaping through your jacket. Also, make sure the jackets DWR is up to scratch, especially if it is a jacket that has been used/washed before. DWR stands for Durable Water Repellency - all technical jackets should have this but it is something that needs to be replenished. DWR does not make your jacket waterproof, as this is usually built into the jackets fabric, but is a coating on the outside designed to make water bead and run off your jacket, not soak in. Why is this important? Simple, if the outside of your jacket gets wet, even if the wet does not reach you through the waterproof layer, not only does your ski wear become heavy but your moisture from the inside can't get out through the saturation barrier and you end up getting wet. It is a common mistake to think that your jacket is leaking, but it is usually the opposite. Checking your DWR is easy, just take your jacket to the sink and throw a little water on it. If the water beads and runs off it is fine. If the water sinks in you need to sort out your DWR. There are plenty of products from brands like Nikwax or Storm which can replenish your DWR easily without reducing breathability, the most effective way is by using the washing machine but you can also get sprays to target specific areas. It may seem like a lot of hassle but is essential to getting the performance out of the technical jacket that you paid for. When washing ytour snow jacket make sure you DON'T use fabric softener as this will break down your jackets DWR.

All of the above also applies to your snow pants, best to try to have lightweight insulated ones so you don't overheat when it is not too cold and just make sure you can move in them! Test the ski/snowboard movements in them before buying to make sure.

Thermal bottoms, formally known as long johns! Depending on your type of snow pant and the weather conditions/time of season, you may need to have these. The same reasons apply to the wicking effect of your technical baselayer and also give you an additional thermal layer.

Protective eyewear on the slopes is 100% essential, the UV rays are strong, reflect off the snow and can seriously damage your eyes if you don't have them covered. All eyewear must be fully UV protected. Goggles are great when it is cold as they cover half your face which keeps you warm and are usually worn in poor light conditions enabling you to see the contours and variations in the snow. Investing in a good pair of goggles is definitely worthwhile, clarity and filtering is key when it comes to the lens, along with fog management. Goggles should be flexible to mould comfortably to your face and have ventilation, a double lens and a fog resistant coating to prevent fogging on the inside. The best advice is when using your goggles: try not to take them off! This stops the inside of the lens cooling down and then easily fogging up. Goggles are safe to wear in bright light conditions and some come with suitable lenses, but a low light lens goggle may not be as comfortable on your eyes as sunglasses. Sunglasses are usually worn when the sun is out so the ideal would be to have both goggles and sunglasses. With sunglasses, make sure they wrap around to stop glare and wind from the sides and that there is not a huge gap between the lens and your cheek as when you go fast wind tends to whip up and make your eyes water. Try to choose glasses that you will wear again but buy the best quality you can for the clarity and make sure that they are suitable for mountain conditions (good for bright light conditions and do not go brittle in the cold) and have a super tough lens. It is also highly advisable to have some glasses retainers as they can save you from losing your sunglasses in the snow or halfway up the piste!

Sunscreen is important as not only are the suns rays stronger up the mountain but they also reflect off of the snow. Remember to choose sunscreen that is suitable for cold conditions as some summer sunscreens contain too much water which won't last as long and also runs the risk of freezing on your face - not good. Creams specifically designed for the winter will also protect against windburn. Don't get caught out by not applying sunscreen when it is cloudy - even when the sun isn't out the rays still get through and can burn. Try and buy a combi stick which has both sunscreen for the face and lip balm for protecting your lips and keep it with you all day for reapplication.

Your hands are vulnerable when skiing as they can get really cold, so it is sensible to invest in a decent pair of ski gloves. It is important for the gloves to be both waterproof and breathable and have good insulation. You will find that cheaper gloves may keep the water out but also keep your perspiration in making you cold and wet, so the higher the breathability rating the better. Make sure they fit properly as, if they are too small they will restrict blood circulation and you will get cold or if they are too big there will be too much of an air gap which is hard to keep warm. Test your gloves by clenching your fist with them on and allowing a small pinch of space at the end. Mittens are good to wear if you get really cold hands as keeping the fingers together allows the body heat to be shared. Another way to keep your fingers warm is by getting some wristies - these are bands of fleece that you wear around your wrist which warm up the blood on the way to the hands (I can't live without mine!). Snowboarders should choose gloves with inbuilt wristguards as the wrist is very vulnerable while snowboarding and should always be protected. If you buy wristguards to wear inside your gloves, make sure that your gloves are big enough to house them as if there is not enough room it will restrict the blood flow and you can get very cold and uncomfortable hands.

Your feet can also get very cold, so remember to buy ski socks. Ski tubes are standard but do tend to bunch up as they have no inbuilt heel. If you can, invest in technical fitted ski socks which will generally fit much better, draw moisture away from your feet, have additional padding for the pressure areas (such as front of calf) and keep you warmer. As you progress it is important to have well fitting ski socks to allow you more accurate control within your boots. Snowboarders can get specific socks for snowboarding which are essentially the same but have padding in areas around the leg more specific to snowboarding. The rule of thumb for ski socks is to always take at least 3 pairs - 1 wearing, 1 washing and 1 drying - to enable you to always have a dry pair for the next day.

A hat should always be carried with you unless you are wearing a helmet! You lose most of your body heat through your head so it pays to keep it covered when it is cold - when you get too hot just shove it in your pocket. The temperature and weather conditions can change so quickly so having your hat on standby is essential. Wearing a helmet for adults is optional but highly recommended when snowboarding. You take far more spills when snowboarding as you can build up speed even as a beginner so it is best to be protected. Helmets can be rented but just make sure they are well fitting and you have good peripheral vision.

Now, a neckwarmer is not an essential item but one most people can't live without when skiing. Neckwarmers are a tube that sit around your neck and replace scarves which are dangerous as they can get trapped in lifts! Your neck area can be vulnerable to the cold and having something to bridge the gap is often needed. They are also great to pull up over your nose when it is really cold!

Ideally you would bring snowboots with you which have additional insulation and a tough grip but unless you are planning to spend most of your time walking in the snow any boot with a good grip and enough room to fit a warm sock in should be fine. Try to give the boots a water repellant treatment to help prevent them getting saturated.

• 1st layer - technical baselayer
• 2nd layers - cotton
• 3rd layers - fleece
• Ski jacket
• Snow pants
• Thermal bottoms (optional)
• Goggles / Sunglasses
• Sunscreen
• Ski gloves

• Wristies (optional)
• Wristguards (for snowboarders)
• Ski socks x 3
• Hat
• Neckwarmer (optional)
• Glasses retainers (optional)
• Helmet (optional)
• Snowboots

Now you have the gear (or know what gear to get!) you can concentrate on having fun on the slopes! If you are taking kids with you, take a look at our kids ski/snowboard checklist to make sure you have everything.