Five Packing Essentials for Snow Skiing

I wish that I could say that my last few hours in Paris were spent leisurely drinking a bottle of Bordeaux and eating full-fat cheese smeared across a warm baguette. Instead of people watching while half drunk at a café, I was stressing about packing for my next trip. Upon landing in Houston, I have less than twenty-four hours before I’m off to Colorado for a week of skiing in Aspen and Snowmass.

Yeah, I know. There are worse problems to have, but I absolutely hate being ill prepared. Thus, as I often do, I’ve made a packing list and decided to share part of it. Surely, I’m not the only one hitting the slopes this year, am I? Here you go, my top five packing essentials for snow skiing.

Coat

A coat seems rather obvious, but it’s not as easy as it sounds. First and foremost, a good waterproof {or resistant} ski coat is absolutely necessary, unless you’re doing some late spring skiing and don’t ever fall. Since neither of those is on my agenda at the moment, I’ll need a ski jacket.

I like one with plenty of zippers and pockets since they come in handy for carrying my iPhone, money, lip gloss, and whatever else I deem necessary. Another very important, though often overlooked, feature is the inner elastic waistband. What this does is help keep snow from getting into my base layers after taking a tumble. While I’m on the subject of snow getting in my nether regions, Velcro is your friend. Look for the sticky stuff in all the places snow can sneak in. Plus, it’s easier to open and close with gloves on. Speaking of which…

Find ski coats like this one here.

Gloves/Mittens

I personally prefer gloves to mittens, but to each her own. Again, the key here is get something waterproof and warm. Ideally I’d like something that fits into those categories, yet are not too bulky.

Elastic and Velcro around the wrists are quite important as snow always seems to find a way to my hands. I also like gloves with clips so that they can be attached to my coat while I’m taking a cocktail coffee break. Also, something with color sets my gloves apart from the sea of black ones that are inevitably dropped in the snow.

Find these gloves here.

Pants

I’m probably most picky about my ski pants. I’ve tried on more pairs than I care to mention, and frankly, they can be downright unflattering. You might be thinking, “Ahh, but Leah, isn’t the most important thing to keep warm and dry?” I agree, but I also go by the adage that one must look good to ski well, or in my case, not have a near-fatal fall. Thus, getting the right fit and style has become a slight obsession.

What I’ve found works best for my figure is a pair of ski pants that are cut like wide-leg trousers. They’re flattering in real life, so why not on the slopes? Beyond good looks, ski pants need to be practical–waterproof, of course, and add to that zippered pockets and ventilation in the off chance I work up a sweat snowshoeing or something silly like that.

Find these pants here.

Base Layers

Think of an athletic-type brand and they probably have some sort of performance material that will keep you cool when it’s hot and warm when it’s cold, while whisking away sweat and staying dry at the same time. This miracle fabric is fashioned into shirts, leggings, socks, underwear, hats, and anything else that is conceivable.

My favorite brand for this kind of stuff is Under Armour. Their ColdGear line is awesome. It’s fitted without being clingy, which is good for layering while skiing. It’s lightweight, but has the fuzzy material on the inside that keeps me warm, but still removes any sort of sweat I may produce. Under Armour also has this anti-odor technology, which allows me to go from the ski lift straight to après-ski without a stench. That, obviously, is an added bonus. I should really buy stock in Under Armour {or be their spokesperson}.

Find this shirt here.

Moisturizer

I live in Houston where 90% humidity is not unusual. At home, my skin glistens at the mere thought of walking outside. Thus, when I find myself at nearly 12,000 feet above sea level, my skin simply freaks out.  I feel like I’ve spent three days in a Jack Link’s jerky factory. Taught and dry—good for beef jerky, bad for me. This, as I’m sure you can imagine, is quite miserable for someone used to living in a moderate climate at sea level. Therefore, I’m constantly smearing creams, potions, and lotions onto my skin.

Before Christmas I was sent various products from a line called eraclea. We’ve had some unseasonably cold weather in Texas, couple that with my busy travel schedule, and my skin has taken a beating. I started using the Pure Hydration Serum/Zinc and have been very pleased. My face is not as red, and I feel like I can smile without my face cracking like Humpty Dumpty. I’m curious to see how well the product works in the mountains.

And two more words in regard to skin products: Carmex and sunscreen.

Find eraclea products here.

My suitcase will also be filled with wool and silk socks, snow boots, hats, scarves, goggles, and anything else I can cram in that will keep me warm. Though before I can even consider packing, I must unpack from Paris and do a whole mess of laundry. Ahhh…the glamorous life of travel.

Some of these items were offered to me for review. In no way was I swayed to write a positive review. As always, opinions are mine.