Another old, but still good, post that I have migrated over from my old blog. This year (2020) is going to be super weird as far as travelling to ski hills, but they are great places for natural physical distancing so we might try and venture out to some of the smaller remote hills close by. Although this post was written at least 5 years ago, the packing list is still a good one!
One of the great advantages of having The Husband working up north is that it does allow us a little more freedom to hit the slopes as a family. We also live in a location where within an hour or so drive we have half a dozen world famous ski hills to choose from (a longer drive raises that number to a dozen amazing hills I would say).
We’ve spent a few vacations skiing now and have developed a list of must haves for our trips. Of course skis, boots, outdoor gear, sweaters etc are a given. Here are the extras we pack to ensure a comfortable ski trip.
Hockey bag: We have a hockey bag just for ski gear. It stays packed with gloves, ski pants, helmets, goggles, ski boots, extra toques, mitts, flip flops (see below), and hot shots (hand warmers). A good hockey bag is the perfect size for all the gear and easy to transport from the house to the car and then to the hotel.
Flip Flops and two bathing suits: Most hotels in ski land have at least a hot tub. What they don’t have is the abilty to fully dry your suit over night so extra suits are a great idea, and take up close to no space. Flip Flops, well, this took me quite a few trips to the hot tub wearing my sorels before I finally remembered to pack them!
Bathrobe for the kid: As we all know, hotel pool towels are tiny, scratchy and not absorbent at all. Often the hotels will provide two, adult sized robes. They will usually provide a third if we ask but its still adult size so not the best for the kid (but better than nothing I admit). Better option is bring a robe for the kid.
Scentsy Warmer: This idea comes from The Husband, who pretty much lives in a hotel (he runs one of the work “camps” in the Oil Sands). Scentsy warmers don’t use a flame at all (so no fire risk) and they are great for masking some of those hotel smells. We have a small one that is also a night light – this lets us have a bit of light in the bathroom plus it masks all those hotel room and bathroom smells. Going to do a little plug for my new “business” check out my Scentsy page and if you want to order let me know! https://hcgardiner.scentsy.ca/
Body Lotion – Dry cold air, hard water from the hotel water system and chlorinated pool water make for some pretty itchy skin. Hotel lotion is ok, but you never know what it’s going to smell like and how your skin will react. Best to bring a large bottle of your favourite body lotion.
Plastic mug and packs of hot chocolate and tea: Plastic mugs are easier for kids to handle, and the hot chocolate in the room makes it way more affordable than hitting the day lodge every time we need a warm up. I also like having some of my favourite tea on hand for a hot beverage apres ski.
Small packs of condiments for sandwiches: Most ski hills and ski towns will have an awesome bakery, we love buying bread or rolls and bringing our own sandwich fillings from home. Having some small peanut butter, jam, and honey packs on hands makes sandwich creation a breeze.
Snacks: Juice boxes, granola bars, fruit, yogurt tubes – it’s so expensive this stuff is to buy on the hill! Add individual yogurt cups, instant oatmeal and hot chocolate mix to that for a cheap breakfast. Also, a bottle of wine is a nice addition for the adults in the group – delivery or room service with a nice glass of wine in your PJs at the hotel is not a bad way to wrap up a day skiing!
Yoga Mats: It’s nice to stretch out at the end of a ski day, but sometimes you just don’t want to lie down on the hotel floor. Traveling with a couple of yoga mats solves this problem! We also like to use a yoga mat at the hill to stand on when taking boots on and off – saves us from accidentally putting a dry foot down onto the snowy parking lot!
Did I miss anything? Let me know your ski weekend must haves!
Outside in Kelowna 