 Poster: A snowHead
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There's bits and piece of great advice scattered throughout SHs but if I may, I wanted to start a new topic to try and pull things together
Rather than "what should I pack for my hols?" I'd like some advice on what you good people would see as being essential items to fill your jacket pockets or bag with when you are on the slopes (or off piste). The less obvious items which you can't do without either on the grounds of safety, to make things more enjoyable, less stressful......you know the kinda things
There's a current posting about silver foil blankets - being a newbie to skiing I wouldn't have thought about a foil blanket in a month of Sundays. But a quick trip to the camping shop and a couple of quid later and I now have a blanket that's going to be stuffed in one of the many pockets in my ski jacket
A couple I thought of:-
Travel / Medical Insurance details - tell one of the party that you've cover and where to find the details (I'm guessing preferably have them on your person somewhere)
Chocolate bar or Energy (Dextrose) tablets - for that added energy boost or when you suffer an attack of the munchies 
I'm sure there are lots more
As a novice, I'm more than willing to accept advice (amusing or other wise). Some of the stuff that you folks take for granted may not even occur to me - the foil blanket being a good example
Would welcome your thoughts for on and off piste skiing
Thanks!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Goggles or sunglasses (in addition to what's on my head when I set out in the morning).
Buff (neck warmer thing)
Phone (with piste security number programmed into memory)
Cash & card
Lift pass & piste map
Carte Neige card (supplementary insurance)
EHIC card (replacement for E111 for some medical costs in EU countries).
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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passport and "proper insurance" if skiing in North America, plus credit card with lots of available credit. everthing else can be bought locally if forgotten.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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holidayloverxx, you have to ski with a passport in North America?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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rob@rar, nope, but it's worth having photo ID on you in case something happens.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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rob@rar, no, but I need it to get there and as WTFH says, useful for ID.
OK, I'll also admit to a chocolate stash 
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| holidayloverxx wrote: |
rob@rar, no, but I need it to get there and as WTFH says, useful for ID.
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Obviously you look too young to buy beer, so I suppose a good thing to carry 
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rob@rar, Oh, bless you my child 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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holidayloverxx, 
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rob@rar, ... she is as well ....
Carrying evidence of insurance is very important. Many leave these with valuables in their hotel/accommodation. I had to help out a girl in Tignes, who had a nasty 'knee' accident. She and some 'friends' had come to Tignes on a day trip from Val d'Isere. Her insurance and credit card were in Val d'Isere and she had 40-50 euro in cash. Her 'friends' were nowhere to be seen and nothing would happen on the medical front without a credit card.
I find 'Carte Neige' is the magic word in France. Even insurance policies in English are treated with some suspicion, but Carte Neige is the universal language and is well worth it for the season, or its sister 'Carre Neige' for those skiing on a weekly basis. Even on an emergency Helicopter evacuation last season, the first question asked by the Gendarme when he alighted from the helicopter was if the injured party had Carte Neige.
Also useful to have the address and contact number of your accommodation on your person.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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BernardC, God, I love you too right about the accommodation details. I also carry that.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Goggles/Sun glasses....
Lift pass, Carte Neige, Insurance
Cash
Sun block
Fags/Lighter - and an ashtray for the nub ends
Phone - with emergency numbers readily available (Pub, pizza delivery, mistress etc...oh, and securite des pistes etc - normally found at the lift pass office)
Anything else is in my backpack, if I can be bothered to take it out (depends on what the day entails and where I am skiing)
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Phone
goggles/sunglasses
sun cream and lip salve
credit cards
insurance details
passport
hat
camera
lift pass
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You know it makes sense.
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And a few individually wrapped boiled sweets for dry mouth!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Assuming your serious about the "off piste" question, it's been done many times, but as a bare minimum for off piste you (and all in your group) need (and have practised with) a transceiver, shovel and probe.
I normally carry some or all of:
foil sheet, peeps, shovel, probe, spare layer, micro thin hat (to fit under helmet if ever needed), turtle fur, googles/sunglasses, sun cream, lip salve, medical insurance, credit card, camera, radio, ava lung, water pouch
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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For the kids - laminated card in pocket with contact details etc
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Thanks folks for your thoughts - a few more than I wouldn't have thought of
No one has mentioned a first aid kit - one of those little bit of everything kits - useful for the odd scrape or lump & bump?
kitenski, I just added the "off piste" bit as an aside as 100% of my skiing will be on piste at the mo, unless I get lost!!!!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Sleipnir wrote: |
Thanks folks for your thoughts - a few more than I wouldn't have thought of
No one has mentioned a first aid kit - one of those little bit of everything kits - useful for the odd scrape or lump & bump?
kitenski, I just added the "off piste" bit as an aside as 100% of my skiing will be on piste at the mo, unless I get lost!!!! |
In which case, the foil blanket probably isn't necessary
For me, Spare gloves & goggles, water (in a camelback type device), camera/phone, piste map, chapstick, multitool, wallet. I usually also carry a sweater, but I'm not sure why since I have never yet felt the need to put it on.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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For me, spare gloves (i have a fear i will leave a glove somewhere!), goggles or glasses (i will wear one and have the other in the bag), sun cream, gillet (if it gets cold this is enough under a jacket), space blanket, water (in Camelback), inhaler, cash amd cards, insurance docs, phone, silk inener gloves (for when it gets really cold), maybe a buff if i'm not wearing it, maybe a hat if i'm not wearing that either.
I think that is about it. Although as i use the same bag for mountain biking i have also been skiing with an innertube and pump in my bag.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| alex_heney wrote: |
| I usually also carry a sweater, but I'm not sure why since I have never yet felt the need to put it on. |
But that's the reason why you carry spare items of clothing, the first day you leave them behind.....
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I rarely if ever carry a backpack, so I am limited to what I can carry in my pockets.
Lip Balm
Sunscreen
Cash and Credit Cards
Lift pass
Googles/glasses ,although I don't mind skiing in goggles all day if I have to as it stops me getting watery eyes.
As hubby never remebers his camelbak, I think I might start using it instead.
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No rucksack. It is too much hassle being told to take it off for lifts. But in my sallopettes I have an edging tool with diamond stone and now a notwax puck. Gives you something to do when the people you are with are faffing;)
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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A skigee and/or some type of goggle/sunglasses wipe mine are on cords and are constantly borrowed by ski mates on the chair
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Am I the only one that carries a hip flask (full of brandy)?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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nessy, and messing about with wax and edging tools isn't faffing, not in any way. 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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What is this Carte Neige or Carre Neige? Never heard of it.
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minx, supplementary insurance, especially good for evacuation from piste or off-piste in France. It's been discussed a few times on the forum so a quick search will pull up several threads. You can buy an anual policy (Carte Neige) or a day-by-day policy with your lift pass (Carre Neige); both versions have the same cover.
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You know it makes sense.
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Helen Beaumont,
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I rarely if ever carry a backpack, so I am limited to what I can carry in my pockets.
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Me too. I carry:-
Sunglasses (Goggles are on my helmet)
Contact lens solution
Lippy & suncream
Tiny mirror
A few painkillers & some chewing gum
Paper tissues
Small wallet, containing credit/debit cards and cash, EHIC card, copy passport, insurance details, list of mountain resto phone nos (downloaded from SCGB site) & donor card (!)
Camera
Phone (with accommodation number in it)
Lift pass
Inner silk gloves
Neck warmer (lives under one arm if I'm not wearing it)
If I need to carry a back-pack for shovel & probe, I also add water, a spare thin fleece & spare gloves
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| nessy wrote: |
| No rucksack. It is too much hassle being told to take it off for lifts. |
I have always worn a rucsack, even before I had the camelback.
And I have never had it suggested to me (on the mountain) that I might take it off for any lift. Nor have I ever actually done so, except when I wanted something from it while in a gondola.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Take salted peanuts instead of chocolate - slower release carbs and fats for a slower, sustained release of energy. The salt might help too.
If you get cold sores, take Factor 30+ for your lips, Blistex (rather than chapstick) and zovirax just in case (extra cold/ultraviolet brings the sores out)
2-way radio if going with friends
Chewing gum (freshen breath if you get chatting to a honey)
Water
Handwarmer (for your girlfriend - worth a million brownie points and forgiveness for giving chewing gum to random honeys. Second thoughts, pack chocolate for the same reason. )
Zinc oxide tape - for preventing blisters/hot spots on feet/shins/hands and for fixing random things
Lozenges - the anaesthetic/antiseptic type that tastes nice. Stops a cold throat developing into a sore one
Headache pills - Ibuprofen and paracetamol. Head off light-induced headaches at the pass, possibly also migraines if you get them. NSAID, so useful for aches and pains, but also useful in advance before too much alcohol gets drunk.
Paper and pen.
Everything in freezer bags to stop them getting wet/dusty.
A bit random and out of the ordinary but I take/use all of these in my daysack whatever the holiday. (Except the radios. Seems very ski-specific?)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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mdemon2, you are mad. 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Lizzard, Why? Looks like an eminently sensible list to me.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Hurtle, he left out the brandy flask.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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comprex,
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hurtle, oh come on. Most of the people I know carry even less stuff than I do - why on earth would anyone ski around carrying Zovirax, Ibuprofen and a notepad and pen, for God's sake? Loonies!!
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Lizzard, he skis to pull.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Lizzard, obviously he suffers from cold sores, any sensible person carries painkillers, and I quite like having paper and pencil or pen to hand too, would probably carry them in a non-ski daypack, there's often something interesting or useful to jot down on a long day out. Actually, if I carried a back-pack more often, I would almost certainly carry the smallest Travel Scrabble as well - invaluable over an occasional long lunch - and of course you need the pen and paper to score.
mdemon2, you are neither mad nor loony (not that I am terribly keen on these words as terms of abuse.)
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| Hurtle wrote: |
| of course you need the pen and paper to score. |
True. You need to write down mobile numbers - they're far too long to remember  .
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FAQ
