So last night I was packing for a forthcoming holiday for myself and my daughter. Man there's a lot of stuff. Skis, boots, tools, poles, helmets, goggles, outerlayers, inner layers, blah, blah, blah. Not only have a I got to pack it all, I've got to transport it hundreds of miles and then back again, wash it, service it and so on.
When I got to bed I dreamed about walking into a shop in my underpants and holding a credit card... and walking out fully-kitted up and ready to ski. Not exactly in the realms of dreaming of sharing a hot tub with the ladies' slalom team, but there you go. However I still felt strangely excited by the idea!.
Has it (i.e. the rental of EVERYTHING) ever been offered in real life? It would seem to have many benefits, especially with children.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@greengriff, i managed to rent ski pants, jacket, goggles and helmet (and skis) in Whistler a few years ago when my bag was delayed. Fortunately I had my boots and base layers in my hand luggage.
In smaller resorts, i guess lack of demand vs need for storage space for all the gear would be prohibitive?
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?
@greengriff, "When I got to bed I dreamed about walking into a shop in my underpants and holding a credit card"
You'd likely be arrested for that type of behaviour round these parts
Joking aside though, there was an outfit in operation for a few years that provided ski/boot/pole etc package also full outer kit of suit/jacket/salopette/gloves all as combined service.
Based at Gatwick as they had a shop there during ski season that you picked and dropped at in terminal. Think they had pre-fit off airport that did sizing/setup/ordering and such, then with the whole set all fresh/laundered etc was stocked for you outward journey. It seemed to work OK and rented ski/boots from them with a couple in our group using whole pack a couple of times.
Recall they also did fit/order etc at ski show when in Olympia location.
not quite the same but a lot of people who have their own small place do have the experience,
When I go with my mates, I literally turn up with Phone, wallet, passport & the clothes I chose to wear that day
Yeah, that's the ideal solution I guess. Somewhat different in terms of budget though!!!
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
ski3 wrote:
@greengriff, "When I got to bed I dreamed about walking into a shop in my underpants and holding a credit card"
You'd likely be arrested for that type of behaviour round these parts
Joking aside though, there was an outfit in operation for a few years that provided ski/boot/pole etc package also full outer kit of suit/jacket/salopette/gloves all as combined service.
Based at Gatwick as they had a shop there during ski season that you picked and dropped at in terminal. Think they had pre-fit off airport that did sizing/setup/ordering and such, then with the whole set all fresh/laundered etc was stocked for you outward journey. It seemed to work OK and rented ski/boots from them with a couple in our group using whole pack a couple of times.
Recall they also did fit/order etc at ski show when in Olympia location.
Was? Am I to presume from that the enterprise was a failure?
After all it is free
After all it is free
It happens a lot with heliskiing. People turn up and their bags are missing, usually because they have had to take more than one flight and if you check your bags through... they don't always get through. If you have 100 people in Canada turn up for a week's skiing, you're pretty much guaranteed that someone will not have their gear. Smart people carry their boots and underwear in the cabin, but most will end up borrowing at least all their outer gear, maybe more. I would still not recommend turning up only in underpants.
I'm not sure that's exactly what you have in mind though - borrowing gear until the real stuff arrives. The standard pose is to leave your gear at the location, so it's there when you go back to use it.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
I came across this but maybe not quite what you were thinking of.
There seem a few other places that rent out ski clothing and accessories that are not in the article above but mainly catering to the school market. But it may be harder to find a one-stop shop for everything these days?
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Definitely haven't seen that for a few years, possibly ten so it doesn't seem to have survived.
Air terminal retail space i believe is extraordinarily expensive now as comparison, which may have scuppered it. Along with Olympia ski show itself.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
ster wrote:
I came across this but maybe not quite what you were thinking of.
There seem a few other places that rent out ski clothing and accessories that are not in the article above but mainly catering to the school market. But it may be harder to find a one-stop shop for everything these days?
That's pretty interesting, thank you!
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.
What makes a big difference to our packing is when we can do a laundry wash/dry after 3-4 days. Now, this may not be your idea of a holiday, but it is one of the upsides of many self-catering places. It significantly reduces the amount of clothing you have to take with you. Obviously, this still leaves the jacket and salopettes to be packed and I do wonder if ski hire shops might not branch out into renting these too, more as a discriminator vs their competitors than as a source of revenue. They'd have to dry-clean clothing in a way you don't have to with equipment, which would dent any profits.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
LaForet wrote:
They'd have to dry-clean clothing in a way you don't have to with equipment, which would dent any profits.
Maybe that's why they don't do it?
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
I rented some clothes the first couple of times I went skiing in the late 1980s. From the local sports shop in suburban London.
No idea about now.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
greengriff wrote:
Not exactly in the realms of dreaming of sharing a hot tub with the ladies' slalom team, but there you go.
Can we not run with that one? Sounds much more exciting! Now where's the soap?
If you have 100 people in Canada turn up for a week's skiing, you're pretty much guaranteed that someone will not have their gear. Smart people carry their boots and underwear in the cabin, but most will end up borrowing at least all their outer gear
All?? Who are these fashion victims who don't wear their ski jacket to go on a ski holiday? (The same ones who need to take 20kg of luggage on the trip )
I recall that Titlis Sport at the bottom of the main lifts out of Engelberg used to rent out jackets and trousers, and possibly some other clothing items, but I don't think they did base and mid layers. TBF their market was mostly tourists on foot going up to the glacier 2000m higher, and therefore up to 20 deg cooler, who were often woefully equipped, but we (the ski school I worked with) also used to run 'ski experience' sessions with them, basically getting a group of (usually) Asian tourists to be able to do a couple of glide/ploughs on a baby slope with moving carpet, so I guess they must also have had gloves and ski socks at the very least.
So yeah, it's a thing in some places, but no idea if it's normal or common everywhere.
Of course, there's nothing to stop you just skiing in your underpants, if that's you're thing
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Chaletbeauroc wrote:
Of course, there's nothing to stop you just skiing in your underpants, if that's you're thing
I don't have the figure for it, if you know what I mean? Especially in the cold!!!!
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