School ski trip

chocolatepennyfarthing

son is due to go on a school skiing trip in Feb. As trip is rather expensive I am looking to see if I can cut down on amount we need to buy for it. If anyone has experience of their children going what did they actually need. Was there things you bought that were just a complete waste. How many of certain items, ski socks, thermals etc. Any good websites/shops you would advise to purchase from. I will look in Lidl next week when they are selling ski items, has anyone any experience of purchasing these items from them, are they any good or am I better off paying a little more.

Thanks

Strapped

You can rent salopettes/ski trousers and ski jackets from most ski shops, which is what I did the first time that I went skiing as I didn't want to spend out if I didn't like it and want to do it in future. However, it still wasn't that cheap. Otherwise I'd look on eBay.

How old is your son? I only ask as I have a pair of black ski trousers I don't want anymore (grown too heavy for if I'm honest) which I am about to eBay myself

patentgirl

will be following this with interest as I have same problem DD15 is off in Feb as well for the first time too I have no idea noticed, Matalan have some womens ski wear quite reasonable do tehy need the snow boots type of thing as I ntoiced they have them in M & M but dont want to buy them if not needed.

Strapped

patentgirl, your DD will almost certainly be able to do without snow boots. When you're on the slopes, you're wearing ski boots and in the evenings you're back in the resort. Unless she's going to a particularly high altitude resort and will be doing a lot of outside walking, she will be able to wear normal trainers etc. More important is to get good, proper ski socks, which will keep her feet and lower legs warm and properly cushioned in a ski boot. Big blisters would ruin the trip. Depending on how mature she is at 15, and what facilities available, she should be able to make do with 2 or 3 pairs - ie one to wear, one to wash and hang up (and maybe 1 spare).

kr15snw

Hey, started to ski by going on school trips. since have been on about 5 holidays and have been instructing young kids for the past 4 years.

My tips are...

Buy a ski jacket, they come in SOOOO handy after the holiday as a nice warm wet weather coat. Mine is my main coat if I go on a walk, or to wear to uni if the weathers a bit nasty. I would reccomend you try and find one with air vents that can me zipped up or undone under the arms. It can get VERY hot out there (surprisingly) and this will help them cool down if they feel the need.

You can rent salopettes but Ive always bought them as again they are brilliant wet weather / cold weather gear. I wear mine to evening football matches when I know its going to be FREEZING!!!

Give them two pairs of gloves, OR, buy a pair with the removable liners. Ski gloves will get very very very wet and you do not want them wet the next morning. Personally recommend the removable liners as they can put these on the radiator and they are more likely to dry over night. And when they get home you can rinse the liners out and they are as good as new (trust me they will STINK when they get home.

Socks : I have bought the cheap ones in the past and found them useless, would highly reccomend you get the slightly more expensive one if he is planning on continuing to ski when he gets back. If not then get the cheap one, but make sure for a 7 day trip he takes about 10 pairs. Sometimes they will need to double them up when using rental boots. Make sure he takes 2 pairs when trying on rental boots so he can mix and match to make them comfortable.

Dont buy him a scarf, buy a neck warmer (the tube thing). It doesnt get caught up, you dont have the keep re doing it and they are so nice and fleecy. mmmm (also can be used when they get home). On this note get a nice warm hat aswell, for evening activities.

He will more than likely need a helmet as this is law in most countries now, but he can rent this out there.

You do not need snow boots. Have never had any! But make sure they have a nice pair of walking boots. These are better than snow boots as they have sturdier bottoms (more grip) and can be used when they get home! I mean everyone needs walking boots at some point :P

I have never bought thermals (well I did once and didnt use them) as it just isnt that cold in Europe! But obviously some places are, and then you layer up! When I go away I take about 7 t shirts, 3 vest tops, 2 jumpers and a fleece. Then I put as many layers on as I think I need. Normally (depends on the resort) it works out at a vest top, a t shirt and a jumper. This is a normal jumper, not very thick.

Get them sunglasses and goggles to take. They are both needed as they come in handy in different circumstances. If its snowing they will want goggles, if its not snowing then sunglasses are better. Sunglasses also come in handy when your stopped on the side of the slope for a drink etc. And sunglasses can be used when they get home...

Get them a lift pass holder, although they may not need it due to improving technologies at most resorts. But make sure they have one just in case! Plus they are dirt cheap!

Little things they really should take....

*Passport size photo in case they want one for the ski pass, every resort varies on this but best to be prepared.
*Suncream! Get one of those mini tubes that he can stick in a pocket, as it is very very sunny out there.
*Vaseline! Your chin will get very very very dry with rubbing against your neck warmer / scarf and will start to crack after a few days. Applying this at night keeps it soft and stops it hurting.
*A very very very good lipbalm. Same as above, your lips will dry out crack and bleed in no time. Get a good one that he can keep applying while hes there.

Where are you located? You may have a dry slope near you that can offer advice. They generally know where to get the best gear, or details of ski sales.

Think thats it...

Any questions feel free to ask!

Strapped

Excellent advice given there. The only thing that I would add to the list is also throw in some plasters and blister plasters, just in case they do have any trouble with their feet. The best blister plasters are made by Compeed - they're not cheap, but if you get badly blistered feet (which hopefully won't happen if you take the advice above re. fitting rental boots carefully but just in case) then you will be very glad to have these, as they "cushion" the blister with a gel, and you can carry on skiing pain-free.

I must feel the cold more too, as I usually wear a thermal tshirt (Berghaus) but I use that all the time at home too, and I wear tights or leggings under my salopettes on cold days lol. I have a light-weight ski jacket, which is just a waterproof shell rather than thickly padded, and add layers under it as needed. This means that I, again, can use it all the time at home, even on fairly warm but wet days.

chocolatepennyfarthing

Really appreciate your help. Some great advice. Are there any online places that you would buy from for gloves, socks etc.

themaccas

I bought DS ski clothing from H&M, I found it was excellent value.

emjem_3

Having organised numerous school trips in the past we always gave pupils the option of hiring equipment. This would involve an evening at school when a hire compnay would visit the school and kids would get to try things on and then order. Are they not doing this for you?

If not....TK Max do some excellent ski stuff at vastly reduced prices.

A good tip re blisters. Don't buy plasters as these can bulk out the area that is rubbing, or during the course of the day the plasters move out of position. Instead buy the waterproof spray on plasters - excellent!

troll35

I would also recommend Aldi for their skiwear. We'll be going on our 6th ski holiday this winter and we have all found their skiwear to be great. Their ski socks are usually around £2.99 a pair, neck rolls (much better than scarves) and ski sunglasses are similarly priced. Their adult size jacket and salopette sets are around £40 (usually cheaper than hiring). Layers are definitely the key to warmth. It is when you are on the ski-lifts that you get cold and February can be quite cold. Most ski jackets have a small pocket in the sleeve for electronic lift passes these days.
Aldi usually do a small pocket sized tube of sunscreen/lip balm which is really useful as you mustn't underestimate the power of the sun at altitude(very very important). You know how when you go on holiday somewhere hot and sunny there is always one lobster sat at the edge of the pool looking sore....well when you are skiing there's always a few who don't put on the suncream and will be found at breakfast with glowing red faces and white patches where their hats and glasses/goggles have been.
With regard to the hire ski boots, tell your son that he must go back to the hire shop if they are uncomfortable. Make sure he asks for help in tightening them properly, if he has problems during a lesson the ski instructor will be able to check them out and give advice. Badly fitted boots make skiing very uncomfortable. The hire shops have lots of different models and will try their best to help.
I hope he has a fantastic time.
Aldi usually have their skiwear just before Christmas for adults and around new year for kids.

floss2

Firstly, find out which resort they are going to, then go on the Ski Club of Great Britain website (http://www.skiclub.co.uk) and look it up. This will give you an idea of altitude, locality of the hotel to the ski slopes & ski school, and also whether he needs a passport photo for his lift pass & whether he will need a helmet - hire from ski-shop (generally under 12's).

Mountain warehouse have good ski-deals for clothing http://mountainwarehouse.com and sock, hats, gloves, thin fleeces etc.

Your son will need
Base layers - t-shirts are ok for this
fleece layer - thinish fleece, long sleeves, 2 should be ok
fleece / jumper for any really cold / windy days
coat - see above, or TK Maxx / Matalan
salopettes - as above
socks - boots are very well fitted nowadays, one pair of good quality ski-socks is usually OK, 3 prs (wear on alternate days) TK Maxx / Matalan
gloves - mitts are warmer, they should only get wet if they have snowball fights or build snowmen, as altitude snow is a lot drier than UK snow! TK Maxx / Matalan
fine fleece gloves as inner linings - a cheap pair of fine fleece gloves wil be fine for these
hat - his choice!
goggles for skiing TK Maxx
sunglasses for non-skiing - good quality as the sun is very bright
sunscreen - 40+ (Boots do a good Soltan Ski range in pouches)
sunscreen lipbalm - keep applying - Ambre Solaire's smells of chocolate!
backpack - to carry the stuff he doesn't want to wear + sunscreen etc
walking boots - to wear to & from ski-storage, and around the resort

He will need to know his weight in Kilos & height in metres to calculate his ski-binding settings.

HTH

Floss xx