Ski Season Packing List

So you’ve got a ski job, housing, and a plane ticket. Here’s a few lists to help you pack.

Things you need.

1. Travel Insurance. That’s top of the list for a reason. Skiing and boarding are dangerous activities. My sister’s hospital bill totalled $US55,000 hospital bill because her Achilles went “bang”. And that was 20 years ago. Luckily she had travel insurance and didn’t need to ring the bank of Mum and Dad because she thought travel insurance was too expensive.
2. Underwear. You’ll be in thermal underwear, thick socks, bras, knickers, jocks etc everyday. This stuff isn’t easy to find in ski towns, gets stinky quickly, and you don’t want to be doing laundry every third day.
3. Copies of all your important docs. Pack hard copies and  you should also have these documents on the cloud just incase your hardcopies, passport, drivers licence, insurance details, and phone go missing at the same time.
4. Warm rugged boots and good gloves for snow
5. Little light and expensive things such as power adaptors, battery packs, goggles, beanies, sunglasses, etc.
6. At least one heavy duty waterproof jacket and one heavy duty waterproof pants . Two if you don’t get a work uniform.
7. Your meds and doctor’s forms (see point 3 again)

Things you might take if you have room in your pack.

1. Ski and/or snowboard boots, especially if they have been custom fitted.
2. Boards or Skis if you love them and the cost of oversize baggage isn’t ridiculous. It’s actually quite easy to pick up hardware in ski towns so leaving this stuff behind is fine.
3. A helmet (great way to protect fragile items in transit.
4. A snowboard lock. It’s frightening how many times people grab the wrong snowboard off racks.
5. Comfort foods to remind you of home. A Swiss friend brought out 10kg of proper chocolate and Aussies are known to bring Vegemite (which is basically the black sludge that comes out of the bottom pipe of a big commercial brewery. With extra salt)
6. Ibuprofen and hangover cures if you are just learning to snowboard or planning to party.
7. A gigantic puffer jacket if you are going to Alberta, Inland BC, the Northern US Rockies, or NE USA.
8. Serving or kitchen uniforms if you are hoping to get a job in restaurants.
9. Four way power point. You’re likely to be living in an older apartment that was built way before iPhones, iPads, portable speakers, etc needed charging. 4 Ways are really handy.

Things you don’t need.

1. High heels.
2. Summer gear that just clogs up your small room for 6 months. Seriously, don’t bring your bike from overseas because you plan to use it when the snow melts.
3. New skis or snowboards. Buy this stuff at your destination if you want them. They will be cheaper and you won’t get hit with baggage charges.
4. Evening gowns and suits.
5. Bulky stuff you can borrow. If you are travelling with 2 friends you don’t need 3 hair dryers, 3 kettles, and 3 portable speakers. Ski resort workers are generally very good sharers.
6. Stupid stuff you don’t want customs to find. Yes I’m talking about your bong or pipe. Don’t put yourself in line for a cavity search. Nobody wins with that situation.

Now go and have the best time of your life.