It is sometimes hard enough to cram everything you need into your luggage for a summer holiday but skiing trips can be an absolute nightmare! The flimsy allowances offered by many airlines combined with the amount of equipment you need to take can present some real challenges and if you are not careful you will find yourself setting off without any clothes or minus some of the little luxuries that could add enjoyment to your trip.

Allowances

These days most skiers will have to pay a surcharge for their equipment and whilst the fees usually seem reasonable for an extra bag the weight limit is often not that generous and let’s face it ski gear is a bit on the heavy side. On my trip to Slovenia earlier this year the additional weight allowance was just 12 kgs which is not a lot when you are weighed down with skis, ski boots, poles, and a helmet. There was certainly no opportunity to use the additional bag to carry clothes.

Take the Extra Bag

It really is essential to cram as much as you can into that extra bag because otherwise you are really going to run into trouble with your main piece of luggage. I made the mistake of trying to get away with only one extra bag for two of us which resulted in me having to put my ski boots into my main luggage. I will never do that again! I went away for the week with almost no clothes because of that school boy error.

Packing

Even with an extra bag to yourself there is still a lot to cram in for a skiing trip. In order to save space plan to wear your jacket onto the plane and the heaviest footwear that you wish to take. I found my ladies winter footwear extremely useful for walking around the village but had to wear them whilst travelling due to my ski boots taking up almost all of the room in my bag. To be honest there was no way they were going to fit anywhere other than on my feet! I stuffed socks and underwear into my ski boots to save a bit more space but still had to travel with just one change of clothes. This was also a mistake as I realised rather too late that I had vacuum bags in my loft. These greatly reduce the volume of your clothing and would have helped immensely if I had remembered that owned them!

It is surprising how few clothes you actually need for a skiing trip as everyone dresses casually in the resorts. My error with the extra luggage and the vacuum bags did not end up being too costly and I have come to realise that the key to packing for a holiday is to book accommodation with a washing machine then you really don’t need to worry about what you have to leave behind!

Extras

No matter how minimalist you try to be with your clothes there are always other things to accommodate. I love reading and so books were always an issue but now I have a Kindle so that problem is solved. My partner loves a good gadget and so the camera has to come with us too. It is also wise to check out exactly what is available to you in the resort in order to avoid hauling unnecessary items across the globe. It is unlikely that they will have a helmet cam or snow boots hanging around but hairdryers are always a possibility. If they are not mentioned by the hotel or chalet then it is worth dropping them a line to check. Don’t do what I did this year. I took a hand blender all the way to Slovenia because I needed it for my cooking. A hand blended was the last thing I expected any apartment to be equipped with but I should have asked because my apartment did indeed have one. Obviously they do a lot of blending in Slovenia.

If you use your extra piece of luggage to the max, condense your clothes with a vacuum bag and accept that the glamorous attire has got to stay at home you can manage to squeeze everything you need into your allowance. There is even room for a hand blender if you need one!

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Article by Sally Stacey