The Complete Ski Season Packing List

Packing for a one-week ski trip is easy. Packing for 20 weeks is a different problem: you need enough to function without a resupply run, but you can't bring everything you own. The seasonaire packing list below is built around fitting into airline luggage limits while covering everything you'll genuinely need.

The core principle: fewer clothes than you think, better kit than cheap

You'll wash clothes weekly. Seven days of everything is enough. The items worth investing in are the ones that affect your daily physical comfort: ski boots (rent if you're early stage, buy when you have a preferred fit), base layers, and a good shell jacket. Everything else can be budget.

Ski and snowboard equipment

Ski boots: if you have a pair that fits well, bring them. Rental boots are never as good — they're fitted quickly, worn hard, and adjusted for too many different feet. Owning boots that fit your foot correctly makes a measurable difference over a full season.

Skis: rent at the resort for your first season unless you already own a pair. Rental from staff discount rates is usually reasonable, and you don't yet know which ski type suits your developing style. Owning skis makes more sense from season two or three onwards.

Helmet: bring your own. Rental helmets are hygiene-dubious; a decent helmet costs £60–100 and lasts five or more seasons without issue.

Goggles: bring two pairs. One for bright days (a darker lens — Category 3 or 4), and one for flat light and overcast conditions (a lighter or photochromic lens). Losing visibility on a mountain in a flat-light whiteout is genuinely dangerous. One pair is not enough for a full season.

Gloves: two pairs minimum. One will be wet, drying, or lost at some point. Waterproof outer gloves or mittens over liner gloves work better than a single mid-weight glove in sustained cold.

Base layers

Three to four sets of thermal base layers. Merino wool is worth the cost — it regulates temperature across a wider range and doesn't smell after one day of use. Synthetic is cheaper but needs washing more frequently. For a 20-week season, merino pays for itself in laundry effort alone.

Mid layer

One fleece or down mid-layer for under-shell use on the mountain. One separate warm insulated jacket for off-mountain daily wear — walking to work, evenings out, days off. These are different use cases and ideally different garments.

Shell jacket and trousers

Your waterproof shell is the most important piece of outerwear. Minimum 10,000mm hydrostatic head waterproof rating; 20,000mm is better for sustained wet-snow days in March and April. Bring one, own it before the season starts. Don't rely on borrowing or buying a cheap one out there.

Trousers: one pair of waterproof ski trousers is usually enough — wash weekly and let them dry overnight.

Work clothes

Check what your employer provides before packing. Many roles include a uniform or at minimum an apron. Typically you'll need smart-casual clothes for front-of-house roles, or dark trousers and comfortable work shoes for most hospitality positions.

Three to four sets of work clothing is adequate with weekly washing. If you're working in catering, bring non-slip kitchen shoes — resort sports shops stock them but charge premium prices.

Footwear

• Ski boots (on-mountain)
• Warm waterproof boots for off-mountain snow walking — Moon Boot-style or similar après boots are functional, not purely fashion items. You will be walking through snow daily
• Smart shoes for work (if in a front-of-house role)
• Trainers for gym or indoor use

Four pairs of footwear is the realistic minimum. Ski boots don't count as walking shoes.

Miscellaneous essentials

Sunscreen SPF50+: you will burn at altitude in spring even on overcast days. The UV intensity at 2,000m+ is significantly higher than at sea level. Stock up before leaving — resort pharmacy and shop pricing is expensive.

Lip balm with UV protection: same reasoning. Cracked, sun-damaged lips for five months is avoidable.

Sunglasses: for off-mountain use and for sunny days when goggles are excessive. Polarised lenses are worth it in snow.

Headtorch: a good one (Petzl or Black Diamond) is useful for early morning starts in the dark, power cuts, pre-dawn powder laps, and emergencies. Not a luxury item.

Portable power bank: a single mid-capacity one (10,000mAh) is enough.

European adaptor: France and Austria both use Type C/E/F sockets. Bring one or two adaptors; the resort shop will stock them but at unnecessary cost.

Basic first aid supplies: plasters, ibuprofen, paracetamol, antihistamines, cold and flu medication. Resort pharmacies stock all of this but charge significantly more than UK supermarket or pharmacy prices. A £15 kit assembled at home saves £40+ over a season.

What to buy on arrival

Your ski pass (typically through your employer at a staff rate), any equipment you're renting locally, and large grocery staples. Most major French and Austrian resorts — Morzine, Méribel, Val d'Isère, St Anton — have a supermarket and a sports shop within walking distance.

What to leave at home

Anything that's nice but not functional. Heavy books — bring a Kindle. Redundant tech. Formal clothes beyond what your specific work role requires. Your entire wardrobe. If you haven't worn it in the last three months at home, you won't wear it in a ski resort.

The seasonaire who packs light and washes weekly arrives with everything they need. The one who overpacks spends the season moving heavy bags, paying excess luggage fees, and wondering where to store things in a staff bedroom the size of a cupboard.