What Do You Need To Take On A Ski Season? |Instructor Courses

If you are heading out for your first ski season this winter it can be pretty daunting trying to think about how you are going to fit everything you need and your home comforts into your 23kg luggage allowance.

Whether you have booked a place on one of New Gens 10 week Residential Courses or you are joining one of our Seasonal ISIA programmes, we can offer you a little bit of help and advice on what the essentials are.

Of course there are the obvious things to add to your list, ski’s and boots (if you are buying these before you come to resort), ski clothing etc, but its all of the little extra things that really start to take up the room in your bag. So what are the things you cant live without?!

For your Ski Aches and Pains – Vitamins and Paracetamol

Medication in pharmacies in France and Switzerland is considerably more expensive than in the UK. It is worth you stocking up on a few essentials before coming out to resort so you have everything on hand to ease those aches and pains after a day in the powder.

Multi plug extension lead and European adapters

Wherever you are staying in resort you will never have enough plug sockets or adapters to charge and plug in everything you need. Bring out a multi plug adapter and you will be able to plug in multiple items at the same time…..problem solved!

A cheap Nokia handset – Leave the iphone at home!

Although you would love to use your iphone in resort, they are not the most practical of phones to use in your ski gloves. Pick up a cheap unlocked handset before coming to resort and you will be able to purchase a PAYG sim card and save your self a huge amount of money when you are here. Many of the contract providers now offer some great deals which include international free calls as well, so I am sure your parents will appreciate this!

A watch – Preferably snow and waterproof

It is easy for time to run away from you when you are out on the slopes. If you are training and taking exams whilst you are in resort it will not go down well with your mentors and trainers if you are late…..invest in a cheap waterproof watch to help you keep on track, this will save you having to try and get your phone out of your pocket whenever you need to check the time.

Avalanche kit

Don’t be deterred by the cost, even if you are not an avid powder fiend and you just plan to do a few adventures off piste during the winter it is worth you investing in a good avalanche kit which should include transceiver, shovel and probe. Having this equipment with you can really be the difference between life and death and there are some great early season deals available.

EHIC card – European Health Insurance Card

Although we do advise you to take our your own personal travel insurance when you come away for a winter season it is a great idea to also take the time to apply for an EHIC card. The EHIC card will allow you to claim state medical assistance either free or at a 75% reduced rate. You can apply for your EHIC card by CLICKING HERE, remember to bring it to resort with you as you will need to show this to doctors and hospitals.

Other extra’s that might come in handy if you can find the space…..

Penknife or ski tool – great for mid mountain binding fixing
External Hard drive – always a good idea to have some films and music available for those bad weather days when you dont have to go out on the hill.
A torch – Ski resorts offer some great night time activities, whether its, touring at night, refuge trips or night time skiing, so a torch can come in very handy.
Bobble hat collection – You can never have enough bobble hats and you are bound to loose one or two during the season at those weekly Apres sessions, always good to have a couple of spare ones just in case.
Ski servicing kit – Whether you know how to use it now or not, there will be people in resort that are happy to show you how. This will save you a lot of money on servicing throughout the winter as you can do them at home rather than taking them to the shops.
Passport photos – take a couple with you. You always seem to need them for lift passes or seasonnaire discount cards etc.

For those of you that are going to be taking an Instructors course during the winter, check out our ‘Insiders Guide‘ area of our website for more tips and pointers.