The New Skier Gear Guide

Skiing

Just know you are about to get into one of the most fun winter sports out there!

Don’t be nervous, it’s easier than you think to pick up!

Some of my best winter memories are days spent skiing.

Beautiful winter days spent on the mountain with good friends. Racing down the mountain, exploring the glades, warming up in the lodge with a white russian..overall great days getting some amazing runs in.

Nothing beats it.

The New Skier Gear Guide

Here is my full, detailed list of the ski gear essentials!

Helmet

For safety and warmth!

I cannot imagine skiing without one at this point. My helmet keeps me so warm. It’s also protected my head from some potentially bad incidents.

Almost everyone on the mountain wears one. 

I’ve had a helmet from Bern for a few years now, I love it and would buy from them again.

Snow pants

Bib or regular style – either type, but a must.

Without snow pants, your pants will get wet and cold even if you never fall. There’s often snow on the chairlifts, by the time you get off your butt and legs will be cold and wet.

I have a pair of bibs and a regular pair, I love both.

If you are worried about snow getting in your pants when you fall, get the bibs.

I have always bought my snow pants from Burton. Their quality is great; its comfy, easy to move in and I always stay dry and warm in my Burton snow pants which is key.

Warm ski/snowboard coat

I ski but I prefer a snowboard style coat. Snowboard coats are better in my opinion because they are longer, they usually cover your butt.

I hate a coat that rides up while I’m skiing. For years now, I’ve bought snowboard style coats as a skier and it has worked out great for me.

Most recently, I got a Volcom snowboard coat and I love it.

I also have a Oakley snowboard coat which I really like, it’s always kept me very warm.

Some days it gets windy on the mountain and you will feel it if your coat isn’t warm enough. 

You want to get one that fits you comfortably to move around in. On cold days you will most likely want to add a few more layers so just make sure there is room for that when you try it on.

I’m usually a medium but buy large in ski coats that way there is room for more layers and so it’s easy to move around in.

Ski boots

A necessity for skiing. The most important part of all your gear..even more so than you actual skis.

You want these to be comfy! If not, it’s all you will think about all day. You want to make sure your toes are not getting crushed when you have them on.

I’ve always worn Nordica boots. Mine are very comfortable, so much so I’m nervous to buy new ones and risk them not being as comfy! Some of my friends wear Rossignol boots and they love theirs.

Once you find ski boots you like, have someone teach you how properly put them on and how to buckle them. If it’s your first time, it can be difficult. Once you get the hang of it, it’s much easier!

Check out this Youtube video on how to buckle ski boot if you need some help.

Skis

An essential for skiing!

The length of the skis you should get depend on your height. I like to measure a pair for myself by making sure they stand between by chin and the top of my head. Skis are measured in centimeters.

The width of your skis should depend on where you live and what kind of skiing you like to do.

I live on the East coast, and do most of my skiing here. My skis are not extra wide which works out perfect for East coast skiing.

When I took these pink and purple Volkls out to Colorado in fresh powder, I realized why people use wider skis out there. If you plan on sticking to the groomers, don’t worry about getting wide skis you won’t need them, no matter where you live. If you are interested in doing powder skiing, I would get a bit of a wider pair!

When I first started out I got a pretty generic pair of all mountain skis, figured out what I liked and didn’t like about them and upgraded to a pair that better suited me. I think that’s a good way to do it.

Some ski brands I really like are: Volkl and Black Crows.

Ski poles

Ski poles help with balance, timing and support.

To measure a pair of ski poles, put your ski boots on (if you don’t have your boots just put a pair of shoes on). Hold the ski poles upside down so hand grips are touching the floor and the little basket is right above your hand. Now, if you arm is at a 90 degree angle, the poles are the right height for you!

Most ski brands make poles. I have a pair of Swix poles that I’ve had for a while that I like a lot.

Disclaimer: 99% of the time I don’t ski with poles. I feel more free and comfortable without having anything in my hands while skiing! I did ski with poles for years and still will every once in a while but I prefer not to.

Ski socks

Ski socks are very important! Don’t skip out on ski socks, you will regret it.

Ski socks are thin, long, warm, moisture wicking and made not to bunch up.

You want your ski socks to be long enough that they are out of your ski boot at the top, not bunched inside.

They should be thin, you need room in your boot to be able to move your toes so they don’t get sore/crushed.

You want to make sure they don’t bunch up in any areas and cause tight marks on your legs/feet. Actual ski socks will not do this.

Skiing, you will most likely work up a sweat even though it’s cold outside. With the proper ski socks, they will have a moisture wicking material so you won’t even notice your feet are sweating.

And you do want them to be warm! Smartwool make a great pair of ski socks, it’s what I mostly wear.

If you have a pair of regular socks that you think will do the job, you are most likely wrong and will find out the hard way. I highly recommend buying a pair of ski socks!

Gloves/mittens

A good pair of gloves will make all the difference.

I recommend going for a waterproof, very warm, thick mitten. The mittens are better for skiing because when you hold your poles all day your fingers get cold being separated in gloves. With mittens, your fingers are all right next to each other which helps keep them warm.

My fingers get cold very easily. I’ve tested out a few different brands and my all time favorite glove/mitten brand is Hestra!

Whatever gloves/mittens you get, be sure to get a pair that has wrist straps. The straps allow you to dangle your gloves/mittens when not wearing them without having to worry about losing them off a chairlift.

Neck warmers + balaclavas

Be sure to have at least one of these!

When you are skiing down the mountain and the cold winter air is hitting you in the face you will be so happy to have your face and neck protected!

You can get the balaclava style that goes over your entire head and fits tight around your face for ultimate protection.

Or you can go with a traditional neck warmer that you pull over your head but just protects your neck and it’s a looser fit. I like Burton’s neck warmers and balaclavas.

My favorite way to do it is to put on a thin neck warmer or handkerchief first, then put my larger and warmer neck warmer on over that one. This works well for me!

It’s also nice to always have an extra one in your ski bag so when you go into the lodge for lunch you can change into a fresh, dry one. Whatever style you get, buy one that is long enough to tuck into your coat so there are no areas where cold air can get in.

Goggles

Goggles are going to be the only way you can see while skiing down the mountain.

The cold mountain air burns your eyes pretty bad when you go down without any goggles on. If it’s snowing and you try skiing without any goggles, you will have zero visibility. It can be pretty dangerous in some conditions if you try to ski without any on.

There are so many different colored lenses you can choose from, check out this website to help narrow down which color lens is right for you.

I wear Oakley goggles and recently got Bern Goggles and love them both. They are big, comfortable, and so easy to see out of! I recommend buying from them. Oakley and Bern both have great quality gear.

Beanie/headband under your helmet

Not everyone does this so don’t feel like it’s a must have but I prefer it.

Wearing a beanie or warm headband that covers your ears and doesn’t let cold air into your helmet makes a big difference.

I like long beanies that reach out past my helmet line to keep me extra warm.

I usually wear Burton beanies under my ski helmet. Another great brand that makes the perfect beanies and headbands for under your helmet is Skida.

Thermals

The base layers that will keep you nice and toasty on the slopes!

These are a must all winter long, wearing thermals makes such a difference. You want to buy ski specific thermals, merino wool is the best. They are made to keep you very warm and also wick aways moisture from sweating so you don’t get cold.

Check out Backcountry for thermals, they have so many great options.

Ski boot bag

This will make your life so much easier!

When you get to the mountain and park your car, you then have to make the (sometimes far) walk to the lodge. You’re going to have to carry your actual skis, boots, helmet, snow pants, layers, goggles, gloves, and more! A bag is a big help…

If you don’t have a ski bag to start off that is totally fine. I used to use an old soccer backpack as my ski bag for years…my helmet went where the ball once was. It fit everything but my boots and skis. I would velcro the large ski straps at the top of each boot together and carry them over my shoulder.

Either use an old backpack so you don’t have a bunch of gear every where that you might lose, or pickup a ski boot bag. REI and Backcountry both have a lot of great options. Try and get one that is meant for ski boots to fit in.

Ski pass

Depending on how much you want to ski over the season, consider getting a pass!

Buying lift tickets every time can get expensive…check out ski passes that are offered for the mountains near you! There is usually a wide range of different ones you can get.

For the past couple years I’ve gotten the Ikon Pass. I like it because there are great mountains on the pass within driving distance from where I live. As well as awesome mountains out West that I usually make at least one trip out to.

If you are a nurse, college student or military you get a HUGE discount.

Definitely worth checking into. You could potentially make your money back if you get a pass and go enough times!

Extras

Things you don’t necessarily need for the mountain but make the experience that much better!

• Headphones: Maybe not on your first few days, just wait until you are comfortable. Headphones make skiing so much fun, I don’t go to the mountain without mine.
• Hand + toe warmers: I legit wear these everyday of the ski season. I hate when my toes and fingers get cold. I almost always leave my hand and toe warmers in my gloves and boots except for those really warm spring ski days.
• Liner gloves: For taking pictures and texting, it’s nice to still have a thin layer of something on your hands so they don’t freeze. 
• Base layer coat: On cold ski days I wear my Patagonia fleece or something similar to keep my core extra warm.
• Hood: You can get these hoods/giant face masks that keep you so warm on cold days. You put them on over your helmet, goggles and neck warmers. I wear mine on windy days so no extra air gets in. They make a big difference!

Rent, borrow or buy brand new

Skiing is not cheap. There really is no way around it…you are going to have to pay some money to get into this sport. You can definitely get into it on a much cheaper side by buying everything second hand than buying all of your gear brand new! 

If you are brand new to the sport, first rent or borrow gear from friends until you know for sure you are seriously interested in getting into skiing. All mountains I’ve ever been to offer- ski, boot, helmet and pole rentals. Some will also offer coat and snow pants rentals. 

If you can afford it and want to, buy brand new gear! There is some beautiful ski gear out there.

Full gear checklist

• Helmet
• Snow pants
• Coat
• Ski boots
• Skis
• Ski poles
• Ski socks
• Gloves/mittens
• Neck warmer/balaclava
• Goggles
• Beanie/headband
• Thermals
• Ski bag
• Ski pass

Extras

• Headphones
• Hand + toe warmers
• Liner gloves
• Base layer coat
• Hood

Your first few ski days

Be sure to go with a ski buddy the first few times.

You never know what could happen out there…in a place that is new to you, doing a new sport it’s nice to have a buddy with you!

Once you become more comfortable and confident, hit up the mountain even when nobody else can join you.

Can be very cold – bundle up!

Skiing is such a fun winter sport.

You get an awesome workout out of it, see amazing views of then mountains, feel a rush that not many people know and make amazing memories.

If you are interested in trying it out, borrow or rent some gear this winter! If you end up liking it…get to work on getting everything you need from this list.

Are you new to the sport? Was The New Skier Gear Guide helpful for you? Please let me know in the comments below!

Follow me along on Instagram for more ski content!

Cheers! See you on the slopes!