First time skiing: what to rent and what to pack

For a first ski trip you need two lists: what to rent and what to pack. Confusing the two is the most common reason people spend half of day one in shops instead of on snow.

1. Rent

2. Pack

• Base layer, top and bottom — merino or synthetic, not cotton. Cotton stays wet and keeps you cold all day.
• Ski socks: thin, knee-length, and take two pairs.
• Neck gaiter or balaclava: cheap, small, and half your comfort in cold wind.
• Sun cream: snow reflects sunlight and burn risk at altitude beats a summer beach.
• Lip balm, for wind and dry air.
• Spare gloves. Wet gloves end the day.

3. Buy nothing

There is no equipment you need to buy for a first ski holiday. Skis, clothing and protection can all be rented. Making the purchase decision afterwards — once you know which class of ski and which boot shape suit you — is both cheaper and more accurate.

4. Beyond equipment: the lesson

Two hours of basic instruction on day one produces more value than any item on the rental list. A lesson gives you four things: stance, the snowplough stop, a controlled turn and how to fall and get up. A first day learned from a friend means habits you will spend a year unlearning.

For a beginner, more than two or three hours a day is wasted; once the legs go, learning stops. Two hours a day across three consecutive days is a good plan.

5. Timing day one

1. 1Collect equipment the evening before or early in the morning; 09:00–11:00 is the peak queue.
2. 2Wear the boot for ten minutes in the shop. A pressure point is solved at the counter, not on the piste.
3. 3Check the length written on your skis — wrong pairs get handed out when it is busy.
4. 4Break for lunch early. Restaurants fill at 12:00 and are empty at 11:30.