Do you have ski trip coming up? Do you know what to pack for your family weekend ski trip? It’s so important to plan ahead especially if you are also packing for your spouse and your kids. You want to make sure you have everything and everyone is comfortable on the slopes. So what should you pack for a family weekend ski trip?
We asked Zineb, a home organizing enthusiast and a Westchester mom of two boys who we consider a packing expert to share her packing secrets with us. Zineb and her family ski at Belleayre Mountain every weekend for winter (all four family members are enrolled in different seasonal ski programs there.)
She packs for skiing every weekend and has developed a packing system. Zineb takes packing to a whole new level by using her home organizer mindset and creating a fool-proof ski trip packing system. She shares her packing secrets and shortcuts with us! Here is how to pack for a family weekend ski trip.
Packing for a ski weekend might seem challenging, but don’t worry, I’ve got you covered! For frequent skiers as well as occasional ones, the key to a successful getaway is being prepared! With an exhaustive checklist and a good system in place, you can be done with packing in no time.
Keep on reading for the Free Ski Packing list printables.
What to Pack for a Family Weekend Ski Trip?
Packing Cubes
The secret to packing for a family weekend ski trip are packing cubes! For those of you who have never heard of packing cubes, packing cubes are zippered fabric containers that help organize items in your luggage. When preparing for the slopes, packing cubes are your friends!
Every member of my family has a set of 4 packing cubes. They are labeled with our names and each person is assigned a color so we can easily tell our packing cubes apart.
There is one cube for each ski day. I have a packing cube for Day 1 (Saturday) and another packing cube for Day 2 (Sunday). And I pack everything we need for each day of skiing in our packing cubes. This makes it easy for kids to grab their cube and get ready on their own.
I pack all the after ski items in the third packing cube and the fourth packing cube is reserved for accessories.
Luggage or Duffel Bags
Every member of the family needs their own duffel bag or luggage. All four packing cubes will go into the luggage. I suggest you assign a color to each member of the family and buy a luggage or duffel bag the same color as the packing cubes to prevent mix-up and to save time when you pack and unpack.
Another trick that I use is I have different clip on key chains to tell our duffle bags apart. Having a luggage or duffel bag for every member of the family will come in handy not just for weekend ski trips but for other family trips as well.
Ski Boot Bag
Every member of the family needs their own ski boot bag. These boot bags are for ski boots, helmets, goggles and other accessories making it easier for you to manage everyone’s ski gear because everything is packed in one bag. Loading and unloading your car will also be much simpler with ski boot bags.
Are you thinking of skiing in Mont Tremblant? Here is everything you need to know to plan a family vacation to Mont Tremblant: Why I Love Mont Tremblant
What to Pack in the Luggage or Duffel Bags
First Cube (Day 1 of skiing):
- Thermo Base layer (we use Pepper Skins Crew by Hot Chillys)
- Leggings (we’re currently using Uniqlo HEATTECH leggings)
- Thin moisture-wicking turtleneck (we use Peach Skins by Hot Chillys)
- Fleece (we use Pepper Fleece Zip-T by Hot Chillys or any other mid-weight fleece)
- Underwear
- Ski socks
- Sweat pants (optional- on really cold days, the boys will wear them over their leggings)
Second Cube (Day 2 of skiing)
Pack the same items as Day 1
- Thermo Base layer (we use Pepper Skins Crew by Hot Chillys)
- Leggings (we’re currently using Uniqlo HEATTECH leggings)
- Thin moisture-wicking turtleneck (we use Peach Skins by Hot Chillys)
- Fleece (we use Pepper Fleece Zip-T by Hot Chillys or any other mid-weight fleece)
- Underwear
- Ski socks
- Sweat pants (optional- on really cold days, the boys will wear them over their leggings)
Third Cube (After ski items)
- 2 sets of clothes. When on the mountain we keep it simple, warm and cozy
Fourth Cube (Accessories)
- 2 balaclavas (one for each day)
- 1 Face mask for really cold days
- 1 Neckwarmer
- 1 pair of ski gloves
- 1 pair of glove liners (optional)
- 2 sets of toe warmers
- 2 sets of hand warmers
- After ski hat
- After ski gloves (ski gloves might get wet so I always include another pair of gloves)
- Bathing suits
- Swim goggles
Want to know the best places to ski within driving distance from NYC? Top 5 Family Ski Destinations near NYC
Also in the duffel bag or luggage
- Ski pants
- Ski jacket and ski pass
- Pajamas
- Toiletry bag
- Mesh laundry bag
- Slippers
- Electronics, chargers, external battery
What to Pack in the Ski Boot bag
- Ski boots or snow boots (the other pair is worn)
- Helmet
- Goggles
- Poncho for rainy days (we use the generic kind that can be found in any drugstore)
- Pouch with extra hand warmers and toe warmers
- Snack bars
- Water bottles
- Disposable tissues
- Hand sanitizer
Check out the Best Family Ski Resorts in New York
What to Pack in the Car
- Skis
- Poles
- Boot and accessories dryer (for frequent skiers)
- Trash bag for the car
Are you thinking of skiing out West? Check out our article: Where are the Best Places to Ski in Colorado?
Label Everything
It’s so easy to get ski gear and clothing mixed up. I don’t like wasting time trying to figure out which items belong to whom. The trick is to label everything.
Accessories like helmets, goggles, face masks, neck warmers and water bottles can easily be mixed up, I label them with each of our names. There are many types of labels you can use: stickers, stamp with your name or iron-on labels.
Getting ready for the first family weekend ski trip of the season is always the hardest. It takes time to gather everything you need to pack for the ski trip. If you are new to skiing, you will have to take your time to buy items for your trip.
If you are packing for kids, you have to check everyone’s sizes to make sure everything still fits (chances are you will have to buy new items since its been a year!) But once you have all the items and you use my packing system, you will be amazed at how easy it is to pack for future family weekend ski trips.
Free Packing List for Ski Trips
Download your free ski packing list printables now!
Do you need a good laugh? Do you know we have a column that takes a lighter look at suburban life? Sam takes us through her love hate relationship with skiing. Seriously, Sam? Mountain Mama
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Plan Your Family Weekend Ski Trip
About Zineb
Zineb is a social media manager specializing in small businesses. She uses @myhome1projectatatime as her home organization and decorating journal. It is a space for her to share her organization projects and her love for decor with others. Through the different accounts she manages, she is very active on social media and loves connecting with other local bloggers. Other than home organization and decor, she enjoys fashion, exercising, skiing, hiking and being active in general. Zineb lives in Rye, NY with her husband and two sons. Instagram Page.
You may also be interested in these Ski Related Articles:
- How Much Does it Cost to go on a Family Ski Vacation? Use our Ski Vacation Calculator to Find out!
- Are you thinking of skiing out West? Check out our article: Where are the Best Places to Ski in Colorado?
- Do you need a good laugh? Do you know we have a column that takes a lighter look at suburban life? Sam takes us through her love hate relationship with skiing. Seriously, Sam? Mountain Mama
- Want to know the best places to ski within driving distance from NYC? Top 5 Family Ski Destinations near NYC
- Are you thinking of skiing in Mont Tremblant? Here is everything you need to know to plan a family vacation to Mont Tremblant: Why I Love Mont Tremblant
- Check out our tips on How to Find the Perfect Ski Resort
- We also have a Ski Resort Finder with user-friendly search filters. For example: Looking for a Nut-Free Ski School for your 3 year old? Find it using our Ski Resort Finder!
About Suburbs 101
Suburbs 101 is an online lifestyle guide for the New York Suburbs of Westchester County, Long Island, Fairfield County and Northern New Jersey. Get the inside scoop on what it’s really like to live in the New York suburbs through our interviews with local suburbanites and features on Food, Fashion, Home, Travel, and Local Events. Be sure to Follow Us on Instagram, Like Us on Facebook and subscribe to our Monthly Newsletter.