You just booked your Breckenridge ski trip (or click here if you need to!) and started planning your suitcase packing, just to realize that you have no idea what to pack! It wasn’t so long ago that we were new to skiing; my family didn’t grow up skiing, so I didn’t have a built-in knowledge base of family to tap into. There are a LOT of resources out there to introduce you to skiing, but most of them have an angle. They might be a gear seller/reseller, instructor, or a product “ambassador” (fancy for “paid advertising”). And because of that, there are not a lot of GOOD resources for the beginner ski guide.
Just in time to start planning your ski and snowboard vacation, here is SkiBreck’s beginner ski guide. with a few of the things we learned since becoming skiers. Some we got right the first time, some we learned the hard way; hopefully this helps you learn the easy way!
Table of contents
Estimated reading time: 14 minutes
Beginner Ski Guide – Clothing
Ski and snowboard clothing is something that we recommend you buy vs. rent. We also recommend buying new vs used – snow gear in general takes a beating and doesn’t wash well. And from personal experience, getting a kid from the slopes to the bathroom and getting all the gear off can and will result in bathroom mishaps. Because of that, I pretty much always opt for new clothing.
Ski / Board Jacket
There are a few things you can go cheap on. Your snow jacket is NOT one of those, especially if you are doing mid-winter skiing. While I recommend sticking with name brands, that doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune at North Face!
For adults, we found Columbia has a wide choice that are great beginner ski jackets at a good price. I won’t profess them to be the best looking jackets on the market. However, their Omni-heat lining is warm and the outer shell is durable. I LOVE my Spyder jacket, but there is no reason to drop $500+ on a fancy ski jacket when you are learning how to ski. Especially when you can pick up a Columbia jacket for about $100 or less on Black Friday. Columbia also has a great rewards program and almost always has a promotion of some sort.
For our kids, we shop Macy’s and Dillard sales and picked up name brand jackets in the $50 range. And while I don’t recommend resale shops, I am a HUGE proponent of hand-me-downs! Sure, our oldest son gets all the new stuff and the younger brothers get used. The upside is I know the condition and perhaps more importantly I know if the gear performed well.
Snow Pants / Bibs
Two schools of thought on Pants vs. Bibs, but I am solidly in the bib (which is basically overalls) column. Here’s why: while learning to ski or snowboard you are going to fall. A lot. When you fall, snow is going to get inside your ski jacket. When you wear pants, that snow goes down the waist and you get very wet and very cold. And if you get very wet and cold at 9:45am, you’ll stay wet and cold all day. A bib will offer you a little more protection from that. Since I switched to bibs instead of pants, I have never had snow down my backside.
Again, I like Columbia for adult bibs and pants. Quality materials, very warm, and I still have my first pair of Columbia pants that I wear on cold days. It is also worth taking a look at your local ski retailer for sales. I swing by my local Sun & Ski Sports about once a month for close outs, sales, and last year’s models. On one such trip, I picked up a Spyder bib marked down from $350 to about $80. That was a rare find, but I have often seen deals of 50% or more off last seasons ski gear, especially in the May-August time frame when they just want to get rid of the old stuff to make room for the new.
For the kids, check out OshKosh. We have over 15 pairs of OshKosh bibs of various sizes that all ran about $20 each. You can’t beat that. I highly recommend getting them in black because they are unisex and are great for hand-me-down. It can be tough to get your 10 year old son into a pink or purple ski bib!
Base Layer
This one is a little trickier since one base layer will not fit every trip. If you are doing a mid-winter ski trip (i.e. COLD), you’re going to want a very warm base layer and mid layer. But if you try to wear that same base layer on a spring ski trip, you will overheat. Regardless of your ski trip time, AVOID COTTON! Your base layer (really all layers) needs to be moisture wicking.
Adults: I like Cabela’s brand for my base layers, but I also have two pairs of Under Armour base layers. I have light Cabela base layers (for warmer days) and Under Armour Base 3.0 and 4.0 (for cold days). I didn’t mind spending a little extra on my base layer since I use these for non-skiing activities, too. For example, I wear them to outdoor football games, kids’ practices, and anywhere else where I need a little extra warmth.
Kids: Walmart and Target both sell various base layers for kids at very reasonable prices. We have multiple sets for each of our kids; a thinner material that is good for warmer days, and thicker fleece style for colder days. You should be able to buy these for under $20 per set.
Mid Layer
Your mid layer will go between your base layer and your ski jacket.
Adults: on warmer days, I typically wear a long sleeve moisture wicking shirt. I like Columbia’s Terminal hoodie shirts for this (which I also use for hiking in the summer). For colder days, a mid-weight sweater is a great option. Costco and Sams frequently have Spyder quarter zip sweaters for sale in the fall; I highly recommend those for this purpose. Don’t forget that your snow jacket may have a built-in inner jacket (see the Columbia Omniheat jacket recommended above). That inner jacket will keep you warm on most days except the very coldest.
Kids: cheap fleece sweaters. You can find these anywhere for as little or as much as you want to pay. Since almost no one will ever see them under a ski jacket, just get a cheap one. Again, I try to go unisex since ours will inevitably wind their way down to boys and girls.
Gloves
Emphasis on gloveS. As in not one pair, but two or more per person. Buy gloves with elastic “bracelets” that wraps around your wrist. That way they will dangle from your wrists if you take them off (or sew in a strap if they don’t come with them); otherwise, someone is going to lose a glove on the ski lift at some point.
Adults: I personally like ski gloves over mittens. Columbia sells both in multiple different warmth ratings. I have a thinner pair I use for warm days and a pair of Inferno gloves for cold days. Sweat is the enemy of staying warm, so I might start with the warmer gloves and then switch to the lite gloves later in the day.
Kids: splurge a little here – since you saved money on the base and mid-layers, don’t skimp on the gloves. Get good quality gloves from a name brand. In this regard, we bought the kids Spyder gloves… they are not that expensive and they are very warm. And they hand-me-down really well.
Socks
There are sooooo many to choose from. The key here is to have multiple pairs of ski socks, so mix this up a little. Like gloves, don’t skimp here. Quality ski socks at full price will be $30 and around $15 on sale; there is no point in taking the cheap road here.
I personally like my Under Armour ski socks for comfort, but I also like my SmartWool socks for warmth. Similar to gloves, I take multiple pairs with me to make sure I have the right warmth throughout the day.
Kids are outfitted with SmartWool ski socks from Sun & Ski, a few pairs each, $10-$15 a pair.
Gaiters / Balaclavas
Anything works, as long as it is moisture wicking (which almost all are). I found a Spyder gaiter at Sun & Ski for $15 and that is my go to at all times.
Kids are the same. And most of the time the ski schools will have extra of these for the kids for free.
Beginner Ski Guide – Skis and Boots
Rent? Buy? In this section of the Beginner Ski Guide we’ll talk about the different options for your ski and snowboard gear. Generally speaking, if this is your first trip, this is an easy answer…
Rent
If you are a beginner skier, there really isn’t any reason to do anything except rent. As a new skier you won’t know what size, what type ski, or really anything about what to buy. That is why we recommend all beginners to rent their ski gear.
Rental shops are literally everywhere in every ski town. Your rental will include skis, boots, poles, and an optional helmet. In our family helmets are absolutely required. Brain injuries are serious and even the best of athletes take falls; helmets are a no-brainer (sorry for the pun).
Each rental company typically has at least a few brands of skis at each level of ski. Most will also let you trade out you skis mid-trip to try a different brand. Ski rentals will come in different levels of packages: basic, sport, and demo skis.
Basic
Basic ski packages are great for beginner skiers. Shorter skis are easier to control for beginners, wide bases are stable, and the skis will come off easily if you fall. A basic package is NOT last year’s skis; most reputable rental companies have brand new equipment at all levels every year. Basic just means that you are a cautious skier while you learn how to slowly ski on easier terrain.
You should rent a Basic package if you are skiing for the first time.
Sport
Sport skis, sometimes call intermediate skis, are the middle ground. These are meant for people with some experience. Sport skiers are on green and blue runs, and picking up a little more speed as you go down hill. Sport skis will be a little longer than basic skis and will be a little narrower under your foot. You’ll also find the skis take a little more beating without coming off your boot.
You should rent a Sport package if you are a confident skier on green runs and working on your blues.
Demo
Demo skis are the fancy skis. They will be lightweight, longer compared to the skis you’ll get in a Sport or Basic package, and the bindings will be stiffer and harder to detach from your boot. Demo skis will NOT make you a better skier unless you are already a good skier. In fact, if you are a beginner skier and rent a demo package, skiing will actually be more difficult to learn. Stick with your skill level – and spend your money where it makes sense.
You should rent a Demo package if you are confident on greens and blues, working on blacks, and doing well on carving down the mountain.
Discount Ski Rentals
Don’t forget you can get 20% off your Christy Sports rentals by using this link.
Season Rentals
Season rentals are an awesome way to go, often saving hundreds of dollars. Our first experience with season long rentals was for our kids; the rental ranged from $125-$150 per season and include the skis, boots, and poles. If you use Christy Sports, they will also let you trade for different sizes (great for growing kids) and even switch from skis to boards. There are a few catches that do not make this an ideal option for everyone.
- You have to pick up the skis long before the ski season starts… typically mid-September to early October. So no reserving and then showing up to get them in January. NOTE: There are a few that will allow a later pick up for a higher fee… check out Sun & Ski in Dillon for this option.
- Skis are due back in April at the place you rented from. This can take a bit of planning if you are not in town. However, Christy let me return our kids early in March when we knew we were not going to be back in April.
- Helmet is NOT included nor are helmets available for season rentals; you’ll have to buy a helmet for each person.
- You need a place to store your skis. Skis cannot be returned to the store and picked up again later in the season. That means you need a place to keep them in town or you’ll be hauling them back/forth all season long.
- Locations for pick-up are limited. We use the Christy Sports in Dillon for our season rentals; it’s not too far, but it is not exactly convenient either.
Buy
Buying skis is a big event; I still remember buying my first pair of skis and having to wait like a kid on Christmas for them to arrive. The wonderful thing about renting skis is you get to try out so many different brands before it is time to buy. I rented skis for about 4 years before I bought my first pair, and in that time I tried Rossignol, K2, Head, Nordica, Salomon, Blizzard, Volkl, and a few others. I tried longer skis and shorter skis, wide skis and narrow skis, and basically wore out my friend Henry at Christy Sports trading skis every few days.
Skis are generally grouped into a few categories: All-mountain, Freestyle, Backcountry, and a few others. A skis shop such as Sun & Ski, Christy’s, or even REI can help you get fitted for the right skis. Obviously you’ll have better luck if you do this in a ski town (vs. shopping at a store in Miami where skiing is a completely different water sport).
My first purchase was a pair of all-mountain Rossignol 84 with SPX bindings already mounted. Think of all-mountain skis as the “swiss army knife” or “jack of all trades” of skis… its good for pretty much anything at the resort, but you won’t be winning competitions for anything. I bought my Rossignols from Amazon for an insanely low price ($200) at the end of March when someone was trying to get rid of their unsold skis for the year.
My wife uses a pair of Atom Vantage 75 skis with L 10 GW bindings. These were purchased from skis.com at the end of a season and were discounted down to under $280. You can generally find great deals on skis beginning March through October; much like the new iPhone, there are marginal improvements and graphic refreshes on each line every year. Also much like a new iPhone, you probably don’t need the newest one unless you are an excellent skier.
Boots
Boots are where I started my ski equipment purchasing journey. It took several years to buy skis, but I bought custom fitted boots in my second year of skiing. This saved my feet from the not-so-comfortable rental boots, and the custom heat mold keeps my feet exactly where they should be. I highly recommend buying boots in person, trying many different styles and brands, and always… always… always splurge for the pair that feels best for you.
I like using Sun & Ski for boots, but there are plenty of other great retailers out there for this… REI, Christy, Surefoot, etc. Pick your favorite and go with them – just go with them in person and not online.
Helmet
Helmets come in a range of styles/colors and price points. Generally you can divide helmets into two categories: MIPS and non-MIPS. Simply speaking, MIPS (Multi-directional Impact Protection System) helmets protect your head and brain more effectively than non-MIPS helmets. For our family, everyone has their own MIPS helmet. We tend to go with Smith brand helmets, which can range anywhere from $50 for an on-sale Junior hamlet to several hundred dollars. Your best bet is to head to a couple of ski stores and try on as many samples as they have and find your most comfortable fit.
As a rule of thumb, we get new helmets every 2-4 years. If anyone has a major impact, the helmet gets replaced immediately. FYI – this is the same for all helmets in our house… bike, football, hockey, baseball.
Goggles
Similar to helmets, goggles can range from inexpensive to very expensive. I like to think that if you buy the same brand for helmet and goggles, you’re more likely to get a clean fit (i.e. minimize the gap between helmet and goggles exposing your forehead). But it is more likely that my OCD just likes having the same brand.
Interchangeable lenses are awesome – being able to switch from bright-light to low-light to dusk/nightime skiing lenses is very cool. However it will also add a lot of $$$ to your bill. I have literally never night-skied before, so the added hundreds of dollars didn’t make sense to me, so we all have single fixed lense goggles made for normal daytime skiing.
Where to stay?
Well, obviously with SkiBreck! Located near the base of Peak 9 in Breckenridge – which is conveniently next to the Village Ski School – as well as a short walk to Main Street, we offer two condos the can each hold up to ten people in beds. Perfect for families, couples, and groups, SkiBreck is ready to be part of your snow adventure!
We hope you learned from this Beginner Ski Guide – let us know what you think by sharing on Facebook or contact us directly.