SNOW CHECKLIST

SNOW CHECKLIST This is our snow holiday checklist... CHECKLIST EXPLAINED: Please find below our recommended ski/snowboard checklist. Thermal Underwear: A technical base layer is designed to regulate your body temperature, keeping you warm when you are static and the garment should breathe when you are more active. The base layer should wick (draw away) moisture from the skin and pass it through to the next layer, ensuring you stay dry and comfortable. Technical base layers can be structured polyester, polypropylene, Dri-Tec or breathable Merino wool. It is essential that you choose a base layer suitable for winter sports, and which does not contain any cotton. Cotton will absorb any moisture you produce and become wet next to your skin. A good base layer will reduce the need to over bulk up on your other layers. Technical Fleece: Technical fleece are generally made from a loomed fabric with hundreds of thousands of structured fibres, and will regulate your body temperature. Each individual fibre has thousands of tiny holes which trap warm air inside. The holes in the fibre are big enough to allow moisture vapour to escape, but too small to allow water droplets to penetrate (unless forced), so water droplets tend to just sit on the surface. The heavier the weight of fleece, the more air is trapped and the more resistant it is to water. Technical fleece has the highest warmth to weight ratio of all the technical fabrics, and makes it fantastic as part of a layering system Light or medium weight fleece: Many people find a lightweight fleece warm enough as your next layer, but if you are going at a particularly cold part of the season, to a particularly cold resort, or that you generally get very cold, then you may want a medium weight fleece. We would always recommend taking an additional layer with you, or having the facility to remove a layer, especially for beginners who may not be sure of their body temperature in these circumstances. Outerwear: A good jacket and snow pant is required as an outer layer. These should be wind and snow proof and allow a good rate of breathability. Most modern technical jackets and snow pants contain lower loft insulation which are not bulky, but still retain a good warmth value. Socks: Snow sports socks are needed and should be longer to fit above your boot for comfort and be long enough to warm up the blood going to the feet. People who have their own ski or snowboard boots fitted should use a fine wool sock. For those who are renting their equipment a sock with padded shins and thin on the foot are generally the most comfortable. Beanie and Neckwarmer: A beanie is required to prevent heat loss from the head and to cover the ears. In milder conditions some people may prefer an head band, especially if they find they get too hot in a beanie(always have your beanie with you in case of change of weather). Of course when you are on the mountain the very best head gear is a helmet. Scarves should not be worn for safety reasons, a neck tube (neck warmer) is the alternative, covering your neck without flying off or getting trapped in ski lifts. You can also pull the neck warmer right up over your nose to give you extra protection. Gloves: A pair of snow proof gloves is essential for skiing or boarding, as they keep the hands well insulated and dry. Most styles also have toughened palm for extra reinforcement when holding ski poles, skis or snowboards. It is important when trying on gloves or mittens, that you test the size with your hand clenched, as if you are holding a ski pole, as this shortens the length. Gloves and mittens should have a bit of room at the end to allow air to flow and should not fit too tightly. If you tend to get particularly cold hands, then mittens would be a good choice as having your fingers together creates more body heat keeping them warmer. If you intend to snowboard make sure you purchase a glove for snowboarding, it needs to have reinforced fingers and palm. Boots: Most often boots for skiing are supplied, however it is necessary to take with you a pair of boots suitable to walk in the snow. These must have a decent tread, have a substantial sole unit and be at least snow proof. If you have a good pair of walking boots, then these may be suitable with warm socks. Otherwise, snow boots are excellent, the additional insulation, snow proof outer and good treads will keep you warm and comfortable. It is wise to try these boots on with a ski sock and make sure they are not restrictive - if they are too tight they will restrict air and blood flow and make your feet cold. Goggles/Sunglasses: On the slope your eyes should always be covered to protect them from the UVA and UVB rays and glare of the light reflected off of the snow. Goggles are worn when skiing or snowboarding and when the light is poor and a good pair will show slope definition and contours which you would not be able to see with glasses. It is very important for safety to be able to see where you are going. Sunglasses are for when you are walking around the town/village in bright conditions. Some people are comfortable wearing sunglasses all the time (even when skiing or boarding), however there is no guarantee that you won't fall over - some glasses can be broken easily - if this happens, you could seriously damage your eyes! Goggles offer you much greater protection and are quite comfy to wear. Sun Protection: Don't forget to have some high factor suntan cream and lip balm with you that you can apply regularly to the face and lips! It is not only very easy to get your face burnt whilst skiing, but you also need protection from wind chapping! A sun cream suitable for cold climates is necessary as it does not contain too much water which can freeze when it is very cold. Hardwear: Ski/Snowboard boots are usually rented in resorts as are skis and snowboards. We recommend the use of helmets when skiing and boarding, helmets can be rented or purchased. Snowboarders FYI: There are a range of products on the market especially for snowboarders. These include wrist guards, hip pads, back guards and various armour to wear as protection. Information courtesy of http://www.littlesky.co.uk PACKING TIPS: For some of you snow-goers out there, packing your suitcases for your holiday is a task that is often left, or that you'd rather leave, to the last minute! Fortunately, we have taken the liberty to do this glorious job for you! Well, we can give you some pointers for packing your glad-rags and also some idea of the kind of clothing to take with you to the snow! Remember, ONLY pack as much as YOU want to CARRY! This is a great rule of thumb, and especially if you haven't got wheels on your bag, you won't have to be breaking your back carrying your luggage! We sell 160cm and 180cm padded wheelie bags - check them out in our Shop section. If you have kiddies, try and pack as many little munchies as possible. Little packets of chocolates or museli bars are great for an energy hit on the slopes, and kids love them! Some packing tips are handy to have too. Jackets are simple. Just lay the jacket on the floor, with the arms out too, with the hood hanging out. Next, fold arms and sides of jackets to the middle. This is the easy part, start to roll the bottom of the jacket up into the hood! Done! This should make your jacket compacted to about the size of a football. Pants are similar - just lay them flat on the floor, and from the bottom, start to roll them up to the top (waist part). Good Luck!