Bring the Right Gear

Choosing the right gear to bring is an important part of preparation for your course. The right selection will ensure you are prepared for the conditions and will also be able to travel on planes without incurring excess baggage charges.

Skis, boots, poles

When selecting skis and boots consider that the ideal equipment for the course will allow you to comfortably demonstrate beginner and low-speed technique.

There are a wide range of skis available on the market. In many cases if you own a pair of skis you can do the course on them.

There a lot of things that make up a ski, but if you watch four basic areas you'll find a ski that is suitable.

Radius: Don't make the radius too short. Unless you are an advanced skier that can ski in all snow conditions (including 20cm of powder) on a pair of slalom skis with an 11m radii, keep the radius a bit longer. For men of average height (170 to 180cm), a radius 15 to 17m works well. Radius is related to ski length so work with your ski supplier to select a ski of the appropriate radius.
Length: The days of long skis are well behind us. The length of ski is partly based on your height, so get advice from the store on a ski length suitable for a strong intermediate skier.
Stiffness: Not too stiff. Again look for stiffness suiting an intermediate skier.
Waist and sidecut: The waist, also commonly referred to as 'under foot', is the width of the ski just under the binding. The wider the waist the more float the ski will have in deeper snow. A narrow waist is nowadays often combined with small radius to give a ski that can make fast sharp turns. However many people find skis that have a very narrow waist are more difficult to use in deeper snow. Race skis often have a waist around 66mm, and powder skis around 100mm or more. We'd suggest a waist of between 70 and 80mm. Ski brochures may refer to sidecut rather than waist. Sidecut gives an idea of the with of the ski at the tip, waist and tail. The three measurements are given with the centre measurement the waist and the other two measurements the width of the ski at the tip and the base.

A very suitable pair of skis for the course are medium-stiff intermediate carve skis. These skis allow comfortable strong turns on groomed runs, are well suited to teaching beginners the basics, and can also handle a bit of speed.

Another category of ski that is well suited to the course are All Mountain Skis. This is a broad category where the skis range from almost carve skis to almost powder skis. The ski shape is often very similar to carve ski ranges, except that they have wider waists so they will float more when you venture off the groomed runs.

Twin-tip and freestyle skis can also be used, particularly if they are not too long and have a reasonable radius.

Avoid fat powder skis. They are long, soft, have large radii and are wide along the entire length of the ski, including the waist. These skis are great for deep snow skiing, but are not great on groomed runs and are not suited to either learning instructing or teaching skiing.

It's best to have your own boots (see your boot fitter) and of course you'll need poles (or stocks). Get advice from your boot fitter on boots that you will be able to ski comfortably in all day and that also suit your skiing ability. It's also well worth considering a custom footbed.

Ski clothes

Two main factors influence your choice of clothing: the cold and keeping the weight of your luggage down.

As anyone from a cold climate will tell you the trick is layering! The ability to add layers will ensure you can stay warm as well as not have to carry too many sets of clothes.

Below is a suggested list of ski clothing. Remember synthetics are best as they wick away moisture and dry easily. Avoid cotton - once wet is does not dry easily.

Thermal (long underwear) pants (2 pairs)
Thermal (long underwear) tops (2 pairs)
Ski socks (2 or 3 pairs)
Ski shirt or athletic long sleeved shirt
Long sleeved fleece
Ski jacket
Ski pants
Ski gloves
Ski goggles
Ski helmet

Off the hill gear

You'll be staying in a small Austrian ski town, so you won't need to plan to dress for a night at the opera. One set of casual clothes in your luggage in addition to what you are wearing is more than enough.

One of our favorite items is a down jacket. They're super warm, light and can pack down in a stuff sack to take up very little room.

You can get by with one pair of shoes - a pair of boots sprayed with waterproof sealer is ideal. Make sure the boots have lugs on their sole or you'll end up slipping over on the snow or ice. If you bring a second pair make sure they are light as you'll need to pack them in your luggage.

Also, it's a good idea to choose clothes that can all be washed together in one hit, which will not run when washed, and which will dry quickly (synthetics!).

Air travel and baggage weight limits

If you are travelling by air remember that all checked items are included in your weight limit. Airlines are becoming increasingly strict about both checked-in luggage weight limits as well carry on size and weight.

Skis, boots, poles and a ski bag will weigh 7 to 10kg. Most airlines weight limits for economy are 20kg, which only leaves you with 10kg for everything else. Even if you have a greater limit, it's good to keep the weight down to make it easier for train travel and transit.

Here are some tips on staying within the weight limit.

Ski bag: Choose a lightweight ski bag to store your skis and poles. Padded ski bags do offer more protection - but be sure they don't add to much weight. To provide more protection for the binding, take an old fleece (one that you aren't worried about damaging) or small lightweight microfibre towel and wrap it around the binding to protect it during transit. The fleece is an extra layer for the cold, and a towel is always handy!
Bag: Keeping the weight of your bag down is the key here. Before you head out and buy fancy wheeled luggage with lots of zips and pockets be aware that most of those bags are heavy, sometimes up to 5kg. If you're taking skis and boots, and your bag weighs 5kg, you'll only have 5kg left for all your other gear: you're not going to come in under the 20kg limit. The lightest durable bag you can get is a large duffle, which will have a single large space which will fit all your gear including your ski boots. The only flaw is you have to carry it, and you're already carrying a ski bag. Wheeled duffles are only slightly heavier, and offer a good compromise. Both duffles and wheeled duffles are generally not expensive and also fit well on train luggage racks.
Carry-on luggage: Standard airlines rules are one carry on bag plus a notebook bag or handbag. We'd suggest around a 35L daypack - you can get all the items you need on the plane in it, including a laptop or notebook. Plus because it is a back pack you'll be able to manage it along with your ski bag and wheeled duffle on your own. If you place your notebook inside it make sure you buy a protective sleeve for it. Plus if you need to transfer some heavier items from your bag to your backpack it will be strong enough to carry them.
Clothes on the plane: Wear your heavy clothes and shoes on the plane. This little trick can reduce your luggage weight significantly.
Avoid duplication: Keep the amount of clothes to a minimum. You're going to Europe, not a trek through the Arctic. If you don't have something and you desperately need it, you can buy it.