Now that we’ve tackled the big items, let’s get down to the essential base pieces for your trip.
Things that you need to consider first:
- What is the weather and temp going to be like for my stay?
- At the time of writing this, it is a daytime high of 6 degrees in Des Moines. The daytime high in Silverthorne, CO is 38 degrees.
- It is important to understand how much the temperature can change from 9 am when lifts open to 2 pm.
- It is also important to understand your own body temperature when engaging in strenuous activities.
- 30 degrees isn’t very warm when you are trying to walk from the office to the car, but when you are working your way down a mountain it can feel a lot different.
- Staying dry is key, weather from sweat or snow, getting wet will ruin your day.
- What other activities am I going to be doing when I am not on the mountain?
- Cooking dinner in the condo. Fancy sushi and cocktails. Going to a Nuggets game. Shopping around town. Church.
- How many days will I be riding?
- My personal preference is the more the better.
- Will there be a washing machine and will I use it?
- If there is and you will, you can pack way less which makes for a breeze for travel.
Taking all that into consideration here is a recommendation for how to pack for a trip with 4 days of snowboarding.
- Snowboard Socks (one for each day you ride)
-
- I think the thing that has been the most consistent across all the activities that I enjoy is that a good pair of socks will keep you happy all day. Pack these last around all the other stuff you pack. NO COTTON!
- Regular socks (one pair for each day including travel)
- You know your feet. Give them what they want. These also are easy to pack around things or in snowboard boots.
- Base Layer Pants (one pair for each day of riding)
- I’m a firm believer in less is more. I wear a good midweight baselayer under my snow pants and I am happy in all conditions. Warm, cold — whatever I’m good. They dry fast and keep me warm and I don’t feel like the kid from A Christmas Story. When I wore baggier pants I would wear a pair of basketball shorts over my base layer, but that was mostly out of respect for my travel companions pre and post snowboarding. Again, I stay away from cotton. It retains water and doesn’t retain your body heat like wool and other fibers.
- Base-Layer Top (one for each day riding)
- I don’t bring any of these but I hear that people like them, especially for colder temps.
- Mid-Layer Top (one for each day of riding)
- I wear a lightweight, long sleeve shirt under everything, whether it is a hoodie or my coat. You get the idea about cotton by this point, right? Flannel also works great for this, you will find out why later. If you run cold, you could consider a lighter insulated jacket for your midlayer as well.
- Snow Coat (1)
- All the same concepts from snow pants apply here. I like a heavier jacket
- Hoodie/Sweater (1)
- On warm days, I will ditch the coat for a heavyweight hoodie. It is also great for lounging around the condo or walking around the resort/town. I usually wear this in the car or plane so it doesn’t take up space)
- Regular pants (1, more if you are going out more and you don’t want to wear the same pants)
- You can wear these while traveling as well to take up less space. Or not. Pants can be optional.
- Shirts (1-4)
- You can pack a different shirt for everyday that you are going on your trip. If you are going for four days and a travel day you will be packing 9 total shirts.
- If you shower after you are done riding, apres-ing, hot-tubing, you can wear your shirt for your next day riding that evening, and cut the amount of shirts that you need to bring in half.
- Hot-Tub Gear (1)
- It’s a time honored tradition to go down to the hot-tub after a long day of riding. Enjoy stories with your friends and strangers. Meet people from all over the world. For some people its the best part.
- Remember: no glass in the hot tub area. If you bring some sort of liquid vessel, you can use it for coffee and water on the way up and taking beverages to the hot-tub when you are on your trip.
Important things to remember:
- Looking good after you are done snowboarding is potentially as important as snowboarding itself.
- Drink lots of water. Alcohol hits twice as hard at higher altitudes.
- Call your Parents
Seriously, wear a helmet. People will be wearing these and think they look cool.
