What to Pack for Your First Ski Chalet Stay

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Luxury ski chalets give skiers all the amenities they could ever dream of and then some. With heated indoor and outdoor pools, gyms, cinemas, restaurants and chefs, child day-care services, nightlife bars, and so much more, it’s often easy for a first timer to forget to pack all the necessities for their trip.

Unless you plan on making a trip to the local shops and effectively spending more money on essentials that you already have at home, here are a few items you should be sure to pack before leaving for your ski trip.

Yes, You Need Sunscreen

It’s not uncommon for first time skiers to forget that, despite the frigid temperatures, the sun is still going to be beating down on your face, particularly when you’re on the slopes skiing all day. In the mountains, the sun is just as brutal as it is in 30°C weather at the beach. This is largely in part due to the reflectivity of the white snow. The sun breaks through the thin atmosphere up in the mountains, and reflects off the snow and into your face, using the snow as it typically uses water in the summertime. In the absence of sunscreen, your skin will burn after only a few hours on the mountainside, often resulting in your spending more money than usual on a bottle of sunscreen and also being uncomfortable for the rest of your trip due to sunburn. To avoid this fate, simply pack a small bottle of sunscreen and be sure to apply it to your face every morning and again as needed throughout each day on your trip.

Underwear & Long-johns

You should know that even though you’re going to wear a lot of layers and only your outermost are going to get wet from the snow, skiing is a physical activity that causes the body to sweat. Whether you’re fairly active or not, you are going to be wearing a lot of clothing to protect your body from the cold weather and as you exert energy, your body temperature will rise, resulting in your underwear and base layers becoming damp with sweat. To prepare yourself for this, always be sure to pack multiple pairs of underwear, long-johns, undershirts and socks for your trip. There will be laundry services at luxury resorts but unless you want to be constantly sending your clothes off to the wash, it’s usually best to pack a greater number rather than fewer extra undergarments.

Clothing Essentials Aren’t Necessarily What You Think

Your skiing gear is going to be your go-to clothing option each day for what will likely be the majority of your trip. While you may change to go to dinner, a nightclub or maybe shopping in the local town, other than those rare occasions you’re going to have your skiing clothes on. Save yourself some space in your bags by packing less regular everyday clothing. You’re seldom going to wear it and that additional space could be used for any must-have shopping finds or even for more necessities and essentials on this list.

With that being said, always be sure to include swimming suits, pyjamas, and a pair of comfortable clothes for you to lounge around in your chalet. Luxury ski chalets in Courchevel are going to be your home away from home, so you should be comfortable at all times. Having a pair of pyjamas or comfortable sweatpants to unwind in at the end of your day and start of your morning will help you feel more relaxed and you’ll sleep better. The swimming suit is for the heated pool and/or Jacuzzi you’ll want to relax in after each ski day.

Don’t Forget Chargers, Adapters, and Electronic Cables

One of the most common occurrences is for travellers to forget their adapters and chargers for computers, cell phones, GPS devices, etc. While luxury resorts are certainly going to have replacements that you can purchase, this can definitely be an unexpected and frustrating expense to have to incur. For this reason, it’s important that you make sure you’ve packed all electronic plugs and adapters for your trip. Your resort will be equipped with Wi-Fi and cellular service so that you can stay connected to the outside world if you so choose. If you’re traveling from outside the country, you’ll especially want to make sure that you bring the European-friendly adapters that came with your devices. Wall sockets are not the same everywhere you travel so you should either be equipped with an additional universal adapter or one specifically made for your resort’s sockets. If you’re unsure of which adaptor type to bring, you can ask your resort in advance about the types of adaptors their wall sockets accept.

Waterproofing Your Luggage

The best luggage types to travel with when going on ski trips are metal hard-case bags because they prevent water from seeping into your luggage and getting your clothes wet. If you do not have this type of suitcase, you can try one simple solution: wrap your belongings in plastic bags within your suitcase. The best option would be to use zip lock bags as they offer more protection should your bag become extremely wet, but even if you use simple grocery plastic bags, you should have enough protection to make it to and from your resort. With electronics, always be sure to use a plastic bag to protect them and carry them with you in a knapsack with waterproof lining if possible. If you’re concerned about the thought of expensive electronic equipment getting wet during your travels, try convincing yourself to leave it at home. There’s going to be so much for you to do on the grounds of the resort and within the local towns that you’ll likely spend very little time on your electronic devices. Minimising the amount of devices you travel with will help reduce the chance of anything expensive becoming significantly damaged. If you’re travelling from another country, notify your airlines that your belongings are carefully packed into bags to ensure they do not become wet at any point during your travel. Bags go through customs checks so it’s important that your airline knows the significance of your bagged belongings in advance.