Packing your suitcase is quite a job to do, but it’s an even bigger job if you’re going on winter sports. How do you fit all your gear into one suitcase? It doesn’t matter if you travel by car or by plane, you always seem to lack space. Since going on a ski trip without skiwear is a bit complicated, we collected 8 tips for you to pack your suitcase efficiently.
#1 Only pack what you actually need
To save space in your suitcase, you must pack what you actually need and use. This may seem obvious, but you always take too much with you. You really don’t need 10 beanies when you go on a ski trip (hey, you only have one head) and it’s better to leave your mini skirts at home. Nobody expects you to hit the runway on your ski trip. Skiwear is an absolute must to pack, maar limit the number of jumpers and trousers. Last, but not least, don’t forget to pack your thermal underwear!
#2 Opt for travel-size toiletries
Usually, you go on a ski trip for just one week, but the warm and thick clothing fills your suitcase quickly. Packing travel-size toiletries is clever and saves tons of space. Nowadays, many care products are available in mini sizes. If you can’t find the mini version of your favourite care product, then buy a couple of empty bottles at your local pharmacy. Fill these with your favourite products and you’ll be good to go.
#3 Wrap liquid products
Experience shows that throwing a bottle of sunscreen in your suitcase is not a clever thing to do. The pressure in the mountains, or the aircraft, causes the bottle to explode and liquid to run everywhere. If this happens on your outward journey, the content of your suitcase will be covered in sunscreen. The result is that you’ll have nothing to wear for the rest of your trip. Just pack all your liquid goodies in a toiletry bag or wrap them in an extra bag.
#4 Roll up your clothes
To store all your skiwear and woollen jumpers in your suitcase, rolling up your clothes is such a clever thing to do. You press all the air out of your skiwear which is a real space saver. Rolling up your other clothes saves you space as well, plus your clothes are less likely to wrinkle. Just make sure you fold your clothes neatly before you roll them up.
#5 Wear heavy skiwear
Skiwear takes up a lot of space in your suitcase and it’s clever to wear all your heavy items during your journey. Obviously, this doesn’t mean that you have to wear your entire ski-outfit while traveling, but you can easily wear garments like your ski-coat and snow boots on your travels. You won’t need another coat on your ski trip and snow boots are your best friends in the snow. Another upside of wearing a thick coat on your journey: you can leave your neck pillow at home. Your coat will do the trick!
#6 Rent ski equipment at your destination
If you really want to save a lot of space, we advise you to rent all your large ski equipment at your destination. Yes, we’re talking about skis, ski boots and a helmet. These are the largest things you need on your winter sports holiday and by locally renting them, you’ll save an enormous amount of space.
Most winter sports areas have local shops where you can buy or rent your skiwear. Although this is not very common, renting your wear is a true space saver. If you really lack space and need an emergency plan, just keep this in mind.
#7 Store luggage in your ski helmet
Nowadays nearly everyone wears a helmet on the slopes and this item is a winter sports staple. Most people think that helmets take up way too much space, but they are actually perfect for storage. If you want to pack your suitcase efficiently, using all the space is essential. You can store hard or fragile items in your helmet. The helmet protects these items and you won’t have to worry about them breaking on your journey.
#8 Pack your shoes in shower caps
Dirty shoes staining your clothes is not what makes you happy once you’re at your destination. There is an easy trick to prevent this: wrap your shoes in a shower cap. That’ll keep your clothes clean plus saves space since your shoes are packed together.