A lot of families use Spring Break, President’s Day weekend and other school holidays to make a quick trip to Colorado or similar ski meccas.
In the chaos of daily life – not to mention prepping for a trip – the state of your gear can get stuffed into the background. Taking a minute now can save you a load of aggravation and money on the mountain.
Peter Oien, manager and all-round gear guru at our Minnesota Avenue store, has some advice.
There are three areas to consider. The gear. The travel. The body.
First, the gear.
It’s probably time for an inventory.
Are there poles to go with every set of skis you are taking?
Timmy grew four inches this year. Are his skis still the right size?
Put everything on and make the whole family do it. Don’t assume that it’s all fine after you stick it all in a bin last winter. Do your feet hurt? Your boots should be comfortable, you should never have to think about them. The fit of your boot can – and often does – determine whether you have a great experience or an unpleasant one.
Boots off the shelf aren’t going to fit you as well as they could. A properly fit boot can solve all kinds of problems. There’s a skill and an art to it.
We have certified boot fitters on staff who can give you the best fit for comfort and performance.
It makes a huge difference once you’ve had it done. Get more information here.
What condition are your skis in? Don’t wait until the last minute to get them serviced. Fresh wax and sharp edges will give you a much better experience. And, you don’t want to have to get it done on site. We can take care of it before you leave so you’re ready when you get there.
Now, let’s talk about how you’re getting where you’re going.
Most of us drive. So the question is can you still get everything you need in the vehicle you have? If you haven’t done it with these people, with this gear and that SUV or what have you, better give it a shot before you have to leave.
If not, there are some solutions, including hit rack systems like the Yakima EXO, a hitch-rack system that adapts to about any activity you can think of from hauling skis and gear in the winter to your bikes in the summer and even a kitchen for camping.
Flying brings an entirely different set of challenges, as you might expect.
Thankfully, there are some wonderful solutions, including rolling bags that can hold two or three sets of skis as well as helmets and boots. Won’t that make the airport experience more pleasant?
Which brings us to your body.
More specifically, do you have what you need to stay comfortable? Warm when you need to be warm, but not so warm that you’re wet underneath.
The short list includes ski socks, base layers, goggle lens for sunny days and low-light conditions, gloves, pants, jacket and helmet.
Does it all still fit? Remember, you lost 10 pounds last summer. Do your ski pants still fit?
Are your gloves falling apart?
How old is your helmet? Like a bike helmet, they need to be replaced if you smacked the ground, of after a few years of use. The optimum protection doesn’t last forever.
That’s the quick rundown. There are certainly a lot more details that will go into your trip. Let’s do what we can to make sure it’s a great time full of wonderful memories for your family.
Life’s too short for a crappy ski day.
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