Nothing beats getting up to the mountains at sunrise, with the sun poking out behind the clouds, the air fresh on your face as you step out of the car, and some fresh cord waiting for you on the mountain! Your only focus in that moment is to get all your gear on and hurry to the lift line before it banks up. So, you pull out your snowboard boots and start doing them up, tug your balaclava over your head, clip on your helmet, start reaching for your goggles… realising in that moment that your goggles are still tucked away in your cupboard at home, probably a few hours drive away. Excellent.
And if that wasn’t fun enough, now you get to walk into a busy retail store to find a replacement goggle! The store is packed with stressed parents, all trying to buy the cheapest (but also the best, right?) glove for their child who has lost one, whilst trying to make it to ski school on time at the top of the mountain. Yikes…
Rewind the tape back to feeling the fresh air on your face as you step out of the car, with the groomers lingering in sight. But this time, there’s no question of forgetting gear because you’ve geeked out ticking off all items on a list as you’ve packed them at home.
Great success! Why didn’t you think of this before? 
We all know that grim realisation of forgetting something at the snow (there’s just so much stuff that you need?!), and with items varying between a $20 neck-warmer to a $200 goggle… forgetting something can be an expensive mistake.
We’ve put a list together of all the essentials required for your snow trip - all you have to do is print the PDF and tick away whilst you pack! If you’re a parent (and wish to avoid the frantic race in the retail store to replace a lost mitt) we suggest printing out a list per child and name them at the top.
Here are some further suggestions on the best way to pack your snow gear, both before your trip and at the end. These suggestions come from our years of experience travelling both domestically and internationally with snow gear, and our knowledge on the best way to care for your gear.
Packing for the snow:
Chain Fitting Essentials:
Chances are if you’re fitting chains to your car, it’s obviously snowing! This means getting out of your toasty car into the wild weather to fit cold chains onto dirty tyres. Our tip is to pack a type of mat (foam / spare car mat) that you can kneel on when fitting the chains to keep your clothing dry. Your hands will also take a beating in the cold, so pack a spare pair of gloves to wear. Gardening gloves work a treat for this, so you can keep your snowboarding/skiing gloves dry and undamaged.
View our car chain range here.
Packing a Snowboard Bag:
There is no right or wrong way to pack your snowboard bag, but there is an easier way, which is a Tetris game! Work systematically, have your snowboard on the bottom, boots paired neatly in between bindings, a helmet at one end (put your goggles in your helmet for protection), then weave in the rest. Avoid having clothing/outerwear near the edges of your snowboard or skis, as their metal edges can damage soft materials.
View our snowboard and ski bag range here.
Packing to come home:
Packing and Storing Goggles:
There is a greater chance of your goggle fogging in the future if they are stored wet. Ensure the ventilation foam on your goggle has completely dried out before storing them in the microfibre cloth bag. Similarly, if the lens is wet, do not wipe them dry as you will wipe away the anti-fog coating on the inside of the lens. Allow them to air dry first.
Goggles are also a fragile item, so to ensure they're not squashed in storage you can store them in a goggle case.
Packing and Storing Boots:
Nobody likes smelly boots, nor a boot that has lost it’s shape and is no longer comfortable! Ensure your boots are completely dried out before storing to avoid both of these.
Both snowboard and ski boots come with a liner inside the shell. Pull the liners out for a faster and more thorough airing (trust us… they will definitely be wet between the liners after a days riding!). Once dried, tie the lacing / boa / buckles back up (with tongues on the inside) to maintain the boots shape and natural mould, and store them in a boot bag to maintain their condition and enhance longevity of your boots.
We hope this packing list and tips assist your preparation for your next snow trip, and caring for your gear between trips.
Now get up there and earn your turns!
MSC x