When it comes to everyday fashion, I generally shop vintage/second-hand, rent from various services, or rotate the same staples that I’ve owned for years. Because skiing is technical and the climate can be extreme, I’ve learned the mountain is not the place to cut corners on your apparel or gear, and over the years I’ve tried and tested many top ski apparel brands until I finally found my favorites. Both the form and function of your apparel and gear are of utmost importance for performance and protection. Having high quality, well-fitting gear will allow you to focus on having fun and developing your technique, instead of worrying about being cold or wet, risking a tear or broken zipper, or wearing uncomfortable clothes that don’t properly allow for a full range-of-motion.

Purchasing quality ski wear and gear is certainly an investment but will keep you safe and comfortable on the mountain. The good news is, you may be able to find top brands at sale prices depending on the time of year that you shop. If you have time before your next trip to the mountains, bookmark this article and revisit the links below in the off-season, because ski wear and gear generally always goes on sale in the spring and summer months and you may be able to score a great deal!

Below are my favorite items that I take with me on the mountain for a day of skiing, organized into four categories: Apparel, Equipment, Accessories, and Extras:

Ski Apparel

I love apparel that’s both versatile and functional, and have come to find that my most favorite pieces of ski apparel can be worn both on and off the mountain. The most important distinction to note here is that my picks are ski-specific clothes that can pass as normal cold-weather clothes, and not the other way around. Ski-specific jackets and pants will have the added conveniences of things like strategically-placed pockets, powder skirts, and dedicated slots and loops for attaching your lift-pass, whereas regular cold-weather clothes won’t have these little luxuries that make your day on the mountain easier.

When it comes to Ski Jackets, my go-to is the Kat Jacket from Erin Snow. It’s fitted with a waist belt which allows for both agility and warmth while being lightweight. On colder days I will wear my Oversize Puffer from Perfect Moment which is warm and soft without being too bulky, and on the coldest days (anything lower than 20 degrees F) I will wear both jackets together- my Erin Snow Kat Jacket fits snugly under my Perfect Moment Oversize Puffer. As for Ski Pants, its hard for me to believe that anything will ever top the Erin Snow Jes In-the-Boot Pant- these have been my absolute favorite for years. I’ve tried ski pants from many other brands including Fusalp, Bogner, and Moncler, but the Erin Snow Jes Pants are by far the most comfortable and best-fitting, and I find myself reaching for them every morning that I get up to go skiing. I definitely prefer wearing in-the-boot ski pants for a number of reasons: I feel like the snug fit is warmer, the same pants can be worn to any cold-weather activity aside from just skiing, and I simply prefer the look of them! On powder days, I wear gaiters over my ski boots, and to be honest I feel like they do a better job of keeping cold snow out than over-the-boot ski pants do. More on my choice for boot gaiters below, in the Accessories section!

My absolute favorite thermal layers are the Smartwool Intraknit 200 Merino Base Layer Top and Bottom. In my 40+ days of skiing with them, they’ve always kept me warm and comfortable and have never stretched out or lost their shape. Most days I will wear another pullover top over my first base layer and under my jacket, and a trusty option is the Smartwool Merino 1/4 Zip Pullover. If the temperature is on the colder side, I will also wear a pair of leggings over my Smartwool base layer bottoms, and my go-to for a comfortable fit are the Alo Yoga High Waist Airbrush Leggings. When it comes to sizing for your ski jackets and pants, keep in mind that you’ll want them to be comfortable enough to fit multiple layers underneath. It may sounds like a lot, but some of the most valuable advice I received when I first started to ski and have since learned from experience is to dress for a potentially windy or snowy chairlift. Being too cold can quickly put a damper on an otherwise great day of skiing, so make sure you have all the necessary layers for each moment throughout the day. So to summarize, on the coldest of cold days, I will wear all of the following layers: a Smartwool Base Layer Top, a Smartwool Pullover, my Erin Snow Kat Jacket, my Perfect Moment Oversize Puffer, a Smartwool Base Layer Bottom, an Alo Yoga Legging, and my Erin Snow Jes Pants. Did I mention I hate being cold?

Ski Equipment

Though I have demo’d a few models of skis and boots over the years, mostly what led to my decisions to purchase the following equipment was hours of research, reading reviews, and watching videos. Most importantly for skis, I was looking for a great all-mountain option in both a shape and size at the top end of my ability level, so I could grow into them and continue having fun while advancing my skills. I came across many great reviews for the Rossignol Black Ops Stargazer, and was able to get a great deal on them during a local shop’s summer sale. I’ve since skied over 30 days on them, across seemingly every type of snow condition, and love them more than I could have ever anticipated. I’ve found them to be very reliable and trusty all over the mountain, including on groomers, in the trees, on fresh powder, and even on moguls.

As for boots, I’ve always found Salomon to be the most comfortable fit for me, so that helped narrowed down the options as I looked for a boot flex that was again at the top end of my ability level so I could grow and advance into them. I chose the Salomon S/90 Pro and am more than happy with them. When shopping for bindings, poles, and a helmet I made choices strictly based off good reviews, and went with the Salomon Warden 11 Bindings, Salomon North Poles, and the Smith Holt Helmet*.

If you were to ask me what the most important piece of equipment is for a skier, I would have to say goggles. To be honest, when I first started to learn how to ski, I went cheap on the goggles and didn’t realize until later that not being able to see with optimal clarity was inhibiting me from advancing as a skier. By not being able to see the conditions of the snow clearly, I would tend to ski slowly and more cautiously, and when I upgraded my lenses I naturally became much more confident in my ability to navigate the conditions and was able to progress quickly. Unless I’m skiing at the highest elevations, above tree lines, and on the sunniest days, I usually opt for a medium lens. A medium lens works well on days with mixed cloud cover, and on sunny days where trees will cast shadows on the runs. On very cloudy and snowy days, a low-visibility lens is absolutely essential for me for my eyes to adjust to the texture of the snow. This past season I have been very impressed with my CHIMI goggles, which came with three interchangeable, high-quality Zeiss lenses: one bright-light lens, one medium lens, and one low-light lens.

Ski Accessories

I can be a little finicky throughout the day if my hands are too cold or too hot, so I have found that the best option for me is to wear a pair of gloves with a glove liner. That way, when I take my big gloves off between tiring runs after working up a sweat (or to check my stats on the Slopes App), I still have my liners on so my hands aren’t totally exposed to the cold and start to freeze. Most days I wear a Goretex Glove from Burton with a Touch Screen Capable Glove Liner, but if its a really cold day, I’ll throw a couple disposable Hand Warmer Packs inside my Hestra Heli Mittens which I wear with the same Glove Liners.

I’ve been a Smartwool fan for years, and my love for the brand started with their socks. Smartwool offers light, medium, and heavy weights of their cushioned socks, and I will choose a weight based on the weather for the day. I never double my socks to maintain a good fit inside my ski boots. My go-to neck gaiter is the Original Turtle Fur Fleece Neck Warmer, but if you need something for even colder days I can also recommend the Turtle Fur Balaclava.

Over the years I’ve experimented with various bags to take with me on the mountain, and found that the perfect option is the Everywhere Belt Bag from Lululemon. It’s meant to be worn as a fanny pack, but I like using it as a crossbody to have everything easily accessible, with its weight balanced across my chest. I personally didn’t find wearing a backpack on the mountain (or chairlifts) very comfortable, and the option of loading my jacket pockets with all my belongings had me worried about losing something important if I didn’t properly close a zipper. The Everywhere Belt Bag is the perfect size to carry a phone, a small wallet, an Airpods case, and a snack bar or two. It won’t fit a water bottle but any resort or ski area will provide its guests with free cups of water.

Boot gaiters that are made specifically for skiers are for some reason hard to come by, but what I’ve found that work well are Waterproof Hiking Gaiters that are large enough to fit over ski boots. Depending on the size of your boots and the tightness of your latches, it may take some trial and error to find gaiters that fit. These gaiters from Amazon just barely fit over my Salomon boots, but like I mentioned before, they work very well for keeping the snow and the cold out on powdery days.

Ski Extras

A few more essentials that I always bring with me on a ski trip are facial sunscreen (I use Heliocare SPF 50 Oil Free Gel daily) and a lip sunscreen (my go-to is the Neutrogena SPF 15 Norwegian Formula Lip Balm). If I’m spending multiple consecutive days on the mountain, I’m susceptible to windburn on the tip of my nose, and was inspired by the 2022 Winter Olympians to start fashioning a windburn-guard with a pair of scissors and Kinesiology Tape. For windburn relief, I have found that La Roche Posay Cicaplast Balm B5 Therapeutic Cream works wonders, and is also great for soothing winter-cracked hands.

Something positive that came out of the required pandemic-safety measures from the 2020/2021/2022 ski seasons is that I found out I really love skiing with Disposable Face Masks. I will always wear one underneath my Turtle Fur Neck Gaiter, and will stuff my pockets with extra masks so I can swap in a fresh one every few hours. That way, my neck gaiter doesn’t become frozen (and eventually cold and soggy) while skiing. For days that I’m solo-skiing and opt to listen to music, I feel more at ease using my Airpods since I got a Silicone Cord/Strap that will prevent me from losing one in the snow if it falls out of my ear. Something nice to have on hand if its very cold (and I’m using my Hestra Heli Mittens) are Disposable Hand Warmer Packs. In all honesty It’s hard to tell how well they work when it’s freezing out, but I like to think they make a difference. Another useful product that keeps my ski boots dry and works very quickly are Boot Bananas— silica-stuffed moisture absorbers that are specifically sized for winter gear. Lastly, I have a Ski and Ski Boot Bag Set that also fits my poles, a helmet, my goggles, all my accessories, and some of my apparel. This set in particular has proven to be very durable after repeated daily use and checking in at the airport.

Something also worth mentioning if you are packing for a ski trip- don’t forget to bring regular clothes for anything you plan on doing off the mountain like going to a restaurant or a grocery store. I’m usually so excited about hitting the mountain that I tend to forget regular clothes- so this is a helpful reminder for myself, too! Are you heading to the mountains and have a question about something I’ve mentioned in this article? Let me know in the comments below!

UPDATES

I just spent a month based in Chamonix, France during the Spring 2023 season, and skied another 30+ days with all the gear I’ve mentioned above. Many pieces remain my most notable favorites, while I did make a few changes and important additions to my list of essentials:

Apparel: My Erin Snow Kat Jacket and Jes Pants are still my top favorites, that I continued to wear often with my Perfect Moment Oversize Parka on very cold days. My Smartwool Intraknit 200 Merino Base Layer Top and Bottom still fit perfectly with no holes or signs of wear or tear after another season.

Equipment: I started to notice my Smith Holt Helmet feeling loose toward the end of the 21/22 season, and constant adjustment and tightening caused the ear pads to detach from the helmet, resulting in the fit never feeling the same. I replaced this helmet with the Kask Class Helmet at the beginning of the 22/23 season, and truly love it. I still love my Salomon S/90 Pro ski boots, and continue to swear by my CHIMI goggles with interchangable lenses. I upgraded my ski poles to the Leki Stella S with interchangeable baskets and a safety grip release system. Though I still love my Rossignol Black Ops Stargazer skis as an all-mountain option I can use to confidently ski in any terrain, I decided to add a faster, skinnier resort ski to my collection for days where the snow quality might not be great and I stick purely to groomers: the Black Crows Divus.

Accessories: I still love both my Hestra Heli Mittens and my Goretex Gloves from Burton which I use on colder and warmer days, respectively. I continue using my Smartwool socks, my Turtle Fur Fleece Neck Warmers, and my Waterproof Hiking Gaiters over my ski boots on powder days.

Extras: For off-season storage and for checking my skis on longer international flights, I’ve been using the Dakine Hard Side Fall Line Roller Bag which can fit two sets of skis up to 190cm long. The next recommendation is likely my most important and easiest to add to your list of ski essentials: Recco Reflectors for your Helmet or your Backpack. Recco Reflectors make you detectable to rescuers that use Recco search devices if you happen to be caught in an avalanche or a tree well at a ski resort or ski station. Recco reflectors require no training for the wearer (and thus are not a replacement for avalanche training or transceivers), but can still be helpful in an unfortunate situation.

Have any specific questions about the gear I use? Let me know in the comments below!

About the author

Meet Carina Otero, avid skier and the creator of She is Not Lost, an online community for celebrating female travelers and a blog providing helpful tips, useful information, and inspiration for your future travels. Carina’s passion for skiing and love of writing and photography have inspired a new blog to share her experiences and personal favorites relating to the sport:

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