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Life Hacks for Skiing

kiki

Angel Diva
Is this one of those east coast-west coast differences? I've never considered locking my skis and I cant really recall seeing anyone else lock theirs either but I've only ever skied the west. How common is locking your skis in the east?
I'm in the west (Whistler) and I usually lock my skis
 

rhymeandreason

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I put a small tab of fluorescent gaffer tape on the wrist straps of my kids’ mittens and mark them with a sharpie...not with their name, but with “R” and “L”. Each kid has a different color. On my own mittens, I have a piece of fluorescent gaffer tape on just my right wrist loop.

I also put tiny 3M command adhesive hooks on our helmets to keep goggle straps from slipping off the back. Wasn’t there a story of someone’s goggle straps getting caught on the chairlift seat back? Or maybe it’s just my paranoia of getting stuck to the chairlift as it spins around.
 

VTsnowflower

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I don't have a boot heater but still want toasty booth when I arrive at the hill. My method is to put the boots on the floor of the front seat, and point the openings at the floor heat vent. Then I turn up the heat and fan to high. Fairly toasty boots. My upgrade will be a portable boot heater to further toast up the insides.

I leave my boots on the Peet dryer (which I turn on when I come down for breakfast if it wasn't on earlier) until the last minute. Then, in the car I put the boot bag on the front passenger seat (when I'm driving alone) and turn on the seat heater. It makes a big difference! (Of course, this only works if you car has a seat heater....)
 

Marta_P

Certified Ski Diva
We used to carry "emergency stickers" for when flights were delayed and my daughter (or any children close by) lost their patience with the flight/delay and needed distraction. That translated into "emergency skittles" (small packets of skittles or any other treat) to perk us up as the day progresses and quickly resolve frustration with lift lines or a bumped knee.
 

VTsnowflower

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
We used to carry "emergency stickers" for when flights were delayed and my daughter (or any children close by) lost their patience with the flight/delay and needed distraction. That translated into "emergency skittles" (small packets of skittles or any other treat) to perk us up as the day progresses and quickly resolve frustration with lift lines or a bumped knee.
My family has always relied on me to have snacks in my pocket, purse, or bag for emergency use. It’s a survival tactic because I get VERY cranky when my blood sugar drops. These days I like to keep a Larabar (I like the apple pie one best) in my ski jacket pocket because it’s compact, easy to eat (no crumbling) and a quick dose of energy from the dates and nuts.
 

Randi M.

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Some things we’ve learned the hard way:

We keep de-icer in the glove compartment. Together with a hand/toe warmer you can get some movement on your frozen solid ski rack lock. We figured this one out when we got to the mountain one miserable morning.

We keep our multi mountain pass in one of our Transpacks, not a dresser drawer. We figured this one out when we were two hours from home and realized we did not have our passes.

And one we figured out not the hard way: I buy toe warmers in bulk and never buy hand warmers. Toe warmers are essential and used constantly, and work just as well as hand warmers. And in fact take up less space in gloves.
 

SallyCat

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I have a very small and lightweight wallet made from an old tent fly and some velcro that I use for skiing, biking, etc. I went looking for the woman who made it recently to give the info to a friend, but I couldn't find her. I did, though, find this, which is very similar and also made from recycled fabric:

https://www.nemoequipment.com/product/ditto-slim/
 

Tvan

Angel Diva
And one we figured out not the hard way: I buy toe warmers in bulk and never buy hand warmers. Toe warmers are essential and used constantly, and work just as well as hand warmers. And in fact take up less space in gloves.

And if you use the adhesive on toe warmers, they stay put in gloves... don’t slide around and don’t fall out when you take your gloves off.

Another ski hack... thumb squeegee lives on the retractable ski pass clip on my jacket zipper. I was tired of never being able to remember it. And buy a bright colored one instead of black so you can find it if you leave it in your bag. Actually, the bright color thing goes for everything... socks, long underwear, etc. When we used to do big family ski trips and everyone’s stuff was black, sorting through it all was a pain.
 

SquidWeaselYay

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I might be able to shed a little light on the "plastic bag" and waterproof socks thing. It is a mountaineering trick for really, really cold temps. I used it once when we went backpacking and the temp went about 15 degrees colder than the forecast predicted. I put plastic grocery bags on my feet, between 2 pairs of socks when I went to bed. You basically create a "vapor barrier" that keeps your feet warmer. Yeah, it gets sweaty and gross. But it beats frostbite, and holds in a surprising amount of heat.

Have you ever worn one of those cheap plastic ponchos? Or had one of those rubber raincoats as a kid? It gets VERY hot underneath them very quickly. Same kind of deal.

But I would not try this in my ski boots unless I was lost on the wrong side of the mountain, lost beyond hope, and facing certain frostbite lol.
 

Randi M.

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
So today my ski hacks came in handy. I ALWAYS make sure to have extra base layers and socks for my kids.

Sure enough the kids played in the snow while the car was warming up first thing in the morning. We piled in the car and immediately my LO started complaining that his feet were freezing. Turns out he was soaked from mid-calf right down to his toes. As soon as we got to the mountain he changed into warm, dry clothes and our family didn’t miss a beat. It would have been another half hour had he needed to go back inside at home.
 

VTsnowflower

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I felt so good in the locker room the other day when a young colleague asked if anyone had a band-aid. She had cut her finger on a sharp edge on her board. I said "I do, if I can find it..." and with minimal effort I pulled my little plastic first aid baggie out of a pocket and presented her with a band-aid. She said she figured I'd be the one to be prepared and thanked me. I guess I have that experienced mom aura about me!
 

newboots

Angel Diva
Yep! Bandaids, check! Snacks, tissues, chapstick, hand cream, sunblock, health insurance card . . . (etc.), check! Mom-vibe: you betcha!
 

echo_VT

Angel Diva
Gold Bond powder is my favorite ski hack! It's just that extra step for staying dry. It goes in my socks, mittens, pits, cleavage, anything that gets super sweaty super fast. People laugh at me, but when we brake for lunch, they're always stealing it

that is hilarious. we have gold bond powder, but it's mostly used for our daughters feet before they go into the sock.

good to know. lol!
 

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