Preparing children's ski equipment: practical tips for their comfort and safety

When you go on a skiing holiday, you want to make the most of it without stress and without wasting unnecessary time. Organisation is therefore key, especially when you have children. Preparing their equipment, clothing and accessories the evening before can save you a lot of hassle:

• no risk of forgetting something, such as gloves or a ski pass;

• save time in the morning, when you already have breakfast and getting dressed to organise;

• check the equipment properly when you are relaxed, rather than rushing around first thing;

• leave calmly for ski lessons or other activities and arrive on time, or even early.

There are plenty of things to remember to ensure your child can ski safely and comfortably.

We recommend starting by making a checklist, using our list as a guide:

• gloves or mittens;

• beanie and/or helmet;

• ski suit;

• ski goggles or sunglasses;

• skis and poles;

• neck warmer, which is safer than a scarf;

• thermal underwear, following the three-layer system to keep your child warm;

• ski socks;

• ski pass;

• sun cream and lip balm;

• water bottle;

• tissues;

• snacks, such as fruit purée pouches or cereal bars;

• a small piece of paper with your child's first and last name and your telephone number;

• a backpack for their belongings, either a small bag to leave with their ski instructor or your own backpack if your children are skiing with you.

Step 2: Dry the equipment after every day of skiing

After every full or half day of skiing, it is essential to properly dry your children's clothing and wash it if necessary, as well as their ski boots.

Make sure to leave ski boots fully open and let them dry in the sun or near a heat source. If you have chosen to leave your equipment at the shop, it may also be possible to put the boots on a suitable boot dryer. Drying is essential to help prevent bacteria from developing and to ensure your child puts their feet into dry, warm and comfortable liners the following morning.

Hang up the ski suit (or ski trousers and jacket), making sure there are no folds so that it can dry properly, for example on a hanger.

Finally, store the skis somewhere suitable and dry, and place the poles on the ski tips so you do not have to search for them the next morning.

Step 3: Prepare the equipment

Once everything that needs drying has been put out to dry, you can move on to preparing the equipment. Start by emptying your children's backpacks and pockets, removing things such as food wrappers and empty water bottles.

Then gather everything from your checklist in one place, keeping each child's belongings separate to avoid duplicates or forgotten items.

Start by filling the backpack with sun cream, snacks, water, tissues and so on.

Then make a pile of the clothes your child will wear the following day: socks, technical base layer, fleece, neck warmer and so on. Remember to check the weather forecast to adapt their clothing to the conditions.

Ekosport-Rent tip: at the beginning of your holiday, remember to put the ski pass directly into the dedicated pocket of your ski jacket. This means you can be sure your child always has it with them, avoiding any stress when the turnstile fails to open at the chairlift!

Step 4: Check everything before setting off to ski

Even with a perfectly organised routine, it is always worth doing a quick check before leaving your holiday accommodation to go skiing. Go through your checklist again and make sure everything is in the backpack and that your child is dressed appropriately for the day's conditions.

Also check that they are comfortable, that nothing is bothering them and make sure everything is properly adjusted: helmet strap, ski boot buckles, ski suit fully fastened and so on. You are now ready to head out as a family, feeling relaxed and prepared!