1. One pair of mid-weight ski socks is really enough to keep little feet warm.
2. Use glove gators to keep gloves/mittens attached to jackets – especially if your kids are always taking off their gloves.
3. NO POLES for beginning skiers or kids under 6.
4. Don’t pressure instructors about getting kids on the lift as soon as possible.  They want to get them up the mountain but it takes some kids a bit longer to master the basics.
5. Don’t tag along during the lessons.  If you see your kids on the mountain, wave hi and keep on skiing.
6. No yelling at kids during pick up about how many hot cocoa breaks they took.  Little hands and feet get cold and legs get tired.
7. Do tip good instructors.
8. All gear must be waterproof – water resistant is not enough.
9. Pack a few easy snacks in jacket pockets – M&Ms or skittles are easy to eat and provide energy along the way.
10. Be on time for drop off and pick up.

I know I am missing a few – please comment and let me know!

ski school · Skiing with kids

I don’t generally do product reviews or plugs but I am always on the look out for great tools to make a family vacation easier.  So when the people at eMotionCam contacted me about their helmet cameras, I thought it was worth a try.  Every time I ski, I see parents struggling to record their kids skiing down the mountain.  I don’t ski well enough to keep up with my kids, much less while trying to balance a camera so why not a helmet camera to memorialize the ski day?  Bottom line is that it was fantastic.  Crystal clear high definition footage with no hassle of a hand held camera!  It was a great way to capture the day.

The camera is incredibly easy to use.  It comes with a strap to attach to a helmet but I opted to attach it to my goggle strap.  Simply press the on button and slide the switch to record.   The record button is large enough to work with ski gloves on, which is important because the  battery only lasts for about 3 hours of record time.  When not recording,  the camera powers itself off after 10 minutes so it must be turned back on.  To confess, I didn’t know that it powered down so my first day with the camera was a total bust!  You can test that it is on by pushing the power button and looking for a red beam coming from the top of the camera.  I was worried about the weight of the camera on my goggle strap, but at a mere 4.3 ounces, it was barely noticeable.

You can rent the cameras at ski shops in California, Colorado, New Hampshire, and Wyoming (see the complete list here.)  I picked up mine at Lone Star Sports in Breckenridge.  It costs $34.95 plus an additional $4.95 for  a loss/damage waiver.  I highly recommend springing for the waiver – just in case you take a tumble on the camera!  Your credit card is charged a $300 deposit fee that is refunded when you return the camera.   When you return the camera, it takes about 20 minutes to download the footage to either a DVD or USB stick.  The DVD is included at no charge.  You can purchase a USB stick at the kiosk or bring your own.  The rental fees are mush less than most cameras and you don’t have the risk of breakage (if you follow my advice and purchase the waiver) – plus it’s on your helmet so you can capture all the action with the slide of a button.   I was also surprised by the clarity – it was much sharper than my hand held.

Overall I had a great experience with the camera and highly recommend trying one out.  Given the overall cost of a ski vacation, this is an inexpensive way to bring home memories from the slopes.   The hands free operation makes it easy to use when teaching little ones to ski – a difficult thing to capture with a traditional camera.  Older kids would love to record each other doing tricks in the terrain park!

Some tips on use:

• Don’t waste time recording while you are waiting in the lift line and riding the lift.
• Make sure the camera is on each time you start recording.
• Let everyone take a turn – the different perspectives are very interesting.
• Have someone check the camera angle periodically.  No one wants 2 hours of skis or sky because the camera was at the wrong angle.
• Look up the mountain so you can have footage of where you’ve been.
• Ski ahead of the family, stop,  and turn around to capture the rest of the family coming down the hill together.
• Be prepared for lots of comments – all the young boarders and skiers asked me questions about the camera all day long.  Nice to be cool on the mountain for a change!

Many thanks to eMotionCams for allowing me to use a camera free of charge for a day.  I plan on renting one for our next family ski day later in the season!  You can find all the details about rentals here.

Happy Travels!

Skiing with kids

I love to ski.  Unfortunately, I am a terrible skier.  So, when we moved to Denver four years ago, I jumped at the chance to have the girls learn to ski.  Now we spend almost every weekend on the slopes and the girls easily out-ski me (the oldest can literally ski circles around me!).  Breckenridge is our mountain of choice because it has wide open greens & blues for me,  “fun” blues and blacks for the girls, a great ski/ride school and, most importantly, a family friendly atmosphere throughout the historic town.  More on Breck in future posts…

No matter your destination, these tips can help create a great family vacation.

Where to stay:

You’ve spent the time deciding on the perfect destination for your family ski vacation and now you need to select your lodging.  Ski resorts & towns have a variety of options but our favorite are the condos or houses.   You can find numerous choices by doing a google search or on www.vrbo.com.  The biggest factor  impacting price is the option of ski-in/out places.  At first thought this sounds great – no need to schlep gear to the slopes, just walk out your door and hit the slopes.  But wait – there is no set definition for ski-in/out.  We found several places advertising they were ski-in but they required a back country ski adventure of over a mile to reach the rental house.  Also, consider where the kids are skiing.  If they are in ski school, is the rental property near the drop off point?  With four kids, we find it easier to drive to slope-side parking near the ski school and pay to park.  It isn’t cheap (often $15 – $20 per day) but still likely cheaper than paying a premium for a ski-in/out place that really isn’t that convenient.

Renting Ski/Ride Gear:

It is always cheaper to rent gear away from the mountain but the savings may not be worth it.  Many resorts offer rental with their ski/ride school.  It is sure to be more expensive but you don’t have to lug their gear to the school and if something breaks or doesn’t fit, the ski school can easily replace it. Helmets are highly recommended and can also be rented at most shops. 

Where to Scrimp/Places to Splurge

Skiing is expensive – from the gear rental to the lift tickets, it is easy to spend a small fortune on the mountain.  I am not a budget traveler but also don’t like to spend money for things that don’t add value to the overall experience.  Here is my list of scrimps and splurges:

• Scrimp on food – Bring snacks.  I am not one to ski with a backpack filled with every necessity but I do carry a few snacks to get through the day.  Granola bars, peanut butter crackers, and trail mix are easy to stash in a pocket and don’t get smashed.
  
• Splurge on parking – pay for slope-side.  Parking in the free lots and taking buses to the slopes is great for adults but add in a few kids and their gear and it just isn’t worth the time and effort (especially when someone forgets something in the car and you have to backtrack to get it).
• Scrimp on lift tickets – pre-purchase on-line.  Search for deals on-line to save money.   Ski rental shops often have discount tickets as well.
• Splurge on ski school.  Even if you are an expert skier, let the professionals teach your kids for at least a day.   Every time I ski I see kids crying because their parents are yelling at them while “teaching” them to ski.  Or worse, parents push kids into dangerous situations by taking them on runs before the kids are ready.
  
• Scrimp on lodging by staying farther from the slopes but do spend enough to get a place that comfortably accommodates your family.
  
• Scrimp and Splurge on snow gear.  Look for off-season bargains and borrow what you can from friends.  BUT it is no fun to be cold.  Spend enough so that the coats/pants are warm and waterproof, mittens/gloves are designed for skiing/boarding.  neck gators, hats & ear warmers are worth the money!
  
• Splurge on socks & base layers.  Buy socks made for skiing/boarding.  Base layers should be wicking fabrics (not cotton) and not overly heavy.  Use layers to create warmth.
  

The Finishing Touch

What to do after the lifts close?  Hopefully the kids are tired so play some family games or work a puzzle and start the bedtime routine early with a warming bath.  Bring some new bathtoys and soothing bubbles to calm everyone down.

Happy Travels!

Skiing with kids · traveling with kids

My husband was born and raised in Texas and I am a military brat from the midwest. Neither one of us were skiers but, when we moved to Colorado from Hong Kong 4 years ago, we thought the kids should learn to ski.  We decided to learn as well – suffice it to say, it is much easier to learn when young.  Our kids already ski circles (yes, literally) around us.

Dressing my kids for skiing the first year was challenging.  I found a myriad of checklists for adults with vague references to kids needing the same things. Over the past 4 years of experimenting with assorted gear, the kids have come up with their “must have” ski list.  The kids’ list is in purple and my comments are in black.  Attached is a handy downloadable ski season shopping list/packing list to help the moms and dads plan for the season or the trip.  We compiled the list from the inside out – base layer to outer layer.

Fun long johns. No boring grey or black – we need something flashy and fun. Pack at least 2 pairs of pants and 2 shirts.  No one piece outfits (too hard to go potty) and not cotton.  Pick a light or mid weight wicking fabric in a fun print or color.  This is the base layer so it should have a snug fit.

Long sleeved Spyder shirt with a zipper neck. On the coldest days the girls’ like a Spyder shirt over their long johns.  While the brand is not important (except to my girls), it is important that it be a mid-weight.

Fleece vest. This should be a snug fit so it fits under the ski jacket.

Ski socks. Comfort and fit are key to the socks.  They should be a nice mid weight sock.  Not too heavy (sweaty feet are icky) and wear only one pair.  Multiple layers of socks cause the boots to be uncomfortable.  I tuck a pair of socks in their jacket pockets because the kids often take off their boots during breaks and get wet socks.

Snow boots that we can walk in.

Outerwear. Fun colors and styles are a must!  We like bibs and jackets.  One piece outfits are hard to get out of to go potty and are hot at lunch and hot cocoa breaks.  Bibs (instead of just pants) keep the snow out of our backs. These need not be expensive but must be waterproof not water resistant.

Hats. Fun hats are a must if going to a ski school that has outdoor play time (off of skis) and for sledding.  It is recommended that kids wear helmets when skiing so no hat is needed.

Ear warmers. We are split on earwarmers – 2 kids like, 2 do not. Headband type earwarmers fit snugly under the helmet and help keep little ears warm.  Some helmets have fleece lining around the ears so earwarmers aren’t necessary.

Neck gators are essential but cut the tags off because we hate skiing with the tag rubbing us. Kids pull the neck gators up in really cold weather and on the lift.  Use these instead of scarfs that can get twisted up on the lifts or fall off while skiing down the mountain.

Mittens instead of gloves because we can’t bend our fingers in gloves and have a hard time gripping poles. I think mittens keep fingers warmer.  These should be a good quality ski mitten that is waterproof and fits well.  An investment in mitten clips helps keep mittens from getting left behind.

Cotton mittens/gloves for playing in the snow after skiing.  We like lots of these so we can change them when our hands get cold.  These will not work for skiing but are great for playing outside.

Hand and toe warmers. We tuck a pair into jacket pockets before heading out the door.  They are nice to have on bitterly cold days.

Ski gear. If you are taking a ski vacation and do not have kid’s ski gear, consider renting it from the ski school.  It is a little bit more expensive but there is no lugging it from the rental shop (and they will often store it overnight for you).  They can also easily exchange it in the middle of the day if something isn’t fitting properly.  Kids learn to ski without poles so leave those behind until after they are comfortable on skis.  You can usually rent helmets but not goggles. Goggles can be purchased at the ski shop but vary widely in price.  They are likely to get scratched so do not buy the most expensive pair!

In case you are wondering about snowboarding, most instructors recommend that kids not snowboard until at least 8 because they do not have the muscle strength to control the board until 8.  Starting too early is not fun for anyone!

One final tip – our kids have a PurpleSnake on the top of their helmets.  I recommend using a helmet cover or colored tape to clearly mark your child’s helmet. It is amazing how alike kids look in ski gear and helmets.  I started doing this when I saw a little girl in the same ski suit and helmet as one of my kids sliding down the mountain on a ski patrol sled.  After panicking and calling the ski school I learned that the  girl I saw was part of a ski patrol safety test and is fine. Now, I can distinguish my kids by the unique design drawn on their helmets with a Sharpie.

Happy travels!

Kids Ski Packing List

kids travel · packing list · Skiing with kids · traveling with kids