What to Pack for a Tahoe Ski Trip

Most packing lists are written for skiing in general. Tahoe adds three problems of its own. You usually drive over a mountain pass to get here, you ski high enough that the sun can burn you even in January, and the storms that make the snow everyone is chasing arrive on the same weekends everyone is driving. Pack for those three and the rest sorts itself out.

The full checklist, with a named pick for every item, is on the packing list. This page explains the thinking behind it: what goes in every time, what only goes in sometimes, and what we left off on purpose.

The eleven that go in every time

These don't depend on the forecast, the resort, or how many days you're skiing.

• Insulated waterproof jacket. On a Sierra storm day you want the insulation built into the shell.
• Waterproof snow pants or a bib. Jeans soak through the first time you sit down, and you'll sit down.
• A mid layer, fleece or light puffy. This is the piece you add and drop as the day swings from a freezing chairlift to a sunny afternoon.
• Waterproof gloves or mitts. Wet gloves end a day early, and a gauntlet cuff keeps snow out of your sleeves on the chairlift.
• Goggles, not sunglasses. You want UV protection and a lens that holds contrast when the light goes flat.
• A helmet you own. Rental lids fit poorly and smell worse, and fit is the entire point of a helmet.
• Tall ski socks, merino or synthetic. One pair per day. They cut down boot pressure points and keep your feet dry.
• SPF 50 sunscreen. Snow throws UV back up at your face and altitude sharpens it.
• SPF lip balm. Wind-burned, cracked lips are the classic first-day souvenir.
• An insulated water bottle. A plain bottle freezes, and altitude dehydrates you faster than you'd guess.
• A waterproof duffel. Everything comes home damp. Give the wet gear one place to live.

Six more when it's cold or storming

On a mild spring afternoon these cook you. On a 15-degree morning with wind on the summit they are the difference between five runs and a full day.

• Thermal base layers, top and bottom. Merino or synthetic. Cotton holds moisture against your skin and then makes you cold with it.
• A neck gaiter or balaclava. It seals the gap between helmet and jacket collar, which is exactly where spindrift finds you.
• Hand and foot warmers. Disposable packs slip into boots and gloves. Treat them as backup heat for a cold chairlift, because testers say the warmth fades after a couple of hours.
• A power bank. Cold flattens phone batteries, and your trail map, your ride home, and your photos are all on that phone.
• Microspikes. Resort lots and lodge steps glaze over. Going down in the parking lot before you have clicked in is a bad way to start.
• A long-handled ice scraper and snow brush. Your car will be buried by last chair.

Six items worth sorting before you leave

Our top pick for each, pulled from the packing list.

What this list leaves off, and why

There are no skis, boots, or boards here, on purpose. Those need a fitting, so leave them to whoever is setting you up.

You'll also notice we never print a price. Gear pricing moves constantly and a stale number is worse than no number, so we name the product and let you look up what it costs today.

Backcountry safety equipment is its own subject, separate from resort packing. If you're going past the ropes, that decision needs training, not a shopping list.

Common questions