Guide
A car full of luggage and lots of hassle: eight tips for stress-free skiing with young children
by Katja Fischer
Tantalising tips for your pre-ski holiday checklist
24.1.2023
Translation: Katherine Martin
Many families are about to head off on skiing holidays. But before you can whoosh off downhill, you’ve got to check your equipment. Most importantly, your clothing needs to be fit for the elements.
We may not have had any major snowfall yet, but there are still enough glimmers of white for most of our ski holidays to go ahead as planned. Not only that, but it’s to stay cold for the next few days, allowing for extra snow to be produced artificially.
I always look at ski holidays with mixed feelings. On the one hand, they can be the loveliest of family holidays. After all, what could be better than being out in the fresh air with your family, tearing down the slopes, then happily and sleepily enjoying an evening fondue? When it comes to ski holidays, we’re happy to occasionally rein in our spending during the year so as to be able to afford it. On the other hand, no other holiday involves such a major degree of prep or spending on equipment. My colleague Katja agrees and has penned an article providing practical packing tips for ski holidays.
Is it better to rent or buy the kids’ skis and snowboards?
The question of proper equipment typically starts with skis, snowboards and the footwear to go with them. It goes without saying that you can buy nice ones from our shop.
But is it even worth it? No sooner have you bought skis, snowboards and shoes than your kids have grown out of them. That’s why we’ve been renting ski equipment for our kids for years. Want a tip? If you do it early enough, you can get excellent terms and conditions at SportXX.
Skis and boots sorted, it’s time for the nitty-gritty. Nowadays, it’s a given to get your children to wear helmets when they’re out on the slopes. I shudder to think back to my childhood, when my parents put a ski helmet on me that was more salad bowl than headgear. Luckily, the helmets of today aren’t just fashionable. They also provide perfect protection from the wind and cold – especially over the ears.
Ski helmetsavailable in a few weeks
CHF93.90
ALPINA SPORTS Zupo Disney Set
Ski helmetsAvailability unknown
ALPINA SPORTS ZUPO
51 - 55 cm, M
Ski helmetsavailable in a few weeks
CHF128.–
ALPINA SPORTS Zupo Visor Q-Lite
While you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who disagrees with wearing a helmet on the slopes, I’m not sure whether I should buy back protectors for my kids. Do they need them or not? I recently quizzed a winter sports expert on the subject, but he didn’t give me a straightforward answer.
Ah, the annual question: do the kids still fit into their ski clothes?
Relatively speaking, those were the easiest things to consider so far. The clothing is where things get tricky. Do you do what we do? Your final skiing or snowboarding jaunt of the season is barely over when your outfits are shut away in the wardrobe. Out of sight, out of mind.
Just short of a year later (in our case, a few weeks before a ski holiday), you finally ask yourself whether the kids still fit into their clothes. If your answer to that is no, you can, of course, buy new ones from the Galaxus shop, forking out a small fortune depending on the size of your brood.
Ski jacketsAvailability unknown
Rukka Driver Kids Winter Jacket
128
Ski jacketsavailable in a few days
CHF99.90
Reima tec children ski jacket Laks
Ski pantsAvailability unknown
Reima Terrie Girls Ski Pants
164
Second-hand clothing is less water resistant
Because kids grow out of their snow gear relatively quickly, many families give away their kids’ winter clothing. This means the same ski trousers and jackets can be worn by several children.
We’ve also benefitted from this more than once – the advantages being that you save money and the clothes don’t wind up in the recycling after one season. The downside is they become less water resistant with every passing year.
The only thing that helps is to reproof your ski gear before your trip. I usually do that with a [waterproofing spray](/search?q=waterproofing spray),
but this year I wanted to be on the safe side, opting instead to use a wash-in waterproofer on our ski clothes.
Source: Martin Rupf
Our ski holiday will reveal whether my efforts with the wash-in waterproofer have paid off.
Laundry detergent + Fabric careavailable
Quantity discount
CHF10.20 per piece for 2 units CHF18.68/1kg
Martec Impregnator
Liquid
Quantity discount
Laundry detergent + Fabric careavailable
CHF10.20 per piece for 2 units CHF18.68/1kg
Martec Impregnator
Liquid
Jacketsavailable in a few days
CHF28.60
Pinewood Waterproofing agent Wash-in
One size
Laundry detergent + Fabric careavailable
CHF16.90 CHF42.25/1kg
Nikwax Down Proof
Liquid
As always, I’m planning to build an igloo if there’s enough snow. Hopefully, my kids will be enthusiastic in helping me out with that. If the inside of their ski pants are dry after a couple of hours of igloo building, my waterproofing efforts will definitely have been worthwhile.
Header image: Martin Rupf
Martin Rupf
Senior Editor
martin.rupf@digitecgalaxus.chHalf-Danish dad of two and third child of the family, mushroom picker, angler, dedicated public viewer and world champion of putting my foot in it.
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