Six countries, fifty-four hours of driving and many frankfurters later – we are all home after an incredible two weeks. In August this year my Dad proposed the idea of a skiing road trip for the Christmas holidays, inviting all the ‘kids’ (of whom I am the youngest) plus partners, friends… whoever fancied it. And so we did. A week before Christmas day my dad and I packed up the truck (nicked named Truck Norris in our family) with everyone’s kit and hit the road for a 3 day drive to Austria (via Switzerland to collect my brother and Vivian who now live in Zürich).
Despite having grown up skiing, my skis have hardly touched snow over the last five years while being at uni (i.e., skint). Which, unfortunately for my bank account meant my kit bag needed some updating. My skis, boots and poles were all still intact thankfully – but my old ski pants and jacket were so worn and miserable looking I wasn’t up for trusting them to keep me warm.
SO – on the list was new ski pants, a jacket, thermals, goggles, gloves and socks. Which was just enough to almost bankrupt me for the year. But good kit is worth the price tag if it’s going to last years upon years.
Deciding what to get was so tricky, ski trends change ALL the time and it’s too expensive to ever keep up. But I am really really happy with what I ended up buying so I thought I’d share some pictures and info about the kit I got. (My only regret is not going for something brighter, but hay ho). I decided on something a little more glam than I’d usually wear, really fitted and supporting a bit of faux fur – there’s a first for everything and I loved it!
Jacket £399
Poivre Blanc Women’s Stretch Ski Jacket
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- Very insulated and warm – I only needed one base layer underneath
- Fitted and flattering
- Three way stretch fabric was great for movement
- Weatherproof and breathable
- Good pockets (ski pass, phone, + 2 more)
- Stylish and technically good
- Long sleeves and long body – perfect for tall girls (I’m 5ft10)
- Detachable hood/fur
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- Snow skirt didn’t go tight enough around my hips
- Pockets aren’t big enough for a spare goggle lens
Ski pants £199
Poivre Blanc Women’s Stretch Ski Pants
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- Waterproof and warm (no needs for thermal bottoms)
- Elegant cut and well fitted
- Although being tight, they are as stretchy as gym leggings!
- Inside snow gaiter worked perfectly
- Zippered gussets at the ankle for ease when putting boots on
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- Slightly short on my leg – but not really an issue when wearing ski boots
Goggles £180
Smith I/O MAG (bought from Tiso)
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- Magnetic lens changing system is so quick and easy you can do it without taking the goggles off your face!
- Includes bright light and low performance lenses
- Lenses didn’t fog up at all
- The photochromatic lens works virtually in all conditions and the rose lens is a game changer in flat light
- Fit comfortably on my face and around my nose without any air gaps
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- No complains at all – i’d highly recommend these goggles to anyone
Thermals £110
Icebreaker 250 Vertex Long Sleeve Half Zip
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- 100% merino wool
- Extremely soft, flexible and comfortable for wearing all day
- Lightweight and very warm – I wore only this under my jacket
- Half zip was perfect for temperature regulation
- Seems are offset from prone rubbing areas
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- Zero complains – it’s the perfect base layer
Gloves £75
The North Face Women’s Montana GTX Mitt
My hands are badly affected by raynauds disease which causes quite a bit of pain and discomfort when they get cold, so finding a good glove was really important. I’ve waisted so many hours in previous years sitting inside mountain restaurants trying to defrost my hands – but I have finally found the solution in these gloves.
- Completely waterproof and breathable GORE-TEX insert
- Insulated inner with inner glove separation for maximum warmth
- High rise wrist to stop any snow or wind chill getting into the glove
- Wrist bands were really handy when pulling gloves on and off (usually to take photos!)
Socks £28
All round great skiing sock – merino wool mix – warm and breathable!
Overall,
I was extremely happy with all of my new and old kit on holiday. Having good quality kit really makes a difference in enjoyment as well as safety in the mountains. Getting cold is always miserable in my experience, and I never last long once the cold reaches my hands – those North Face mitts were an absolute find! And fingers crossed, now that my kit bag is full I won’t need to top it up or change it for many many years.
Huge thanks to Tiso for all their help and advisement before my trip. I was kindly gifted my ski jacket this season in exchange for a review, which I am extremely grateful for.
Thanks for reading – if you have any questions feel free to send me a message on Instagram @ronamcmillan
Rona McMillan 