With winter weather on the horizon, fall is the time to do some ski gear prep for the Vail skiing season. Time invested in pre-season organization will pay off when the snow falls. Plus, assurance of your equipment’s functionality will give you the boost you need for all-mountain confidence, all winter long.
Begin with a head-to-toe assessment for a comprehensive look at your skiing and snowboarding gear. Pull all equipment out of its summer storage places, and then decide what’s working, what needs work, and what needs replacement.
Vail Ski Gear Prep: Head to Toe
Begin with an assessment of these key items when doing pre-season ski gear prep:
- Helmet – Visually inspect for cracks, dents, or damage. Check the buckle to make sure that it still works and remains secure.
- Goggles – Look for scratches, and inspect quality of the elastic band as well as any foam padding.
- Clothing – Gather baselayers, underlayers, and outerwear. Look for holes, wear, and tear. Wash any clothing that may need laundering. Checking waterproofing is an important part of ski gear prep. If water soaks into waterproof jackets or pants that have a durable water repellant (DWR) finish, now’s the time to refresh your waterproofing. Use these tips from REI to revive and apply new DWR so that it’s ready for early-season snow.
- Skis – Check the edges of skis or snowboards for burrs or rust, and inspect the base for scratches, gouges, or streaks. If the wax looks dry and chalky, make sure that waxing is a part of your ski gear prep plan. Likely, you’ll need a fresh wax no matter what, as early-season conditions are different from spring skiing conditions and temperatures. Best-case scenario: Come in to Vista Bahn Ski Rentals (VBSR) for a full tune: VBSR ski and snowboard tuning and repair services.
- Bindings – Carefully inspecting bindings is an essential part of ski gear prep. Make sure the binding engages and releases properly. If you are unsure, bring skis into VBSR for a professional assessment.
- Boots – Check buckles, liners, and soles for damage or degradation.
- Accessories – Locate boot warmers and chargers if you use them. Gather ski poles, gloves, mittens, neck gaiters, new hand warmers, sunglasses, and other accessories for a full ski gear prep assessment.
Vail Ski Gear Prep: Quick Organization Tips
Now that you’ve gotten a head start in the area of ski gear prep, take your effort a step further by establishing a gear organization system so that you’re ready to go skiing or snowboarding on a moment’s notice.
Take a checklist approach: Make a checklist of head-to-toe gear and accessories required for various skiing and snowboarding activities. Have an on-mountain checklist and a separate backcountry checklist, for example. Quickly scan the appropriate list before leaving home to protect your safety and to avoid the hassle of forgotten gear.
Create a dedicated gear space: Carve out some space in your home or garage where you can store and organize gear. Consider hanging skis on a dedicated storage rack, and add hooks where needed for poles and other accessories.
Label bins and drawers: Tame unruly accessories when you’re putting time into ski gear prep. Stack labeled storage bins in your dedicated gear space, or label drawers in your wardrobe or closet. Keep ski gear and ski accessories separate from other gear to gather it more quickly. Keep ski socks separate from hiking socks, for example, so that they’re easier to identify, grab, and go.
Secure a Vail ski locker: The Vail ski storage lockers and bins located at Vista Bahn Ski Rentals are just steps away from Gondola One, so it’s easy to keep gear all in one place. When you keep your equipment in a ski locker, ski gear prep is a breeze. Plus you’ll be close to our in-house ski tuning and repair services. And if you’re coming to Vail from out of town, you can always rely on VBSR’s Vail ski rentals to meet your needs for high quality equipment. Make the process even easier, and reserve ski rentals in advance so that your gear is ready for the slopes when you are.
