A recent story in the NY Times tackles the stressful, overwhelming experience of packing for a family ski trip--which usually occurs when mom and dad are in a frenzied state trying to hit the road on Friday afternoon before traffic gets too bad.Bill Pennington, who claims to have performed the pack/unpack/pack operation maybe 150 times with his wife and three kids, offers up a handful of tips. I read this story with great interest since our family is planning to go to the snow several times this winter.
Here are few tips pulled from Pennington's article.
- Train each person to be responsible for his snow gear. Give each member of the family a bag for their ski clothes and a list of what they need to bring: boots, hat, goggles, gloves, sunglasses, helmet, and so on. "The key to this is getting young children — and doddering adults — accustomed to the idea that all the ski/snowboard-specific items go in this one bag," Pennington advises. (I have always packed for my kids who are now ages 5 and 6, but when we head for the snow next weekend I'm going to put them on the task of packing their own gear. Creating a list seems like a tedious, time-intensive task but I'm willing to try. We'll see how it goes.)
- Rent equipment--boots, poles, and skis--before you leave so you avoid lines at the resort. (This seems like wise advice if you're down-hill skiing. The cross-country ski resorts typically don't have any lines.)
- Bring two sets of gloves "because the ones used for skiing might get wet and need to be dried by the radiator or fireplace. You will be happy to have additional warm gloves for walking around at night," Pennington writes. (We just spent nearly $200 on outfitting the kids in snow gear so I'm not sure I'm ready to pop for a second pair of gloves.)
- Stuff instant oatmeal in your suitcase. "With a dozen instant oatmeal packets, which cost about $4, you can feed the whole family a breakfast on Saturday morning and be on the slopes while everyone else is still ordering in the hotel restaurant," Pennington writes. "Use the coffee maker that probably comes with your room to heat up the water for the oatmeal, bring along some paper bowls and plastic spoons, and everyone gets a nice hot meal that will last until lunch....Yes, it’s not fine cuisine, but who cares if it means you get four runs on unoccupied trails before the hefty morning lift lines build." (This is one tip I definitely won't be following...instant oatmeal is the equivalent of wallpaper paste. It seems easy enough to set the alarm for 7 a.m. and eat a quick breakfast at the hotel, which in many cases is free and included in the rate, and then hit the slopes.)
5 comments:
THanks for this. I love to ski with my father. We always do this with my older bro.
Daniel, yea I can see what you did there. I actually liked that part, however hehe I'm not that harsh like my dad with these things. He all the time tells me loopy tales again within the day and calls me a loser. I suppose it is time I move out of my dad and mom' basement LOL. Aaanyways, what about you? what does your dad suppose xD" Anyway, in my language, there aren't much good source like this.
Sources like the one you talked about right here can be very useful to me! I'll put up a hyperlink to this web page on my blog. I'm positive my visitors will find that very useful. Massive thanks for the helpful info i found on Domain News Anyway, in my language, there will not be a lot good supply like this.
Resources just like the one you mentioned right here shall be very useful to me! I'll submit a link to this web page on my blog. I'm certain my visitors will discover that very useful. Big thanks for the useful info i discovered on Area News Anyway, in my language, there are not much good supply like this.
It was a very nice idea! Just wanna say thank you for the information you have shared. Just continue writing this kind of post. I will be your loyal reader. Thanks again.
Post a Comment