Preparing for ski holiday? What's needed?

arleitiss

Hey, so I am going for first winter holiday this year and I have couple of questions.

1) I don't have any proper winter clothing or anything, can you suggest any shops in Dublin that specialize in this kind of stuff?
(I love style and color themes, so shop with wide variety of choice would be great, I would love to browse and pick trousers, jackets, gloves, goggles, hats etc..)

2) Is it okay to have lightweight backpack on your back while skiing/snowboarding? Like for water bottle, some snack maybe etc.. ?

3) Any tips how to avoid breaking phone screen if you fall? Any suggestion for case or your own experience from avoiding phone breaking? I would like to have it on me just in case (HTC M8)

4) I am going to Val Thorens via UCPA, everything is already reserved and paid. How much cash would I need? Would 1000-1500 Euro be enough for a week?

5) Any other suggestions what to bring?


Thank You

Timmaay

You won't need 1500e cash staying with the UCPA, unless you're chugging a 200e bottle of wine every night ha.

salmocab

Thats plenty of cash.
Go to TK max for gear they generally have a good selection of stuff for reasonable enough prices, you need a decent jacket and trousers plus as said some layers, light fleece etc.

Rew

arleitiss wrote: »

Hey, so I am going for first winter holiday this year and I have couple of questions.

1) I don't have any proper winter clothing or anything, can you suggest any shops in Dublin that specialize in this kind of stuff?
(I love style and colour themes, so shop with wide variety of choice would be great, I would love to browse and pick trousers, jackets, gloves, goggles, hats etc..)

In the City Centre:
Great Outdoors
TK Maxx
Trespass

Dundum/Carrickmines:
Snow and Rock
53 Degrees North

Kildare Outlets:
Tog 24
North Face

The majority of my stuff I have built up over time from TK Maxx, Great Outdoors and 53 Degrees North. TK Maxx changes stock regularly repeat visits tends to be needed to get results. Quality of the stuff in there varies from budget to top quality so you may want to google bands to identify the better stuff.

Your going to need:
6 x decent ski socks (thin socks not thick ones)
1 x ski jacket (try get one with a ski pass pocket on the sleeve)
1 x ski pants (some people bring 2)
6 x proper ski base layers/Long sleeve cotton tops/T-shirts (Based on budget)
2/3 x Mid layers (light fleece/micro fleece)
1 x gloves (warm good quality ski gloves)
1 x warm hat
1 x goggles (with a double lens to stop fogging)
1 x sun glasses

2) Is it okay to have lightweight backpack on your back while skiing/snowboarding? Like for water bottle, some snack maybe etc.. ?

Someone was asking about that here

3) Any tips how to avoid breaking phone screen if you fall? Any suggestion for case or your own experience from avoiding phone breaking? I would like to have it on me just in case (HTC M8)

I keep mine in breast pocket screen facing in and despite many falls never come close to doing any damage to it. I always use griffin survivor or Otter box cases on my phones all the time.

4) I am going to Val Thorens via UCPA, everything is already reserved and paid. How much cash would I need? Would 1000-1500 Euro be enough for a week?

Use the ATM over there. Budget per day:
Breakfast (if not included) €10-15
Lunch €20-25
Misc coffee etc €10
Dinner €25-35
Booze up to you :-)

Def don't have masses of cash, ski resort attract a certain amount of petty crime. Friend of mine had his backpack stolen in the 3 Valleys a couple of years ago, took his eye off it while having a coffee.

5) Any other suggestions what to bring?

ibuprofen for sore muscles and head (its an anti inflammatory so good for helping muscles heal not just getting rid of pain)
A neck warmer, great outdoors (and others) do ones that are part fleece part cotton. You can pull them up over your mouth if its really cold

Make sure you rent a helmet.

CJhaughey

Ensure that your travel insurance covers winter sports and medical cover.
I had first hand experience of this last year and was damn glad to have it.

Timmaay

Rew wrote: »

ibuprofen for sore muscles and head (its an anti inflammatory so good for helping muscles heal not just getting rid of pain)

Huge +1 to this haha, saved my holiday last year after I badly pulled my MCL (defo didn't tear it but f*uk me it was sore ha). Arnica cream great for helping to being out bruising (which you'll have loads of if you snowboard ha). In fairness I was able to get both over there, but prb cheaper here.

Rew

Timmaay wrote: »

Huge +1 to this haha, saved my holiday last year after I badly pulled my MCL (defo didn't tear it but f*uk me it was sore ha). Arnica cream great for helping to being out bruising (which you'll have loads of if you snowboard ha). In fairness I was able to get both over there, but prb cheaper here.

Big fan of Difene if you can get a prescription, fixed me up more times then I can remember. One thing to watch out for with ibuprofen is its a mild blood thinner so if you get a bad bang, especially to the head, you shouldn't take it as it could make any internal bleeding worse. I keep anti-inflammatory tablets in my bag so that I can get them into me ASAP if I do twist anything.

There are some good anti-infamatory creams/gels you can get over the counter as well. Very handy to help salvage the trip if you pull something.

You can def get ibuprofen over the counter in France and I think Austria as well.

stecleary

Biofreeze is an other handy one to bring with you, my back and shoulders is a little fussy about beds so always bring some away. Handier than gels as you just say it and it drys in seconds

AlternateID

stecleary wrote: »

Biofreeze is an other handy one to bring with you, my back and shoulders is a little fussy about beds so always bring some away. Handier than gels as you just say it and it drys in seconds

yep been using that one for years. Shoulders and neck for me from my many falls snowboarding.

First trip away always try to borrow as much as possible.

keithclancy

So we've booked a trip to Flachau in Austria and I've been taking lessons snowboarding.

So far I have a Jacket and Trousers picked up in TK Maxx

Also will pickup the other gear. (Thermals, socks, Helmet etc)

After my lessons my backside and my knees are killing me from falls, also had a pretty hard fall on my wrist so I'm thinking of knee, ass and wrist protection also)

Any one have any advice or recommendations on this ?

Thinking of something like these:
http://www.amazon.de/dp/B00GTNWPDC

And also some gloves (I'm going to splash out a bit on the gloves, if riding a motorbike taught me anything its bad gloves = bad time)

http://www.amazon.de/dp/B002BBJUEI

AlternateID

keithclancy wrote: »

So we've booked a trip to Flachau in Austria and I've been taking lessons snowboarding.

So far I have a Jacket and Trousers picked up in TK Maxx

Also will pickup the other gear. (Thermals, socks, Helmet etc)

After my lessons my backside and my knees are killing me from falls, also had a pretty hard fall on my wrist so I'm thinking of knee, ass and wrist protection also)

Any one have any advice or recommendations on this ?

Thinking of something like these:
http://www.amazon.de/dp/B00GTNWPDC

And also some gloves (I'm going to splash out a bit on the gloves, if riding a motorbike taught me anything its bad gloves = bad time)

http://www.amazon.de/dp/B002BBJUEI

That stuff looks crazy buuuutttt any protection is better than none. My impact shorts were between €25 and €35. Nothing remarkable about them. Padding in all the right places. My knee pads cost a bit more. I use Dainese knee pads I got some years ago now. They probably cost twice as must as the shorts.

When it comes to gloves I'd advise you buy waterproof but cheap. You'll burn holes in your gloves falling and putting your hands down until you get better. I must of burnt holes in 2 pairs. I even snapped a wrist protector in another pair. Falling is a big part of learning.

I've a pair of the level gloves with biomex protectors. Warm and comfortable. Haven't used them in a while though. I should dig them out.

arleitiss

Well, I am back from holiday.


Not much to say except that I am going back next year at around same time. (With UCPA again, 10/10 organization)

Timmaay

arleitiss wrote: »

Well, I am back from holiday.


Not much to say except that I am going back next year at around same time. (With UCPA again, 10/10 organization)

Where did ya head, how was the snow?

arleitiss

Timmaay wrote: »

Where did ya head, how was the snow?

Val Thorens.

It's my first time so I am not really snow expert

But there was lots, mornings were quite icy though.
I made massive mistake by not going to one of those ski/snowboard practice places in Dublin as some guys suggested I do before holiday.

Unfortunetely I twisted my ankle on 4th day and was unable to continue, I did however enjoy doing other activities such as snowmobiling.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VnQiC8Xlio


I'll admit - I was unfit for it, next time I am definetely getting more prepared for it, I liked it and I wont stop learning to snowboard, it's very fun although much harder than I thought (I guess because when I was 6, I did it once, it seemed easy, now I am grown up).


Honestly, this is best holiday I ever had.

olaola

Just FYI, Decathlon now sell online to Ireland: www.decathlon.ie

AlternateID

olaola wrote: »

Just FYI, Decathlon now sell online to Ireland: www.decathlon.ie

They need to really find some stock. I see two brand names. Wed'ze and Rossignol. Or maybe that's all they'll ship to Ireland.

arleitiss

I decided to book holiday again for February to same place.
Except this time I will take lessons in Dublin as well to at least improve my balance (My main problem was getting panic attack when I speed up on board, then starting to shake and falling), will also rent car this time as transfers was the biggest pain in the ass.

olaola

AlternateID wrote: »

They need to really find some stock. I see two brand names. Wed'ze and Rossignol. Or maybe that's all they'll ship to Ireland.

They've Columbia, Salomon & Quechua too. Prob more in store if you wanted to head up to Belfast.

cormee

arleitiss wrote: »

I decided to book holiday again for February to same place.
Except this time I will take lessons in Dublin as well to at least improve my balance (My main problem was getting panic attack when I speed up on board, then starting to shake and falling), will also rent car this time as transfers was the biggest pain in the ass.

Don't force it, you'll speed up naturally, forcing it will cause errors and set you back. Also, try going down a slope grade, ie. Spend time on reds, then move down to a blue, or blue to green, etc. A good board makes a pretty big difference too - less chattering, and more stability, at speed.