Ski Club / Packing List
Required of every family
What to pack for a Friday at Whitetail.
Skiing happens at night in February, so warm and waterproof beats fashionable every time. Work through this list with your child the night before, not the morning of.
Label everything. Every helmet, glove, bag, and jacket. Equipment looks alike and gets mixed up constantly — a name on the inside tag is the difference between a lost glove and a returned one.
Clothing
- Ski jacket
- Snow pants
- Base layers, top and bottom
- Warm ski socks — knee-high and non-cotton
- Waterproof gloves or mittens
- Neck warmer or scarf
- Hat for the bus and lodge
- Helmet — provided if renting
- Goggles — optional
Gear, if not renting
- Skis or snowboard
- Boots
- Poles, for skiers
In the backpack
- Water bottle
- Extra socks
- Extra gloves
- Small snack — optional, pizza and water are on the bus
- Any medication, handed to a chaperone
Leave at home
- Electronics, while skiing
- Valuables of any kind
These aren't prohibited, but they come at your own risk. The bus is locked between stops but isn't watched at all times, and we can't be responsible for lost or stolen items.
Three that parents underestimate
- Non-cotton socks. Cotton holds sweat, then freezes. One pair of proper ski socks does more for a child's evening than an extra layer anywhere else — and pack a spare for the ride home.
- A watch. If your child is free skiing between 7:00 and 8:00, they need to know the time without a phone. Being at the bus by 8:00 is on them.
- Goggles are only useful at night if it's actively snowing. Otherwise they cut visibility on a dark mountain. Check the forecast rather than packing them by default.
You do not need to own skis
Rentals are included in Whitetail's Slope Days package — skis or a snowboard, boots, and a helmet — so nothing on the gear list below needs buying to try the sport. Many of last season's students rented all five trips. Waterproof clothing matters far more than expensive clothing.
Where gear goes on a ski Friday
Students drop labeled ski gear at the Parish Hall in the morning, where it stays locked through the school day. At 2:15 dismissal, backpacks and school clothes go back into the Parish Hall and students change into their ski clothes before loading the bus.
Allergies or medication? Tell us in writing before the first trip, on the registration form or by email. Medication travels with a chaperone, not in a backpack on the mountain.