Well Prepared on the Road With This Extensive Touring Ski Packing List

They have been around for thousands of years: skis. The ski lift has only existed for decades. Before that time, people walked up the mountain with their skis. No marked and groomed slopes, but a pure mountain landscape where you could go and stand with your skis and, above all, ski where you wanted.

Due to the ski lift’s arrival, this way of skiing was not used much for a while. But that is increasingly changing due to the phenomenon of ski touring. Ski touring combines ( off-piste ) skiing with mountaineering and mountain hiking. You don’t just do that. You have to learn it first and you need a lot of materials. For the latter, we present the touring ski packing list here.

Safety First

Off-piste skiing is not without risk. There is a chance of avalanches and snow slides, which the off-piste skier often causes. So make sure you have a dose of knowledge and experience concerning avalanche science and that you keep a close eye on the avalanche reports.

It would help if you had at least an avalanche transceiver, shovel, and probe in terms of material. An avalanche airbag in your backpack can also be very useful.

Different Than Usual

The difference with regular skiing is that you need more and lighter materials for ski touring. You have to do all the work yourself and every extra gram you carry weighs even heavier in the mountains. You use special skis and boots to walk up as smoothly as possible.

The skis are a bit shorter and lighter than regular skis so that you can make the turns more easily. Not only during the descent but also during the zigzagging ascent. You attach climbing skins under your skis.

They ensure that you do not slip backward. The shoes are light and you can only click into your binding at the front so that your heel can move freely. You can find more supplies on the touring ski packing list:

Touring Ski Packing List

• Map with touring ski routes (and game rest areas). Preferably 1:25,000/1:50,000
• Compass, GPS and possibly an altimeter
• Avalanche transceiver
• 3 spare batteries size AAA (for your avalanche transceiver)
• Probe (min. 240 cm)
• Avalanche shovel (made of metal/aluminum and preferably with a straight top of the blade so that you can put your shoe on it.)
• Mountaineering backpack (includes ski attachment on the side so that you can tie the skis to your backpack)
• Touring skis, including touring bindings and ski stoppers
• Rise skins
• Wax (to prevent clumps of snow from sticking to your skis)
• Touring ski boots
• ski poles
• resin irons
• hat or headband
• ski helmet
• ski goggles
• Sunglasses (min. category 3 or 4)
• Bivouac bag (preferably in a bright color, so you can also use it as a warning blanket)
• (touring) ski pants (preferably a hardshell that you put on in layers. In any case, windproof and quick-drying)
• Jacket (also here a hardshell is ideal, but in any case breathable and wind and waterproof)
• Vest (a good softshell that you can use as the bottom layer of your hardshell)
• Insulating jacket (Primaloft/down is ideal)
• ski socks
• Thermo pants and shirt
• Warm gloves or mittens (wind and waterproof)
• Under gloves
• Balaclava (for when it is cold or snowing)
• Water bag (insulated!) or thermos flask (minimum 1 liter)
• Bouillon cubes (nice with hot water in the thermos. For when you can use some salt)
• Energy bars (to give yourself some strength after a long climb)
• Sunscreen (factor 50 is recommended! Sweat, sun and snow are success numbers for sunburn)
• first aid kit
• blister plasters
• Headlight (for when it gets dark early and you are still somewhere on the mountain)
• Duct tape (always handy if a part comes loose in the middle of a mountain)
• Pocket knife
• Camera / GoPro
• power bank

When You Sleep in a Cabin

• Sheet bag or sleeping bag and pillowcase
• Towel and washcloth
• Slippers (often you are not allowed to keep your shoes on in a mountain hut)
• Earplugs (you want to have them with you if you sleep with several people in a room)
• Book (relaxing without WiFi)
• Cash (in most cabins, you can’t pin)

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