Your packing guide to a winter season

A well-thought-through packing list is important! and before you leave for your adventure, the considerations of what to bring will naturally arise. You might already have had thoughts like “what equipment should I bring? How much clothing do I need and what kind of clothes? ”.

We have been in the same situation ourselves, and therefore we have gathered our common tips and experiences in this guide for you and your upcoming season. “your welcome”.

The best advice before you pack

The golden rule in relation to your packing and the best advice before reading further is, always keep in mind, not to pack too much.

From experience, you always have access to a washing machine, and we experience that you often use the same clothes several times. (therefore a strong deodorant can be a good supplement, instead of loads of clothes)

How much can you bring?

Four factors that are important to consider, when you are wondering, how much you can bring:

• What kind of transportation will bring you to your destination?
  How much you may bring in terms of weight depends on, whether you go by bus or plane, for example. You can always check how much is allowed on the website of whom you are traveling with.

• Which airline you fly with if you fly to your destination?
  The airline you travel with has rules for how much luggage you may carry on your trip. You can check this out on the airline’s website. From experience, many things are often bought at the destination during a season. Therefore, it´s a good idea to pack light, so you can bring something home too, without exceeding the weight rules. When you travel to your destination, regardless of your transport, you have the opportunity to bring a suitcase, ski luggage and cabin / hand luggage.

• How much space is there in your coming home?
  How much space there is in your coming home for the winter, determine how much space you have for your private things. It is very different how you are accommodated and how many people you live together in an apartment or a house. It is very common to share a room with other instructors. But it’s really fun. For example, it is very normal to stay 3 instructors together in a room, and therefore it is important to pack in a bag that does not take up all your space and can easily be hidden away under the bed.

• Is the instructor course at your final destination or do you have to travel further after the course?
  This is a great point! Because you are the only one who must remember and carry all of your luggage yourself. From experience, it’s just really impractical to have too many things to keep track of.

What destination are you going to?

Which destination you go to also has an impact on how you should pack and how long your packing list will be. It is a good idea to research before departure on how the climate and culture are at your upcoming destination.

For example, you can explore:

• How is the weather and climate in general?
  The climate of your destination has a huge influence, on what kind of clothes and accessories you need to bring. The climate in Canada for example, is colder and less sunny, compared to for example, Austria. If it can get colder than -30 ° C regularly at your destination, it is important that you invest in some warm materials, such as merino wool. If, on the other hand, you are going to Austria (and depending on how litter you are), you should also pack some lighter materials, and remember sunglasses. Are you thinking of traveling further after your season, e.g. on our Hawaii trip, you should also consider summer clothes and swimwear. In this case you can pack the summery clothes from home, or you can buy something new on your way or get your family to send it to you. In a case where you want to travel further after the season, it is especially important that you find a good solution that suits you, but where your packing list still does not get too long.

• Where and how am I going to live?
  Before departure, it is important to check whether you need to bring bed linen and towels. From experience, previous instructors in Canada for example, have found that some accommodations have used very thin blankets instead of duvets. This depends on where and how you are going to live. If you are in doubt and want the best conditions for your season, you can always contact Snowminds and talk once you have found out your destination.

• Are there any cultural factors you need to take into account?’
  You need to have an understanding of the culture within your coming destination. It is in order to familiarize yourself with their values, forms of expression and norms. It gives you a huge head start, in terms of avoiding miscommunication and in relation to you packaging, previous instructors in Japan for example, have experienced that flip flops have been an absolute must. The culture in Japan is to take off your shoes when you step inside, and often due to cold floors, flip flops are a must!

Which documents are important?

Visa

Your destination determines whether or not you need to apply for a visa.

Destinations that require a visa:

•     Japan, Canada, Australia, USA, Africa, New Zealand, Switzerland og Argentina.

Visas can be a complicated and a long process, luckily Snowminds will help you through each step and is happy to answer your questions.

Insurance! (Very important)

We do not advise anyone to go without having a good insurance!

Therefore, make sure that you have a travel insurance, that covers you throughout your stay. While you are at work, you are typically covered by a work insurance policy by the ski school. However, it is important that you have a travel insurance that covers you during the course, in your spare time and if you feel like traveling around afterwards.

International driving license

If you want to make sure you can drive a car during your season, you must have an international driving license.

How to? Go down to your local citizen service with a passport photo and your driving license, and they will give you an international driving license. Remember your “normal” driving license when you travel, as you must have both your “normal” and the international with you, for the international to be valid.

THE PACKINGS LIST