• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Before Header

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Traveling Dad

TravelingMom

Traveling tips, deals, info from moms and families

  • Destinations
  • Disney
    • Disneyland
    • Disney World
    • Disney Worldwide
    • Disney Cruise
  • Tips & Products
  • Free Fun
  • About Us
    • Our Writers
    • Ask a Traveling Mom
  • Search

Mobile Menu

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Destinations
  • Disney
    • Disneyland
    • Disney World
    • Disney Worldwide
    • Disney Cruise
  • Tips & Products
  • Free Fun
  • About Us
    • Our Writers
    • Ask a Traveling Mom
  • Search
  • Traveling Dad
  • Media Kit
  • Write for TravelingMom
  • TMOM Travel Writers
  • Ask Us!
  • Privacy & Terms
  • Site Admin
Home » Blog » Travel Tips » Rent Ski Gear and Clothing to Pack Light
renting ski gear
Renting ski gear and clothing lets you pack light and travel smoothly. Photo credit: Shannon Entin

Rent Ski Gear and Clothing to Pack Light

April 1, 2014 //  by Shannon Entin//  3 Comments

FacebookTweetPinLinkedIn
renting ski gear
Renting ski gear and clothing lets you pack light and travel smoothly.
Photo credit: Shannon Entin

When it comes to a ski vacation, packing light can seem nearly impossible. Even if you rent skis/boards and boots at your destination, ski jackets, pants, helmets, and goggles for the family can fill up an entire suitcase with their bulkiness. Renting ski gear and clothing is a smart way to travel light.

I pride myself on packing light. My family of four spent six days in Orlando and I packed just one carry-on suitcase and  three backpack-type bags. But for our road trip to ski in Lake Tahoe, Calif., our car was filled to overflowing. Packing that much stuff into the car was dangerous, as it impeded our rear view.

over-packed car
A packed-to-the-brim car can impede the driver’s view and cause safety issues.
Photo credit: Shannon Entin

During our visit to Lake Tahoe, I realized that rental shops offer the option to rent jackets, snow pants, goggles, gloves and helmets. This isn’t common on the East coast (though not unheard of), so I was intrigued. I talked with Lindsay Thayer of Tahoe Dave’s Skis & Boards, who offered this list of reasons why renting clothing is a wise idea for vacationers:

  • If you only ski/snowboard once a year and are from somewhere warm where you don’t need cold weather gear, it’s cheaper than buying and less of a hassle to travel without it.
  • It’s your first time skiing and you don’t own any gear yet.
  • Your child is growing and you’re not ready to invest in gear they’ll just grow out of.
  • You forgot an item and instead of investing in new, you can simply rent.
  • The airline lost your luggage and you need something to get you through until your gear arrives.
ski gear and clothing rentals
A good ski shop offers much more than ski, board, and boot rentals.
Photo credit: Shannon Entin

There are other occasions when renting cold-weather gear can be really useful. Maybe you don’t ski, but you want to go snowmobiling, or showshoeing, for a couple of hours or the kids want to sled or play in the snow. Is it really worth it to pack snow clothing if you’ll only want to use it for a few hours? Renting is the way to go.

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

According to Lindsay, all the jackets and pants at Tahoe Dave’s are high-quality and have Gortex, making them much more waterproof than those jeans! Upon return, every item gets washed thoroughly with Nikwax Techwash, which maintains the waterproofing.

Next time you’re headed to a cold-weather location for vacation, whether it’s skiing, snowmobiling, or just enjoying the mountain scenery, find out what’s available for rent. It could save you time, money, and lots of packing hassles.

FacebookTweetPinLinkedIn

Category: Travel TipsTag: California, Lake Tahoe, outdoors, ski resorts, travel tips, winter

You May Also Like

  • Family fun can start with free lift tickets when you read about where Kids Ski Free!
    13 Absolutely Essential Ski Items to Pack
  • What does ski in/ ski out mean?
    What Does Ski In / Ski Out Mean?
  • Here are the best family ski resorts for 2018-2019, TravelingMom approved.
    Best Family Ski Resorts for the 2018-2019 Ski Season
  • Family friendly ski resorts in Colorado - Choosing a family ski resort
    7 Tips for Choosing a Family Friendly Ski Resort
  • Family-friendly skiing without crowds at Red River Ski Area in New Mexico
    Crowd-Free Red River Ski Area
  • There are plenty of opportunities for kids to ski free in Colorado!
    The Ultimate Family Ski Trip Packing List
Shannon Entin

About Shannon Entin

Shannon Entin is a New Jersey-based travel and entertainment writer who grew up under the impression that the highest form of family fun was driving aimlessly to get to anywhere. Today, Shannon takes her own family on extended driving adventures, criss-crossing America from the Jersey Shore to San Francisco Bay, Niagara Falls to Gulf Shores, Alabama, and more, always ready to veer off the interstate to investigate a quirky attraction, sample a local delicacy, or seek out a movie filming location.

View Shannon's Posts

Previous Post: «Free and cheap things to do in Oahu Hawaii - watch the sunset. 27 Free (Or Really Cheap) Things to Do on Oahu Hawaii
Next Post: A Cozy Family Friendly Motel on Kings Bay in Crystal River, Florida »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lynn

    April 1, 2014 at 7:31 am

    Hi, The other thing we did once my kids owned equipment, was to ship the equipment, helmets, various other cold weather gear to the destination, and have a return UPS label and packing tape w/ me in my carry-on. Then, all ready to ship in same box back home. So easy w/ some advance planning, and then just carry-ons for all, and no waiting at baggage carousel for the large items.

    Reply
  2. Leah

    April 1, 2014 at 12:12 pm

    Hi Shannon,
    This is a great suggestion, even if you don’t have kids! I find my car trips and getting squishier and squishier with everyone’s gear. Helmets especially take up a lot of room. Thanks!

    Reply
  3. James

    December 15, 2015 at 4:41 pm

    Thanks for this great post! I actually also built a buy vs. rent calculator to help folks understand the financial worth of buying: http://www.lastmingear.com/protips/buy_vs_rent.

    If you’re departing from San Francisco area, you can also rent from http://www.lastmingear.com. The good thing about Last Minute Gear is that you can rent up to 1 hour before your departure, so… good for last minute needs! Also that way you avoid the issue of getting to Tahoe, and finding out one of the few stores that do clothing rentals have run out =)

    Reply
  4. Advertisements

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Yes, Sign Me Up Now!

Free Disneyland ebook!

Trending Posts

Walt Disney World Free
2797

How to Score Free Stuff at Disney World to Save Money!

Scanning your MagicBand to access your Fastpass+ selection is simple for even the youngest guest.
1094

Everything You Need to Know About FastPass+ at Disney World

Disney pin trading tips
919

5 Helpful Tips for Pin Trading at Walt Disney World

Explore 7 California National Park Sites within 4 hours of Los Angeles. With redwood trees, tide pools, and deserts, the parks offer nature at its best.
667

7 National Parks a Road Trip Away from LA

The medieval walled city of Dubrovnik, Croatia is a stunning filming location for Game of Thrones.
463

Dubrovnik, Croatia – Beautiful Location of Game of Thrones

  • Media Kit
  • Write for TravelingMom
  • TMOM Travel Writers
  • Ask Us!
  • Privacy & Terms
  • Site Admin

Copyright © 2019 Traveling Mom · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc.