Buy or Rent Ski Gear for Your First Trip? Three Tiers to Copy
First-timers are always lost here: there’s so much gear, do I have to buy it all? I’m only skiing a few days this year, I don’t know if I’ll do it again, I don’t understand any of it, and what if I buy the wrong thing? I’ve been asked this countless times, so here’s the answer once and for all. The short version: sort yourself by how often you plan to ride, into three tiers.
Clothing first: buy anything that touches your skin
From the inside out: base layer, ski socks, mid layer (fleece or a down liner), outer jacket and pants, gloves, neck warmer. Apart from the outer layer, buy all of it. It’s next to your skin, it’s inexpensive, and you’ll wear it outdoors even if you never ski again. Use a mid layer you already own, and a hardshell rain jacket works fine if you don’t want to buy a ski jacket.
One important warning about the base layer: never substitute ordinary thermal underwear. Beginners sweat, guaranteed. Thermals trap that sweat against your skin, it pulls heat away, you get colder and colder, and it’s the easiest way to get sick on a ski trip.
Equipment: it depends how often you’ll ride
Equipment means helmet, goggles, tailbone and wrist protection, boots, board or skis, bindings, plus poles for skiers.
- Just trying it once? Rent everything.
- Likely to ride a few days every year? Buy your own protection, boots, helmet and goggles. Protection and boots are next to your body and rentals don’t always fit well. Your own helmet and goggles are better quality and more reassuring.
- Sure you’re hooked? Time to buy the big three: boots, board or skis, and bindings. As a beginner, buy soft versions of all three for comfort and forgiveness. The rule is simple: the better and faster you get, the more load the gear takes and the stiffer it needs to be, but stiffer also means less comfortable. Don’t rush into stiff gear.
Three tiers, copy and paste
| Tier | Bring your own | Rent |
|---|---|---|
| Trial | Base layer, socks, gloves, neck warmer, mid layer | Outerwear, helmet, goggles, protection, boots, board or skis, bindings, poles |
| Once a year | The above, plus protection, boots, helmet, goggles | Outerwear, board or skis, bindings, poles |
| Committed | The above, plus boots, board or skis, bindings | Almost nothing |
If you’re staying in the Niseko area, you can book rental gear through us and we deliver it to your hotel for free, no queueing. See lessons and rental prices.
The honest way to save money
Skiing has a reputation for being expensive, so here’s a trick: when you buy the big items, buy good gear from major brands. When you stop riding or want an upgrade, the old kit sells on second-hand marketplaces for at least half of what you paid, because big brands hold their value. That’s exactly what I do. On an instructor’s salary there’s no other way to afford this sport.
In the end, spend what suits you.
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