You love ski touring and can’t wait for your next adventure in the mountains? We feel you! But be honest: Do you really know what to bring on ski touring trips? Or has it happened to you before that you forgot an essential item at home or worked up a sweat lugging around stuff you didn’t really need?
To make your next ski tour even more enjoyable, we have compiled the ultimate kit list for ski tourers. Together with the mountain experts of Mammut we thought long and hard about what items are absolutely crucial for making your trip to the mountains a success. From the right clothing to safety equipment – here’s our checklist for ski touring!
The ultimate kit list for backcountry trips
Skis, climbing skins and a few snacks? If you think that’s all you need for a ski tour, you’ve probably never gone on one before. Because it takes a bit more for you to stay comfortable and safe in the mountains! Of course, we don’t want you to carry around half your household, but there are some things you should never go without.
Because remember: Although ski touring is a truly amazing sport, it also comes with special demands and certain risks. So be sure to pack the following standard set of ski touring equipment!
Gear
This one’s a bit of a no-brainer: If you intend to hit the backcountry, you need the right kind of equipment. After all, you will have considerable trouble skinning uphill with ordinary all-mountain skis.
A basic ski touring set consists of:
- touring skis or a splitboard
- boots
- climbing skins
- poles
Clothing
Conditions can change quickly in the mountains, and you won’t be able to enjoy even the most amazing ski tour when you’re cold. What’s more, challenging ascents will often leave you hot and sweaty, while the wind can be freezing on the way down. The key to staying comfortable? Dressing in layers!
What you will need:
- base layer: technical underwear made from merino wool or synthetic fibres
- mid-layer: a softshell or multisport jacket and ski touring trousers, e.g. Mammut’s Ultimate VII SO Hooded Jacket and Taiss SO Pants
- shell layer: a windproof hardshell jacket, e.g. Mammut’s Haldigrat HS Hooded Jacket (depending on the weather, you might only need it for the descent)
- accessories: gloves, headwear, sunglasses
Don’t forget: It’s important to change out of your sweaty clothes when you reach the summit. Be sure to bring a set of spares!
Safety equipment
Untouched landscapes and pristine powder descents: Ski touring lets you experience the mountains from their most breathtaking side. However, venturing off the groomed slopes also comes with certain risks such as avalanches.
Important: Never go on a ski tour without the necessary safety equipment! No matter how short or easy the route, a standard set of avalanche equipment can save lives.
Make sure to bring the following avalanche equipment:
Optionally, you might want to consider bringing an avalanche airbag. In case of an avalanche, it creates buoyancy and helps to decrease burial depth.
Safety tip: Always wear your avalanche transceiver close to your upper body – the closer, the better! Make sure that is switched on and set to “send”.
Other things to pack
For an average one-day ski tour, you will need a backpack with a capacity of about 30 litres. There are also special ski touring backpacks that have safety equipment compartments, ski attachment options and other handy features.
What to bring in your backpack:
- a fully charged mobile phone
- a first-aid kit
- sun protection
- a multi-purpose tool and tape for small repairs
- a headlamp
- a bivvy bag
- plenty of water or tea
- snacks such as sandwiches, cereal bars, fruit, nuts or energy gels
INTERSPORT Rent tip
Are you all set for your next backcountry tour, or do you still lack some ski touring essentials from our checklist? At INTERSPORT, we offer a large selection of ski touring equipment for rent at a great price. Whether it’s a pair of touring skis or poles: Our RENTertainers at more than 800 locations across Europe and Canada will be happy to kit you out for your next mountain adventure.
