I've gotten a few questions about the gear bags to use on the trip. Here are my thoughts:
1. Gear Bag. As you know, there's no need to bring a ton of gear on the trip. 1 set of ski clothes, jeans & a fleece for dinners, workout pants & fleece for stretch & breakfast. There are laundry facilities @ the lodge to refresh anything if need be. (More on ski gear below). As such, no need for a giant, special gear bag. You check this bag with the airline, so watch the weight. I've found that my bag ends up weighing 40-45 lbs for a week-long trip. Be careful not to go over 50 lbs, as the airlines will charge you extra (beyond the regular bag fee) for the extra weight of this checked bag. Pic of my bag below.
2. Boot Bag. Yes, it's a good idea, and most everyone does, carry their boots with them as carry-on baggage on the plane. If the airline loses your gear bag, CMH and other guests can provide you with gear so you don't miss a day of skiing. However, if you lose your boots, you could be in a world of hurt with unfamiliar boots. So, carry them on. This is typically a bit of a challenge. If your plane is a 737, then fitting a boot bag into the overhead with both boots in the bag is very tight. If your plane is an Embraer Regional Jet, it's impossible. I usually end up taking one boot out of my boot bag and cramming it in the overhead next to my boot bag. Also, in my view there's no need for a special backpack-strapped boot bag (ala Transpack types) - you won't be carrying it very far and you can't pack much in it and have it fit in the overhead. As such, something easy and cheap is fine. Pic of the one I've used below (complete with wear & tear).
3. Backpack/Other Carry-on. As my second carry-on for computer, book for the flight, etc., I usually use a small backpack. Frankly, any bag that you usually use for this purpose is fine.
Here's the gear I've used on previous trips (thanks John P. for the tip on the tape measure):
A few more tips on gear:
4. Ski Gear. I usually bring/I recommend:
a. Ski Jacket & Pants. No need for super-special Gore-tex, etc. The regular jacket that you use for free skiing is fine. One set is fine, as a) there's no need to be a fashion statement & wear a different outfit every day and b) if the gear gets damaged with a small rip or the like you can repair with supplies from our sponsor Gear Aid!!
b. As for insulation, I usually bring a couple sets of long underwear. Thin to medium is fine. This enables me to wear a fresh set when the first gets sweaty and to double-up IF it's super cold. 2-3 sets of socks is good too, so that you don't have to do laundry every night. On top of that, a medium fleece (ala R2) or the like works well. As we discussed, there's no cold chairlift ride, so no need to bundle up for that - you finish each run and the heli is there shortly for the 5 minute ride to the next run. I sometimes bring a fleece vest or the like in case it's super cold & keep it in my backpack (see below).
c. There are 2 important points to point b, above. First, at the beginning of each day @ breakfast, the guides stand up and give us a weather report on where we'll be skiing that day, including foretasted temps, overcast, etc. Everyone uses this to plan their layers for the day. Second, CMH brings lunch to us each day in the field (sandwiches, hot tea & hot soup). They usually try to pick a spot in the sun, out of the wind, etc. But, given the light layers that we have on (per above), this can sometimes get a bit cool. So, 2 strategies: I sometimes pull out my vest from my backpack & put it on. Others store a down vest in their pack & put it on over their ski jacket. The latter is clearly the warmer. Your call. Frankly, most times I don' make any changes at all.
d. Helmet & goggles are obvious. A buff-type neck gaiter is also sometimes useful, and easily stored in a pocket until needed. Also, a small cloth to clean out the inside of the googles is sometimes helpful, especially for people like Dave Berry who fall a lot (just checking to see if you're still reading...).
e. Gloves. About 75% of people have gloves with some type of gaiter to keep the powder out. But, it's fine to ski with shorter gloves. Key is keeping the inside of the glove dry. People use a few techniques. First, I always treat the exterior of the glove with SnoSeal or NikWax or the like. Second, I usually take an extra pair of glove liners & if using them that day & if needed, can put in a fresh pair at lunch. Some people bring an extra pair of gloves in their small pack (see below), but I find this not necessary if you prep them properly.
f. Beacon. CMH provides a beacon that we must all use. It's a customized Barryvox. They check the batteries every night to keep 'em fresh. And the guide checks each person everyday before they let us board the helicopter.
g. Backpack. CMH provides a small backpack (appx. 15 liters) for each guest to use during the trip. It has a shovel, probe, extra ski straps & radio. There's enough room to store a small vest or fleece. You can bring your own pack if you like. The guides like them small & light weight, as they load & unload them a lot during the day. But, no real reason to bring a bunch of stuff; the CMH pack works fine. And no, we can't leave anything in the helicopter between runs. It all needs to be in your pack. Also note the implication here - no need to bring your own shovel, probe, beacon, etc. They provide all.
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