The Best Skiing Essentials For Your Car

Going Skiing (or snowboarding, if that’s your jam) takes a lot more than just the gear you need on the mountain. With resort prices soaring lots of folks are resorting (get it?) to making their cars their primary base camp while on the mountain. That means you’ll want lots of the comforts of the lodge in your car, in addition to your gear. Today, we’ll take a look at all the skiing (or snowboarding) essentials you’ll need for your car this season.

First and foremost, you should always keep some safety essentials in your car. Trips to ski slopes often involve covering snowy and icy terrain, sometimes in the dark. We like to keep a good shovel (this super-strong folding SOG one, for instance) and a first aid kit for emergencies.

Speaking of essentials, packing a lunch is a must with pricey resort food off the menu. Ironically enough, you’ll want a cooler to keep in the car until lunchtime. Coleman’s Chiller Series 30-quart cooler (or any cooler, for that matter) will insulate your food, keeping it from getting too cold while also keeping things fresh. It’s good for keeping things cool all day. Hot drinks are another nicety when you’re not taking advantage of ski resort luxuries. We like to bring an MSR Pocket Rocket 2 and some disposable cups along to make coffee and other hot drinks. The MSR boils water in just minutes using compact 110-gram fuel cartridges and weighs just 2.6 ounces.

Food and drinks aside, it’s also worth having somewhere to put on and take off gear- supposing you don’t like doing that inside your car. If that is the case, a nice set of floor mats from WeatherTech will securely cover the sides and floor of your car, keeping dirty gear and shoes from staining your carpet. These are also measured by laser for custom fit in thousands of vehicles, so there’s no need to worry about gaps in coverage. The brand also sells trunk liners if you need them as well. Otherwise, these portable tripod chairs made by TravelChair are great for having a place to sit while eating lunch or putting on ski boots. Plus, they store super small, guaranteeing you’ll never have to worry about fitting them places.

Speaking of fitting things places, it may be worth looking into a roof rack system. You can find a set of cross bars from a number of reputable brands, like Yakima, for relatively cheap just about anywhere. From there, the sky’s the limit. You can add mounts for skis and boards up top, or a roof box to store the aforementioned supplies. Or, if your car is big enough, you can even do both. Either way, Yakima’s Powder Hound rack fist up to 6 pairs of skis or four boards, and the clamp design will fit a variety of cross bars, so there’s no worrying about compatibility. On top of that, the PowderHound features locking endcaps, so your gear can be left on the roof in confidence.

If you’d rather go the roof box route, Thule has you covered there too. The brand’s Force Rooftop Cargo Box can be had in several sizes, ranging from Sport (small), to XX-Large, and will fit a variety of roof bars with up to an extra 16 cubic feet of locking cabin space. We’re fans of the quick-mount system, which emits an audible click once the box is securely mounted. Bearing these items in mind, there’s no reason skiers can’t skip the pricey resort stay this year and “rough” it in the parking lot. Only, you’ll really be comfy and saving money at the same time.