Travel tips: What to pack for your next ski vacation

Packing for a beach vacation is so simple. The less clothing, the more practical.

A trip to the snowy mountains, however, is a different beast entirely. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed—and go overboard—when trying to prepare for chilly conditions. Don’t let your winter vacation stress you out before you even hit the chair lift. Here’s how to pack for your next ski travel vacation.

Pack a quality, warm under-layer, including socks. This is more important than any other piece of clothing you pack. It doesn’t matter what you put on top if the fabric closest to your body gets wet and cold. Your under-layer will wick away sweat and keep your dry and warm. Find a variety of base layers at REI. Craft Active undershirt, $75, rei.com

Space-saving tip: Bring two sets of a full under-layers and hand-wash one each night, allowing a full day for it to dry while you wear the second under-layer. On that note, it’s great to pack hand-wash detergent, if your resort does not provide any.

Don’t waste space on a lot of clothing. Mountain towns tend to be casual, so leave your LBD at home. A single pair of jeans and a few nice sweaters will help you fit in just fine and get you into just about any ski-town restaurant or bar. After all, most travelers are here for the powder, not the fashion show. Banana Republic cropped cable-knit sweater, $55, bananarepublic.com

Pack a ski bag with your equipment. Most airlines will transport skis in a ski bag as oversized luggage (make sure you know your airline’s rules in advance). This can be a lot cheaper than buying new skis or renting equipment there, especially if you are staying for an extended period of time. Inside your ski bag, tuck your skis, poles, boots and other gear that can fit; this will save you valuable luggage space. Wrap your poles and skis in some of your clothing, your hat, scarf and sweaters (this protects them and also helps you pack more), and a pricey hard-shell bag won’t be necessary. A bonus of soft bags is you can easily fold them out of the way in your hotel room—thereby opening up space once you arrive. REI Evaporator single ski bag, $79.50, rei.com

Do pack a swimsuit. It might seem counter-intuitive to pack a bikini for a snowy vacation, but most resorts have heated pools and hot tubs—and, trust us, you’ll want to soak your tired muscles after a full day of shredding. Pool areas can be a fun, social hang-out after dark, too. Ted Baker London Neevee New Stripe bandeau swimsuit, $100, nordstrom.com

Wear your jacket on the plane. It takes up too much precious suitcase real estate. If you get hot, fold it into a pillow. MICHAEL Michael Kors packable puffer coat, $149.99, macys.com

Check the price to rent versus check your skis on the plane. Depending on how long you are staying, it can be cheaper to rent versus check. A quick weekend trip can be simplified this way.