Planning a Winter Vacation for a Snowy Holiday

Year end is approaching, do you think is it good for a winter vacation? Who knows you may already have some ideas where are those interesting places that you wanted to visit for a thrilling slide down frosty slopes, right?

Perhaps, we would like our traveling buddy Richer Choo to share with us some handy traveling tips to make our winter vacation more enjoyable, at least not fall sick right back after the winter vacation!

Think you are ready for a ride on the snow, right? If so, bring your own skis, snowshoes or split board if you have them, unless you want to rent those snow equipment and gear at the service counter. For our own travel safety, it is good to bring a mini portable first aid kit filled with blister care and analgesic though.

What about clothing? I believe whether we are snowshoeing, going cross country or telemark skiing, winter winds can quickly lower our body temperature when we stop moving. Therefore, choosing and packing proper clothing should be something we really have to care about to maintain a constant body temperature. For our purpose, it is advisable to choose clothing with three basic layers. The base layer which is next to our skin should be made of lightweight moisture wicking thermal material or Capilene that keeps us warm and helps take moisture away from our skin. As for middle layer, it should include a down vest or fleece jacket and pants for us to put on when we stop moving. Not to forget a wool hat, neck gaiter and fleece-lined glove are also something essential here. As to the outer layer it ought to consist of a good breathable, wind and rainproof jacket and pants to protect us against winds and snow that often cut through other layers.

What else? Think we should also include dark sunglasses and lip balm in our carry-on, an insulated water bottle by our side to kill our thirst, ear plugs, extra gloves mittens and some cheese to munch on, right?

But I believe the most important thing is to first check the weather. As we may not know, winter weather can be extreme, varying from snow storms with strong winds to clear and cold with sub-zero temperatures. As I know, December, January and February are the coolest, with temperature dropping below freezing point. Well, if you think you are not able to take this, you may want to plan your winter vacation to your places of interest in March and April, when the snowpack becomes more stable and high peaks are more accessible.

Till we talk next time and cheers to enjoy our coming snowy holiday to interesting places!