Snowboarding Helmets and Ski Helmets

The benefits of wearing a helmet are pretty obvious and in the last few years the number of people you see wearing a helmet on the slopes has increased massively. Whether you are a skier or snowboarder and whether you ski or board on the piste or off it, you should seriously consider wearing a helmet to prevent any kind of head injuries. It is not only to protect you from yourself falling but anyone else crashing into you may also cause some kind of skiing head injury. Most helmets are suitable for either boarding or skiing.
In some resorts it is compulsory for children to wear helmets so make sure that you either take one with you or hire one when you are in resort.

Ski Gloves and Snowboarding Gloves

In order to protect your hands from the cold weather you need gloves that are specifically designed for skiing or snowboarding. Once again you get what you pay for and if you buy cheap ski gloves then you may end up with cold hands! In some cases it is also useful to have some silk glove inners to give extra warmth in particularly cold temperatures. I always carry a pair of silk glove inners with me in case the temperature drops.

Snowboard gloves often have a longer sleeve to go over the jacket and stop snow going up the sleeve.
Other Essential Skiing and Snowboarding Items

Other items that you will need when preparing for a skiing or snowboarding trip are:
A good quality ski or snowboard jacket - if you can afford a good brand name then it will probably protect you better from the elements than a cheap jacket.

Ski or snowboard trousers - as above, buy good quality, there are specific trousers for snowboarders that are designed slightly differently (for example with better padding on the knees) so get those if you plan to snowboard.

Ski/boarding socks - specially designed to keep feet warm in low temperatures, much better than standard shop bought socks.

Hat/scarf. If you choose not to wear a helmet then you will need a hat or even just for apres ski when outdoors. It does depend on what time in the season that you go but temperatures can get to below -30 degrees C if you are unlucky.

A lock - you can get special locks to lock up your skis or snowboard when you stop at a mountain restaurant for lunch. The last thing you want is someone stealing your skis or board.