While some of us spend these winter months planning our summer vacations, others make the most of the winter sun. It may not be a hot beach, but trips to ski and snowboarding resorts are popular among tourists. And, it’s easy to see why. Nothing captures that cozy winter feeling like log cabins and snowy mountains.

If you’ve never considered it before, though, a winter vacation can be confusing. Unlike your usual trips, you have a limited locale to play with. Ideally, you want to stick with locations like France or Switzerland for a trip like this. At the very most, you can spread your wings to destinations like Cervinia in Italy. But, you won’t quite have the geographical scope you’re used to.

Even once you have your destination in the bag, there are more decisions to make. For example, anyone intending to ski or snowboard needs to decide between renting equipment or taking their own. For the most part, first-timers tend to rent, and it makes sense. This ensures you don’t spend a fortune on a hobby you might not continue. It also allows experts to fit you up ready for the slopes.

In truth, though, many would argue that it’s worth taking equipment to enhance your trip and here’s why:

You can tailor your equipment to you 

In many ways, renting equipment here is a little like borrowing P.E. kits. The fit is never quite right, and you’re often left with the worst stuff. But, with both skiing and snowboarding, the fit is pretty essential for success on the slopes. Gear which is even slightly too big could bulldoze your experience altogether. When you bring your own stuff, however, you can tailor your equipment to you. Before buying, you can use things like this size guide for boarders to ensure your bindings are the best fit possible. A skiing size chart could also work wonders for improving your time on the slopes.

You can save money in the long-term 

We aren’t going to lie to you; buying equipment here is pricey for sure. That said, so is renting. Rentals have the upper-hand in that they know people using them need that stuff to enjoy their trips. As such, you can expect to pay well over the odds when renting that gear for a week. So much so that even two visits with your own stuff could save you money. With that in mind, you would be mad not to buy rather than rent.

You get to enjoy the most of every moment 

No travel tip is more important than that of making the most of every moment. Sadly, that’s not something you can do if you’re hiring. Queues are usually long, and you could waste upwards of an hour or more getting yourself set up. If you hire on a daily basis, that’s a load of your trip down the drain. By comparison, taking gear with you ensures you can wake up and take straight to the slopes.

So which would you decide between renting equipment or taking their own the next time you take to the slopes? Have you ever rented skis or snowboards before and loved it? Or do you always take your own gear before shredding the fresh powder? Let us know your honest thoughts in the comments below!

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