For anyone traveling to ski in Chile for the first time, the most common question is what to bring from home and what to rent once there. The short answer: most technical gear rents easily at any resort, and you really only need to travel with the right personal clothing.
What's worth renting in Chile
- Skis or a snowboard, boots and poles: rented at shops at the base of the mountain or in Santiago before heading up, no need to bring your own gear on the plane.
- Helmet: increasingly recommended, also available for rent at most resorts.
- Snow chains, if you're driving your own car up the mountain (mandatory on snowy access roads).
What's worth bringing from home
- Layered technical clothing: a thermal base layer, an insulating mid layer, and a waterproof/windproof jacket and pants as the outer layer.
- Waterproof gloves, a beanie or balaclava, and high-SPF sunscreen -radiation at altitude with reflective snow is more intense than the cold air suggests.
- Ski goggles or sunglasses with proper UV protection for snow.
- Regular warm clothing for after skiing, since nights on the mountain or in the base towns are cold even off the slopes.
If the trip is short and you're not sure skiing will stick, it's not worth buying your own gear before a first trip: renting everything in Chile, including technical clothing at some resorts, is perfectly workable and avoids an unnecessarily big upfront investment.
