The Intel · Trip Readiness

THE HELI GEAR LIST: WHAT YOU NEED AND WHAT YOU DO NOT

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The short answer

Operators commonly supply the specialist kit - fat skis, avalanche transceiver, and often an airbag pack - so your packing job is layers, eyewear, hands and boots. Bring a proven shell over proper layers, a genuine flat-light lens, mitts, and the boots you already trust. Leave the carving skis, the cotton and anything untested at home, and confirm the supplied list with your operator.

What does the operator usually supply?

The expensive, specialised kit is commonly provided: modern fat skis or a powder board matched to the conditions, an avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe, and - with many operations - an avalanche airbag pack. Guides brief you on all of it on day one, so you do not need to own or master any of it beforehand.

Treat that as the convention, not a guarantee. Supplied lists vary between operators, so confirm exactly what is provided when you book, and confirm sizing for anything wearable.

What layers should you bring?

The logic from the waterproofing article applies squarely: warmth lives in the layers, weatherproofing lives in the shell.

Shell jacket and pants: 3-layer construction in the upper waterproof tiers, fully taped. Heli days involve rotor wash, deep snow and sitting in it - this is not the place for the 5K jacket.
Base layers: merino or synthetic, one on your body and a spare in your bag. A dry base layer at lunch is a cheap luxury.
Midlayer: fleece or light synthetic. Ski shell-style and regulate with vents rather than stripping layers on a mountainside.
Insulated jacket: a packable down or synthetic layer lives in your day pack for ridge-top waits. You will stand around more than you think.

What about goggles, gloves and your face?

Two lenses or two goggles, and one must be a genuine flat-light lens. Heli weeks fly in marginal light whenever the window allows, and storm skiing through a dark bluebird lens is skiing by braille.
Mitts over gloves for warmth; gloves for dexterity. Many riders run mitts for the day with a thin pair for fiddly moments. Cold hands end more heli days than cold anything else.
Buff discipline, per the fogging article: keep your breath out of your goggles. Buff up at the pad and on the ridge, buff down when you ski, and never tuck it up into the goggle frame.
Helmet. Most operators expect one; bring your own for fit.

What should you leave at home?

Your carving skis. Piste skis in deep snow are hard work at best. The operator's fat skis are the better tool, matched to their snow - use them.
Cotton anything. Cotton holds moisture against your skin and stays cold. Base layers, socks and the shirt you sleep in: synthetic or merino, all of it.
Brand-new untested boots. A heli week is the worst possible place to discover a pressure point. Bring the boots you already trust, even if they are ugly. If new boots are unavoidable, buy them early enough to log real days in them first.
The kitchen sink. Every spare item competes with a weight limit and gets carried by someone.

How do you pack for a weight-limited load?

Helicopter loads are weight-limited, and many operations cap both your trip bag and your day pack. The principle that sorts everything: nothing flies that you will not use that day, and nothing gets used that you have not tested before. The day pack carries a spare lens, spare gloves, the insulated layer, water and food - and that is close to the whole list, because the operator's safety gear is already accounted for.

For the trip bag, pack for laundry, not for options: one shell system, layers you rotate, boots, and off-hill clothes that do not care about fashion. Confirm the operator's weight limits when you book, then pack under them rather than at them.

The one-line version

Bring your boots, your layers and your eyewear. Wear the supplied safety kit, hire the flotation, and leave everything unproven at home.

Quick answers

Do heli-ski operators provide skis?

Commonly yes - modern fat skis or powder boards matched to conditions are part of most packages, along with transceiver, shovel, probe and often an airbag pack. Confirm the exact supplied list with your operator when you book.

Should I take my own skis heli-skiing?

Usually not. The operator's fat skis suit deep snow better than most people's all-mountain setup, they are maintained for the conditions, and flying your own adds baggage cost and risk for no advantage. Your boots are the one piece worth flying with.

What goggles do you need for heli-skiing?

Two lenses or two goggles, one of them a genuine flat-light lens. Heli weeks often fly in marginal light, and a dark lens in cloud makes the terrain unreadable.

Mitts or gloves for heli-skiing?

Mitts for warmth on the hill, with a thin glove pair for transitions if you want both. Cold hands are the most common comfort failure on a heli day - err warm.

Can you wear cotton skiing?

No. Cotton absorbs moisture and holds it cold against your skin. Merino or synthetic for everything that touches you, socks included.

Go deeper

This is the free tier of what we teach. The structured version lives in the training library:

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