Kit Purchase: UK Vs The Alps

If you're only getting away twice a year, you should probably consider
buying boots and hiring skis.

I get away more than twice a year, and still rent skis. The advantages are
always having the latest ski's, not having to travel with ski's (major pain
in the ass), and not having to service and look after ski's.

If you are travelling on a budget airline or package deal, you could quite
possibly have to pay extra for the ski's, and with the cost of servicing it
almost works out to be the same cost as hiring anyway..

"Jon" wrote in message
...
Having gone away last year I have really gotten back into my skiing after
a
bit of a break, and can easily see myself getting away twice a year for
the
next few years. I have therefore decided that as well as having my own
boots
(which I've had for years) I'm going to go the whole hog and get some skis
too.

I looked at ski prices in Val D'Isere and guessed that there was a pretty
healthy premium to be paid for buying the stuff on top of a mountain, but
when I got back to the UK, I was suprised to find that the prices in the
shops in London and at Milton Keynes Snowdome were much the same as those
in
Val.

It therefore seems to me that buying kit up in the mountains is therefore
the better option, on account of there being more choice, a better
opportunity to test before you buy and hopefully better advice in the
shops
too(although one of them employed my brother 2 years ago, so maybe not!).

Are people inclined to agree that buying in the resorts is better? Is
there
a third way that I've missed?

Is there an FAQ somewhere that I should have read before starting off on
this one?!

All of this is certainly true - and I hadn't thought of some of the things
you mentioned. I'm not too worried about having the latest stuff every
year - if I find something that's good for me now, it'll still be good for
me next year, I guess. Using the same stuff for a few years should also help
me improve my skiing consistency. I also hate to fly and take the train
whenever possible (v. easy when you go to Espace Killy, which we're likely
to do for the forseeable future, due to a family connection). There's no
excess baggage charges and you don't need to let them out of your sight! The
other place I can see us going to is the USA & Canada (family again!). North
Americans do not travel light as a rule, and this is reflected in the
standard baggage allowances on scheduled flights.

Carrying them around IS a pain, I must agree. But last year one of our group
took both skis and a snowboard, and I helped with the carrying of their skis
a fair bit (207cm beasties as well). It really wasn't too bad and with a
lightweight, shorter, more modern pair, it should be OK most of the time


"InMyTree" wrote in message
...
If you're only getting away twice a year, you should probably consider
buying boots and hiring skis.

I get away more than twice a year, and still rent skis. The advantages
are
always having the latest ski's, not having to travel with ski's (major
pain
in the ass), and not having to service and look after ski's.

If you are travelling on a budget airline or package deal, you could quite
possibly have to pay extra for the ski's, and with the cost of servicing
it
almost works out to be the same cost as hiring anyway..

"Jon" wrote in message
...
Having gone away last year I have really gotten back into my skiing
after
a
bit of a break, and can easily see myself getting away twice a year for
the
next few years. I have therefore decided that as well as having my own
boots
(which I've had for years) I'm going to go the whole hog and get some
skis
too.

I looked at ski prices in Val D'Isere and guessed that there was a
pretty
healthy premium to be paid for buying the stuff on top of a mountain,
but
when I got back to the UK, I was suprised to find that the prices in the
shops in London and at Milton Keynes Snowdome were much the same as
those
in
Val.

It therefore seems to me that buying kit up in the mountains is
therefore
the better option, on account of there being more choice, a better
opportunity to test before you buy and hopefully better advice in the
shops
too(although one of them employed my brother 2 years ago, so maybe
not!).

Are people inclined to agree that buying in the resorts is better? Is
there
a third way that I've missed?

Is there an FAQ somewhere that I should have read before starting off on
this one?!

"Jon" wrote in news:3f4b3f4e$0$245
:

nd I helped with the carrying of their skis
a fair bit (207cm beasties as well).

Now they MUST be old skis!

Greg