What to Bring on a Cross-Country Skiing Trip
A cross-country skiing trip needs more than skis, boots and poles. You also need warm drinks, packed lunches, navigation tools, spare items and safety equipment that are easy to overlook until you are already on the snow. Use the quantities below as a starting point, then adjust for your group size, route length and weather forecast. Pack each participant’s personal gear separately and keep shared equipment easy to reach during transport.
What to bring
Grouped the way you'd shop for it, with quantities.
Sports equipment
- Cross-country skisqty 22
- Cross-country ski bootsqty 22
- Cross-country ski polesqty 22
- Ski waxingqty 2
- Spare shoelacesqty 10
- Backpacksqty 6
- Snow gogglesqty 22
- Reflective vestsqty 6
- Route mapsqty 6
- Compassqty 4
- Snow shovelqty 2
Transport
- Luggage coversqty 12
- Luggage tagsqty 25
Equipment
- Navigation devicesqty 3
- Power banksqty 4
- Charging cablesqty 6
- Flashlightsqty 6
- Headlampsqty 6
Safety
- First aid kitsqty 2
- Emergency blanketsqty 6
- Whistlesqty 6
- Hand warmersqty 30
Catering
- Coolersqty 3
- Thermos bottlesqty 6
- Drink bottlesqty 25
- Reusable cupsqty 25
- Lunch boxesqty 25
- Napkinsqty 100
- Groceries
- Whole grain bread - 8 loaves
- Whole wheat wraps - 30 pieces
- Young cheese - 2 kilos
- Chicken breast slices - 1.5 kilos
- Hummus - 1 kilo
- Cream cheese - 750 grams
- Peanut butter - 2 jars
- Jam - 2 jars
- Lettuce - 6 heads
- Cucumbers - 8 pieces
- Tomatoes - 2 kilos
- Bell peppers - 12 pieces
- Carrots - 2 kilo
- Apples - 30 pieces
- Bananas - 25 pieces
- Mandarins - 3 kilo
- Grapes - 2 kilos
- Muesli bars - 30 pieces
- Energy gels - 25 pieces
- Nut mix - 2 kilo
- Raisins - 1 kilo
- Paprika chips - 6 bags
- Plain chips - 6 bags
- Snacks - 4 bags
- Cookies - 6 packs
- Chocolate bars - 30 pieces
- Soup in a bag - 10 bags
- Instant noodles - 25 portions
- Coffee - 3 packs
- Tea - 2 boxes
- Cocoa powder - 2 packs
- Sugar - 1 kilo
- Milk - 6 liters
- Oat milk - 3 liters
- Cola - 4 bottles
- Cola Zero - 4 bottles
- Apple juice - 4 packs
- Orange juice - 4 cartons
- Spa Blauw - 30 bottles
- Sparkling water - 12 bottles
- Isotonic sports drink - 24 bottles
- Lemons - 10 pieces
- Salt - 1 pack
- Pepper - 1 jar
- Mayonnaise - 1 bottle
- Ketchup - 1 bottle
- Mustard - 1 jar
- Olive oil - 1 bottle
- Paper lunch bags - 30 pcs
- Freezer bags - 2 boxes
- Paper towels - 6 rolls
- Toilet paper - 24 rolls
- Dish soap - 2 bottles
- Hand soap - 3 bottles
- Disinfectant wipes - 4 packs
- Garbage bags - 30 pieces
Kitchen
- Cutting boardsqty 3
- Bread knivesqty 3
- Kitchen tongsqty 2
- Measuring cupsqty 2
- Aluminum foilqty 2
- Cling filmqty 2
Cleaning
- Waste binsqty 3
- Dish brushesqty 3
- Reusable cleaning clothsqty 10
Documents
- Waterproof document sleevesqty 6
- Clipboardsqty 3
- Waterproof pensqty 6
Tips
- Pack one drink bottle per person, plus enough thermos capacity for roughly 0.5 to 1 litre of warm drink per skier for a half-day trip. Cold air and effort can reduce thirst, so do not rely on everyone finding water along the route.
- Prepare one lunch box per participant and add one extra portion for every 10 people. Pack lunches before departure, and keep napkins, reusable cups and cutting equipment together rather than scattering them through different bags.
- Bring one pair of spare shoelaces for every four skiers, with at least one spare pair for a small group. Wet gloves, snow-covered boots and damaged laces are common reasons a short stop becomes a long delay.
- Use one navigation setup for the group leader and a backup for the final skier: route maps, a compass and charged navigation devices should not all depend on one phone. Charge power banks and pack the correct charging cables the evening before.
- Pack at least one first aid kit, emergency blanket and whistle for each separate group on the route. Add hand warmers, flashlights or headlamps, and reflective vests if the return could extend into low light; check these items before loading the transport.
Frequently asked questions
- What food should I pack for a cross-country skiing trip?
- Pack one lunch box per person, with an extra portion for every 10 participants. Choose food that can be eaten cold and is easy to open with cold hands, then add napkins and a warm drink in a thermos.
- How much water do I need for cross-country skiing?
- Plan for about 0.5 to 1 litre of drink per person for a half-day outing, depending on temperature and effort. Give every skier a drink bottle and carry additional warm drink in thermos bottles.
- What safety equipment is needed for a cross-country skiing group?
- Each route group should have at least one first aid kit, emergency blanket and whistle. Also carry route maps, a compass, a charged navigation device and hand warmers; add headlamps or flashlights when daylight may run out.
- When should I reserve cross-country ski equipment?
- Reserve skis, boots and poles as soon as the date and participant numbers are reasonably clear, preferably several weeks before the trip. Confirm sizes and the final equipment count again 2 to 3 days before departure.
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