Packing Light for the Alps

A full alpine kit weighs more than most airline allowances and costs more to check than to rent. Shells, salopettes, and boots are the obvious candidates: bulky, seasonal, and worn a handful of days a year.

Bring your own base layers and socks — the pieces that should be yours — and have the outer layers waiting at a pickup point near the lifts.

The bonus is aprés: one warm, elegant layer that works off the mountain means you are not eating dinner in a technical jacket.