Packing list Winter holidays: Checklist for free download

When the first snow falls and the mountains call, the most beautiful time of the year begins for me. After several winter holidays – including an unforgettable trip at -25 degrees – I learned that the right Packing list for the winter holiday The difference between freezing and enjoyment.

While my first winter trip was still a mess of forgotten gloves and soaked socks (because I traveled with sandals, but that’s another story) 😅In the meantime, I have developed a system that brings me warm and dry through every winter adventure.

Packing list winter holidays: PDF to print

There is nothing more satisfying (at least for me) than ticking things off on a printed list. I have a PDF for you. Packing list for the winter holiday created, which you can print directly and put next to your suitcase when packing.

Basic Packing List Winter Holiday (for all)

Clothing – layer system

• 3-4 merino undershirts (long arm)
• 2-3 merino longjohns/underpants
• 2-3 merino socks (thick knitted)
• 1-2 Midlayers of wool or fleece
• 1 coated down jacket
• 1 Waterproof, breathable winter jacket (shell)
• 1 Ski shorts or waterproof winter shorts
• 1 hat of wool
• 1 pair of fed, waterproof gloves
• 1 scarf or buff of merino wool
• 1 pair of warm winter boots (waterproof, insulated)

Important note on cotton: You should definitely avoid cotton on a winter holiday! I once experienced this on my own: cotton soaks with sweat, dries extremely slowly and then cools your body dangerously. At -25 degrees, this can be life-threatening. Instead, bet on wool – especially merino – which also warms wet and dries quickly.

Documents & Technology

• Health insurance card & foreign health insurance
• Ski pass/lift tickets (if booked in advance)
• Smartphone and charging cable
• Powerbank (rechargeable batteries discharge faster in the cold!)
• Camera + Memory Cards + Batteries
• Travel documents (passport, insurance, tickets, driving licence)
• Cash and Credit Card

Care & Health

• Sunscreen with high SPF (snow reflection!)
• Lip care with UV protection
• Hand cream (dry heating air)
• Personal medications
• Bladder patches
• Body lotion
• Toothbrush, toothpaste
• Deo
• Razors
• Shower gel/Shampoo
• Small travel pharmacy (pain, patches, cold remedies)

Other

• Sunglasses (category 3 or 4)
• Thermo bottle
• Flashlight/front lamp
• Backpack for day trips
• Snacks (nuts, cereal bars)
• Headlamp
• Laundry bags
• Zip Bags for Wet Clothing

If you combine your winter holiday with skiing, then look in my Packing list for the ski holiday over. There you will find more tips.

Packing List Winter Vacation: Women Should Remember

As a woman, I’ve found over the years that we have a few additional needs on winter vacation. Especially in extreme cold, the right preparation is worth gold.

Additional items for women:

Clothing and Underwear

• Sports bras made of merino wool (without cotton!)
• Functional underwear specifically for women (anatomically shaped)
• Warming headband for under the hat
• Thin silk gloves as first layer
• Warm leggings made of wool for cozy evenings
• Silk or merino long-sleeve shirt as an additional layer of heat

Beauty and care

• Rich face cream (cold strains the skin enormously)
• Hand mask or intense hand cream
• Hair mask (heating air dries out)
• Shampoo & Conditioner in Travel Size
• Makeup with LSF
• Eyelash serum (frozen eyelashes break more easily)

Practical

• Menstrual products (even if you don’t expect your period)
• Heat pads for the abdomen for period pain/cold feeling
• Additional Hair Tips and Bobby Pins
• Small nail file

My personal tip: Pack a small tube of Vaseline. At below -30 degrees you can rub your nose and cheeks with it – this protects against frostbite.

A general Packing list for women I have linked you here so that you are optimally prepared and forget nothing.

Packing list for winter holidays with children

Children feel cold differently, move more and need dry clothes more often. Here is my extended packing list for the winter holiday with children:

Clothing for children (all in double version!)

• 4-5 merino long-sleeve shirts
• 4-5 merino longjohns
• 5-6 pairs of wool socks
• 2 fleece sweaters
• 1 snow suit or set of ski jacket + ski shorts
• 2 pair of gloves (waterproof, with carbine)
• 2 Hats of wool
• 1 hose shell
• 1 pair of snow boots
• Indoor changing shoes
• Warm pajamas of wool

Safety and Comfort

• Sunscreen extra for children's skin (LSF 50+)
• Wound protection cream against cold
• Fever thermometers
• Nose drops
• Cough juice
• Pain medications for children
• Handkerchiefs (many!)
• Wet wipes

Employment

• Books to read
• Small toys
• Coloring book and pens
• Tablet with downloaded movies
• Card games

Food

• Snacks for on the go (corn bars, nuts)
• Drinking bottle
• Thermal cups for warm tea
• Favorite cookies

A detailed Packing list for holidays with children You can find it here. Use them as a supplement and or to get more ideas about what you have to pack for the holiday with the youngest ones.

Packing list for winter holiday with infant/baby

Being out with a baby or toddler on a winter vacation requires even more planning. The youngest can not communicate when they are too cold, so the right equipment is vital.

Clothing for Babies & Toddlers

• 5-6 bodies of merino wool (long-armed)
• 4-5 tramplers made of wool/silk mixture
• 2 Wollfleece-Overall indoors
• 1 snow suit (fed, wind repellent)
• 2 woolen hats (one with ear patches)
• 2 pairs of wings
• Woolen shoes or fed winter booties
• Neck cloth/triangular cloth
• Warm sleeping bag (TOG 2.5-3,5)
• Several pairs of wool socks

Nutrition and vials

• Thermos for warm water
• Insulating pocket for vials
• Sufficient milk powder/pulp
• Lizards
• Spoons and bowls
• Favorite snacks
• Water and Juice

Care and Hygiene

• Diapers for the entire trip + reserve
• Wet wipes (warmed!)
• Winding base
• Wound protection cream
• Care cream for the face (wind & cold)
• Bath ethermometers
• Baby bath foam

Transportation and sleep

• Baby carrier jacket or carrycoat
• Footbag for the stroller (winter version)
• Travel bed or side bed
• Baby monitors
• Night light
• Sleeping soother

Safety and Health

• Fever thermometers
• Fever suppositories/juice
• Nose Drops (Baby Version)
• Inhaler as needed
• Hot water bottle (lukewarm for abdominal pain)
• First aid kit for babies

Packing list for winter holiday with dog

My experiences with dogs in the snow have shown me: Even four-legged friends need special equipment in extreme cold. Not every dog is a husky.

Dog clothing and protection

• Dog winter coat (for short haired breeds)
• Dog shoes/paw protection (against salt, ice, split)
• Dog blanket for accommodation
• Towel for drying (microfibre)

Care & Health

• Paw balm (before and after the walk)
• Tick forceps
• Comb/brush
• Dog shampoo
• First aid kit for dogs
• Medications (if needed)
• Feces pouches (biodegradable)

Food and Water

• Accustomed food (sufficient for the whole trip)
• Delicacies
• Travel bowls (foldable)
• Water bottle on the go

Equipment

• Line (possibly tow line)
• Collar with address tag
• Dishes
• Muzzle (if mandatory on public transport)
• LED luminous thin strip (for dark winter days)
• Favorite toys

Documents

• EU pet passport
• Proof of vaccination (especially rabies)
• Liability insurance
• Address & telephone number of the veterinarian at the holiday resort

My tip: Even if your dog has a thick fur – at -25 degrees and wind, paws and belly can quickly subcool. Watch for raised paws or tremors as warning signs. And: Snowballs between the toes are painful! Dog shoes are not an exaggeration.

Packing list for winter holidays in Finland

Finland in winter is a dream – but also a special challenge. The combination of extreme cold, long dark nights and high humidity requires special preparation.

Special clothing for Arctic conditions

• Thermal underwear of merino wool (minimum 200 g/m2)
• Second layer of thick wool (300-400g/m2)
• Down jacket with high fill power (at least 700)
• Arctic Parka (up to -40°C)
• Warm winter trousers with isolation
• Face mask/Balaclava of wool
• Ski goggles (protects in freezing wind)
• Double gloves (indoor glove wool + outdoor glove)
• Wool cap with ear valves
• 3-4 pairs of extra thick wool socks
• Winter boots with Arctic grip sole (up to -40°C)
• Insoles of wool

For Finnish activities

• Bathing clothes for the sauna
• Bathing slats
• Bathrobe (light)
• Headlamp with spare batteries
• Thermos (1L)
• Backpack with mattress

For Northern Lights Hunting

• Tripod for the camera
• Replacement batteries (keep warm!)
• Camera with long-term exposure
• Seat base (isolated)
• Hand and foot warmers

Technical

• Multiple socket (often only one socket in the room)
• Adapter (Finland uses type C/F)
• External hard drive for photos
• Waterproof case for mobile phone

Other

• Reflectors (in Finland mandatory when walking in the dark)
• Spikes for shoes (against ice)
• Vaseline for face and lips
• High energy snacks (the body burns a lot in the cold)

Are you planning your holiday in the far north?

Then here are the perfect packing lists for you:

Packing list of winter holidays: tips

What recommendations are there for waterproof, warm jackets?

From my experience at -25 degrees I can tell you: The best jacket is a layer system! A single jacket that is both waterproof and extremely warm often becomes too bulky and inflexible.

My proven system:

1. Base layer: Merino long-sleeve shirt
2. Insulation layer: Down jacket (e.g. Patagonia Down Sweater, Arc’teryx Cerium, Fjällräven Expedition Pack Down)
3. Exterior layer: Waterproof hard shell jacket (e.g. Arc’teryx Beta AR, Patagonia Torrentshell, Haglöfs L.I.M)

Concrete recommendations for all-in-one jackets:

• Canada Goose Expedition Parka – extremely warm, windproof, up to -30°C (but very expensive)
• The North Face McMurdo Parka Good value for money
• Fjällräven Yupik Parka – Sustainable, robust, very warm
• Woolrich Arctic Parka Classical, reliable

What you should pay attention to:

• Water column at least 10,000 mm
• Respiratory activity (Gore-Tex or similar)
• Sealed seams
• Adjustable hood (should fit over the hat)
• Long sleeves with thumb loops
• Two-way zipper

How do I dress properly on a winter holiday?

I pack according to the onion principle and consistently rely on natural materials.

Clothing according to the layer system:

Layer 1 (directly on the skin):

• 3 Merino long-sleeve shirts (200g/m2)
• 3 merino longjohns
• 5 pairs of merino socks (thick!)
• Sports bra made of merino wool (for women)

Layer 2 (isolation):

• 2 thicker wool sweaters or fleece jackets
• 1 Wool vest
• 1 down jacket (as an intermediate layer)

Layer 3 (weather protection):

• 1 Waterproof, breathable winter jacket
• 1 Ski shorts or waterproof winter shorts
• Wind and watertight overpants (optional)

Head, hands, feet:

• 2 Woolen hats
• 2 pairs of gloves (thin + thick)
• 1 scarf of wool
• 1 buff or hood
• 1 pair of winter boots
• 1 pair of snow shoes or hiking shoes
• 1 pair of warm slippers

Why wool instead of cotton

I can't stress it enough -- Cotton is dangerous in winter! During my journey at -25 degrees I experienced it myself: A cotton t-shirt under your jacket sucks full of sweat when you move. Once you stand, the wet cotton cools your body. This can lead to supercooling.

Wool, on the other hand – especially merino wool – has fantastic properties:

• Heat also in the wet state
• Transports moisture away from the body
• Drying fast
• Do not smell (even after days!)
• Regulates the temperature naturally
• Is breathable

That is why I consistently rely on merino, shorn wool and, in extreme cases, on wool-silk mixtures. Your health and comfort will thank you!

I hope my packing lists and tips will help you prepare for your winter vacation! Remember: Better pack one layer too much than too little. Good preparation is the key to an unforgettable winter adventure.

Packing list winter holidays: PDF to print

Frequently asked questions about the packing list for the winter holiday