Why rent your skis and boots? It’s a question worth asking since many of us do it and I have for over 10 years skiing once per year. You might argue that the money I have spent would have bought me a pair of skis by now and boots to boot! However how old would they be and IF they were still in working order. I spend around 80 pounds and get the best that is not new stuff but is almost new and well kept. As you have the choice of the quality I feel this is making the best sense for me.
Reasons to rent ski equipment
You will get newish equipment each time.
You will not have to lug and store the gear around.
You will not have to pay the price of taking your sports equipment on flights. Book this in advance and it may be cheaper as a tip.
You will get to experience different kinds of ski and boot. However if you are in the Alps then it is pretty much piste ski’s only and you won’t find much wider off piste skis. Its unlikely that you might rent skis if you are doing this kind of skiing anyway.
If you are reading this then the chances are you are quite new to skiing. For a beginner you will not really know what you are needing to buy. You will be a salesman’s best friend. Skiing may not turn out to be your thing and then you are faced with selling something that is hard to sell – imagine how few people will fit in your boots.
Tips renting Ski Boots
It can take some skiing time to find the right rental boots back and forth. If it doesn’t feel comfortable and at the same time tight for both feet keep trying other pairs. The rental shop may get close to running out of stock. In this case they need to break out a new pair of boots as it isn’t your fault that they didn’t have enough pairs in your size even if you bought less than new grade.
Tips for renting Skis
Put the faces together and nip the middle to check to see if there is much spring you will get an idea if the skis are ready for the grave. Check the condition of the faces and the edges, the tips also should be in good condition. It can be the bindings that in fact are more important. Old and less reliable bindings will either pop the ski off too early or not soon enough so try to notice this.
So lets explore the reasons why you might not rent and you can decide if it is right for you at least this time round.
Reasons to buy (NOT RENT) ski equipment
You might find that as you have your own equipment you can get extra ski time in at the start or the end of your skiing holiday.
You will get to ski using your equipment that you find comfortable. It’s nice to be able to say that you have your own skis and boots.
Your ski poles will probably be lighter and made of carbon instead of the cheaper aluminium ones the rental shops use.
It is a downright hassle going to find the ski rental place and making sure that it is close to your hotel. Les Deux Alps has a long straight road layout and the walk can be too far from where you stay.
You can choose to rent just skis. Many people have their own boots but choose to rent skis. This is more of a best of both worlds scenario. It’s a very strong argument in that you might get to pack the boots in normal luggage saving all airline extra fees. Boots are the main problem for renters though myself included still choose to rent. For me skiing just one week per year at most just doesn’t make having boots worthwhile. The storage is another downside.