Nobody books a ski week expecting to spend it fixing things. Yet every season the same small disasters repeat: a phone that dies at minus ten on the chairlift, goggles with a scratch right across the lens, a suitcase wheel that snaps on the cobbles of a snowy village, a camera that fogs solid the moment it walks into a warm lodge. None of these failures is dramatic. All of them are annoying, many are expensive, and almost every one can be prevented with ten minutes of preparation at home. ⛷️
This guide lists eleven things that most often break, fail or quietly degrade on a ski trip, why each one happens, and what to do about it. The list is grouped by the moment the damage happens: in the cold, in the wet and in transit. It is written for people who travel by plane, train or car to the Alps, the Dolomites, the Pyrenees, Scandinavia or anywhere else with a lift pass, and who would rather spend the week on the slopes than on the phone with an insurer. If you are still choosing a resort, our comparison Where to Ski: Val Thorens, Hintertux, the Dolomites or Verbier? is a good place to start.
One note before we begin. Nothing here requires expensive equipment. Most of the fixes are habits: where you keep a battery, in which order you unpack, what you never leave in a car. A few are about packaging, and for those we point to hard cases that Peli makes, because a rigid, sealed shell solves several of these problems at once. Where a product is relevant, you will find it in the two product blocks further down. Where it is not, we say so.
Part 1: What breaks in the cold
Cold is the obvious enemy of a ski trip, but it rarely damages equipment permanently. Instead it makes things stop working at the worst moment. The good news is that the cold-related failures all follow the same logic, so one set of habits covers all four items below.
1. Your phone, which shuts down long before the battery is really empty
Lithium-ion batteries rely on a chemical reaction, and chemical reactions slow down in the cold. At low temperatures a battery cannot deliver current as easily, so the voltage drops under load. The phone reads that dip as an empty battery and switches itself off, even though it may show forty or fifty percent a minute earlier. The charge is not lost; once the phone warms up, the percentage often jumps back up. On a mountain this still matters, because your phone is also your lift pass in many resorts, your map, your weather forecast, your camera and your emergency line.
What to do:
- Keep the phone in an inside pocket, against your body, not in a jacket outer pocket or a ski-pant thigh pocket. Body heat is free insulation.
- Do not use the phone for long stretches in the open air. Take it out, do what you need, put it back.
- Carry a small power bank in the same warm pocket as the phone, so the bank also stays warm and can be used immediately.
- Switch on low-power mode in the morning, lower the screen brightness and close apps you do not need. A cold battery has less to give, so ask less of it.
- Download offline maps of the ski area and the valley before you leave home. Mobile coverage on a ridge is unpredictable, and searching for a signal drains the battery quickly.
- If the phone has shut down, do not charge it immediately in the cold. Warm it slowly inside your clothing first.
Never warm a cold phone on a radiator or with a hair dryer. A sudden temperature jump is exactly what causes condensation inside the device, which brings us to item 5.
2. The action camera that records three minutes and quits
Action cameras are small, so they hold small batteries, and small batteries suffer first in the cold. Many owners discover this on the first run of the first morning: the camera was in a cold car boot overnight, it records a short clip and then displays a low-battery warning. The problem is made worse by cold storage cards, cold touchscreens that react slowly and a camera that is often mounted on a helmet in the wind, where it never warms up.
What to do:
- Take two or three spare batteries and keep them in an inner pocket. Swap them in just before use and put the cold one back in the warm pocket to recover.
- Store the camera in the room overnight, not in the car or in an outer pocket of your bag.
- Choose a lower resolution and frame rate on the coldest days. Recording at the highest settings uses more power and creates more heat inside the camera, but not enough to counter the cold.
- Carry the camera, batteries and mounts together in one rigid small case, so that a spare battery does not rattle against a key in your pocket. A short circuit between loose battery terminals and metal objects is a risk you do not need.
- If you also fly a drone, the same logic applies with larger batteries; our guide to power banks in carry-on baggage covers the airline side of lithium batteries.
3. The torch or headlamp that you only need after dark
A headlamp seems like a summer item, but in winter it is part of the kit for several ski-trip situations: walking back from a restaurant on an unlit mountain road, finding a key in a dark chalet car park, ski touring before sunrise, or simply reading the number on a locker in a ski room with a broken bulb. A headlamp stored for a year with its batteries inside is also the classic case of a corroded battery compartment. Alkaline cells can leak in storage, and cold weather shortens their runtime considerably.
What to do:
- Test the lamp at home a few days before departure. Replace or recharge the batteries, and check that the switch works with gloves on.
- If your lamp takes disposable cells, consider lithium primary cells for cold use. They tolerate low temperatures better than ordinary alkaline cells. Check the lamp manufacturer's instructions first.
- Pack a spare set of batteries in a small sealed case, not loose in a bag.
- Keep the lamp somewhere you can find it in the dark. The bottom of a suitcase is the wrong place.
4. Power banks and spare batteries, which break the rules before they break
This one is less about failure of the device and more about what happens to it at the airport. Power banks and spare lithium batteries must travel in your cabin baggage, never in checked luggage. Capacity matters too: as a general rule, batteries up to 100 Wh are accepted without special approval, and several airlines now restrict how many you may carry and whether you may use them in flight. The rules differ from airline to airline and change from year to year, so always check your carrier's current policy shortly before you travel.
What to do:
- Read the watt-hour rating printed on the bank. If only milliamp-hours are shown, calculate: capacity in mAh times voltage (usually 3.7 V) divided by 1,000 gives watt-hours. A 20,000 mAh bank is roughly 74 Wh.
- Protect the terminals. Cover the contacts of loose spare batteries, or carry them in a case with individual compartments.
- Put the power bank where you can take it out quickly at a security check, because some airports ask you to screen it separately.
- Do not leave the bank in a cold ski bag on the roof of a car. A very cold lithium cell charged at once can be damaged, so let it warm up before connecting a charger.
Part 2: What breaks in the wet
Snow looks dry, but a ski trip is full of moisture: wet gloves, melting snow on boots, steam in a lodge, damp ski-room air. Moisture damages things slowly and invisibly. You notice the result a week or a month later, at home, when the lens has fungus or the passport pages have stuck together.
5. Cameras and lenses, which fog from the inside
The classic mistake is walking from minus eight outside to plus twenty-two in a lodge and opening the camera bag straight away. Warm, humid air meets a cold lens and cold metal, and water condenses on and inside the camera. Fog on the front glass will clear. Moisture inside the lens or in the camera body is a different matter; it can lead to haze, fungus on the glass elements and corrosion on contacts. Photographers know this problem well, which is why one of our other guides on how humidity destroys camera lenses is worth reading before the trip.
What to do:
- Before you walk indoors, put the camera and lenses into a closed bag or case while you are still outside, or in the unheated entrance. Keep it closed for an hour or two while it warms up. The condensation then forms on the outside of the case, not on the gear.
- A sealed hard case is excellent for this. The air trapped inside is dry, cold air, and it warms slowly together with the equipment. Add a small silica-gel sachet for extra margin.
- Remove the memory card and battery only after the gear has reached room temperature.
- Do not wipe a fogged lens with a cloth. Let it clear by itself; wiping spreads moisture and can scratch the coating.
- At home, take the gear out of the case and let it breathe in a dry room for a day. Do not store lenses wet in a closed bag.
6. Goggles, which are scratched or fogged by how they are stored
Ski goggles are among the most frequently damaged items on any trip, and the damage is almost always self-inflicted. The lens has a delicate anti-fog layer on the inner side and often a mirror coating on the outer side. Both are easy to damage. Common causes are wiping the inside with a glove or a tissue, stuffing the goggles into a helmet which then gets squeezed under other luggage, or dropping them lens-down into a bag full of keys and zips.
What to do:
- Never wipe the inside of the lens. Shake off the snow, let the goggles dry in the air and, if you must, gently dab the lens with the soft pouch that came with them.
- Always use the fabric pouch. Without it, the lens rubs against everything in the bag.
- Carry goggles in a rigid space. A helmet in a soft duffel can be crushed, and a crushed frame bends the lens. A hard case or a hard-shell suitcase prevents this.
- Dry goggles at the end of the day, away from direct heat. Direct heat can deform the foam and distort the frame.
- Pack a spare lens or a second pair if you are heading to a resort known for variable light, because a flat-light day with the wrong lens is a poor day on skis.
7. Passports, tickets and cards that get soaked in a pocket
The inside pocket of a ski jacket seems safe until you sit in the snow, fall on a patch of slush or carry a bottle that leaks. Paper tickets, a printed hotel confirmation, a ski-school voucher and even a passport can turn soft and unreadable. Cards stored with a phone and keys pick up scratches. A lift pass that is a stiff card is usually more resilient than a paper one, but a soaked paper booking is a real problem at a border or a check-in desk.
What to do:
- Keep documents in a flat waterproof pouch or a small watertight case, and carry it in an inside pocket.
- Photograph passports, insurance details and bookings and keep copies in an offline folder on your phone.
- Separate valuables: one pocket for documents, another for phone and power bank, a third for keys. This is also the habit that protects against theft in busy lift queues and ski rental shops.
- Take the cash and cards you do not need on the slopes out of the jacket and leave them in the room safe.
8. Medication, contact lenses and small personal items that cold and heat both spoil
Some medicines have a recommended storage range printed on the pack, and a bag left in a car overnight at minus fifteen is outside it. Liquids can freeze; solutions may separate or crystallise. Contact lens solution can freeze, which makes it useless until it has warmed and could introduce problems if the lens case cracked. Lip balm, sunscreen and face cream become hard or watery. None of this destroys a trip, but a frozen insulin pen or inhaler is a real problem, and an hour in a warm lodge is not a reliable fix for everything.
What to do:
- Read the storage instructions on every medicine you carry. If a temperature range is given, treat it as a rule for the whole trip, including the journey.
- Never leave medication in a car, in checked baggage in the hold, or in an outer pocket of a rucksack on a cold day. Carry it with you, in your cabin bag or an inside pocket.
- Take a copy of your prescription or a doctor's note for liquids and syringes, especially if you fly.
- Use a small, labelled hard case for medicines. It protects against crushing and keeps everything in one place, so you do not need to search a full bag with cold fingers.
Grab-and-go protection for phone, batteries, lamp and documents
Part 3: What breaks in transit
The third group is the one that costs the most, because it is about the things you cannot easily replace in a resort: the suitcase, the boots, the helmet and the electronics inside them. Most of the damage happens before you reach the first lift, at the airport, on the transfer bus, on a station platform or on the way to the apartment.
9. Suitcase wheels, handles and zips on snowy, salted and cobbled roads
Ski-resort villages are hard on luggage. Snow packed into ruts, ice, rock salt, steep gravel paths, narrow stairs and a lack of lifts in older chalets all put force on exactly the parts of a suitcase that are weakest: the wheels, the telescopic handle, the corners and the zip. Wheels are the first to go. Salt corrodes bearings and axles, snow packs into the wheel housing and freezes, and a frozen wheel is dragged on one side until it breaks. A soft bag with a plastic base can split. If you need a deeper explanation of why wheels are the weak link, read our article on which suitcase wheels are the most durable.
What to do:
- Before you leave, check the wheels by turning each one by hand. They should spin freely, with no wobble.
- On snow, lift or carry the suitcase over the worst sections instead of dragging it. A wheel that is lifted does not freeze.
- After arrival, bring the suitcase inside, wipe the wheels and let them dry. Do not leave a wet suitcase outside in a freezing garage overnight, because the water in the wheels will freeze.
- Choose luggage with a rigid shell and large, replaceable wheels. A hard shell does not soak up water, and a shell that does not flex protects what is inside against the crushing weight of other bags in a bus hold.
- Read about the parts that wear out and the ones that can be replaced: Peli case wheels, handles and latches explains what is worth checking after a heavy season.
10. Ski bags, boots and helmets in the hold
Skis and snowboards usually travel as sports baggage, and airline rules about size, weight, price and whether they count toward your free allowance differ widely. We compare the general rules in how to check in sports equipment for your vacation flight. What the rules rarely describe is what happens to the bag after it leaves the check-in desk. It goes through conveyor belts, sorting systems and baggage carts, is thrown into containers and is often handled by people in a hurry. That is how a bent binding, a cracked tip, a damaged edge or a bent ski-boot buckle appears.
What to do:
- Use a padded ski bag and add extra protection at the tips and tails. Strap the skis together, tip to tail, so they cannot move.
- Wear your ski boots on the journey if you can, or carry them as hand luggage. Boots are the one item you cannot hire or replace easily. A rental boot is rarely the same as your own.
- Do not put valuables, a camera, a drone or electronics into a ski bag. They belong in the cabin or in a rigid case. If you are curious about what actually happens to luggage behind the scenes, we describe it in what really happens to your suitcase after check-in.
- Photograph the bag and its contents before check-in. If a damage claim is needed, you will have evidence of the condition at the start of the journey.
- Report damage at the airport before you leave the baggage hall. Airlines typically set tight deadlines for claims, and damage found later is much harder to argue.
11. Anything left in the car, a roof box or a ski room
The last item is about the places where you leave gear when you are not looking at it. A car left overnight in a mountain car park reaches the outside temperature, so everything inside is cold-soaked: batteries drained, liquids frozen, plastics brittle, a laptop screen that refuses to turn on. A roof box is not secure against theft, and in a public ski room anything unlocked may disappear. Rental shops and hotel ski rooms are popular targets because gear is expensive and people are careless on the first day.
What to do:
- Empty the car of electronics, batteries, medicines, drinks and documents every night. Take them to the room.
- Keep valuables out of sight on the way. A visible bag on a back seat is an invitation.
- In ski rooms and lockers, lock your own gear. A compact, lockable hard case with your small valuables, closed with a padlock, is a more serious obstacle than a zip, and it also keeps your things dry.
- Leave expensive jewellery and watches at home or in the apartment safe. If you travel with them, carry them in cabin baggage.
- Label every case and bag inside and out, with a phone number rather than a home address if you do not want one displayed.
Hard-shell luggage for the journey to the mountains and back
The 10-minute pre-trip checklist
If you read only one section of this guide, make it this one. Print it or save it as a note on your phone and tick off the items two days before you leave. It takes about ten minutes and prevents most of the problems above.
- Batteries: charge phone, power bank, action camera and headlamp fully. Pack one or two spare camera batteries. Cover loose terminals. Check airline limits on power banks.
- Cold pocket: decide which inside pocket will hold the phone and the power bank. It should be next to your body and zipped.
- Goggles and helmet: check the lens for scratches, put the goggles in their pouch, and pack the helmet where nothing can crush it.
- Camera gear: pack a small bag of silica gel and decide where you will let the camera warm up after a day outdoors.
- Documents: passport, insurance, bookings and lift tickets in a waterproof pouch. Photos and offline copies on the phone.
- Medicine: read the temperature range, pack it in cabin baggage or an inside pocket, and bring a prescription copy.
- Wheels and handle: spin the wheels, extend the handle, test the zips or latches. Fix or replace before you go.
- Ski bag: padded, strapped, labelled, and photographed. Boots as hand luggage or on your feet.
- Car: a plan for emptying valuables every evening, and a rule that nothing electronic stays overnight.
- Insurance: check that your travel insurance covers winter sports and baggage damage, and note the claim process and deadlines.
Frequently asked questions
At what temperature does a phone battery stop working?
There is no single number, because it depends on the model, the age of the battery and its state of charge. Manufacturers usually give an operating range for their phones that starts a little below freezing for continuous use. In practice, an older phone or one that is only partly charged may shut down at a milder temperature than a new one. Keeping the phone in an inside pocket and avoiding long periods in the open air solves most cases.
Can I carry a power bank in my ski bag on a flight?
No. Power banks and spare lithium batteries belong in your cabin baggage, not in checked luggage, and that includes the ski bag. The usual limit without special permission is 100 Wh per battery, and some airlines restrict the number of banks or their use in flight. Check your airline's current rules before you travel.
How do I stop my camera fogging up when I go indoors?
Keep it in a closed bag or case while it warms to room temperature. A closed case holds dry, cold air, so condensation forms on the outside of the case and not on the lens. Open the case after an hour or two. Never wipe a fogged lens; let it clear by itself.
Is a hard-shell suitcase better than a soft bag for a ski trip?
For electronics, cameras, goggles and anything breakable, usually yes, because a rigid shell resists crushing, does not soak up water and does not flex under the weight of other luggage. A soft bag is lighter and easier to squeeze into a small boot, so many travellers combine both: a soft ski bag for skis, clothes and boots, and a hard case for the fragile things. Our comparison hard or soft luggage: what to choose goes deeper.
What is the easiest single change I can make before my next ski trip?
Move your phone, power bank and spare camera batteries into one warm inside pocket, and take your camera and electronics out of the car every evening. Those two habits prevent a large share of cold-related failures at no cost.
Final thoughts
A ski trip puts equipment through temperature swings, moisture, rough handling and long journeys, all within a few days. The failures are predictable, which means they are preventable. Keep batteries warm, let cameras acclimatise in a closed case, treat goggles and lenses gently, protect documents and medicines from moisture, check wheels before you leave, and do not leave valuables overnight in a cold car. If you add one or two rigid, sealed cases for the things that matter most, you remove several risks in one move.
If you are comparing carry-on options for the flight itself, our article Peli 1510 vs Peli Air 1535 explains the differences between two popular cases. Whichever you choose, have a good trip, and a better week on the slopes than the list above would suggest. ⛷️
