Ski Safe with The Right Equipment

Are you prepared with the right equipment to ski safe?  Here are four important recommendations that are sometimes overlooked:

Helmets

Wearing a helmet is one of the most important actions you can take in order to prevent injuries while skiing.  In recent years, a large amount of evidence has come out suggesting that, in the case of adult cyclists, helmets may actually be a larger risk than a benefit.  (This is due to a myriad of complicated causes, but mainly an increase in risky driving around the cyclists.  Unfortunately, some people in the skiing community have tried to use the same argument in regards to skiing: as this New York Times article argues, professional skiers may also view helmets as a reason to act more recklessly themselves, therefore leading to an increased rate of injury.  Of course, as this same article points out, helmets are still highly recommendable, especially for your casual, non-professional skier who has no incentive to take irrational risks.

Ski Clothing

In order to protect from dangers such as hypothermia and frostbite, it’s highly recommendable to wear several layers of warm clothing.  Regardless of what combination of clothes you choose to wear, however, it’s very important that your outfit include a set of insulated, waterproof ski clothing in order to keep you dry and warm.

Ski Goggles

Ski goggles are very important for a number of reasons.  By reducing glare and increasing contrast, they help reduce the risk of collisions–a major safety concern.  Additionally, they help protect the eyes from flying snow or debris, which pose both a direct danger to the eyes and the indirect danger of crashes/collisions.  Some skiers consider using simple sunglasses, however this is not recommendable as sunglasses are more likely to ice up, more likely to fall off, and could even shatter in the case of an accident causing a grave eye injury.

Emergency Locator Beacon

In the case of an emergency situation, locating any injured and/or missing parties is crucial.  That’s why it’s highly recommendable to invest in equipment such as the Beacon Watch SeaMe™ emergency locator device.  Smartphone compatible and affordably priced, the SeaMe™ offers sophisticated technology that’s ready when you need it.