How to pack for a holiday on the slopes

My whole family (husband, three children, parents, youngest sister…) are off to California to see my middle sister and her family for Christmas. We have planned a rather ambitious trip: first to Mammoth Mountain and then to Sequoia; so there will be skiing, and then cabins in the woods with walks and wild swimming. Throw Christmas presents into the mix and packing is going to be a complete nightmare… but it’ll be worth it.

Goldbergh faux-fur college jacket

They say dance like no one is watching; but I ski like everyone is watching. Perhaps it’s all those years of French ski school tests to get my little snowflake and étoiles. Anyway, the vanity extends to my outfits. I like a cropped ski jacket with elasticated waist and wrists (to keep the snow out should I have a fall), sizable pockets and a big hood with faux fur. £599, goldbergh.com

Finisterre merino-wool Zephyr ski thermals 

I hate being cold, and my circulation is rubbish, so merino-wool ski thermals are my second skin. They keep me warm but also stop me overheating. I obviously wear them under my ski kit, but since I lounge around in them at the end of the day they have to have a modicum of chic – which means no overt branding or that weird sci-fi/pixellated patterning that outdoor brands love so much. I like these from Finisterre – simple, black, stylish and with some stretch so they don’t go baggy at the knees or bum. Leggings, £65; rollneck base layer, £70

Burton Oven Gore-Tex Infinium mittens

Numb hands are the bane of my life (see above). A million years ago someone told me gloves with Gore-Tex – the strong, microporous material that has incredibly low water absorption, and thus is great for the slopes – were the answer. Aside from a freakishly cold February in Switzerland about 10 years ago, they have never been proven wrong. £155, burton.com

Piz Buin Mountain sun cream and lipstick SPF50

Piz Buin is the smell of skiing, and its mini tubes with lip balm have been on the slopes with me since I was a child. Whenever I smell it, it takes me to the top of a sunny, snowy mountain. No brand will ever topple it. £8.50, boots.com

Bollé Sierra Vintage Rose goggles

I have had these retro-chic goggles (or a very similar style) for about 20 years. Every so often, people try to get me to upgrade and I dig my heels in. Mine have silver mirrored lenses (very definitely not coloured lenses) and these are fitted into a frame. I may sound pedantic, but frameless ones make you look like an insect. €65, bolle.com

Toms Sydney sunglasses

Style-wise, I have never managed to stomach wraparound skiing sunglasses, no matter how practical they are. Who cares if my eyes stream ferociously as I career down the slopes. I like Toms’ because they are so light and strong – made from Solaflex nylon-based plastic, they have some bend, and no child has yet managed to break them. They also give 33 per cent of profits to organisations working to build equity in the community. $88, toms.com

Kidswear Collective Perfect Moment ski coat

Much of the kids’ ski kit has been cobbled together from hand-me-downs and borrowed bits and bobs, but some of it I have also sourced from kids’ resale sites. Kidswear Collective is great; I love the jackets and salopettes that have a retro feel and Perfect Moment does some cool pieces. Up to five per cent of proceeds are also donated to the NSPCC. £175, kidswearcollective.com

Blundstone #508 Chelsea boots

My Australian father almost cried with laughter when he discovered that his London-based daughter had started wearing these Tasmanian farmer’s boots to tackle the challenging Hackney terrain (I still maintain that standing around a playground in winter means the cold can really seep into my bones!). Anyway, this trip will vindicate my choice, when these boots charge first through snow, then through woodland. Mine have red elastic, because it matches my ever-present lipstick (You can take the girl out of the city…). £155, blundstone.co.uk

The Overstory by Richard Powers

This Pulitzer-prize winning paean to the American wilderness and its grand, monumental trees has been on my reading list for about three years. Since much of this holiday will be in Sequoia, the national park named after the enormous trees that make up its 400,000-odd acres, it seems a fitting time to tackle this 600-page epic. £9.99, waterstones.com

Wylding thermal-lined boiler suit

It may not exactly be warm in the Sequoia national park, but wild swimming will probably be on the agenda. Wylding’s boiler suit is thermal-lined and weatherproof. £160, wylding.co.uk

Harry Potter Dobble

Waiting around in airports is heinous with three tiny children; this card game in a tin happily kills 20-30 minutes. There are a few games you can play, but we like the version that is a bit like souped-up snap: each circular card has multiple images; the first to spot the two that match wins the card. It says it is for 6+, but I play it with my three- and five-year-olds; the latter mostly beats me. We have the Harry Potter version; we’re at the start of an obsession that I imagine is going to drain me of serious cash. £14.99, dobblegame.com