Should I take a suitcase or a pack to Whistler?

January 9, 2009 6:54 PM

Should I take a suitcase or a pack to Whistler?

I'm going to Whistler for 3 weeks of skiing (yay). Leaving from Auckland (New Zealand), with 2 nights stopover in Vancouver on the way, and 3 nights in San Francisco on the way back. There'll be a few transfers on buses or in taxis during the journey.

I'm 5' 4", and not very strong. I prefer a suitcase with wheels, because I can roll it along and my strength isn't an issue. My boyfriend thinks I should take a pack, because I can put it on my back, and if there's snow on the ground a suitcase on wheels wouldn't be suitable. I think a pack will be too heavy for me (I have used one before to get up the mountain when we ski locally, and always find it very difficult).

Which would you take?

posted by girlgeeknz to travel & transportation (11 comments total)

as a 5 foot 6 average strength woman, i'd take a pack. but, i don't own a suitcase anymore, i just use a backpack and/or duffle bag for pretty much all my travel.

fwiw, i was chatting with a friend in whis a few days ago, and she said there's very little snow in the village right now. hopefully it'll change before your trip! :)
posted by bellbellbell at 7:10 PM on January 9

A suitcase will be fine. You can get dropped off at your hotel, and there are plenty of sidewalks in the village. The annoyance of lugging a pack around far outweighs the slight chance snow will cause problems with your suitcase.
posted by KokuRyu at 7:12 PM on January 9

To be perfectly clear, even if there is snow, it won't be a problem. I was in town for the Whistler film festival (!) and it was -15 with a foot of snow. I walked around with my wheeled suitcase and dress shoes with no problems.
posted by KokuRyu at 7:15 PM on January 9

I'd go with wheeled suitcase. There's not going to be any snow in Vancouver or SF but there will be a lot of walking through airports with luggage. Are you staying in a hotel in Whistler? If yes, the hotel should have someone on staff who could help you move your luggage from the car to your hotel room should there be snow on the ground.
posted by jamaro at 7:15 PM on January 9

I've pulled a filled wheeled suitcase through snow. It's nonideal but doable (helps if the snow is dry, or the bag is at least a little water resistant). Also you have to stop every so often to kick away the little mountain of snow you've plowed up. Pack is easier but only if you can make the pack very light, and you will have a certain minimum of ski stuff you have to bring.

if you're doing pack make sure you have a good hip+sternum strap and that the fit is right for you, that might be your issue with having carried heavy packs before.

Of course, if you're going to whistler, what you really should take is me. Man, I'm jealous. Have a good time!
posted by nat at 8:01 PM on January 9

The people in the village are pretty fanatical about shoveling snow so you won't have far to go through the snow (if there is any at all).
posted by mmascolino at 8:02 PM on January 9

Unless you're planning on snow hiking with it, I'd stick with the wheeled suitcase. Even if there was snow on the ground you should be able to wheel through it fine. A hell of a lot easier than lugging around a pack, especially since you have previous problems with those.
posted by dead cousin ted at 8:30 PM on January 9

Or alternately, you could take a duffle bag and stick it on a golf pull cart.
posted by dead cousin ted at 8:37 PM on January 9

Wheeled luggage will be totally fine. If you're staying in the Village, the bus drops you off right there and the walkways there are almost always plowed, shoveled, salted or sanded. If you're not staying in the Village, I'd imagine you'd take a taxi to the hotel that first night anyway. If there is some kind of killer snowstorm (you can only hope) that renders the Village shovelling inadequate, it's only one very short walk from the bus to the hotel - you can just drag it through the snow and all will be well.

Have fun!!
posted by barnone at 9:23 PM on January 9

Both!
posted by platinum at 1:32 AM on January 10

Just a quick followup to say thanks for the advice. I took a wheeled suitcase and it was just fine. Season isn't great here, but even a bad day on Blackcomb is good!
posted by girlgeeknz at 11:16 AM on January 31