Elyse Saugstad is known for rolling into a foreign country for a ski film trip with a well-organized bag of comfort items she’s brought from home. “If I’m staying in an Airbnb, I always pack a good knife for cooking. I also bring my favorite tea and a cashmere scarf that doubles as a blanket,” she says. The point is that no matter where in the world she may be, she can feel a little more at ease. That recovery time helps when it’s go time on steep terrain and she needs to be at peak performance.

“Always carry your ski boots on the airplane—especially these days with travel delays and lost baggage,” she says. “When you go on a ski trip, it’s usually easy to find a pair of skis, but it’s never easy to find boots that work for you.”