Been skiing for years and I see the same mistakes from first-timers every season. Here are 5 things that'll make your first trip 10x better:

1. Neck gaiter / balaclava — Lift rides with exposed skin at -10° is miserable. A $15 neck gaiter is the highest ROI purchase in skiing.

2. Hand warmers — Your gloves aren't enough on cold days. Toss a pair of hand warmers in each glove and thank me later.

3. Goggle anti-fog cloth — Nothing worse than bombing a run blind because your goggles fogged up after lunch.

4. Sunscreen — Yes, even in winter. Snow reflects UV like crazy. I've seen lobster-red faces at après more times than I can count.

5. Boot dryers or newspaper — Wet boots on day 2 = cold, miserable feet all day. Stuff newspaper in them overnight at minimum.

We put together a beginner bundle with most of these essentials at Powder Supply. But even if you grab them elsewhere — don't skip this list.