I am going skiing in a few days in the Tetons and have read enough stories about people lost and freezing, and I simply will not do anything to get out of bounds. However I'm also not one to go off with nothing in my pocket just-in-case, the question I have is what would you put in your pockets for a normal day of skiing in a skiing area, that has lots of people around.

My stuff is probably going to consist of:

1 SAK Farmer;
1 mini Bic lighter;
1 Spark-Lite;
1-2 Granola bars or some other bar;
1 space blanket;
1 Motorola Q phone;
1 tube of a petroleum jelly product; and
a couple wads of cotton.

I don't want a bunch of stuff that is hard in my pockets, and often am not fond of having the phone. A knife, I never like to be without one, but when skiing, I don't like having it sometimes.

Since I will be skiing in a rather populated area, during ski season, I think my biggest battle would be keeping myself warm, should I be forced to spend extended time outdoors. A fire and some shelter should be able to see me through a night in my ski clothes, hopefully without needing to dry out. If I could start a fire, I don't think it would go unnoticed for long in the Tetons.

Comments? Anything else you'd bring? Anything you'd think better left behind?

how about a signal mirror?

Don't forget a whistle... and a compass... even a button style.

I carry a small pack that rides high on my back so that it allows me to sit comfortably on the chair lift.

One of the biggest problems that I have encountered is being on the chair lift when it breaks down. It can take hours to evacuate a lift and you are very exposed and unable to move to generate heat or start a fire.

In addition to what you have listed in the pack I carry:
- Thermos of hot chocolate
- High calorie food like chocolate
- Down Vest or Down Jacket
- Wind breaker if not already wearing a shell
- Balaclava
- Warm mitts
- Space blanket/Bag (I prefer a bag with the foot end cut out so that you can pull it over your head and down around your legs while wearing ski's on a lift and not have it flapping in the wind)
- Goggles
- Sun Screen
- Cell phone and sometimes a radio if skiing in a group

I usually put toe warmers in my boots at the start of the day as it is difficult to place them in a boot if you are on a chair lift

edit:
I used to carry a small foam pad to sit on but most modern chair lifts are well padded which provides good insulation.

Snacks.

I've been stuck on a chair lift too and it sucks.

Several copies of the trail map to keep me inside the ski area.
Making a wrong turn and descending into a "dead end" drainage is the usual reason for lost skiers at ski resorts.
Only leave the trails if you know where you are going.

That said for a day of resort skiing I would have;
SAK Farmer
Mini Bic
Quick tinder in my wallet
Photo freedom on keys.
That is about it.

Out of bounds and BC skiing is a full on survival scenario so I would have a bunch more gear.
Bill

When I ski, I always have a Leatherman Charge on me. Great for adjusting bindings and it has a wood saw. I keep a K&M match case with Rei matches inside. The button compass on the case is a backup to my Suunto Vector watch. A thin balaclava fits easily in a pocket and I can wear it under my helmet if the temps start to drop. A thin pair of glove liners helps as well. A large garbage bag takes up little space in a pocket and is invaluable for emergency shelter--on a lift or not. I usually have some pop tarts as well as
a lexan flask with water (more ergonomical to fit in a pocket and can be easily refilled if you are inbounds.) A thin Fox whistle goes on a ski pass lanyard around my neck. If I ski out of bounds--thats a totally different story and gear list. I dislike people talking on their cell phones on the lift next to me, but they are very useful to call ski patrol...

Also, I usually wrap a few feet of duct tape around a ski pole...

In addition to duct tape I also wrap fiberglass tape around the pole.

The fiberglass tape is very strong and when combined with duct tape you can tape your boot to your ski if you break a binding and hobble out if required.

If I break a binding, I'm either walking down, sliding down on my rear, or, most likely, calling for help and riding something down, or a combination thereof.

I like the idea of a whistle, signal mirror and compass. I can do that in one swoop, if I take the Coghlan's 5-in-1 Survival Aid from my BOB. And I can add some warmers to my pockets.

Thanks to all.