There are times when walking, cycling or skiing that you suddenly wish that someone had invented “just the thing”. For example, I have wished that someone could invent just the thing for keeping my hands completely and utterly warm while cycling, or just the thing for carrying children who are bigger than baby but smaller than five-year-old while walking hills, or just the thing for stopping my hair flying into my face and being ultra annoying in high winds while walking, skiing or cycling etc…

I also admire people who come up with “just the thing” and then set about inventing it.

Introducing PortaSki

PortaSki is  “one of these things”. It’s a wheeled gadget for carrying your skis. This is claimed to be “just the thing” for overcoming the hassle of carrying skis when on holiday. Most of us just get on with the hassle of carrying skis. And if you are fairly strong and fairly tall it’s just about ok.

I find that carrying skis or a snowboard for any distance is uncomfortable and tiring but for some reason I have never thought about inventing a gadget to deal with this. So I carry skis around on my shoulder or in my arms and at various angles just to relieve the pain of them being on my shoulders or in my arms. It is annoying, now I really think about it.

I also find that you have to be ultra vigilant when in crowds so that you don’t inadvertently swing around and hit someone with your skis.

There are rucksacks that allow you to fix your skis to them so that they can be carried vertically on your back but I have mostly seen this when people head off for back country ski adventures, rather than when walking about the ski resort.

So the wheeled PortaSki gadget does look like a good idea.

PortaSki on test

I have not been skiing yet (due to a lack of snow so far this season) but I have tried skis in the PortaSki. Attaching the skis to the wheeled gadget is fairly simple. It just takes a little bit of fiddling around with straps etc and then you’re off. The attaching will be easier each time I do it.

The idea is that you pull the skis along at your side like you might pull a wheeled suitcase. The PortaSki is sturdy enough to cope with various terrains and doesn’t tip over.

You can also pop the PortaSki gadget into your suitcase when going on holiday because it is lightweight and only around three inches in width and height. Then when you need to get from the chalet to the ski lifts you pop the skis on the PortaSki and walk off, briskly and with encumbrance. I am not sure what you would do with the gadget when you ski but it is small enough to fit in a backpack or you could stow in a  locker at the ski lifts.

My only reservation with the gadget is walking with it and the skis in a crowd. Other skiers might end up tripping over the skis because they are being dragged along behind you. I guess most people will be looking at their feet or the ground as they walk but it might not be the easiest gadget to use in a very busy resort or situation.

The PortaSki is £24.95 plus £5 shipping so it’s a good price for something that could be “just the thing” for overcoming the annoying hassle of carrying your skis around.