Where's the best place to get skis or snowboards in town? That's one of the most common questions that I get from guests staying at #DonnerBliss. Here are my go-to tips for guests.
Renting at Tahoe Dave's in old-town Truckee is our favorite tip for the day or weekend, and we always bring our friends here. The staff are super-friendly. They have good prices for kids seasonal rentals (you keep them with you for the whole season), and you can trade up sizes if your kids grow during the year. We did got my daughter new snowboard boots three times one winter!
Renting at Sports Basement in San Francisco is probably the cheapest option, but you do have to schlep your gear up and back from the city.
You can also rent at your resort of choice, which means that you don't have to schlep gear around in Truckee or from the Bay Area. But plan ahead because on busy weekends it can take a while to get through the rental line.
Buying gear at one of the mountain ski swaps is also a smart tradition. See my blog on how to shop local ski swaps!