Flying together with your out of doors sports activities gear generally is a breeze or a headache, relying on how nicely you put together. As an ex-flight attendant who loves the outside, listed here are my prime suggestions that can assist you outdoor lovers navigate the skies together with your snowboards, paddleboards, surfboards, and snowboarding gear, in order that they arrive safely at your vacation spot and prepared for motion.
1. Use High quality Gear-Particular Baggage
Put money into high-quality, sturdy, purpose-built padded baggage to guard your gear, particularly for those who’re a frequent traveler. Search for a padded bag with strengthened seams and durable zippers. Some baggage even include wheels for straightforward maneuvering, and it’s possible you’ll want to select one with extra pockets for equipment.
If touring with multiple board, contemplate a coffin-style board bag, which may maintain a number of boards. These baggage provide additional safety and are sometimes extra strong. Alternatively, many board baggage have extra padding for the nostril and tail, so search for baggage with this additional padding to safe these essential areas, preserve your board protected, and defend it from any potential impacts.
2. Pack Strategically
Make the most of the area inside your board bag/ski bag effectively by packing a few of your clothes, comparable to gloves, layers, rash vests, or wetsuits round your board/skis for added safety.
Take away any fins, bindings, or removable equipment in your gear earlier than packing it to scale back the danger of harm throughout transit. This may also assist your board/skis match extra simply into the bag. For surfboards, retailer fins securely in a small bag and pack the leash individually.
3. Defend Fragile Tools
For those who’re touring with a board, put money into some nostril and tail protectors. This can protect essentially the most weak elements of your board and assist stop injury from impacts throughout dealing with.
It’s additionally a very good concept to wrap the nostril and tail of your board with bubble wrap or towels so as to add an additional layer of padding and safety. Take note of these weak areas, as they’re extra susceptible to wreck.
For those who’ll be snowboarding, contemplate separating your skis and poles, particularly if in case you have a bag that accommodates them individually.
4. Safe Unfastened Components
Be certain that any free straps, harnesses, buckles, or different free/detachable elements are secured to stop them from getting caught or broken throughout dealing with.
For those who’re bringing a paddle, guarantee it’s well-protected and safe contained in the bag. Some baggage have a delegated paddle pocket, but when they don’t, wrap your paddle in padding and safe it inside your bag.
5. Put money into Journey-Pleasant Outside Tools When Potential
For those who’ll be touring lots together with your out of doors gear, it’s possible you’ll need to contemplate investing in travel-friendly gear. For instance, inflatable stand-up paddleboards are extra compact and light-weight than conventional ones, making them a lot simpler to move. These boards are sometimes extra sturdy and designed to face up to the pains of air journey.
6. Verify Airline Insurance policies
Know your airline’s insurance policies on sports activities gear. Totally different airways have particular insurance policies relating to sports activities gear, so ensure to examine upfront the coverage for the airline you can be flying with so that you perceive their particular guidelines and any related charges or limitations for transporting any massive out of doors gear.
Additionally examine your airline’s weight and dimension restrictions for sports activities gear. Guarantee your packed out of doors gear complies with these rules to keep away from extra baggage charges. Word that out of doors gear comparable to surfboards and snowboards are sometimes topic to oversize baggage charges, so be ready for extra costs.
7. Use Fragile Stickers
If touring with a big board, connect “Fragile” stickers to your gear bag to alert airport workers to deal with it with care. Whereas not foolproof, it could immediate extra cautious dealing with from the bags handlers. And while we’re on the subject of labeling baggage, it’s a good suggestion to obviously label your bag together with your contact data. This can assist airport workers return your gear if it will get misplaced.
8. Carry Necessities in Your Carry-On
Make sure to pack fragile gadgets like your motion digicam gear or goggles in your carry-on. You’ll additionally must pack any batteries comparable to these for GPS units in your carry-on baggage to adjust to security rules.
9. Insure Your Outside Tools
Contemplate buying journey insurance coverage that covers your out of doors gear in case your gear will get misplaced, broken, or stolen.
10. Lock Your Bag
Whereas not foolproof, including a lock to your out of doors gear bag can deter unauthorized entry and supply an additional layer of safety.
11. Arrive to the Airport Early
Arrive on the airport with ample time earlier than your flight. Sports activities gear typically requires particular dealing with within the outsized baggage dealing with space, so arriving early permits for a smoother check-in course of.
12. Examine Your Tools Upon Arrival
Upon reaching your vacation spot, examine your out of doors gear for any injury. For those who discover any points, report them to airline workers instantly and doc the injury for potential claims.
Keep in mind, the smoother you may make the journey in your gear, the extra pleasant your out of doors journey will probably be. Plan forward, observe airline tips, and put money into high quality protecting gear to make sure your out of doors gear arrives at your vacation spot safely and prepared in your subsequent journey.
