How to Travel with Snowboards and Skis

Snowboards and skis take up a lot of space, and that’s a fact. Generally, any sports equipment can be quite awkward to travel with and various arrangements often have to be made if you want to travel with extra items such as ski or snowboarding gear. Flying with Sports Equipment Most airlines will offer an ‘extra’ option when flying. This means that for an additional payment, you can store your equipment in the hold along with the rest of your luggage. Payments and allowances will vary from airline to airline, but the overall rule for most airlines is that each checked item of sports equipment is considered as an additional baggage item. This means that you may be paying many additional costs if you don’t pack your gear all in one bag. To save you money, try and pack your skis and poles together. Also, airlines only allow certain sized equipment to go into the cabin hold so if you happen to have a BIG pair of skis, you may have to pay an ‘oversize’ or ‘overweight’ charge. How to Protect Sports Equipment whilst Travelling Rather than wrapping your snowboard or skis in a soft case as you would to store it away for the summer, instead get a hard case for safe travel. This will prevent scratches, splits or other breakages in your gear and will also boost your peace of mind as you get on the plane (none of those dreaded “Are the baggage handlers being gentle with my skis?” feelings). Take Repair Items When you’re hitting the slopes, anything can happen so it pays to be prepared. Take irons, wax and tools with you so that you can make any quick repairs when you tuck your board or skis up to sleep at the end of the day. Just remember that if you do take any of these items, pack them either with the equipment itself or in your checked in luggage so that they are not confiscated. Double Check Everything It is always best to double check your sports equipment before you leave. Don’t jsut assume your skis are properly stored in their case – check that too. You never know, you may have let someone borrow your skis and they haven’t returned them ... there’s something extremely depressing about turning up on the Alps with an empty ski case...! Overall, travelling with ski equipment isn’t difficult as long as you’re willing to spend a bit extra to get your gear overseas. If you don’t think it’s worth the effort, then you can always rent the equipment when you’re out there instead!