Whether you’re a professional sports player or you’re just off on a sports-based holiday for a bit of fun, nothing beats having your own equipment with you! Be that a surfboard, golf clubs, skis, diving equipment or anything else for that matter, many prefer to travel with their own gear.
However, it’s not always as simple as checking your suitcase and popping off to the airport bar for a drink. Travelling with sports equipment requires careful planning and preparation, as well as understanding all the rules and regulations.
But if you’ve not done this before, you might not know where to start. That’s why we’ve put together this guide. Below, we’re going to cover everything you need to know about travelling with your sports equipment, so you can begin preparing for your next trip.
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You don’t have to travel with your sports equipment
Hang on a minute; what are we talking about? We just said this was a guide for travelling with your sporting gear, and now we’re saying you don’t have to!
Well, if you’ve got lots of large of heavy equipment, there is another – much easier – option.
Shipping your sports equipment through a specialist courier service can be a great way to save yourself a lot of stress and effort and ensure your equipment arrives safe and hassle-free.
This is because you can have your equipment collected at a time and date that suits you from a predetermined location, such as your home. This will then travel via courier to be delivered to your next destination at the chosen date and time.
This means you don’t have to worry about transporting your equipment to and from the air-port yourself, fighting it into taxis, cars or buses and praying for its safe arrival. Someone else does all the hard work for you.
Different airlines have different policies
If you do decide to carry your equipment with you rather than using a courier service, you need to make sure that you understand the different rules and regulations of your travel providers – and in particular, the airline you’re flying with.
In most cases, airlines will cover similar policies, though as we said, the specifics will vary. For example, you will most likely encounter additional fees for your equipment if it requires a sep-arate bag or case. Not only this, but some airlines will have an overall weight limit which can cause issues for heavier equipment.
Some providers will also classify sports equipment differently. For example, most will agree that skis, snowboards, hockey sticks, golf clubs, bikes, surfboards, etc., are sporting equipment. However, some might be concerned by hunting or fishing gear and any guns or ammunition. Therefore, these may not be allowed.
You should always double-check the regulations
Following on from our last point, it’s important that you always check the rules and regulations of your chosen airline. Ideally, you need to do this before you book and pay for your tickets, so there are no disappointments later on.
Check whether your equipment is classified as sports gear and whether you’ll be allowed to take it. You’ll also need to find out whether you have to check your goods or whether you can take this in the hold with our depending on the size and weight.
It’s important to plan ahead
As well as checking in on the airline regulations, there are serval other things you should do to prepare for travelling with your sports equipment. This will make your journey much smoother and more enjoyable, especially if you’re transporting larger goods. Some key ways to prepare include:
• Purchase extra baggage ahead of time to save unexpected costs at the airport and longer at the check-in desk
• Prepare to turn up at the airport an extra hour or so earlier so you have plenty of time to check your equipment and have leeway for any issues that might arise
• Be sure to pack up your equipment as effectively as possible (more on this in the next sec-tion)
• If you’re unsure about any detail, no matter how small, it’s best to call the airline ahead of time to make sure everything is in order
By following these tips and doing thorough planning and preparation, you can make travelling with sports equipment as straightforward as possible.
Pack and prepare your equipment carefully
Whether your equipment will be travelling with you, in the hold or via a courier, you need to make sure that it is effectively and safely packed. This stops your equipment from getting dam-aged along the way, especially if you’re using multiple forms of transport or taking delicate equipment such as surfboards.
As such, you need to ensure that you store it away carefully, wrapping and padding the equip-ment where necessary. In some cases, you can buy bags for that exact purpose, such as bags for your skis, surfboard or snowboard to help protect them in transit. If you can buy professional travel bags for your equipment, it is recommended that you do so.
After all, the last thing you want to do is arrive and find that your equipment has been dam-aged along the way.
It’s also important that you cover any sharper equipment that could be potentially dangerous. For example, blades on ice skates must be covered, and ammunition/guns, if allowed on the flight, must be stored in the correct way for maximum safety.
You must make sure you have the right insurance
Finally, it’s important that if you’re travelling with expensive sporting equipment that you make sure you have the insurance to cover this.
This is because, unfortunately, you can’t always avoid your bags being dropped, thrown or lost in transit. So, while this is unlikely to happen, it’s always best to be prepared just in case some-thing does go wrong.
So, before you begin your journey, make sure that you insure all of your equipment with the best possible cover, so you can have peace of mind as you travel.
