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Tips for travelling with kite equipment - how do you pack?

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jkite231
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Tips for travelling with kite equipment - how do you pack?

Postby jkite231 » Sat Jan 19, 2019 12:01 am

I am packing for a kite trip and just realized how much of my weight allowance would be taken by my gear and stuff directly related to the sport:

Wheeled 150cm kite bag: 4.7 kg
First kite: 3.5 kg
Second kite: 4.1 kg
Bar and lines: 1.4 kg
Harness with leash: 1.8 kg
Board with all accessories: 4 kg
Wetsuit with boots: 1.65 kg
Pump: 1.25 kg
Helmet: 0.4 kg
Vest: 0.5 kg
Two sets of lycra and board shorts: 0.85kg

The above is a bit over 24 KG!

Initially I was planning to travel with one kitebag and one regular checked bag + small backpack as hand luggage, but now I think the only feasible option would be to put all my clothes and other stuff in my kitebag, bringing it close to 30KG and all other stuff in a wheeled hand luggage.

Problem is, not all airlines I plan to use offer 30KG checked bag allowance, let alone sporting equipment which is above the standard of 23KG.

How do you guys travel usually? What combination of bags do you take with you? Any tips would be greatly appreciated. I will be flying from Europe to SEA (and will also use regional airlines in SEA, particularly the Philippines).

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Re: Tips for travelling with kite equipment - how do you pack?

Postby Kamikuza » Sat Jan 19, 2019 2:23 am

It all depends on how much hassle you can be bothered with re. multiple bags, fighting with luggage limits, paying excess fees...

For the past few years, seems I've been traveling with 3 kites, 2 bars, 2 boards, 2 harnesses, pump, helmet, wetsuit :o

TT and either a directional or foil board, used to be 2 LEIs and a foil kite or two foils and a tube.
2 bars because they're light and a break would be annoying.
2 harnesses (or at least, two spreader bars -- Dakine, eh) because I've had them fail and nobody stocks XXL harnesses, and I like the Fusion for TT riding and the Mystic Star for foiling.

So the usual plan is to pre-register the sports gear (usually avoiding the over-size charge) and pay $100 for a second bag. Put all my clothes in the sports bags...which depending on the destination, tends to be almost nothing -- lots of washing.

This trip home, I'm taking 12/10/8 LEIs, foil board and TT, two harnesses (because my old one is falling apart but so comfy), pump, helmet and a 3/2 wetsuit. Got 32kg per bag or I'd ditch the 8m, the kite bags (about a kg each), second bar and second harness.

170cm North wheelie bag:
Foil board and TT, foil hardware carry case, TT accessories, pump, harnesses and wetsuit, helmet = 27kg
140cm Naish "golf" bag:
three kites and their bags, two bars, bloody great annoying-to-pack foil wing = 19kg.

Just the 170cm bag, foil board, TT, foil hardware (no wing) was 21kg so I'd be paying for a second bag anyway, and I could shed some weight to get under 20kg per bag easy enough.

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Re: Tips for travelling with kite equipment - how do you pack?

Postby BWD » Sat Jan 19, 2019 4:07 am

TIP: buy lighter gear.
One kite = 4 kg is like a time machine from 2004, goes with 17m C kite and 5 struts...
Also you can use a 300g laundry bag instead of a 1500g kite bag. 2 bags is probably enough, even if you fly with 4 kites... etc.

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Re: Tips for travelling with kite equipment - how do you pack?

Postby Toby » Sat Jan 19, 2019 10:27 am

I always have too much weight....although I have only one kite!

A good tip is: know your airport!

At most airports in the western world you have to bring your bag to the oversized luggage counter...but the weighing is at the checkin counter...

So after weighing you can add some weight to your bag ...

In countries with lower salaries they will bring your bag from checkin to oversized counter.

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Re: Tips for travelling with kite equipment - how do you pack?

Postby badgb21 » Sat Jan 19, 2019 10:46 am

Weight is the enemy!
Not sure I follow why you want to make one large bag, although it maybe more convenient at times. Bus and taxi transfers will be a pain with a 30Kg bag.
2 check-in bags, one clothes and one kite bag would be how I’d do it, each 23Kg max (some local airlines maybe 20Kg so be prepared for this too, wear your heavy shoes and cram your carry on, if needed.
Stick your bar say, in with your clothes check in to balance the weight.
When checking in a sports bag I have been asked to open it to show it is only sports gear. There has been a discussion on here some while back, that they can’t make you open it, but then they don’t have to take it either!
I asked on another thread this week how folks travel with just one 23Kg check-in bag here; viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2401608&p=1040744#p1040744
Yours is the perfect case for a split board and so two cases, no over size luggage to search for on arrival.

Have a great trip.

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Re: Tips for travelling with kite equipment - how do you pack?

Postby badgb21 » Sat Jan 19, 2019 10:48 am

Do you advocate stealing from duty free too?

Really.


Toby wrote:
Sat Jan 19, 2019 10:27 am
I always have too much weight....although I have only one kite!

A good tip is: know your airport!

At most airports in the western world you have to bring your bag to the oversized luggage counter...but the weighing is at the checkin counter...

So after weighing you can add some weight to your bag ...

In countries with lower salaries they will bring your bag from checkin to oversized counter.

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Re: Tips for travelling with kite equipment - how do you pack?

Postby Toby » Sat Jan 19, 2019 11:21 am

Who steals first?

Golf bag 23 kg: 50 USD
Kite bag 23 kg: 150 USD

???

badgb21 wrote:
Sat Jan 19, 2019 10:48 am
Do you advocate stealing from duty free too?

Really.


Toby wrote:
Sat Jan 19, 2019 10:27 am
I always have too much weight....although I have only one kite!

A good tip is: know your airport!

At most airports in the western world you have to bring your bag to the oversized luggage counter...but the weighing is at the checkin counter...

So after weighing you can add some weight to your bag ...

In countries with lower salaries they will bring your bag from checkin to oversized counter.
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badgb21
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Re: Tips for travelling with kite equipment - how do you pack?

Postby badgb21 » Sat Jan 19, 2019 11:47 am

Do you really want to have that debate?
Because you feel you are over charged, it is legitimate to steal?
It's a choice to fly.

Reading your posts over many years I thought you were a better person than that.

Maybe you'd feel different if your pension was connected to an airline or you were a shareholder in one.
Not many small airlines in Europe making money right now.

Out.



Toby wrote:
Sat Jan 19, 2019 11:21 am
Who steals first?

Golf bag 23 kg: 50 USD
Kite bag 23 kg: 150 USD

???

badgb21 wrote:
Sat Jan 19, 2019 10:48 am
Do you advocate stealing from duty free too?

Really.


Toby wrote:
Sat Jan 19, 2019 10:27 am
I always have too much weight....although I have only one kite!

A good tip is: know your airport!

At most airports in the western world you have to bring your bag to the oversized luggage counter...but the weighing is at the checkin counter...

So after weighing you can add some weight to your bag ...

In countries with lower salaries they will bring your bag from checkin to oversized counter.

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Re: Tips for travelling with kite equipment - how do you pack?

Postby Toby » Sat Jan 19, 2019 12:22 pm

in:
Maybe you'd feel different if your pension was connected to an airline or you were a shareholder in one.
Not many small airlines in Europe making money right now.
Ask Sir Richard Branson. Sportbags for free !

I have no problem to pay my sport bag. More weight, I am fine with that.

Getting f****** like on American Airlines I have a problem with! 2 hrs flight, 150 USD...while golf bag is 50. Fair ?

still in.
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Re: Tips for travelling with kite equipment - how do you pack?

Postby edt » Sat Jan 19, 2019 12:32 pm

One board/golf bag one checked bag small backpack. Make sure you put a few heavy things in your backpack. If you are close to over the weight limit just bring less clothes. Kites are more important than that second pair of pants. The reason they need to weigh this stuff and have weight limits is that the plane can crash if there's too much weight on takeoff. There's a lot plane crashes in the past because of this for instance the Long Beach crash Scott's Dale crash Case Western crash and flight 5481 where they used decade old weight estimates on passenger weight but everyone is fatter now so it crashed.


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