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

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

Postby jkite231 » Sat Jan 19, 2019 1:33 pm

BWD wrote:
Sat Jan 19, 2019 4:07 am
One kite = 4 kg is like a time machine from 2004
4kg is for 2018 Switchblade kite without the bag. Seems like 5-strut kites weight hasn't changed much over the years.
badgb21 wrote:
Sat Jan 19, 2019 10:46 am
2 check-in bags, one clothes and one kite bag would be how I’d do it, each 23Kg max
edt wrote:
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.
That's what seems most convenient to me too, but my Mystic kite bag is almost 5kg and my Samsonite suitcase is another 4kg. This means almost 10KG of my allowance just for the two checked bags! Very few airlines seem to offer 2x23KG for flights from Europe to Asia, if any.

I was thinking about putting my bar, leash and board fins/hardware in my carry-on (about 2.5 KG), but I have read mixed reviews about how they are treated during security check.

And being overweight is not an option, Qatar for example can charge up to $1750 (!) for an overweight sports bag.

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

Postby Toby » Sat Jan 19, 2019 2:01 pm

I remember a competition in Thailand where a rider came with Qatar Air...paid one way 1000 USD !
Then we did the bag trick and he only paid 200.

Yes, we are bad people !

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

Postby WMFG » Sat Jan 19, 2019 10:40 pm

I travel 10+ times per year with tons of gear, while I've had some terrible experiences that have left me feeling completely f'd over, I feel like I've gotten it down to a pretty good process. Here's my tips.

1) know your airline's baggage policies as it relates to kite/surf. Find the area on their website with weights and rates, print off a hard copy and bring with you. Sometimes the agent has not idea and just tries to ruin you.

2) Weigh your gear before you get to the airport. If limit is 23kg, be under it, note 23.5, 24+, etc, but under 23. Get a small travel hand scale for your return flight. Example: www.mysticboarding.com/products/wind/ba ... lor_f8fcfb (Probably most important piece of gear I travel with)

3) Compression bags, etc are lighter than normal kite bags, so use them. saves about .5kg per kite.

4) If you agree with tip #1, don't be an a-hole. Accept the rates and pay them. Pre-pay it online before you get to the airport as there's often a discount for paying on-line, and likely less stress w the check in staff.

5) Life's short. Unless the second bag is insanely expensive, live a little and check in 2 bags. Nothing worse getting skunked on a trip, when you could have ridden if you brought a foil, bigger kite, etc. or didn't bring your little kite. My move right now is typically all boards, foils, etc in a wheeled travel bag. 2 Surfies and foil gear with a few other odds an ends is pretty close to the 23kg limit. Then a light duffle style bag with all kites and the rest of the gear in another bag then I've got everything I need in 2 pieces. Follow the rules above and for most airlines the second bag is a manageable fee, especially as you've already checked in one as oversized, or as a surfboard and paid the fee. Having said that, I'm usually travelling for work (to some extent) so have a bunch of samples, and I'm usually going somewhere with some choice of airline and can get on one with reasonable, or at lease consistent.

6) A complete wild card is changing airlines and/or transferring from international to domestic flights and/or terminals. Basically anytime you have to physically see/pick up/transfer your baggage you're at risk of an airline double down and further ravishing. All off the above rules still apply, but again, know the rules. If you believe you've paid to have your bags checked all the way through to final destination, have some documentation on this. Tam in Sao Paulo had a nice scam running on this when I used to travel to Cumbuco via Sao Paulo.

I could add a 1000 words with stories of times airlines have completely screwed me, but more often that not if I stick to the above, it's a known cost when I get to the airport and something I can live with.
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Re: Tips for travelling with kite equipment - how do you pack?

Postby Islakite Boracay » Sun Jan 20, 2019 8:53 am

Most middle-East airlines will let you fly with a 30 Kgs kitebag: Emirates, Qatar, Etihad, Saudi.
In the Philippines, you can easily fly with gear for cheap with Airasia and Cebu Pacific so no worries ;-)
I usually travel with a kitebag and a small backpack. No need to bring much clothes, the weather is hot here
If you need info about kitesurfing in the Philippines don't hesitate, I've been living on Boracay for 11 years
have a good trip!
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Re: Tips for travelling with kite equipment - how do you pack?

Postby Toby » Sun Jan 20, 2019 10:50 am

Good tip on 1 there. I always make a screenshot of the rules for sports bags.
The checkin people sometimes don’t have any clue.

What’s bad, that some airlines don’t state the weight limits on their website. You need to call to find out.
Note the name, date and time you called if any trouble at the airport...

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

Postby rjkritzer » Sun Jan 20, 2019 12:14 pm

I have a Kitelement split board which fits perfectly into a large hard-side roller suitcase.

Usually bring a second larger roller suitcase and squeeze in as much gear as I feel will be needed. Sometimes this makes for a pretty crowded taxi ride and/or requires a slightly larger rental car.

I do not bring kite bags since they are bulky and heavy, just a large plastic bag or 2 for protecting the kites. Carefully fold kites to get as much air out as possible so they fold very compactly - this makes a big difference for packing.

Airline weight allowances vary, so I do my research on their policy and adjust what I bring and how I pack accordingly.

The split board is the most important thing for avoiding baggage charges.

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

Postby Foil » Sun Jan 20, 2019 12:56 pm

Packing your gear for holidays takes loads of practice, over time its gets easier to get it just right.

after 45 years of hard practice packing sports gear 3 -4 times a year,-guess what?

yes I am still trying for perfection.

typical cost of flight for 2 persons return for a 4 hour flight about £100, booked early with easy Jet.
cost for 75 kg of luggage about £190 for the same return ticket

average person weighs 100kg so that's 200kg of people,with free carry on bags.
200kg of people with free carry con bag for £100 return,that's around £0.50/kg for people

luggage cost is around £2.50/kg

that's 5 times the cost

sounds a bit weird.

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

Postby kitelife » Sun Jan 20, 2019 8:55 pm

My latest travel I vaccum packed a 14m and 10m and placed them in a kite bag for my carry on. The rest of my gear:
12m kite
Foil board
Strapless surfboard
Bar
Pump
Harness
Was checked baggage.

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

Postby jkite231 » Sun Jan 20, 2019 11:10 pm

kitelife wrote:
Sun Jan 20, 2019 8:55 pm
My latest travel I vaccum packed a 14m and 10m and placed them in a kite bag for my carry on.
This is a great idea! That's about 7-8 kg of weight off the checked bag.

Did you roll the kites one inside the other before vacuuming? I suppose both kites fitted in your 10m kite bag? Thanks!

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

Postby kitelife » Mon Jan 21, 2019 1:44 am

This is a great idea! That's about 7-8 kg of weight off the checked bag.

Did you roll the kites one inside the other before vacuuming? I suppose both kites fitted in your 10m kite bag? Thanks!
I actually put them in two separate vacuum bags and carried them in my 12m bag. The bag size was bigger than the airline dimensions for a carryon but the kites were packed smaller. On my way back they had me put the bag in their steel baggage check. It fit perfectly and I had no issues.

I also carried my kites on the plane because they were the most expensive and recently purchased gear - no chance for them to get lost or damaged. The 12m is an older kite.
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