How to Pack Camping Gear for Flights: Everything You Need to Know!
You have finally decided on that epic camping destination after hours of pondering through brochures, camping guides and talking to your friends. You now have notes on everything from food, tent, safety concerns and what gear you’re going to use.
Now, all you have to do is book the flight tickets.
But wait!
How are you going to get your gear on the flight? What can you or can’t you carry?
When you are travelling by flight there is a certain restriction you need to account for hence in this article we have made a checklist and prescribed certain guidelines to carry your camping gear.
Table of Contents
How To Pack Camping Gear For Flights? The Complete Checklist
How much can you carry?
Your flight is just one peg in your journey. Other steps in your camping ladder would include buses, trains and even rentals which would inevitably affect your mode of carrying. Keep in mind that at some point it’s all about carrying the luggage by yourself.
Hence, know your exact weight limit and be mindful about how many layers of luggage is most comfortable for you.
What camp gears you can carry and what camp gears you cannot carry?
When travelling by plane, you need to expect that your luggage would be put through inspection and anything that can be interpreted as a weapon will be confiscated.
Although there are certain items that are completely banned from the flight, there are also some which you need to put through inspection as well. These items can be approved but will need to be packed into your checked bag:
- Tent Poles: The tent poles will need to be checked while the tent material can be tucked away in your carry bag.
- Trekking Sticks: Hiking or trekking sticks will need to be approved as they can have sharp pointy edges that can create an objection.
- Knives: All knives must be pre-approved and packed in your checked bags.
- Camp Stoves: This is more of a special item hence is an exception to this list. It is allowed to be taken as a carry on but only if it is free of fuel or fuel residue. Opt for a stove that is easier to inspect and can be carried on as they are fragile.
Items which you are under no circumstances allowed to carry with you are:
- Camp stove fuel
- Bear Spray
- Instant Matches
How to pack camping gears for a plane?
One of the crucial most aspects of packing camping gear for a flight is that you should always make an effort to pack light. This is very important to understand.
In order to have a fun and joyous camping adventure, you need to pack all that you would possibly need without packing anything unnecessary.
Fortunately, there is camping gear specifically designed to be compact for light travelling and backpacking.
It is also a bonus if you carry gear that has dual usages such as a sleeping bag that also has a blanket included, a camp stove that works as a tent heater, or even a sleeping pad that is also a camp chair.
If you still feel that you’re unable to fit all your gear in your baggage then it would surely help to verify whether you absolutely all that is included. You can also double up the packing in the most space-efficient manner.
What bag should I choose for flying with camp gears?
Depending on your journey you can choose to either pack a backpack or a duffel bag. Backpacks are of course great for backpacking trips but if you plan on going on a hike that includes multiple nights then a duffle bag would be a better choice.
Here’s one that is best suited for this purpose:
Some of the benefits of carrying a duffle bag are as follows;
- It has more space to pack bulky objects such as tents and sleeping bags.
- Several duffle bags are known to come with waterproof facilities.
- Duffle bags also come included with backpack straps that can be tucked away in order to keep them safe from damage.
If you are planning a backpacking trip then of course the backpack is your ideal company. You can choose the size that suits you best.
You might need to take a few steps to ensure your bag is well preserved:
- Make sure you adjust the straps and hooks tightly to prevent tearing.
- You can cover the backpack with plastic bags to protect it.
- Utilize packing cubes to help organize your luggage. This would ease your effort in trying to find small items.
- Compress down your bag to make more room for packing items that are essential for your journey.
Alternatives to flying with camp gear
Rent It
Renting camping gear is always a great option as supersedes the need for transporting or packing special camping gear. You can pre-book such gear to arrive at your location or simply pick it up from respective REI stores.
You will still need to put in a bit of effort in order to understand what type of gear you would need to rent.
Ship It
Another smart alternative to carrying more camping luggage would be to ship your gear directly to the destination of your choosing. You will need to confirm a drop off location beforehand and confirm whether they are okay with receiving your package.
You can ship your gear via UPS or FedEx but you will need to afford overnight shipping. Book your shipping much before your arrival date.
A pre-organized trip that includes gear
Another most convenient method of travelling without gear would be to book a pre-organized trip that has gear included. This way you don’t need to buy, ship or rent any gear at all.
This gives you a cost-effective alternative where you only need to pay the price of booking a package, and rest of the journey you can travel in peace.
Final Thoughts
A camping trip is an exciting journey given its unique experience which is derived from all the diverse decisions you will need to take. Packing is one of those decisions and it may seem like an intimidating one at first. But it becomes smoother once you know all the details.
We hope this article has given the answer to your question: how to pack camping gear for flights? If you have any more doubts, feel free to ask them in the comment section below.
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