Packing Gear for a Flight

[dlague]

Mu wife, son and I are about to head up to Banff for a week with a mid week mini trip to Kicking Horse on Wednesday. We have been packing our stuff and managed to get three pairs of skis and poles in a two ski - ski bag. We packed all of our helmets, goggles, ski clothing etc. in one suit case, and are packing about two days for base layers and sweaters (wash them there) as well as some apres ski clothing for each of us in another suit case. We are carrying our boots and a pack on the plane. On Air Canada you pay for all checked bags so we have tried to minimize. For trips to a ski destination the ski bag is not checked in as an over-sized bag unless it is over 50 lbs but our is not. $25 for the first bag for each person and $35 for other additional bags which we will not have.

Checked in - ski bag, and two suit cases.
Carry on - Boots held together by power strap and a pack.

This is about the best configuration we could think of. Do any of you have other packing strategies when flying to a ski destination.

 

[Cornhead]

Don't forget your watch, that's the only thing I forgot on a recent trip West. I missed it too, hate digging my phone out of my pocket to check the time. Things I remembered that I could've easily forgotten:

Swim trunks
Heating pad
Radar detector

I checked my skis for the first time, brought my boots in a large duffle on carry on with all my gear in that, and a day pack. Best advice I followed from the web was to bring an empty water bottle. You can fill it once you're through security. I brought a one liter Sodastream bottle. It was a lifesaver while skiing too. The one day I didn't have it with me, was the one day I felt like shit, despite drinking water in the lodges at every opportunity. Have fun!

 

[Edd]

Carry on - Boots held together by power strap and a pack.
.

Do you have that packed tight enough for the overhead? I know a lot of folks carry the boots on board, and I get the logic. I consider it too cumbersome. I've always been lucky with packing them in my checked in stuff but my luck may run out.

Your set up sounds pretty good to me.

 

[mishka]

overhead compartment relatively big and decent size bag can fit in. Boots doesn't have to go in overhead. Once on an airplane you can take them off the beg and put under the seat. Same can be for helmets if you need space elsewhere

 

[Puck it]

I pack my ski clothes, boots, helmet, gloves, goggles into a carry on. Those are the only things I need to ski with.

 

[Smellytele]

I have always carried on my boot bag filled with my helmet, goggles, hand/foot warmers, boot dryers and each boot is stuffed with socks, gloves, hats. Carry-ons stuff to the max. Ski bags them selves have ski pants and other misc ski clothes up to the 50lbs allowed. For 5 people we have 3 suit cases and 2 ski bags. So on Southwest all free. Other airlines adds an extra 250 round trip.

 

[darent]

I pack my ski clothes, boots, helmet, gloves, goggles into a carry on. Those are the only things I need to ski with.

same with me, all in my Dakine boot bag that fits in the overhead. I don't travel with a lot of stuff, enough for 3 days. I do laundry and it cuts down on what I bring, the nice thing is when I get home it is all clean.

 

[Bumpsis]

dlague, looks like you're getting plenty of packing advise so none from me, but please, send us a good trip report, with pictures if possible (for that vicarious experience). It seems that even BC is having a lean snow year. I'd be keen to hear how bad it really is.

I was at Banff a few years back in January and was told by the locals (back then) that Banff, Lake Louise, and other spots off "powder highway" easily go way into spring most years, give their snowfalls and latitude.
I'm playing with an idea of a late April trip out there, but if snow cover is lean, Sugarloaf may do just fine.
Accurate on the spot report of the snow cover situation out there would be appreciated.

 

[Brad J]

I pack my ski clothes, boots, helmet, gloves, goggles into a carry on. Those are the only things I need to ski with.

I do the same and pack my extra clothes and stuff with my ski"s, Its a nightmare with out the ski essentials, you can always rent ski's and wash the clothes you flew out on. The guy I went out west this year packed the same as OP and ruined the first ski day and made for a long ride from Salt lake to Jackson Wy.

 

[dlague]

I pack my ski clothes, boots, helmet, gloves, goggles into a carry on. Those are the only things I need to ski with.

dlague, looks like you're getting plenty of packing advise so none from me, but please, send us a good trip report, with pictures if possible (for that vicarious experience). It seems that even BC is having a lean snow year. I'd be keen to hear how bad it really is.

I was at Banff a few years back in January and was told by the locals (back then) that Banff, Lake Louise, and other spots off "powder highway" easily go way into spring most years, give their snowfalls and latitude.
I'm playing with an idea of a late April trip out there, but if snow cover is lean, Sugarloaf may do just fine.
Accurate on the spot report of the snow cover situation out there would be appreciated.

Oh I will - trust me. The snow line is above 2000 ft. But base lodges are over 5000 ft so we shall see.

 

[Cannonball]

My packing strategy is almost the exact opposite of what you described. I go with multiple bags that are smaller and lighter instead of trying to have a small number of huge heavy bags. I've learned this the hard way over time based on 2 things.
1) baggage handlers hate huge heavy bags. If they have to choose to leave a bag behind it will always be the one they don't feel like lifting. Or if they're just feeling lazy your bag is going nowhere.
2) If you lose a bag with EVERYTHING in it you're screwed. Losing a few pieces of gear doesn't run a trip.

Also, even the best bags don't do well when they are over packed. Zippers break, stitching breaks, handles rip off. And even if you are a master packer, once TSA rummages through your bag all bets are off for how well stuff will fit back in.

Oh yeah another reason... Small bags have lots of options for how to fit them into shuttle vans, rental cars, etc. Sometimes the giant bag just doesn't work. This summer in Chile my wife's enormous suitcase was a huge PIA because we needed to load all our gear on a bus rooftop.

 

[dlague]

None of our bags are huge. All of our bags would qualify as carry on except the skis. We minimized on clothing. However, I am rethinking the bag with ski gear.

 

[Jersey Skier]

Since you are checking more than one suitcase anyway, I highly recommend splitting up anything you have multiples of into separate bags. So if you are bringing 2 base layers for each person or two pair of regular underwear, split them among the bags. That way if one bag goes missing you still have something to use until your bag is found. Usually we only lose one bag for a day or so. Learned this lesson the hard way last year heading to Big Sky. We all packed separately and then my Wife's bag went missing for 2 days. She had NOTHING. And apparently there were no stores in Big Sky to buy essentials without heading North to Bozeman. She lived in Big Sky fleece and T-shirts till her bag arrived.

 

[steamboat1]

Oh I will - trust me. The snow line is above 2000 ft. But base lodges are over 5000 ft so we shall see.

There's a group that just came back from Banff that posted reports & pictures over on K-Zone if you're interested in looking. Believe it's still on the first page in chat.

 

[4aprice]

Headed to Utah tonight. 2 bags and 2 ski bags for the wife and myself. New skis do not fit into our old double bag, going to have to upgrade some luggage.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[dlague]

Since you are checking more than one suitcase anyway, I highly recommend splitting up anything you have multiples of into separate bags. So if you are bringing 2 base layers for each person or two pair of regular underwear, split them among the bags. That way if one bag goes missing you still have something to use until your bag is found. Usually we only lose one bag for a day or so. Learned this lesson the hard way last year heading to Big Sky. We all packed separately and then my Wife's bag went missing for 2 days. She had NOTHING. And apparently there were no stores in Big Sky to buy essentials without heading North to Bozeman. She lived in Big Sky fleece and T-shirts till her bag arrived.

There's a group that just came back from Banff that posted reports & pictures over on K-Zone if you're interested in looking. Believe it's still on the first page in chat.

Will check that out! Thanks!