Summer is right around the corner, and indeed, most of us, if not all, are planning to have an adventure somewhere.
It has almost been a tradition to treat summer as the season of beach vacations, mountain hiking, and overnight camping trips for the past decades.
Although the global pandemic is still ongoing and quarantine restrictions are still present in some regions, an epic camping adventure is within arm’s reach, with proper safety and health protocols.
Honestly, there is nothing wrong with treating yourself, family, and friends from time to time, a much-deserved vacation getaway, far from the city’s hustle and bustle.
With this, we are very much delighted to know about your trip. As a way of helping you make your camping plans come true and come to life, and if you are wondering about the essential details about flying with camping gears, then you might have come across the perfect article!
This article will tackle the important things about flying with camping gear like the essentials of flying, flying with all of your camping gear, packing it efficiently, and packing a tent.
What are the Essentials when Flying?
Before anything else, let us first recall the essential things to keep in mind when flying.
We are sure most of you already know the basic guidelines like the back of your hand, as you have had many flying experiences for quite some time now, but there is no harm in having a refresher course about these things.
To ensure a comfortable flight and air travel, especially for long flights, you might need to include the must-haves like flight beauty essentials such as moisturizer, sunscreen, alcohol, hair gel, wet wipes, and medicated ointments.
Nowadays, more and more in-seat electric plugs are being available even in airplanes, but when there are no available plugs, a power bank and a portable charger may come in handy.
A travel water bottle would also be essential in flying as it will keep you hydrated throughout the flight. It is an optional thing, but if you are the type of person who wants to sleep without lights and minimal noise, a sleep mask and earplugs would be an excellent recommendation from us.
Earphones, scarves, and compression socks will also be essential if hauling on a long cold flight.
In line with this, some people might be uncomfortable with the ear pressure that comes with the flight, take-off, and landing of an airplane. One tip to aid you in this cramped feeling in the ears is to chew a mint, ginger-flavored candy, or bubble gum. You might pack some in your pocket because this helps relieve some of the air pressure in your ears from the jaw movement and calms you.
A book or a video game will accompany you on long flights if you want entertainment.
Flying with a Camping Gear
Now that you have the basic idea of some of the essential things to bring when flying, you might as well plan and pack your bags and travel kit for your flight.
As mentioned, if you are planning on camping or bringing camping gear, have you ever asked yourself the most crucial question, “Is it okay to bring camping gear when flying?”
Is It Okay to Bring a Camping Gear When Flying?
We have finally arrived at this question, and to answer this, keep in mind that different airlines have their own rules and regulations of what you can bring inside an aircraft. Of course, it varies from airline to airline and among other countries and regions.
Going back to the question, yes, you may bring camping gear when you fly as long as you check-in at least one bag.
However, since airlines are meticulous about passengers’ things, precautions are being practiced because they may use items as a weapon.
How to Fly with All Your Camping Gear
As said, you may fly with your camping gear, but the security may require checking and inspecting your belongings for safety and security purposes.
Also, one thing to note is that even though you may carry camping gear when flying, this does not mean that you can take all of them inside a plane. We suggest that some camping gear accessories and tools are being separated and gathered inside your check-in or camped bag.
Such camping gear accessories include a bear spray. Securities do not allow this spray inside an aircraft as it may be a weapon.
We recommend putting tent poles and tent stakes in a bag or small container for tents while checking and inspection to avoid inconvenience. You may pack the tent material as a carry-on, but the tent poles and tent stakes stay inside the camped bag.
Most campers also carry trekking poles or hiking poles and knives when flying as camping gear, but they also stay inside the camped bag.
This is a particular case, but some campers bring camp stoves for camping when flying. As long as these camp stoves are clean and are free from gas and oil residue, airlines see nothing wrong with allowing them inside a plane. As they are fragile and there is a high probability of squishing during the flight, we recommend you to bring them inside your hand-carry bag for convenience.
Camping Gear That You Cannot Bring On A Plane
In summary, the camping gear you cannot bring inside a plane is camp stove fuels, camp stove fuel residues, bear and animal spray, lighters with power, safety matches, and anything sharp that might be a weapon.
Some airlines do not allow battery-operated appliances and gadgets inside an aircraft, so you may also note those.
Again, this varies from airline to airline, but these are usually the things that you cannot bring inside an aircraft. If airlines allow them, you may need to put them in the checked bag or as a carry-on or inside a hand-carry bag.
How to Pack your Camping Gear Efficiently
Now that you have the grasp of what you can bring and not bring when flying, you may now pack your camping gear.
As comforting as traveling and flying in an airplane is, it is essential to carry the things you need and not bring too many personals.
One tip and a game-changer for travelers is only to pack light.
To do this, we recommend you choose camp gear that is already designed and made for backpacking to coincide with your airline’s weight and size requirements.
Packing a Tent
If you are going to fly using a big backpack, we recommend you pack your tent in the middle of a bag to maximize space.
Sleeping bags are essential when camping, and one tip we can give you to pack efficiently is to put your sleeping bags close to your tent as much as possible, and usually at the bottom of the pack because they are heavy.
Packing a tent is fun at all, as long as you have folded it neatly and placed it in a tent bag. As mentioned, tent poles and tent stakes should go in the camped bag and not inside the hand-carry bag.
