Flying to Lake Tahoe: should I ship my equipment or rent?
A recent blog post came up about about traveling with your equipment: should you rent gear or bring your own?
My parents weren’t too bummed when I moved out from Michigan to Tahoe. They finally had an excuse to make regular ski trips (under the guise of coming to see their dear son). Needless to say, my old man became a veteran when it came to traveling with gear. Here I share our collective “wisdom.” Yeah, wisdom.
If you decide to bring your skis with you on the airline, be sure you use a hard-shell carrier. My family was visiting me in Lake Tahoe and flew in via NWA. Even in a hard-shell carrier, wrapped in blankets and their thermal layers, the baggage handlers managed to break the case and blow out 6” of my mom’s brand new Rosi XX-L’s. NWA would not have reimbursed us for the skis if they were in a soft carrier, and even still, they didn’t reimburse the full retail price of the skis OR cover her rentals.
Personally, whenever I travel away from Tahoe (I have family in Summit County, CO - bummer, eh?), I ALWAYS bring my boots, and occasionally bring my last season / rock board. On powder days, a rock board (with the bindings set right) handles just fine. Stuck with hard-pack groomers? That’s the perfect time to find a local shop that demos new skis. Bringing your boots will save you a bit of money, plus your feet will stay happy.
See you in Tahoe,
Matty :)
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