Short guide to travelling with skis: tips & cost
You don’t understand sunbathing and feel much more comfortable in winter clothes? You are a winter person!
If so you are probably just about to start planning your delightful winter ski trip. Not sure how to transport your ski gear? We can help you with that.
All right, all right it is not so straight forward with winter and summer people. Although, some of you certainly prefer winter sports over summer ones. Do you? The winter season is coming soon so be sure you are ready for it! Read on to get to know different methods for ski transport: ski bags, ski roof box, ski roof rack, inside a car.
I asked Kristen Lummis, the founder of Braveskimom.com and experienced skier, what she thinks is the best way to travel with skis. Believe me, she’s been to many places and she knows her way around.
Ski bags
Whatever type of transport you choose it is always reasonable to think how you can protect your ski from all the road debris like sand, dirt, oil etc. Why is it so important that you cover your skis? If you are unable to keep the grime off the bindings/base it might get damaged.
There are different types of ski bags, most of them have extra padding to protect your skis. The thing is that most of them are really heavy and bulky. This is obviously the main downside, especially when you want to transport your bag on a roof rack or take it as a ski baggage on the plane. You don’t want to pay extra for an oversize item.
The bright side is that in the bag you can not only put your skis but also other eqipment you need like clothes, shoes etc.
COST: varies between 20-100 £
source: www.wanderlustlipstick.com
Ski roof box
This is a great option, especially if you don’t have enough space to put skis inside your car.
What’s more, some people are comlpetely against transporting skis in the car and I can surely understand rationale behind it. In the event of a hard stop or shakes or an accident, having skis inside (even carefully strapped) is quite risky.
The main advantage is that your equipment does not take space in the car which is important when you want to travel with family or friends. Another good thing is that your skis are protected, safely lying in the box, not influenced by debris from the outside.
COST: varies between 200-500 £
Ski roof rack
It is definitely less costly than a roof box, so if you are conscious about your budget and want to decrease rather than increase costs it might be a solution for you.
Great thing about it is that you just install it on the roof and you not need any other base like with the ski roof box. Skis travelling on a rack are usually not covered – this is the downside considering that all the road grime might compromise the bindings and the structure of your ski. If your destination is far away I would consider other options probably. Craving for some more transport tips&tricks? Go to our Twitter profile @Clicktrans_com.
COST: varies between 20- 80 £
source: www.nordrive.eu
Inside a car
If you don’t need extra space for passengers its a good option. You don’t need to worry about all the equipment, weather conditions and road dust.
Kristen’s advice
Here is what Kristen Lummis recommended when asked about her favourite ways of ski transport:
Getting your skis from here to there can be a bit awkward, not to mention messy. After years of using a traditional open ski rack on top of our car, we switched to a “rocket box” or enclosed roof top carrier several years ago and never look back. In addition to keeping one’s skis out of the weather and sun, I like how the skis and poles stay cleaner and how we can pack other items around them for longer trips. When we’re not skiing, the roof top carrier works great for transporting hiking gear, fishing poles, camping equipment and the like.It’s a year-round investment that really pays off. Just make sure you choose a model that it long enough to accommodate your skis.
Flying, of course, is another matter and we definitely prefer purpose-built ski boot bags and ski bags over anything else. In addition to safely carrying your valuable ski gear, packing in skiing specific bags can save you money, as many airlines will let you check these items for free.
Finally, I’ll admit that when I’m going skiing by myself, I sometimes do fold down my back seat and slide my skis and poles in. But never before laying down a protective blanket or towel. Skis and poles are often damp after a day on snow and I don’t want that dampness on my car seats.
Kristen’s ski roof box. Source: www.braveskimom.com
With transport provider
To save some time you can always get it done by the people who know the tricks of the trade. Some transport companies even specialise in carrying skis and snowboards. Why not try them? After all skiing, is just a seasonal thing to do – if you don’t want to invest too much in trasport equipment like roof rack, box or a bag you can hire transport provider, who has all the necessary things to transport your ski gear.
Have a look at the ski transport auctions realised with Clicktrans:
Ski transport from Poland to Austria (22 £)
Ski transport from the UK to Poland (61 £)
Would you like to get quotes for ski transport? Click on the button below:
