Updated April 26, 2025
Dragging a 25kg snowboard bag across three terminals probably isn’t the vibe you imagined when booking this trip… but it’s gotta be done.
Here’s what I wish someone had told me before my first airport meltdown.
📝 TL;DR
Stuff your snowboard or ski bag like your life depends on it. Boots are priority #1—carry them if you have to. Airports aren’t built for humans with long gear. Your bag might get lost. You’ll sweat. You’ll swear. It’s worth it.
1. Your Ski/Board Bag Is Your Lifeline
Forget packing light. If you’re flying with snow gear, your board bag becomes your entire existence.
I cram everything into mine:
Board (bindings unmounted to reduce the risk of damage)
- Skis (if you’re that way inclined)
- Boots (stuffed full of socks and thermals)
Outerwear (jammed around the board for padding)
Gloves, beanies, extra goggles (anywhere they’ll fit)
One time I even got three boards, boots, helmet, jacket, pants, and three days of clothes into one bag. Was it overweight? Technically.
Did I get charged? Nope… Because I played it cool and acted like carrying a 27kg bag up a flight of stairs was no big deal. (Dead inside.)
Pro Tip: Balance Your Board Bag
Put heavier stuff (like boots) down by the wheels. Balance matters when you’re sprinting through Zurich Airport trying not to eat shit.
2. Boots First
Boots are priority number one. If your board gets lost, you can rent a snowboard (or skis). If your carefully selected, well-fitting boots get lost, you’re screwed.
I’ve carried my boots on as hand luggage more than once — jammed into a backpack and blessed by every airline agent who didn’t feel like weighing it.
If you can’t pull that off, at least bury them deep in your board bag with double padding around them.
3. Weight Limits Are Real (But… Flexible)
Officially, most airlines cap ski/snowboard bags at 23kg (50lbs). Unofficially, if you don’t look like you’re smuggling a body, most check-in agents will let a few kilos slide.
If they don’t:
- Wear your bulkiest jacket onto the plane.
- Cram your helmet full of socks and gloves. Carry it.
Carry goggles, beanies, and random soft gear in your carry-on.
One time I wore my snowboard pants on the flight because I couldn’t fit them anywhere else. Was it hot and uncomfortable? Yes. Was it worth not paying $80 in excess baggage fees. Absolutely.
Hack: Outsmart Baggage Weigh-ins
Wear your biggest jacket onto the plane. Stuff socks and gloves inside your helmet. Act like carrying a 27kg bag is normal. Confidence is key.
4. Airports Hate You Now
You are no longer a normal person. You are a human freight train. Your bag barely fits through doorways. Escalators are death traps. Elevators? Forget it.
Pro Tip: Rent a Trolley Immediately
Pay the $2 for a luggage cart as soon as you land. Your back will thank you halfway across Terminal 2 when you hit the seventh broken escalator.
5. Bags Get Lost. Plan ahead.
Even the best-packed snowboard bag can vanish into the void.
I once landed in Europe, stood at the baggage carousel for an hour, and watched the “last bag offloaded” message blink at me like a middle finger. Turns out my gear went to Madrid. I was in Geneva. Luckily, my boots were in hand and I borrowed my buddies spare board until mine materialised. But it was still a bummer!
Tip: Plan for Lost Gear
Label your gear inside and out. Pack a spare base layer in your carry-on. Get reliable travel insurance. Accept that sometimes your board goes to Madrid while you go to Geneva.
What to Look for in a Snowboard or Ski Bag
From Someone Who’s Dragged One Through Six Countries
Not all board bags are created equal. And when you’re sprinting across a terminal or getting your gear dropped out of the underbelly of an Airbus, you learn real quick what matters.
Here’s what I actually look for—and use:
1. Wheels are Mandatory
Rolling bags are non-negotiable unless you enjoy shoulder injuries.
Dragging a 25kg soft bag through Tokyo Airport without wheels once nearly ended me. Never again.
2. Full padding.
Some bags are just glorified sleeves. I want real padding all around—especially the nose and tail. If you stack two boards inside (bindings off one set), you need the padding.
As a last resort, you can wrap pipe insulation tubing or bubble wrap around the board edges. But it’s not optimal.
3. Lockable zippers.
Most airlines won’t care if your bag locks. But when you’re shoving it on random buses, shuttles, and trains, a basic TSA lock at least stops opportunistic gear thieves.
4. Compression straps.
Nothing worse than gear flopping around. Internal and external straps keep everything tight, balanced, and less likely to get damaged when some baggage handler throws your life across a tarmac.
5. Enough room to overpack.
My bag can fit:
2 snowboards
1 pair of boots
- My bindings
Jacket, pants, gloves, helmet
Base layers
Street shoes
A stupid amount of socks
And it still zips without splitting like a burrito.
If I’m pushing it any further than this, I will add 3-4 external compression straps (cheap ones from Amazon) – but these are probably overkill.
What I Actually Use
I use a Dakine Low Roller Snowboard Bag (no affiliation)
- Full padding
- Solid wheels
- Heavy-duty zippers
Big enough for all my gear but not so massive that it gets overcharged every time.
Would I love a $500 coffin-sized Burton Wheelie Gig Bag? Sure.
But the Dakine does everything I need—and after dragging it across Europe, Japan, and New Zealand, it’s still alive.
Final Thoughts
Flying with snowboard or ski gear is chaos.
You will regret your life choices as you drag 25kg of gear across three terminals at 6am with no coffee.
But then you’ll get to the mountain. Your own boots. Your own skis or board(s). Your own jacket.
And you’ll realise:
Totally worth it. Every time.
