The Yellow Dog team knows that airline fees can be pricey. None seem to add up as quickly as the overweight baggage fee. It’s especially easy to exceed weight limits with international fishing trips as you pack gear, rods, clothes, and anything else to enjoy for an adventure abroad.
Thankfully among everyone on the Yellow Dog team, there are plenty of tips and tricks to be shared when it comes to cutting down on bag weight.
1. Limit Your Shoes. When traveling abroad, it’s often difficult to know exactly what footwear to bring. Most people will want to bring a pair of comfortable lounge shoes, wading boots, maybe a pair of hiking boots. Try to limit your footwear choice to wading boots and a pair of comfortable lounge shoes.
2. Keep Those Extra Shirts at Home. Find out pre-trip if your lodge offers laundry service. A lot of times two sets of clothes will be fine if you do one load of laundry. Leaving out clothes can drastically cut down on weight.
3. Roll Your Clothes. This simple trick has saved, what would be an overweight bag, from racking up those airline fees. Rolling your clothes, instead of folding them, can save space and ultimately a dollar or two.
4. Smaller is Better. Use those convenient travel-sized toiletries whenever possible. This includes sunscreens, shampoos, conditioners, toothpaste, etc. Chances are if you run out of sunscreen your guide or lodge with have extra.
5. Think in Layers. Depending on your destination you can wear part of your on-the-water outfit while in transit. If traveling somewhere with inclinator weather, don’t be afraid to wear a mid-layer at the airport paired with a puffy. The puffy can easily be tucked away in a personal bag.
6. Coordinate. Whenever traveling with other people talk about items that can be shared amongst the group, e.g., toothpaste, sunscreen.
7. Plan Ahead. Some airlines, especially in South America, do not allow fly rods as a carry-on. You should pack rod tubes on your stow-away. A rod vault can work wonders in this situation.
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8. Use Soft Sided Luggage. The actual weight of your bag can be a factor. Many times, soft-sided luggage is lighter weight than their hard-sided counterparts. They come with the added benefit of conforming to odd-shaped pieces of gear.
9. Leave Your Valuables at Home. Valuables such as jewelry or watches add extraneous weight to your bag and on a fly fishing trip aren’t usually needed.
10. Utilize Plastic Bags. If you take vitamins or medications, plan and allocate the required amount for the entire trip. These can be easily packed in a pillbox or plastic baggy.
Packing with a few simple tips in mind can save you money at the airport bag check. If you have any questions, the travel specialists at Yellow Dog are always able to help.
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