Border climbing equipment crossing.

[ChrisOTS]

Hey all!
So I signed on for Tree Jam 2013, and I am keen as hell. So much so I am trying to get my ducks in a row so I can just slack off and climb till then.

So my question is, has anyone crossed the border with climbing gear before? What kind of documentation do you need and on what? Will a Gear checkoff list do? Or do you need descriptions?

Super paranoid that my [pick a different word] is gonna be confiscated coming home, can't afford that.

Yes, that means I am Canadian. Flame away.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

One of the best tips that I've ever read came from Tim Kovar. He probably logs more flight miles going to teach tree climb ing than anyone in the world.

Have a copy of an arborist supply catalog with you and one in the top of your gear bag. Having printed credibility will help a lot!

Don't bury your throwbags. Clip them together outside of your throwline cube/bag. They look VERY suspicious in an x-ray viewer! Clip all of your biners together like a stringer of fish. Don't have anything loose to get lost.

Call the airline ahead of time.

One of the best traveling bags that I've found is a golf club hard case. Sturdy, wheels, lockable and sorta stealthy. I add some compression straps to back up the buckles too. Zip tie them to the case so that the baggage checker is more likely to reattach them.