How to Prevent Devastating Gear Damage

If you’re on the move with your gear, damage during travel is a major concern. There’s nothing worse than the sinking feeling of realizing your gear has been irreparably damaged during transport. Whether you throw your things into the back of a pickup truck, attach to a car rack, or trust the airline luggage carriers to get your equipment cross-country unscathed, there’s only one way to give yourself peace of mind: invest in high quality travel carriers. Whether you have a kayak, bike, snowboard, skis, surfboard, or standup paddleboard, there are tons of options for protecting your gear. Whatever you need to store, StoreYourBoard can help you find the best bags, covers, and cases—complete with features like easy-carry handles, supportive padding, and pockets for all your other accessories. Check out what StoreYourBoard recommends! Cycling Padded Bike Cover Unprotected bike transport can result in mid-journey damage to brake cables, the chain, the fork, and more. When you travel with your bike on a car rack, it’s open to the elements. It could also make you an easy mark for people looking to steal a rideable bike. Instead of worrying about all the worst case scenarios, take an easy step to protect your bike: with a bike frame bag. This will guard the frame, wheels, chain, and other components when you and your bike are on the move. EVOC Bike Travel Case The EVOC Bike Travel Case is the highest-grade protection you can get for your bike when you’re on the go. You can fit your entire bike frame inside; plus, with separate compartments for your wheels, you can keep everything in one place. No need to buy another bag. It also includes smooth skating wheels, so you can easily navigate through parking lots, airports, driveways, and more. Other features include interior support rods, a sturdy base, and lockable zippers. And, when you’re back at home, you can collapse the travel case so it takes up minimal space while being stored. EVOC thought of everything a cyclist needs for bike transportation. If you’re looking for the top-of-the-line option, this it it. Snow Sports Ski Bag If you’ve ever traveled with skis, you know that they need to be properly secured during transport to protect the rocker, camber, tips, tails, and more. Doing this isn’t easy—unless you have proper protection for your skis. One option for traveling with skis is to pack them up in a soft padded ski bag. The Mountain Essential Ski Travel Bag is airline-compatible and made to be on the move. It has easy-carry handles, a durable nylon exterior, and a waterproof tarpaulin interior to protect your space from leaks caused by snow-crusted gear. Keeping your skis safe is especially important when travel conditions are out of your hands, such as on a plane or a bus. Strangers may be handling your precious gear, leaving it susceptible to damages from being pushed and tossed around. When you use proper protection from a bag made specifically for ski transport, your skis will be padded from all angles and your journey will be stress-free. Sportube Ski and Snowboard Travel Case Depending on your mode of travel, a soft bag may not be enough to keep your skis or snowboard in pristine condition. As opposed to a soft carrying bag, a hard shell carrying case acts as a shield to protect your gear. When you opt for a sturdy and hard-working case to protect your expensive gear during transport, you’ll have more freedom; the Sportube Ski and Snowboard Travel Case has a hard outer shell that is ideal for worry-free travel across long distances. In this airline-approved case, your gear will be safe after being tossed around on the luggage belt. And, for long journeys on the road, you can even strap this case to your car roof rack. Your skis will be protected from the elements, and you’ll save space inside your car. For ease of carrying and your peace of mind, this case also features wheels for easy transport through parking lots and airports, as well as a lock for security. Water Sports Unless you have the fortune of living right on the water, chances are you have to travel with your water gear. Whether that’s a standup paddleboard, a surfboard, or a kayak, protecting your board or boat is key to getting the most out of that investment. StoreYourBoard has done the hard work for you, so read on and find what you need for your gear and traveling needs. SUP and Surf Cover Travel covers are a top choice for people traveling with surfboards and stand up paddleboards. Most of the time, all you need is something padded to cover your board from surface damage. They’re easy, lightweight, and protective from scratches and sun damage. Plus, a cover typically costs less than a SUP or surf bag. This SUP and Surf Cover stretches over your surfboard or paddleboard like a sock. It has an elastic opening and drawstring to cinch it closed, so you get a custom fit every time. The cover is more heavy-duty than it looks; it’s made of durable canvas-like fabric that feels impressively tough. SUP and surf covers like this give you a lot of flexibility with storage and transport. This particular cover fits all sorts of nose and tail shapes. You also have the option of storing with the fin up or down. You can have the fin hang out of the elastic opening, or stick it through the fin slot on the other side. SUP Travel Bag Travels bags are a step up from a cover and provide an extra level of protection. With cushioning holding your board from all directions, you can rest assured that any bangs, drops, or bumps along your journey won’t cause irreparable damage. This SUP Travel Bag is a great choice because it has double padding in the high-impact nose and tail areas (which is where paddleboards are most often damaged during transport). It also has a slot for packing it up with the fin still attached, so you don’t have to dissemble your paddleboard before travel. If you typically remove the fin during transport, the slot is easily closed with a hook and loop fastener. SUPs come in a wide array of shapes and sizes. Find the style that perfectly fits your board by choosing between 10 sizes options, sorted by length and width. With convenient straps for carrying the bag, solo or with a partner, getting your paddleboard to the water will be simpler than ever. Triple Surfboard Wheeled Coffin Traveling with one surfboard is tough, but traveling with a whole quiver is especially difficult. Luckily, we’ve sought out a carrying case that will make it a breeze for you to get your boards from here to there. The Triple Surfboard Wheeled Coffin is a deadly serious travel case for up to three boards. The case comes in three sizes: 6'6″, 7', and 7'6″. Give your arms a reset; built-in wheels will carry the weight for you as you glide through airports and parking lots, so you don’t have to do the heavy lifting. This case has all the typical surfboard case features, plus more. It’s made from rip-proof, heavy-duty polyester. On the inside, you can use the included foam divider to protect your boards from each other, preventing wax transfer and friction damage. Dried saltwater can corrode materials, but you can count on the non-corrosive nylon zippers to stay smooth and zippable. For travel with multiple boards, you can’t find a case more secure than this. Kayak Travel Cover Do you store your kayak uncovered? An unprotected kayak is in danger: it could be made into a home by critters, damaged by being open to the elements, or filled with water. Whether you travel with your kayak or not, a cover can protect your boat from getting scratched up, dirtied, or made into a rat or spider nest. Plus, when the weather warms, your kayak will be ready to hit the water as soon as you remove the cover. Forget about taking the time to clean out all the dirt and spiderwebs that accumulated over the winter, and spend more time doing what you and your kayak are made to do. Between the Kayak Cover and the Extra Large Travel Cover, you’ll find a size that fits your kayak. With sizes to accommodate kayaks between 9' to 26' long, it’s easy to find a cover that fits your boat. Installation is simple: drop it on top of your kayak, then cinch the straps to get a custom fit. Kayaks aren’t cheap. Since you’ve already invested all that money into the hobby, why not take proper care of it? If you keep it in good condition, you’ll get years of use out of it. Kayak Cockpit Cover The kayak cockpit cover is a simple yet genius invention. Every spring, kayakers take out their boats only to find that the cockpit is filled with fallen leaves, water, spiderwebs, or even critters and their nests. You wouldn’t want to put your unsuspecting feet into any of that! Cleaning all of it up is a mess. But you can avoid the mess by taking preventive action with a kayak cockpit cover. The Universal Kayak Cockpit Cover is secured to your kayak with bungee cords, which come in two sizes: large (for kayak rims up to 44″ long) and extra large (for kayak rims up to 60″ long). Both sizes fit cockpits 26″ in width. When you use a kayak cockpit cover, you’ll protect your kayak interior. Plus, you’ll save yourself time every spring when you and your kayak can go straight from storage to the water.