Fly, ship, rent or store your ski gear at the mountain? How the four options compare

Every ski trip starts with the same small decision, usually made in the garage the night before. What happens to the gear?

You can check it on your flight, send it ahead with a courier, leave it at home and rent at the resort, or keep it at the mountain and have it delivered to wherever you're staying. We run the last of those, so read this knowing where we stand. Below is what each option asks of you, what you pay for, and how to tell which one fits the way you ski.

The four options at a glance

Flying with your skis

Most skiers start here, and for one trip it works. On most major U.S. airlines, a ski or snowboard bag and a boot bag count as a single checked item as long as the two together stay under 50 pounds, according to OnTheSnow's guide to flying with skis. That item is billed like any other checked bag, so you pay the standard fee in each direction unless your fare, elite status or airline credit card includes free bags. In practice the pair almost always weighs more than that once skis, poles, boots and a helmet are packed, so expect an overweight fee or a second bag on top.

Free checked bags are getting harder to find. Southwest, long the exception, started charging for checked bags on tickets booked from May 28, 2025. Policies change often, so check your airline's baggage page before you pack.

The part the fee doesn't cover

The fee is the smallest cost. A ski bag is long and heavy, and you carry it from the car to the counter and wait for it at baggage claim. Then it has to fit in the rental car with everyone's suitcases. At the end of the week you do all of it again in reverse, usually tired and in a hurry to make a flight. If the bag lands a day late, you spend the first morning buying or renting what's missing.

Shipping your skis with a courier

A luggage courier picks up your bags at home and delivers them to your lodging, so you walk through the airport with a carry-on. It's a real step up from checking a ski bag.

It's also a job you repeat on every trip:

• Pack the skis and boots so they survive a truck ride.
• Print the labels and book a pickup window.
• Track the shipment and make sure someone can receive it.
• Before you leave, pack everything again and ship it home.

You pay for each leg, and the gear spends the rest of the year back in your garage. For one trip a season the math usually works, and it's the better choice when the route has connections or a few stops along the way. If you go back three or four times, you're paying for the same round trip again and again.

Renting at the resort

Renting is the lightest way to travel, with nothing to pack and nothing to ship. For a first-timer, or for someone still figuring out what they like, it's the right call.

The cost shows up in other ways. You pay for every day on the snow, the first morning starts in line at the rental shop, and the boots were shaped by someone else's feet. Rent for ten days and you've already paid for a set of your own, fitted to you. Skiers who own gear they love usually don't want to give it up for a week. We wrote more about that shift in why more skiers are switching from renting to owning.

Storing your gear at the mountain with Rocket Closet

The fourth option is to stop moving your gear back and forth. Rocket Closet keeps it near the mountain between trips and delivers it to your lodging before you arrive, which is what ski storage and delivery means. You fly with a carry-on and your own skis are waiting when you walk in.

How it works

1. We pick it up. If you live within 50 miles of one of our base locations, we come to your door. If you live anywhere else, we send you a shipping label. You don't need a ski bag, and if you're short on boxes we lend you storage bins.
2. We store it. Your gear lives in climate controlled warehouses with camera coverage and controlled access, all year.
3. You see it in the app. We photograph every item when it comes in, so your closet is an inventory on your phone.
4. We deliver it. Pick what you want and where, and it arrives at your lodging with photo proof. You don't need to be there.

A delivery inside your own base location needs 2 business days of notice. A delivery to another base location needs 7 business days. If your plans change, you can move a pickup or a delivery at no charge. See the full walkthrough on how it works.

What the plan includes

Rocket Closet is an annual plan, sized by how many items you store. An item is a container, like a ski bag, a boot bag or a suitcase, and whatever is packed inside travels with it. Every plan includes one pickup and one delivery per ski season, storage all year and insurance included in your membership. Extra pickups and deliveries have their own charge. The pricing page has the current plans and what each extra trip costs.

When your trip goes farther

We pick up, store and deliver in mountain towns across Colorado, Utah and British Columbia. When your gear needs to go somewhere else, in the United States or abroad, we ship it with our partners, Luggage Forward and LugLess. Shipping is quoted per trip and charged separately, and while your gear is with a partner, the partner's insurance covers that leg.

When each option fits

Which one fits depends on how often you go and how you get there.

• Fly with it if the flight is short and direct and you don't mind hauling the bag or paying the weight fees.
• Ship it if you're making one trip this season and the route has connections, a road trip or several stops you'd rather not drag skis through.
• Rent if you're new to the sport or don't own gear you love yet.
• Store it at the mountain if you come back every season, ski more than one town and want your own gear at your lodging when you get there.

Our shorthand for it: going once? Ship it. Going back? Keep it there.

A few questions skiers ask us

Can you tune my skis while you have them?

No. We pick up, store and deliver your gear. Waxing, edge work and repairs aren't part of any plan, and a local shop is the right place for them.

Can I store more than ski gear?

Yes. Skis and winter clothes are the classics, and we also store mountain bikes, golf bags and luggage.

Where can I read the details?

Our FAQ covers scheduling, items, insurance and shipping. When you're ready, pick your base location and plan and we'll schedule your first pickup.