Bring versus rent
On a trip with several stops or unpredictable wind, bring your own harness, wetsuit and safety gear. They're fit- and hygiene-sensitive, and rental quality varies a lot. Rent kites and boards where the destination has a solid rental scene: it saves excess-baggage fees and lets you pick sizes for conditions you can't predict from home.
Flying with your own kit? Our board bags guide compares eight travel and golf bags and explains how to pack them.
The always-bring list
- Your own harness. Rental harnesses rarely fit as well, and comfort matters over a week. See the harness guide.
- A thin wetsuit top or rash vest: useful across a wide range of temperatures and takes almost no space.
- Your own hook knife and leash. Safety gear you trust shouldn't be a rental unknown. The safety checklist covers the rest.
- A compact repair kit: spare line, ripstop tape and a multitool weigh almost nothing and fix problems local shops can't sort the same day.
- A pump, if you're taking kites: check the nozzle fits your kites' valves.
- A dry bag and a changing robe or towel: beach car parks rarely have changing rooms.
- Your camera and batteries in hand luggage, with a leash or floating grip. See our action cameras guide.
Packing kit compared
The small kit we'd pack, from the brands' own pages. Prices are each brand's UK list price; shop prices may differ.
| Model | Type | Capacity (L) | Material | UK price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robie Original-Series Changing Robe | changing robe | — | Turkish cotton | £45 |
| Mystic DTS Dry Bag 20L | dry bag | 20 | 85% PVC, 15% polyester | £29.95 |
| Mystic Happy Hour Wetsuit Changing Bucket | wetsuit changing bucket | — | 500D tarpaulin | £39.95 |
| Mystic DTS Dry Pocket Fidlock | dry pocket | — | — | £29.95 |
| Mystic Kite Pump | kite pump | — | — | £46.95 |
| Duotone Pump 2024 | pump | — | — | £49 |
| Mystic Kite Safety Leash Long 2023 | kite safety leash | — | — | £45.95 |
| ION Kite Knife 2.0 Multitool | kite knife | — | 40% Polycarbonate 50% Zinc alloy 10% Polyester + Ny | £19.99 |
| Mystic Safety Knife | safety knife | — | stainless steel blade | £16.95 |
The kit in detail
Best for changing on the beach
Robie Original-Series Changing Robe
A generously cut, hooded, short-sleeved towelling robe for changing on the beach. C-Skins, which makes Robie, says the Original was the first changing robe when it launched in 2007.
Pros
- £45 at Ann's Cottage, £44.95 at Wetsuit Centre
- Turkish cotton towelling
Cons
- Short sleeves only
- Sizes S to L at the shops we checked
- Material
- Turkish cotton
- UK price
- £45
Best for wet kit
Mystic DTS Dry Bag 20L
A 20-litre roll-top bag from Mystic's Dark Tech Series with a Kross buckle closure. Mystic says it fits a wetsuit and a poncho, and calls it water resistant rather than waterproof.
Pros
- 20 litres
- £29.95 on Mystic's UK store
Cons
- Water resistant, not waterproof
- Capacity (L)
- 20
- Material
- 85% PVC, 15% polyester
Best for the car boot
Mystic Happy Hour Wetsuit Changing Bucket
A waterproof tarpaulin bucket for changing out of your wetsuit, rinsing it and carrying it home. Mystic says it won't leak in the boot.
Pros
- 500D tarpaulin
- £39.95 on Mystic's UK store
Cons
- No size or volume published
- Material
- 500D tarpaulin
- Mystic UK price
- £39.95
Best for your phone and keys
Mystic DTS Dry Pocket Fidlock
A neck pouch with a magnetic Fidlock clasp for your phone, keys and essentials while you ride. Mystic designed it for kite and windsurfing but doesn't say which phones fit, so check the size in a shop.
Pros
- Magnetic Fidlock closure
- Adjustable cord
Cons
- No dimensions published
- Mystic's page says both "water repellent" and "completely watertight"
- Type
- dry pocket
- Mystic UK price
- £29.95
Best for travelling light
Mystic Kite Pump
Mystic's smaller kite pump for riders who travel light, with the core features of its bigger Pump Extreme: an integrated gauge, a flexible hose, an inlet air filter against sand and nozzles for current kites.
Pros
- Built-in gauge
- Sand filter
- £46.95 on Mystic's UK store
Cons
- No size or volume published
- Type
- kite pump
- Mystic UK price
- £46.95
Best for Duotone kites
Duotone Pump 2024
Duotone's straightforward kite pump in L (about 50 cm) and XL (about 62 cm) lengths. Duotone publishes no volume, gauge or hose details.
Pros
- Two lengths
- £49 on Duotone's UK store
Cons
- No gauge mentioned
- Sizes
- L, XL
- Duotone UK price
- £49
Sizes: L, XL
If you're bringing your own quiver
For a trip with variable wind, two kite sizes with a good overlap in their wind ranges usually cover more real conditions per kilo of luggage than three evenly spaced ones. Our kite size calculator suggests a two-kite quiver for your weight and wind range.
Talk to riders who've done the trip recently: local wind patterns vary more than any guide can capture.