What goes in the van
What we carry
If it is fishing kit and a ferry operator will take it, it goes. There is no weight band and no size class — a slot is a share of the van, not a number on a scale.
How a slot works
Space, not weight
Couriers price by weight because a parcel network has to. We are one van going to one water, so the only thing that matters is how much room your gear takes up.
Nothing gets weighed
No weight bands, no surcharges, no arguing about a kilo. A bedchair and a bivvy weigh what they weigh.
A slot is van volume
Two light setups can sometimes share one. One very large setup occasionally needs more than one. Ask and we will tell you which you are.
Send a photo if unsure
Lay your gear out and photograph it. That answers the question in seconds where a written list rarely does.
The list
What goes in
Not an exhaustive list, because nobody has ever written one that survived contact with a real angler. If yours is not here, it probably still goes — ask.
Rods and holdalls
Made-up rods in padded holdalls, quivers, spare tips and pods. They travel lengthways against the van wall, strapped to the lashing rails, with nothing resting on top of them. It is the one category that never gets stacked.
Bivvies, shelters and sleep systems
Bivvies, overwraps, brollies, bedchairs and sleeping bags. Soft and bulky, so they fill the base of the load and end up doing useful work as packing around everything harder.
Barrows, trolleys and mats
Folded barrows strap upright against the opposite wall. Unhooking mats, cradles, slings and weigh gear travel flat. If your barrow does not fold, say so before you book — it changes how much room your slot takes.
Bait boats, batteries and electronics
Bait boats, controllers, batteries, echo sounders, cameras and drones. Hard cases only, no exceptions. Batteries in particular need a conversation before you book — there is a note on that below.
Cool boxes, bait and food
Sealed or frozen bait, cool boxes and dry goods. Frozen bait needs to be frozen solid at collection rather than part-thawed, because it has a long way to go before it reaches a freezer again.
Luggage, clothing and waders
Holdalls, waders, boots, wet weather gear, cooking kit and anything else you would rather not drag through an airport. If it is going to the same water as your rods, it may as well travel with them.
Collection day
Have it ready like this
Everything together in one place, bagged or boxed rather than loose, and out where it can be reached. Not spread through a garage, not still being decided on.
Label your bags with your name. Several anglers’ kit travels in the same van to the same water, and the two minutes you spend on a luggage tag saves a conversation at the other end.
Anything fragile or unusually valuable, point it out while we are loading rather than after. We pack around what we know about.
How the whole thing worksThe short list
What we cannot take
These are not house rules for the sake of having rules. They are what a crossing allows, and the consequences of getting one wrong land on the whole van rather than one slot.
If you are unsure about something, ask before you book. On collection day the answer has to be no, because there is no time to check and no room to gamble.
Read this one properly
Batteries need a conversation
Tell us what you have before you book
Bait boat and bivvy-light batteries vary enormously — lead-acid, lithium and everything in between — and what can be carried depends on the type, the size and the operator running the crossing. It is the one area where the answer genuinely is “it depends”.
So tell us what you are sending when you book, not on collection day. We will confirm what can travel and what has to stay behind, in time for you to do something about it. Do not pack it and hope — a battery that should not be on the crossing is a problem for everybody’s gear, not just yours.
The awkward ones
Questions about kit
If yours is not here, ring and ask. You will get the person who loads the van.
How big is a slot?
Roughly a full carp setup for one angler — rods, bivvy, bedchair, barrow, cool box and luggage. It is a share of van volume rather than a fixed box, so the honest answer for anything near the edge is to send a photo of your gear laid out.
Do you weigh anything?
No. Weight is a parcel network’s problem, not ours. What matters is the room your gear takes in the van, which is why the price is per slot and not per kilo.
Can I send rods already made up?
Yes, in a padded holdall. That is how most gear travels with us and it is a good part of the reason people use a van instead of an airline. Reels off and bagged, or in a hard case.
What if I am not sure something is allowed?
Ask before you book. Nobody has ever been thought daft for checking, and the alternative is finding out on a driveway with the van already loaded.
Do you carry anything that is not fishing gear?
Your own luggage and clothing for the trip, yes — it is going to the same place. General freight, no. The van carries anglers’ kit and nothing else, which is the whole point of it.
Can I add something after I have booked?
Usually, if there is room and you tell us in good time. The van is loaded to a plan, so a late addition is far easier to accommodate a fortnight out than the night before.
Not sure yours fits?
Send us a photo of it
Lay your gear out, take one picture, and we will tell you whether it is a slot, a slot and a bit, or nothing to worry about. Quicker than a list and a great deal more accurate.