Quick Answer: Skis go in padded bags with the bindings wrapped, bikes ride on a rack or in a box with the pedals off, and camping gear travels clean, dry, and empty. Fuel is the one hard rule. Propane canisters, white gas, isobutane, bear spray, and lighter fluid cannot ride on a moving truck, so use them up, give them away, or carry them in your own car.
Knowing how to pack skis and bikes for moving is a Denver-specific skill. Most households here own more outdoor gear than furniture, and it lives in the garage, the mudroom, and a closet the crew will call “the gear wall.” Skis scratch, bikes bend, tents mildew, and fuel cans get left behind at the curb. So this guide walks through each category the way our crews handle it, from the ski rack to the cooler.
Start With the Gear Closet, Not the Kitchen
The gear closet holds the most awkward shapes in the house and the only items that are illegal on the truck. So sort it first. Make three piles: gear that rides in the truck, gear that rides in your car, and fuel that goes nowhere. Then clean and dry everything in the first pile. Wet gear packed in a box is how a tent turns into a science project by the time you unpack in Arvada. If you would rather hand the whole closet off, our packing services can wrap it the day before the move.
Skis and Snowboards
Skis travel best in a padded ski bag, one pair per bag, with the bases together and a strap at the tips and tails. Wrap the bindings in a towel or bubble wrap so they do not gouge the other ski or the bag. Poles go in the same bag or taped together. Snowboards ride in a board bag with the bindings left on and padded. Boots go in their own boot bag, buckled closed so they hold their shape. If you do not own bags, we wrap skis in moving blankets and stretch wrap and stand them on the truck wall. Never lay skis flat under boxes, because the camber flattens and the edges take the weight.
Bikes
A bike has two safe ways to travel. The first is a bike rack on your own car, which keeps it out of the truck entirely and is the best option for a local move. The second is a bike box, either the cardboard one your local shop will give you or a hard case. To box a bike, remove the pedals, drop the seatpost, turn the bars sideways, and pull the front wheel. Pad the derailleur, because it is the part that bends. Put the pedals and skewers in a labelled bag taped to the frame. For an e-bike, remove the battery and carry it in your car, since lithium batteries should not ride in a hot truck box. Bikes that stay assembled get blanket-wrapped and strapped upright to the truck wall, never stacked.
Camping Gear
Camping gear is mostly light, but it is bulky and it hides moisture. So the rules are simple.
- Tents. Set them up in the yard, dry them fully, and pack them loose in their bags. A damp tent grows mildew inside a week.
- Sleeping bags and pads. Store them loose or in their large storage sacks, not compressed. Compression for the length of a move flattens the insulation.
- Stoves. Empty the fuel, wipe the burners, and pack the stove in its own box. The fuel itself stays behind.
- Coolers. Empty, clean, dry, and taped open a crack so they do not smell on arrival. Never pack food in a cooler for the truck.
- Camp chairs and tables. Fold and bundle them with stretch wrap so they load as one piece.
Climbing, Paddle, and Hiking Gear
Ropes go in a rope bag or a box by themselves, never near anything sharp. Harnesses, cams, and hardware travel in a small box with the metal wrapped so it does not chew through the cardboard. Kayaks and paddleboards ride on a car rack or on the truck wall, wrapped and strapped, with the hull side out. Inflatable boards deflate and roll. Trekking poles collapse and tape together. Hiking boots go in a bag, and the dirt gets knocked off first.
What Cannot Ride on the Truck
This is the part people miss. Federal rules and our own safety policy keep fuel and pressurized cans off every moving truck. That includes:
- Propane tanks and the green one-pound camp canisters
- White gas, isobutane, and any liquid stove fuel
- Bear spray and pepper spray
- Lighter fluid, charcoal starter, and matches in bulk
- Gas in a lawn mower, generator, or dirt bike tank
Use them up on a last camping trip, give them to a neighbor, or drop them at a household hazardous waste site. Small sealed canisters can ride in your own car if you choose, but never in the truck box. Our post on what movers will and will not move covers the rest of the list beyond plants.
How the Garage Loads
Gear loads last and unloads first, because it is light and awkward and belongs on top of the load. Skis and boards stand along the wall. Bikes strap upright next to them. Boxed camping gear stacks in the corner. Kayaks ride above the furniture, wrapped and strapped. That order keeps the heavy furniture low and the gear off it. If your move is gear-only, like a ski condo or a garage clean-out, our post on small moves in Denver explains how the two-hour minimum works.
Arriving With a Gear Closet
Plenty of Denver moves start out of state, and the gear comes along. If you are arriving from the coast, our post on moving to Denver from California covers the long haul, and the gear rules above apply the same way. Just know that the fuel restrictions are stricter on interstate moves, so leave every canister behind.
Gear Moves Across the Front Range
Our local movers in Denver handle gear-heavy garages every week, from the mountain-bike houses in Arvada to the ski families in Lakewood. Every crew member is a W-2 employee, trained and certified in house, and most of them own more skis than they will admit.
Ready to Move the Gear Wall?
Tell us what is in the garage and we will plan the wrapping, the load, and the fuel list before move day. Our hourly rate and flat one-time travel fee cover it, with no hidden charges. Request a free estimate, or call You Move Me Denver at (720) 572-1600. America’s Favorite Local Movers will bring the coffee, the blankets, and the straps.