The Ultimate Spearfishing Road Trip Packing List: Gear, Documents, and Essentials

A spearfishing road trip to a remote destination like Baja, Western Australia, or the African coast is the adventure of a lifetime. But nothing kills the vibe faster than realizing you forgot a critical piece of gear, left your fishing license at home, or don't have the right tools to handle a breakdown in the middle of nowhere. Proper trip preparation is just as important as the diving itself.

Baja Road Tripping

I've put together a comprehensive packing list based on years of spearfishing road trips. Whether you're driving down the Baja Peninsula or heading to a remote coastline, this checklist covers everything from travel documents and spearfishing gear to catch care supplies and vehicle recovery equipment. Copy it, customize it, and never leave home unprepared again.

Travel Documents and Paperwork

Before you load a single fin into the truck, make sure your paperwork is squared away. You'll need your passport if crossing international borders, cash in both your home currency and the local currency, international travel and health insurance, fishing licenses for both your home state and the country you're visiting, auto insurance valid in the destination country, an international driver's license if required, and a stash of small bills and coins for toll roads, tips, and unexpected fees along the way.

Essential Spearfishing and Dive Gear

Pack your dive gear with redundancy in mind — when you're hours from the nearest dive shop, a backup can save the trip. Bring two sets of fins and two masks with snorkels in case something breaks. Pack wetsuits in multiple thicknesses to cover varying water temperatures including 1.5mm, 3mm, 5mm, and 7mm tops and bottoms. Don't forget booties, gloves, your weight belt with weights, and a dive knife.

For weapons, bring your spearguns with extra shafts, pole spears for shallow reef hunting, and a complete rigging kit with a crimper tool, crimps, extra shooting line, rubber in both 14mm and 16mm, wishbone line, and constrictor knot line. Round out your setup with reels loaded with extra line, standard and bungee floatlines, floats, a dive light with extra batteries, a dive watch, and a boat parka for warmth between dives. Always pack a first aid kit and make sure everyone in the group knows how to use it.

Catch Care and Fish Processing Supplies

Proper catch care starts with the right supplies. Pack quality coolers, plenty of ice or the means to get it, kill bags for larger fish like tuna, sharp fillet knives, ziplock bags for organizing fillets, a vacuum sealer with extra vacuum bags for long-term storage, a certified scale, measuring tape for verifying legal sizes, and a roll of paper towels. Nothing ruins a great trip faster than losing premium fish to poor handling because you didn't bring the right tools.

Food, Water, and Cooking Gear

You'll burn serious calories diving all day, so pack accordingly. Bring a camp stove with propane and a lighter, basic utensils and cups, coffee or tea for early mornings, and plenty of drinking water supplemented with electrolyte drinks to stay hydrated. For food, stock up on beef jerky, energy bars, sandwiches, and whatever meals you plan to cook at camp. Don't forget soy sauce and wasabi for the fresh sashimi you'll be eating, and bring trash bags to pack out everything you bring in.

Electronics and Communication

When you're diving remote coastlines far from cell service, reliable communication and navigation equipment can be lifesaving. Pack two-way radios for short-range communication between vehicles or boats, a handheld GPS for marking dive spots and navigating unfamiliar terrain, a satellite phone for emergencies, and a handheld VHF radio if you'll be on the water. Bring cameras with extra memory cards to document the trip, headlamps and flashlights for camp and night dives, and all associated chargers and spare batteries.

Vehicle Recovery and Repair Essentials

Remote roads mean you need to be self-sufficient when things go wrong. Carry a tire iron, car jack, jumper cables, an extra battery, a basic tool kit, an air pump for low tires, extra gas cans for stretches without fuel stations, a tow rope, tie-downs for securing gear, and a roll of duct tape for quick fixes on just about anything.

Personal Gear and Comfort Items

Don't overlook the personal items that keep you comfortable and functional throughout the trip. Pack sleep clothes, all medications with extras in case the trip runs long, toiletries, reef-safe sunblock, a hat, polarized sunglasses, a sleeping bag and pillow if camping, a reusable water bottle, a towel, 550 cord for hanging wet gear to dry, a power strip for charging multiple devices, and something for entertainment during downtime like a book or a Bluetooth speaker.

Prepare Smart and Dive Hard

A well-planned packing list is the foundation of every successful spearfishing road trip. Take the time to check every item before you leave, build in redundancy for critical gear, and customize this list based on your specific destination and conditions. The more prepared you are on land, the more time and energy you can spend doing what matters most — diving and hunting. For more spearfishing trip planning tips and gear advice, visit SpearFactor.com.