[RayBCO]

Hi All,

Anyone here know if the customs guys will be upset with me taking my camping/survival gear?

Things such as machete, small axes, hunting knife, outdoors kit and ex-army rations? I know I will have to give my hiking boots a good clean but will that suffice?

I need to know what I can/cant take and what I need to sell???

Thanks, Ray

[swissmissdesigner]

If your camping gears are used, MAF will take away at the aiport and keep them for about a week.
They have to spray for bugs and after a week you can pick up.

[barryp]

Customs won't care about any of it, except for those tools they can classify as controlled weapons. (A machete should be OK, as it has a one-sided blade.) Also, camping fuels and cigarette lighters of any kind should be left behind.

MAF will definitely take interest in any camping gear that's been used. A 'good clean' will not suffice - you need to be really anal about cleaning everything, and should be able to detail exactly how you cleaned it and precisely where you used it before cleaning. It's not a given that your gear will be detained and sprayed - ours wasn't - but it's best to pack all of the gear together for ease of inspection and the possibility of delay.

[Ana&Steve]

I know it stinks a bit, but you could try washing everything with pine sol. On an old MAF thread someone mentioned that it appeases the MAF peeps if they can still smell disinfectant on it when they open your container. (the UK people use Jeyes fluid, I forgot to look and see where you are coming from!)
Ana

[StevieD]

A good disinfecting of all ground sheets, ensure that every trace of mud is gone, and also if you taking any outdoors stuff with velcro on, go over all velcro to ensure there are no seeds etc. stuck in the material.

As for the knives etc. I would be wary and pack them in your belongings in the container if you having one, otherwise don't do as I did and forget, put your knives in your hand luggage - oops :laugh

And that is certainly true about the smell of disinfectant, that what we been told by numerous people including the shippers.

[auskiwi]

We brought huge amounts of camping stuff with us from the U.S. and none of it was taken by MAF for cleaning. We hadn't steam cleaned anything either...

[swissmissdesigner]

auskiwi: lucky you! it was used or new?
At my first visit to NZ... they kept my used tent for 6 days! When I got back had very strong smell from the spraying.