Last December on my way back from Nepal my kayak gear bag went missing at Milan Malpensa airport. It now looks like the bag was probably stolen somewhere in-between baggage handling and FedEx. If any Italian paddlers see kayak and bivi gear for sale with my name on it, please give the seller a good kick where it hurts from me.

This whole exercise has been pretty painful and I eventually received compensation off BA - but only after bringing in a lawyer. By the new Montreal agreement the airlines are NOW obliged to compensate lost baggage after 21 days missing upto a maximum of approx. 1230 Euro. Watch out as they will demand receipts and allow for depreciation on older gear.

Top-tips from this tale: (1) if your gear is worth more than Euro 1230 (nearly always the case if flying with a kayak) then better be sure to have additional insurance; (2) dont store valuable gear in hold baggage - even my river glasses were not covered as they are considered a 'luxury' item; (3) keep receipts for big items; (4) if you have legal assistance as part of travel package - bring them in immediately and save yourself a load of grief.

Good luck and thanks - Ian Beecroft