Japan requires the giteki mark. For a short trip, rent a digital simple radio (RadiGo from ¥4,000 for 2 days; the renter does not register), or buy two 10 mW specified low-power radios locally (about ¥5,000–10,000 each). Korea requires a KC-certified digital personal radio (424/448 MHz, 0.5 W), about 4,400 won a day to rent; analog units stop being legal after 2026. For SOS: bring your inReach to both; a PLB may not be activated on land in Japan and is not permitted in Korea; iPhone satellite SOS works in Japan but not in Korea.
The only licence-free radios in Taiwan are NCC-certified FRS units: 14 channels, 467.5125–467.675 MHz, 1 W or less. You can bring US FRS radios (such as the Rocky Talkie Mountain Radio) or EU PMR446 radios into Taiwan, but transmitting with them there uses frequencies not assigned to the public; that's what the statute says, and the NCC hasn't published a ruling that addresses it directly. For the Dolomites take PMR446 (e.g. the Rocky Talkie EU version, €102 each), for the US take FRS, and for Japan a 'tokutei shodenryoku' radio with the Giteki mark. A radio only backs up voice calls: keep the same calls, say one thing at a time, and agree beforehand what you'll do if it dies.
In Taiwan the most straightforward choice is the Garmin inReach Mini 3 (NT$14,990): get a registration code from Chunghwa Telecom with two forms of ID, then subscribe with Garmin; every plan includes SOS. iPhone and Pixel satellite SOS don't work in Taiwan, but do in Italy. A PLB has no monthly fee, but in Taiwan it must carry the 416 country code and be registered with the Maritime and Port Bureau; Japan bans land use and Korea doesn't allow PLBs at all. In Backpacking Light's deep-valley tests, Iridium-based inReach units delivered in 1–2 minutes on average, the Globalstar SPOT X in about 15 minutes and an iPhone in about 11. In three recent Taiwanese inReach rescues it took 14–20 hours from alert to reaching the casualty, so your battery has to last the night.
Start with weight per meter. At 80 m the ropes here run from 3.84 kg (Beal Opera) to 5.15 kg (BlueWater Lightning Pro), a gap of about 1.3 kg. With a 23 kg checked allowance that gap barely matters, and two weeks of daily lowering on limestone call for a 9.5–9.8 mm rope with a sheath proportion near 40%. A thin 8.9–9.2 mm triple-rated rope is worth it only if you fly cabin-only or will pair it with a half rope on multi-pitch. Before choosing, confirm the model comes in 80 m (the Petzl MAMBO and Sterling VR9 do not), and check your own and your partner's belay device manuals: the GRIGRI works best on 8.9–10.5 mm.
For single-pitch days, a crag pack needs three things: a back panel or side that opens fully, a rope tarp built in or carried separately, and 35–50 L. When two climbers share one 70 m rope, one 45 L pack for the rope and draws plus one 35 L pack for water and layers works best. To use it as a cabin bag too, pick one with stowable straps and dimensions close to 55×35×20 cm, such as the Climbing Technology Falesia. The stiff Creek 50 weighs 2 kg empty, a big bite out of a 7 kg cabin limit.
Flying abroad to climb adds six decisions: what to bring and how long a rope, what can go in the cabin, how to split checked and carry-on bags, what to pack it all in, which pack to carry at the crag, and whether your radios and satellite SOS device are legal there. For a sport-climbing holiday, posts 1 to 6 are enough, with post 2 only if you are buying or replacing a rope; add post 7 for multipitch, and post 8 for Japan or Korea. How to choose each piece of gear is covered in the Climbing Gear series.
Take a gear duffel if you are renting a car, a duffel with backpack straps or a big pack if you are on public transport, and a 40 L-ish travel pack only when you rent the rope locally and fly cabin-only. Most soft duffels up to 100 L fit the 158 cm checked-bag limit, but wheeled duffels mostly weigh 2.5–5 kg empty and eat into a 23 kg allowance. With a 7 kg cabin limit, crag packs range from 0.9 kg to 2 kg empty; the lighter the pack, the more shoes, harness and hardware you can keep with you.
Shoes, harness and helmet in the cabin, rope in the hold: that is the most common split across 45 community examples. One person's nine-day sport kit came to about 16 kg checked; departures from Mexico City and Spanish airports are where quickdraws and ropes most often get sent back to check-in, while Asian low-cost carriers tend to trip you up first with a 7 kg carry-on limit.
At most popular sport destinations a 70 m single rope is the minimum; Kalymnos, Chulilla and Yangshuo are more comfortable with 80 m, while 60 m is enough at Seonunsan in Korea. Bring 12–16 quickdraws, or 18–21 for the long lines at Kalymnos and Chulilla. Ropes and quickdraws can be rented in Thailand and on Kalymnos; in Japan and Korea, bring your own rope or buy one there. Always bring your own shoes and harness. You only need a second rope or a tag line when a multi-pitch double-strand rappel is longer than half your rope.
Carabiners, quickdraws, and cams appear on no official prohibited list, so whether they fly in the cabin is up to the screener on the day. Ice axes, hammers, and knives must be checked, gas canisters can't fly at all, and since 2026 power banks are carry-on only, two per person. Most airlines allow 23 kg and 158 cm per checked bag, and climbing gear counts as ordinary luggage. A 7 kg or 10 kg cabin limit decides how much hardware you can keep with you.
On a multipitch route the follower usually carries the pack and the leader climbs without one. Size it from both climbers' water, jackets, and whether you need approach shoes: most days fit in 15–22 L, and a walk-off with shoes calls for 24–30 L. Try it on with your harness and helmet. If you can look up without hitting your helmet, reach your gear loops, and open it one-handed at a belay, it can go on the wall.
A private IFMGA guide in Chamonix costs about €450 a day (2026), the Matterhorn 1:1 in Zermatt is CHF 1,550 (2025 and 2026 seasons), and one Japanese international mountain guide (Genki Narumi) charges from ¥40,000 for a private day. Most quotes cover the guide's fee only; you usually pay the guide's hut and lift costs too. To check credentials, look for the badge and ask for the ID number. "AMGA trained" and SPI are not IFMGA.
Japan has no official supermarket ranking, but stores fall into three tiers by positioning: Kinokuniya and Seijo Ishii for gifts and imported food; Life, AEON, and Seiyu for everyday groceries; OK, Gyomu Super, and Lopia for bulk and low prices. At checkout, food is taxed at 8% and alcohol at 10%.
The 1.5% overseas card fee is 1% network + 0.5% issuer, and dual-currency cards pay it too. Bank of Taiwan quotes KRW only as cash with a 15.7% round-trip spread, versus 2.45% for JPY spot — so a JPY account is worth it, a KRW one isn't (and mostly can't be opened).
2026/4/1 new rules: max 2 policies per trip (different insurers), flat-rate payout cap lowered to NT$6,000. Covers six key areas including flight delays and lost luggage, with a breakdown of where to buy.