Best way to transport gear?

[garminator]

I'll be flying into Atlanta in mid April and was wondering if anyone can advise what is the best way to get me gear/pack there. I was considering boxing up my pack/trekking poles and shipping them. Can anyone advise? Thanks a million

[Woodturner]

I haven't flown to a hike in a long time - since I was using an X frame Kelty, but I just checked the pack as baggage. Even the wood walking staff made the trip okay.

[colorado_rob]

Just check your backpack, that simple. Well, not totally simple; make sure to secure all straps. recently, I have started wrapping the pack with my bear-bag rope to make sure nothing is floppy around on the outside of the pack (straps). I clip my waistbelt "backwards" around the back of the pack to secure it.

No fuel of any sort in the pack, of course. I break down my stove into pieces, triple-baggy the burner and shove it somewhere by itself. My trekking poles fit into my backpack, so no problem there.

I've flown a couple dozen times with my backpack checked, never any problem whatsoever. I do carryon a few items in a plastic grocery sack, like my jackets, and I wear my hiking shoes and clothes. I even carried-on my new expensive ($400) tent body when I first bought it... pure paranoia on my part! In fact, since my sleeping bag is around $500, next flight I'll probably carry-on both bag and tent body, $900 worth of gear. More paranoia!

Simple! Some people actually ship their packs UPS, and that works too, but I don't bother. I always fly SW airlines which has no baggage check fees.

[squeezebox]

On Southwest airlines my pack went as check on baggage. no extra fee. Some say put it in a duffle.

[squeezebox]

Check in baggage, not carry on.

[gwb]

I have taken an airplane after a hike. I checked my bag. My food nag was empty and I didn't have a fuel canister otherwise all my gear was in the bag. Then I used my rain cover and cinched it tight across the back using a carabiner. My trekking poles broke down enough to put in the main compartment of my bag. I used socks over the ends to protect anything from getting damaged.
Pack arrived without any damage or issues. Since you are starting your trip and you may not want to risk damaging your rain cover you could use a large trash bag as well.

[Grinder]

I collapsed my poles and strapped them to my backpack. The skycap in Orlando wrapped everything in a heavy plastic bag he provided and they were checked through from the arrival door. No problem.
Returning, from a much smaller airport in Albany, NY there was no problem either. The clerk got a trash bag from a maintenance man and all was well.

[Grinder]

I should also add the I, too, shipped my food and fuel separately. although, no one asked if I had any in there.
On return I had food and a bit of alcohol in the pack that I never gave a thought and no one asked about

[saltysack]

Ship ahead
Stove
Multi tool/knife
Trekking poles

Carried on my ula circuit last sept with no problems..tighten down as small as possible. Flight home used my compacter bag liner as a cover over my pack taped shut with everything from thru Inc trekking poles...no issues.


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[evan_rolltide]

No problem carrying on pack but need to check trekking poles. I also checked my stove and my multitool and my tent. Not sure if it was necessary to check those but I figured better safe than sorry.

[August W.]

I have a honkin' Marmot brand duffle that all of my gear fits into. It has padded straps and is designed to be warn as a pack or carried as a duffle. Straps sinch down and velcro together and the whole thing is very user friendly for me and the baggage handlers. Only problem I've had was flying into Maine and finding that this bag with all my gear had been flown to South Carolina. I had to suffer through two whole days of sampling micro-brews and fresh caught seafood while waiting for my gear to arrive.

[squeezebox]

Be aware that each baggage gorilla is gonna have a different opinion.

[bigcranky]

You could buy a cheap duffle bag at Goodwill, pack all your gear inside, check it, then donate the bag when you get where you're going.

[DuneElliot]

I haven't flown with my pack yet, but I'm hoping to be able to take mine as carry-on. ZPacks states that their medium and small torso length backpacks fit into the overhead bin. I'm wary of checking anything with so much valuable gear in it plus risking the possibility of ruining a pack (I've had luggage ripped and broken before).

[Odd Man Out]

I have a big canvas army duffle bag that everything can go into. But I was section hiking and could leave the duffle with the shuttle driver for the flight home. Was flying SW so bags check was free. If thru hiking, would have to ship the duffle home or dispose of it.

Remember that lighters and matches are allowed in carry-on but not checked baggage so pull those out and put in your pockets before checking your bag.

[CarlZ993]

I used a duffle bag designed to carry backpacks. I used an architect's plastic tube for drawings to contain my hiking poles. Both my pack & my pole tube went inside the duffle bag. When I got to my location, I mailed back the duffle bag inside the plastic tube.

[Del Q]

I pack everything in my pack, poles collapsed with socks over the tips so as not to puncture pack, wrap pack with 2 thick trash bags, duct tape and label. Most times it shows up at baggage claim just as I sent it. I don't cook so no fuel or inflammables.

[Auto Draft]

I used a cut-down cardboard box for my flight to Atlanta, and a garbage bag with duct tape around it for my way back home. I think in each case they had me sign an agreement that they wouldn't be responsible for damage. I also used a few pieces of folded up cardboard taped around the points on my poles to keep them from poking through anything.

[garminator]

Thanks for the input guys!

[Storyguy]

I just returned from the Grand Canyon. For the flight to and from Chicago, I closed all pockets, zippers, etc. on the pack. I put the back in an oversized black contractor garbage bag. I then duct taped the bag so it was tight. I wrote out my name and address on a sheet of paper and put that in a ziplock bag and taped that to the pack. I then checked the bag as luggage on Southwest.

Airlines can be tough on checked baggage and I believe the approach I took reduced the potential for damage or items becoming "lost."