Best way to fly with my pack

[fenderbenderfc]

I leave June 5th and trying to figure out the best way to fly with my pack. I don't want my knife, nail clippers, or trekking poles stolen by TSA so I would rather just check everything. I don't want my bag roughed up. So I figure the best way to do this is to carefully pack it in a cardboard box I can pitch when I get to Bangor?

[perrymk]

Just a suggestion. Whatever you do, if you are going to leave a suitcase or box in the airport (trash or recycle bin or whatever), first let security or baggage claim know. Maybe just leave it with baggage claim. Homeland Security is real touchy about boxes and suitcases left unattended.

[ATMountainTime]

I used a army duffel bag, put my back in it.

You can always ship you pack to Bangor as well via Fed Ex or UPS

I wouldn't trust the TSA with a bag of rice krispies!!

[Don H]

I don't want my bag roughed up.

Bet your bag will get roughed up before you get out of Maine

I put mine in a duffle bag. I had a USPS Priority Mail box packed to ship the duffle home in and my shuttler ship it home.

[fenderbenderfc]

Bet your bag will get roughed up before you get out of Maine

I put mine in a duffle bag. I had a USPS Priority Mail box packed to ship the duffle home in and my shuttler ship it home.

That is fine. I will rough my bag up all I want.

[Monkeywrench]

Bet your bag will get roughed up before you get out of Maine

I put mine in a duffle bag. I had a USPS Priority Mail box packed to ship the duffle home in and my shuttler ship it home.

That's what I do too. I consider it cheap insurance to keep the pack from getting ripped up by all the baggage handling equipment, and to keep everything together.

[Papa D]

You will need something like this:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-66AcTo9TU

sorry - just couldn't resist -- if you can watch this without a big f#&*ing smile on your face, there is something wrong with you

[coach lou]

I wouldn't trust the TSA with a bag of rice krispies!!

I have a large travel tube, heavy duty, carries 5 fly rods. I put 3 in it a few years ago. I guess the TSA agent looking at the x-ray never saw fishing poles before, so of course they had to take them out and jamb them back in. Broken old favorite Orvis and broken Bamboo. The bamboo I discovered broken after a 4 mile walk into the sticks in Idaho. Now look I'm all fired up about TSA.........that is another thread I guess!

[lynn523]

Good idea to protect it. For what it's worth, my husband and I flew from DC to Alaska with our packs in 2010 and just tied up all the loose straps and let them go thru without any protection. They made it threw 2 flights each way with no problem. Re hiking poles, I just flew from Dallas to DC with poles this week. They made it, but a TSA supervisor had to clear it. I would't chance it with the poles unless you have a friend at the airport who can take them and ship to you if TSA won't let you carry them. Good luck!

[chelko]

Seven of us flew into Bangor a year ago September. We each packed our packs in large zippered duffle bags. We left the bags with our shuttle driver and when he picked us up to go back to the airport we repacked them and flew home. No problems.

[Firefighter503]

I am going to try and fly from Dubai, UAE to Shannon, IRE on Tuesday. I had planned on just packing my Black Diamond Z-Poles in my pack and just carrying on, but the more I think about it, the more I am thinking of just throwing my backpack into a Duffle (sp?) Bag, and checking it. The problem then is that I worry about the hoop on my Ohm 2.0.

[Odd Man Out]

You can fabricate a trekking pole carrier from a piece of PVC drain pipe and put that in the pack or duffel.

[lunchbx]

anyone have experience with putting your knife in a checked backpack. I'm about to fly from puerto rico back to jersey and have my camping knife witch was shipped over with my backpack using a private company. I was gonna send my knife thru priority mail since i didnt want it stolen by tsa but if i dont have to spend the money mailing it i wont. I just assumed tsa would take it even in a checked bag but some of the posts above suggest it has been done before. I would be very upset if my knife were stolen since its been thru so much with me so i may just mail it anyway but im curious to know if they allow it in a checked bag. It has about a 4inch blade.

[Gray Blazer]

anyone have experience with putting your knife in a checked backpack. I'm about to fly from puerto rico back to jersey and have my camping knife witch was shipped over with my backpack using a private company. I was gonna send my knife thru priority mail since i didnt want it stolen by tsa but if i dont have to spend the money mailing it i wont. I just assumed tsa would take it even in a checked bag but some of the posts above suggest it has been done before. I would be very upset if my knife were stolen since its been thru so much with me so i may just mail it anyway but im curious to know if they allow it in a checked bag. It has about a 4inch blade.

I, too, had a favorite pocket knife which I forgot to pack before we left Europe for the states. They freaked out when I showed it in England, but, when they figured out it wasn't a switchblade they gave it back to me and ley me board. When I tried to get back on the plane in Bangor, M, they took it away and gave it to the pilot to hold for me. They ended up giving it back to me before we landed which did not make a lot of sense. This was all about 25 years ago before TSA but they were still worried about hijackings.

[MkBibble]

Have checked my pack (with knife, poles, etc.) several times with no issues. They usually have those giant plastic bags to slip them into. This keeps the straps from getting caught. No fuel of course.

[Comet Omega]

I take my Pack as a Carry-On with things I wouldn't want to replace if lost like my down bag, down sweater and lighter weight items that will pass through no problem. Don't fill it up too much, so it will fit under seat in front of you if necessary. Then I pack the other items in a throw down suitcase or duffel obtained from Goodwill or Salvation Army.

[Don H]

That is fine. I will rough my bag up all I want.

No sense of humor?
I did take the time to offer a suggestion.

[Del Q]

The last two hikes home from Boston and Tri Cities, 2 trash bags, duct tape, tear a spot for pack handle, TSA never opened it.

I don't cook so there was no fuel, fuel tabs, etc.

Will be shipping my pack TO the trail for the 1st time when I fly back to Tri Cities and hike south from Damascus.

[Llama Legs]

[QUOTE=ATMountainTime;1294442]I used a army duffel bag, put my pack in it.

agree with ATMT. Put your pack in empty with the waist belt curved correctly, shoulder straps (levelers) loosened down, and pack everything in the middle of the duffle.

[hobby]

I have flown many times from Atlanta to Jackson, Boise, Idaho Falls, Kalispel, etc.. Never a problem in ATL, but the return trip, from the smaller airports are always a problem. I have had empty, washed and rinsed out, metal liquid containers confiscated. They looked like fuel bottles but had contained liquor. Still they has no residual smell even if they were fuel bottles! Bic lighters also from my checked baggage.. The smaller airports in these places are more used to potential problems from hiking stuff, but ATL is never a problem.
Now I pack a prelabled UPS box and ship home the empty fuel bottles, bear spray, etc. at the end of the hike
I do put my pack in a duffel for flying.