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Type38
01-08-2015, 14:18
I will be doing a weeklong trip on the Colorado Trail this summer with some friends and we will be flying due to time constraints and money. I’ve been doing some research on flying with backpacking gear and/or shipping gear and have some concerns and questions in no particular order…
1. I have a 63L pack (ULA Ohm) which I’m a bit concerned about putting on the plane as checked baggage. I know a lot of people use either a large trash bag or duffle bag to put it in to protect it, but I’m more concerned about the carbon fiber frame (and maybe my trekking poles) getting crushed or broken. What is the best way to prevent it from getting damaged or could I take it as a carry on? I think it barley would meet the size requirements.
2. I’m also concerned about all of our gear making it to our destination with us. I’ve never personally lost luggage on a plane, but this would be a really cruddy trip for that to happen as we are traveling for a day, hiking for 6, and then traveling a day again with little room for screw ups. Has anyone shipped their packs before? What are some things to think about when doing so? (Which gear to not pack and take with while traveling?)
3. I know that fuel and stoves will need to be shipped for sure (I don’t want to risk not cleaning my stove properly and having it confiscated at the airport), but what about food? Should food be shipped ahead as well? I don’t see any reason why it can’t be put on a plane, but I’m concerned that security will throw a fit about pasta sides and tuna packets.
4. When shipping gear and possibly food, what is the best way to do that? Ship it to the hostel we’re staying at? A local post office? Will there need to be any special labeling for the stove and fuel?

illabelle
01-08-2015, 15:16
1. If you have a safe place to leave a piece or two of luggage (maybe your hostel), you could stuff your pack and contents into one or more suitcases, leaving those at the hostel until you're ready to depart. A large box, or a couple medium-sized boxes would do the same thing.
2. Lost gear is always a risk. Doesn't matter if it's expensive or not, if you need it, you need it. It would be hard to stuff everything essential into a carry-on. When we fly, we check our packs in duffel bags, and carry on only stuff we need to travel: ID, wallet, phone & contact info, itinerary & maps, maybe a jacket, snacks, and something to pass the time.
3. We've never shipped food ahead. We just pack our food in our packs.
4. Only thing we've ever shipped ahead is our stove. We shipped it to our shuttler. Instead of shipping fuel, consider asking your shuttler to pick up fuel for you. There was one time, however, with an address mixup, that our stove got delivered to the wrong place, then sent back home - even though we were on the phone with UPS trying to retrieve it. Had to have shuttler take us by an outfitter to pick up a pocket rocket. After that, we fly with the stove and take our chances.

Busky2
01-08-2015, 15:28
I have carried my pack on plane and trains and sent it to the cargo hold on a few flights. On the train it was not inspected let alone handled by anyone but me but, on flights I have stowed it overhead with poles inside the pack with no fuel of any kind in it without issues. the times it went as cargo things went the same with the exception of the only time I had to switch flights, that day it ended up on the flight that arrived latter than me that day. If I was having a shuttle that day I would have been sunk. The pack was fine and undamaged but late, I use nothing over the pack just wrapped all straps up tight and tied them off. Lucky me? Maybe.

Maui Rhino
01-08-2015, 15:47
When I hiked the JMT, I put my pack in a duffel bag, along with my poles. If packed next to the pack frame, they can help stiffen things, reducing the possibility of damage. 3 weeks before my trip, I mailed my stove and food to a friend in California to hold for me. I probably didn't need to mail the food, but it reduced the weight of my checked bag, and there are no weight concerns with the USPS flat rate boxes...if it fits, it ships. I bought a fuel canister on the way to the trailhead. Electronics (camera, headlamp, inReach, smartphone, solar panel) went in my carry-on. Everything went smoothly, and my pack and gear arrived in perfect shape. For the return flight, my duffel was mailed to the hotel I stayed in after exiting the trail, along with a set of clean street clothes for the flight home. I also mailed my stove back home before flying. If you don't have a friend/hotel/hostel to mail your stove to, you can always mail it to yourself General Delivery at a Post Office near the starting point.

QHShowoman
01-08-2015, 17:26
1. I have a 63L pack (ULA Ohm) which I’m a bit concerned about putting on the plane as checked baggage. I know a lot of people use either a large trash bag or duffle bag to put it in to protect it, but I’m more concerned about the carbon fiber frame (and maybe my trekking poles) getting crushed or broken. What is the best way to prevent it from getting damaged or could I take it as a carry on? I think it barley would meet the size requirements.

I took my ULA Catalyst on the plane (6 different ones, round trip) to Alaska with me over the summer and it fit in the overhead compartment. I carried an REI Pack Duffel with me in case I needed to gate check it, but no one even batted an eye.



2. I’m also concerned about all of our gear making it to our destination with us. I’ve never personally lost luggage on a plane, but this would be a really cruddy trip for that to happen as we are traveling for a day, hiking for 6, and then traveling a day again with little room for screw ups. Has anyone shipped their packs before? What are some things to think about when doing so? (Which gear to not pack and take with while traveling?)

Carry-on your pack and ship only items like your tent stakes, poles, stove -- things you can't carry on. Ship USPS priority -- comes with $50 insurance and tracking.



3. I know that fuel and stoves will need to be shipped for sure (I don’t want to risk not cleaning my stove properly and having it confiscated at the airport), but what about food? Should food be shipped ahead as well? I don’t see any reason why it can’t be put on a plane, but I’m concerned that security will throw a fit about pasta sides and tuna packets.

As long as your not carrying on liquids (sauces and creams count), TSA won't care. Try to buy your fuel when you land.



4. When shipping gear and possibly food, what is the best way to do that? Ship it to the hostel we’re staying at? A local post office? Will there need to be any special labeling for the stove and fuel?

If your hostel will accept and hold packages for you, that would be your best option, IMO. It's likely to have more flexible hours than the post office.

QHShowoman
01-08-2015, 17:28
I meant to add: On my way back from Alaska, I checked my pack with my trekking poles packed into the side pockets (rubber tips on the ends). I just zipped it into a pack-duffel bag and didn't have an issue with it. Some airline apps (like Delta's) have a baggage tracker that let you know in real-time when your bag has been scanned and loaded onto each leg of your flight, so you can tell pretty quickly if something's wrong.

Coffee
01-08-2015, 18:13
Last year for the Colorado Trail, I carried on my ULA Circuit and shipped ahead (USPS general delivery) all objectionable (or possibly objectionable) items including my trekking poles, knife, stove (no fuel!), as well as my starting food. I also took out the stay from my pack along with the carbon fiber frame to reduce the pack's vertical size. It was a pretty small pack at that point. No trouble carrying it on. Did the same on the flights back except I was on tiny planes and had to gate check the pack. I anticipated this and had a laundry bag that I put the pack into prior to gate checking it. With gate check, you can even see them load it into the plane and you get the pack back right at the gate upon landing so it is less risky than checking in the terminal. Also free.

swjohnsey
01-08-2015, 19:14
I check my Ohm 2.0 several times (including a stove without fuel) several times only tightening all straps and tying the ends together.

royalusa
01-08-2015, 19:21
In regards to food, just beware that peanut butter and Nutella are considered gels and therefore fall in the 3.4 ounce (or whatever it is these days) limit. We learned that the hard way. If we are mailing or checking a box of non-friendly TSA items, we just include the peanut butter and Nutella with it.

swjohnsey
01-08-2015, 19:28
I've flown all over with a jar of peanut butter. I finally got nailed in Mexico.

swjohnsey
01-08-2015, 19:30
To arrive with a cigarette lighter, hide several in your checked baggage. They never find them all.

Coffee
01-08-2015, 19:32
To arrive with a cigarette lighter, hide several in your checked baggage. They never find them all.
You can and should carry on lighters. They are banned in checked luggage. No problem to carry on.

MuddyWaters
01-08-2015, 21:45
If you are checking pack, leave time in case something goes wrong.
You cannot carry on trekking poles. Without food, your pack should be carryon size. ship food and poles and stove ahead.

Ive checked everything in small duffel before because of poles

BrianLe
01-09-2015, 07:42
I will say that in recent years, I've inclined to ship most of my stuff ahead, because the cost UPS charged me wasn't that much different than what the airlines charge these days to check a bag. I'm flying to Florida for my next trip, however, from WA state, and maybe it's this extra distance, but this time the UPS cost to ship was substantially higher. Overall still not sorry I did it, but I'll check relative prices next time this issue arises rather than assume.

Traveler
01-09-2015, 08:04
As a note, if you are planning to take backpacks onto commercial airliners, be sure you know the dimensions of carry ons. USAirways and American have changed (slightly) their dimensions and I understand some other airlines have as well but can't attest to it. The new dimensions are a little smaller than the old ones and are being enforced. If your pack is longer than the tallest dimension they may have you gate check the pack to your final destination. That may make the UPS option a better one for those taking larger packs.

hikernutcasey
01-09-2015, 10:19
I will say that in recent years, I've inclined to ship most of my stuff ahead, because the cost UPS charged me wasn't that much different than what the airlines charge these days to check a bag. I'm flying to Florida for my next trip, however, from WA state, and maybe it's this extra distance, but this time the UPS cost to ship was substantially higher. Overall still not sorry I did it, but I'll check relative prices next time this issue arises rather than assume.So give me a ballpark price to ship UPS. I'm flying from Charlotte to Boston in August and trying to figure out what to do, take it with me or ship it ahead.

QHShowoman
01-09-2015, 13:27
So give me a ballpark price to ship UPS. I'm flying from Charlotte to Boston in August and trying to figure out what to do, take it with me or ship it ahead.

UPS wanted to charge me $46 dollars to ship AN EMPTY backpack. USPS did it for $22. Same box size, same pack. USPS got it there in 3 days (priority): UPS quoted 5-10.

mankind117
01-09-2015, 13:37
I went to Glacier this year, (I'm from the east coast) for a week of backpacking. I have a very large rolling suitcase that I was able to put my pack after dissasembling it along with some of my gear I didn't carry on, and an entire weeks worth of food which I checked. My friends mailed their stoves out to the hotel we congretated at before starting which I didn't bother with. When I got to flew out and got to missoula what do you know my checked bag didn't arrive. Being that Frontier airlines sucks and the missoula airport is tiny I only found out what happened to my bag when I got a call at 2 in the morning from spokane saying they had my bag. As they could only get it to me 2 days later (and we had to pick up the permits the next day) we had a nice 8.5 hour drive from missoula, to spokane, glacier in the rental car. If I were to do it again I might just consider shipping my pack as UPS is probably more reliable than the airlines . . . Luckily I did get my bag and everything was still there and I didn't have to entertain myself alone for a week while my friends did the trip.

mankind117
01-09-2015, 13:41
The point of that previous story too is that if I had to do it again I would plan an extra day in case things went wrong.

Nodust
01-09-2015, 14:01
We flew to Montana this past summer for some backpacking. We (me, both sons and wife) carried our hammocks, quilts, tarps in backpacks as carryon. Along with a little clothes. I figured that stuff wasn't easily replaceable.

The other stuff such as stove(MSR pocket rocket used), trekking poles, tarp stakes, pots etc..... was checked in baggage. We also brought packit gourmet food checked in baggage.

If my checked in baggage was delayed or lost I could replace it at any sporting goods store without much trouble. I bought a new canister for the stove and lighters when we got to Montana.