Flying to Denver With Hiking Stuff

[Miles 2 Go]

I'm planning to thru hike the CT next year and I will be flying in. I'd like to hear about how others got there pack and trekking poles out to Denver then back home from Durango. I have not flown since 1986 so I know a lot has changed.

Thanks for any help
---Miles2Go-->

[MuddyWaters]

Depends on pack size.

Poles need to go baggage
I wrap poles in ccf foam used for lower legs, put in duffel with food and some gear.
My poles are 3 piece and collapse small.

I can carry on my pack with my $$$ tarp , quilt, fragile cookpot, li batts. I can also fit it in a small duffel and just carry $$$ items in my 2.4 oz summit pack if I bring it.

Take train from DIA to downtown . stay at hotel. I stay at holiday inn for free so thats always my first choice. You can mail things to hotels you dont want to check. Theres big REI in downtown denver to get last minute items like gas cannisters as well. Its a couple blocks from the station.

Take train to Littleton from downtown. Get a taxi to go to PO first, and mail duffel with travel clothes, etc to end, then on to waterton. Theres PO around downtown denver too, but might need to walk or bus a little ways. What this does mean, is you dont want to need to do this on sat or sun though . BRING PACKING TAPE to seal up priority box, or youll have to buy their $7 roll for 2' of tape.

Ive never had issues mailing items to hotels where I have reservation. Before I started carrying smartphone, id mail android tablet used for travel reservations an entertainment. Put info on box, reservation and eta.

Holiday inn in durango has airport shuttle too, makes catching early flight out easy.

[Miles 2 Go]

Thank you MuddyWaters for the help.

My backpack is a Zpacks 60L Arc Blast and the web site said it can fit in the over head bins on the plane. Do you know if I can carry on my canister stove? I know the fuel canister I can't so I'm planning on buying one in Denver. I also believe lighters, matches and a small knife are no no to carry on, but can they go baggage? Also my tent pegs, are they okay to be carried on? I'd feel more comfortable carrying on as much of my gear as possible. I always fear my stuff getting lost when I flew in the past.

[Nodust]

Thank you MuddyWaters for the help.

My backpack is a Zpacks 60L Arc Blast and the web site said it can fit in the over head bins on the plane. Do you know if I can carry on my canister stove? I know the fuel canister I can't so I'm planning on buying one in Denver. I also believe lighters, matches and a small knife are no no to carry on, but can they go baggage? Also my tent pegs, are they okay to be carried on? I'd feel more comfortable carrying on as much of my gear as possible. I always fear my stuff getting lost when I flew in the past.

I carry things that can't be replaced easily. Hammock, tarp, quilts, and some clothes, in my GG Gorilla as carry on. Every thing else can be replaced at REI or even Walmart if needed. It may not be exactly what I had but would get the job done.

Lighters can be carried on but not checked in. I just buy one at the first convenience store I come to. Give away before flying home.

I Checked my trekking poles, pocket rocket(or fancy feast), pocket knife, cook kit, even some Packit Gourmet food. Not sure if matches can be carried or checked in at all.

[MuddyWaters]

Thank you MuddyWaters for the help.

My backpack is a Zpacks 60L Arc Blast and the web site said it can fit in the over head bins on the plane. Do you know if I can carry on my canister stove? I know the fuel canister I can't so I'm planning on buying one in Denver. I also believe lighters, matches and a small knife are no no to carry on, but can they go baggage? Also my tent pegs, are they okay to be carried on? I'd feel more comfortable carrying on as much of my gear as possible. I always fear my stuff getting lost when I flew in the past.

Read tsa guidelines.
You can carry on matches, lighter, li batts.
Put knife in luggage, also tent stakes. Dont chance anything they think can be used as a weapon.

Cannister stove should be ok in baggage. Should. I have mailed them ahead in past because uniteds policies used to prohibit camping stoves in baggage. Now it parrotts tsa wording.

[garlic08]

Good stuff so far. Trekking poles can sometimes be taken on the plane. I hear if you say they're walking aids, no problem. But do NOT argue with TSA. Do what they say and allow enough time to go back and check the poles if you decide to try to carry them on.

[Maydog]

If you want to check your bags, go to your local Goodwill store and look for a piece of used luggage that your pack and poles will fit into. I bought 2 large rolling bags in very good working condition for $20 recently when I needed a couple large bags for just one trip. They weren't pretty, but they did the job. You could probably find one for $10 or less and you would have an extra layer of protection for your gear.

[Miles 2 Go]

Thank you all for all the good information, it was all very helpful. I'm so excited about doing this hike, it just about all I think of. Still a year off though.

[HooKooDooKu]

I bought a duffel bag from the local thrift store for the trip out.
For the trip home, when I got to town, I bought some Saran Wrap, folded all the straps down, and wrapped the whole pack (up to the top clips so TSA could still get into it if they wanted to inspect).

[saltysack]

I bought a duffel bag from the local thrift store for the trip out.
For the trip home, when I got to town, I bought some Saran Wrap, folded all the straps down, and wrapped the whole pack (up to the top clips so TSA could still get into it if they wanted to inspect).

Even easier if you use a compactor bag Instead of stuff sacks...simply put pack inside compactor bag and duct tape shut...how was your Jmt trip?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[HooKooDooKu]

...how was your Jmt trip?

Here's a post I put in another thread

[foodbag]

I had to travel from MA to GA via bus, so I put my pack, already packed, inside a duffle bag, so that the pack straps wouldn't get caught on stuff in the bus' luggage bay. I also packed a self-addressed, stamped package envelope with the postage on it. When I reached Dahlonega I mailed the duffle home at the first mailbox I saw.

[Lyle]

Large duffel bag. Big enough to fit your pack in. The pack doesn't need to be fully loaded. As when packing the pack itself, loose items allow you to fill all the nooks and crannies of the duffel. My poles have always been just fine packed as close to the center of the duffel as possible - just keep them away from the outside top/bottom/sides as possible.

Never had a single issue with packing like this, except for finding a place to store the duffel while hiking. Lucked out, always found a hostel or Bed & Breakfast to hold on to it for me. Could always mail it to yourself or a business at your end point. Keep in mind, most post offices will only hold a package for a max of 30 days, some less. Would have to check with the individual post office. Some hiker friendly businesses may hold it for you if you make a reservation to avail yourself of their services at the end of your trip. Just be polite, friendly, and ask.

[Miles 2 Go]

Once again thank you for all the helpful tips. I will carry on my Zpacks Arc blast pack with my sleeping gear, tent, cook pot (minus stove, spork & lighter), rain gear, extra clothing and the Inreach SE. The trekking polls, tent stakes, stove, spork I'll check in or mail ahead. I like the idea of have my most expensive and hard to replace gear with me. I'll need to buy and inexpensive duffel bag to check it in and then mail it ahead to Durango for the flight back home.

[Puppies]

Here's a link to the train/bus system that Muddy Waters referenced: http://www.rtd-denver.com/airport.shtml#rail that includes bus and rail options. I'm native and have hiked most of the CT, so please feel free to message me if you think of Trail-specific questions.

[Miles 2 Go]

Puppies,
Thanks for the link and I'll definitely keep you in mind when I need some local intell.