How to Airline Proof your Equipment

[ATX-Hiker]

I was thinking about getting a thrift store duffle and putting everything in it, so straps and buckles don't caught on anything. I was also going to leave anything the TSA might look at funny out in the duffel, i.e stove, tent poles, etc. so they wouldn't have to rummage through my pack.

Any other ideas, I think this might be rhetorical but no fuel canisters are allow, correct.

Also I was going to take a few home made fire starters, lint in the egg containers with some paraffin, would those raise alarm?

Any other things that could be a problem?

[Manwich]

No fuel canisters. You can buy them anywhere. I'd also shy away from paraffin, that might set off those automated sniffers, but the lint is fine.

Don't pack anything you'd be sad to lose. I had a Nikon D70 stolen from a baggage handler (I watched my baggage drop out of the chute, nobody had a chance to touch it.)

And assume that no matter what, your stuff will be searched.

[KG4FAM]

Put everything in a cardboard box

[mudhead]

and then FedEx it!


Isn't there an article on shipping packs, or is it buried in trail pointers?

[flemdawg1]

I did some camping/hiking in CA over the summer and I just put my all my gear into a large duffel and checked it. I bought fuel at my destination and made sure my alchy stove was clean both ways.

[KG4FAM]

and then FedEx it!


Isn't there an article on shipping packs, or is it buried in trail pointers?

with the airlines charging for the first bag these days you might as well ship it.

[Slo-go'en]

I wouldn't trust my pack to the airlines! Ship it. Most likely you can send it to the Lodge. Nice as the lodge is, I'd cancel that and go to the hiker hostle instead and use thier shuttle to get from the airport to the hostle. You'll have a better time at the hostle, eat better food and meet a lot of the hikers you'll be starting out with.

[RichardD]

Wash your stove thoroughly in soapy water to remove any residues. I shipped birthday cake candles as firestarters, they are expressly permitted in checked baggage, they work reasonably well as fire starters. I bought a lighter at the destination airport. You can request a large polythere bag in which to place your pack at the baggage check in. The attendant might be reluctant but they are required to provide it upon your request. It adds a modicum of protection to your pack but not much..
The other suggestions of shipping to your destination are preferable if you can make it work. The only time I used airlines to a hiking destination shipping ahead would not have been a workable option. My travel was frought with worries as to whether or not my backpacking gear would arrive at the same time as myself. It did but only after I noticed the airport employees attach the wrong baggage tag to my pack and intervened to correct it.

[Sly]

with the airlines charging for the first bag these days you might as well ship it.

To where?

[ATX-Hiker]

So i should cancel the lodge and hit up the hostel?

[KG4FAM]

So i should cancel the lodge and hit up the hostel?

Thats what I would do.

[buff_jeff]

I just put my pack in an Army Duffel bag. I didn't have a problem flying Philadelphia to Georgia that way this summer, and that's how I'm going to take it to Hawaii next week.

[Panzer1]

fuel bottle, knife, cigarette lighter are some things that come to mind.

Panzer

[jnetx]

fuel bottle, knife, cigarette lighter are some things that come to mind.

Panzer

Check the TSA website ( http://www.tsa.dhs.gov/travelers/air...ted-items.shtm ) for exactly what is allowed in your checked bag, and your carry on.

Note that lighters are allowed to be carried on. That rule was relaxed without much publicity a few months after the rule banning them was imposed. You still cannot have them in your checked luggage.

Having said that, my advice is pack it in a box and ship it. If you send it via surface (UPS or Fedex Ground) you can also include fuel or cannisters if you feel the need, and it will still be there in less than a week, can be tracked, and you can confirm it got there before you do!

[Nest]

I flew a couple times on my thru going home and babk to the trail. On going home I just used electrical tape to tape loose straps together so nothing would catch on the conveyors. Going back to the trail I bought one of the giant ziplock storage bags and put my pack in it. A third time I flew I did the tape thing again. My pack was never searched. I even had two 8 oz. bottles of denatured alcohol in my pack, a bunch of food, and all kinds of crap that hikers always have in their packs. I did nothing to "sanitize" my pack for flight.

On the other hand I know Cannibal had his pack searched, sil dry bags sliced, and all of his ziplocks cut open by TSA, although he followed all of the precautions people are mentioning above. He had to replace a lot of gear because they were too lazy to pull open a ziplock, or unroll a dry bag. So it's probably best to ship it.

[snaplok]

I end up either shipping it ahead or riding the rails or buses. If I find myself having to fly I always take only a carry on, which as of recent, has become an increasing problem. I ended up flying from NY to VA with a carryon only to be told after the overhead was filled to capacity that I'd have to check it. Seems the people in front of me decided to take more than 1 bag each to avoid checking any luggage. I did politely refuse to pay extra and suggested that the couple pay for theirs instead since they had 4 and I had 1. I ended up keeping it on the seat next to me which was empty, but got some dirty looks from the couple for the entire flight. Guess I topped their rudeness. I still wonder how they thought they were special.
Chances are wherever you're going that there's a hotel, motel, hostel, inn, post office, etc that you can ship your stuff to for alot cheaper than the 15-40 per bag per way without having it lost, stolen or damaged.