Flying / checking a pack

Has anyone checked a pack as baggage? If so, how did you prep. it for travel? I'm flying to New Mexico with my son in a few weeks and we need to obviously check our packs. His is an internal frame and fits nicely in one of my old military sea bags. Mine is an external and I haven't found a duffle yet to possibly put it in that isn't monster in size. One thought I have is to just remove the shoulder straps and hip belt and send it through? Maybe tape or zip tie the connections to keep them closed? Anybody with experience in this? Thanks in advance...

Putting the pack in a duffel is the safest course. Your airline might be able to offer special handling, encasing the pack in a plastic bag. It might be worthwhile to check with them in advance. I would definitely remove the straps and hipbelt if possible - and carry a sewing kit....

I bought a big duffle bag for my pack when I went to AK in August '09 and used a small bag for my carry on as to be considerate of passengers. No issues except I should have tied some ribbon or something on the handles as all the black bags looked the same going around the baggage carousel when retreiving it.

When we flew to Peru to do the Inca trail, we didn't want to get anything crunched or crushed.

So we took everything out of our pack, then folded the pack into a large suitcase and stuffed everything else around it. Worked like a charm.

I was able to use a surplus, olive drab military duffle bag. At least it stood out. Black is way too popular a color for luggage. I need luggage in an aqua tint that matches my eyes....

Either one of those brightly colored belts or colored tape will help your bag stand out from the others.

I got mine from Sierra Trading Post, not much selection. First time I flew that far or had to do a switch. Scary for a small town boy.

Father and son going to NM for backpacking. Can anyone say Philmont?

Will the Osprey Airporter work? I know that at least one adult in our group of nine scouts and four adults will be using it for our high adventure trip to the Winds next month. I have told all that they need to have a duffel to stick their pack in for the flight. I remember seeing a pack being loaded into the belly of the plane on our trip to Calgary last September and cringed with everything left on it. Sure enough when it showed up on the baggage carousel, it was in two pieces.

I have a McHale, so I prefer not to check it even in a duffel. Fortunately with its bayonet system, it becomes compact enough for me to use as my carry-on.

Bingo... I have a Kelty Tioga external frame that I'm planning on taking. (Think I'm about the only one left on the planet that uses an external). Anyway, I'll try to measure for that duffel, seems pretty inexpensive. I'm still leaning towards simply removing the straps and belt and sending it through. That or wrapping it in some heavy gauge plastic with a couple bands of duct tape.

We have a few using externals. For on-trail such as Philmont, they make a lot of sense. For one thing, they can be cooler on the back. I would highly recommend a duffel. Where are you planning on stashing all of your gear including that you are leaving at the trailhead? If nothing else, the stress that is being placed on the baggage is on the duffel and not the backpack you need for your trip. A tear or rip on the duffel is not the end of the world. For your backpack, it might be a different story.

I've got a Tioga too - you're not the only one.

Looking forward to seeing how you choose to pack it.

Would the airline cut you a deal if you sent all the troop's gear as palletized cargo?

They have a basecamp where gear such as this can be stored / left behind. Thanks for your input.




Nice to know I'm not the only one 'kicking it old school' with an external frame, I actually wear leather boots as well. Some habits are hard to break. That's an interesting idea about bulk cargo, I'll check into that, appreciate it.

JD

I probably didn't state my inquiry too eloquently. My question is not while you are on the trail but for the flight where you are planning on stashing those belongings? In your backpack or somewhere else? Also remember that unless you have status, if your checked bag weighs over 50 lbs., the fee dramatically increases, which is one of the reasons I have insisted that each scout's checked bag weigh under 50 lbs. and one way to minimize weight is to go with a duffel without wheels.

I would stash the pack in a cheap duffle you can lock. Sad to say, but unlocked bags get rifled through fairly regularly, so don't pack any valuables in it-money, camera, GPS, passport (not that you need one for Philmont, just a general suggestion), etc. Someone makes a mesh lockable bag for packs, but never actually seen one except in an ad.

Travel packs with wheels are too heavy for any serious backpacking and the wheels take up too much room, so I would avoid those.

As for a lock on a bag, if the TSA wants to search it and the screening for checked baggage is done out of your sight (which is the majority of airports), then the TSA will just cut the lock off unless you have a "TSA Approved Lock" (and even then, they have been known to cut those as well).

Good advise so far.

An alternative is just to wrap the packed backpack in saran wrap. It contains all the straps and buckles but at the other end, you just peel off the Saran and you're good to go without having to deal with a place to store another piece of carrier luggage. Sometimes, if you are relying on public transportation or trail shuttles to get you to your hiking destination, there's no car or motel where you can leave stuff for later pickup.

A problem with saran wrap is that if the TSA decides they want to search your bag, they will have to remove the saran wrap and will not take the care you did when putting it back on, which can lead to issues. Where do you put your clothes and other sundries that you wear to and from you destination? That is what I use the duffel for.

Does your pack fit inside one of those garment bags used for suits? They have a long generous zipper that makes it easy to get stuff in and out. No matter how you bag the pack I would still take off straps and put inside the bag or duct tape the straps so that they do not flop around. Also, remember that most airline have a 50 pound single bag limit. And butane gas cannisters or white gas are not allowed.

If your airline charges a lot for baggage, you could consider shipping your stuff UPS or FedEx ground to your destination. For large packages FedEx ground is cheaper.

Xring, I still have a faithful Kelty external that I once carried on a thru-hike, but now rarely use (though I still like the way it carrys, and I like it especially in very hot weather (some of which you will no doubt find at Philmont.

To take this as baggage on aircraft, I have a duffle with handles and zippers and padding, which is made to exactly fit the pack. The brand is, I believe, Gerry (which once made a very similar pack--Dr Kelty and Gerry Cunningham were hiking partners). Doubt if it is made anymore, since externals are usually considered dinosauers and do not likely sell in the volume required to support such an accessory. It weighs about a kilo.

I'm pretty sure a boat or car cover shop in your town could make one rather easily (and fairly cheaply).

Don't know when you need this, but if you have a couple of weeks, I would be willing to ship it to you. Answer here, and we can arrange e-mails or pms.


Also, as noted, at some airports, there is a concession that will shrink-wrap your luggage after it has been through security. You may want to check for that.

However, beware of both weight and size restrictions now applied by airlines. Your other option would be Fed Ex or UPS. If you specify ground shipment, you can send stoves and some types of fuel, and you avoid problems with size, plus, I think you can have them (for a price) do whatever packing is required (at least my UPS store will). Best, jcp

We have a winner!! Thank you so much for that idea, works like a charm. I unhooked the 'stay open bar' inside the pack to help it lay more flat and took off the top bar and put it inside. Great idea thanks again, and thanks for all the other suggestions and good advice as well. Love the years of experience willing to share on this forum...

Geez, I feel like I'm a little late here, but having worked at an airline checking bags at MIA for 20+ years I've got to put my 2-cents in.

Having had two Tiogas (for my wife and I), I do see your affection for them. We had to put one to sleep after our airline destroyed it on a trip to Calgary (and Jasper NP) years ago. What can possibly happen that could break one of the aluminum tubes on the frame?

This being a lightweight hiking forum, I do have a suggestion, and that is: If someone says this:

I'm pretty sure a boat or car cover shop in your town could make one [a duffel] rather easily (and fairly cheaply).

Well, I believe it is time to propose Plan B. First, as a longtime boater, anytime marine or boat shops are mentioned, well, we can triple the price of what it ought to cost. So why not take that $300 for a custom duffel (aka duffle, ditty or seabag) for your external-frame pack and, after donating the Tioga to a local hiking museum, buy a decent lightweight internal frame pack with all that money you saved?

Buy a GoLite Odyssey or one of the lighter Ospreys, fill it with lighter & less, and without all that weight bogging you down, you'll find yourself at Philmont able to keep up with that youthful offspring of yours on the trail.

You will probably be getting on a 737-800 to get to NM. You wouldn't think of boarding, with your packs, a DC-3 for the trip. Those DC-3's are quaint, they're gorgeous, but it is time to move on.

Whatever is gained by the back ventilation of an external pack is lost in the extra sweat sacrificed by the lugging the weight that comes with wearing it. Inversly, whatever sweat sticks to your back from a lightweight internal pack is neutralized by the sweat saved by wearing a lightweight modern internal-frame backpack. This is me now arguing with my former self, who wore an external pack for many years . . . until I saw the light.

Kevonionia

I just bought a scale and weighed my Tioga - just under 7lbs.

I've got other changes (and a speadsheet) to make first, but that kind of weight is mighty motivating.

I love the idea for how to bring the pack on the airplanes... thank you for all the good ideas.

Steadman

The Airporter will work. We've used OD canvas duffles, huge sport-type duffles, the Airporter and another babkpack maker's pack duffle. I got an Airporter off Ebay for $12 with shipping.

I had a CampTrails external for a few trips that went into a surplus OD canvas duffle. My son still uses his. Just don't put the packed backpack into the duffle. Put the backpack in and then stuff in all the other gear around it.

(Yes, Philmont 5 times - what a trip!)