Cheapest way to ship gear

[Jimss]

You can almost buy a new tent and other gear at Cabelas in Anchorage for what you pay for shipping...unless you think a little bit outside the box!

Extra bags on Alaska airlines are around $60 each. I gut the foam in my oversized rifle case and add clothes/misc until it's 60 lbs. My carry on is a 60 lb pack that fits in the overhead bins. I also carry on a 35 lb camera case that is loaded with my binocs, spotting scope, etc. That's close to 95 lbs I carry on that is free with my ticket. The last couple years returning from Alaska I've had around 350ish lbs of gear, fish, horn, capes, etc and only been charged around $120 extra baggage from Anchorage. It's a pain in the rear getting all that stuff around the airports but a big savings in $!

 

[colonel00]

Jimss, the catch is that the issue is his flight from Fairbanks to Bettles where they restrict the weight he can bring or apparently really overcharge for excess baggage.

 

[adventure907]

Just an FYI, baggage rates for Wrights Air Service.

Excess baggage rate is $1.80 a pound. You are allowed 40 pounds with your ticket.

Freight rates are .84 cents a pound.

 

[colonel00]

Just an FYI, baggage rates for Wrights Air Service.

Excess baggage rate is $1.80 a pound. You are allowed 40 pounds with your ticket.

Freight rates are .84 cents a pound.

Heh, that isn't that bad at all. Granted, he would have had to pay for extra bags on his flights too. Alaska Air is $75 for the 3rd bag on but other airlines really gouge you now. I think Delta is $150 for the 3rd and $200 for the 4th on. I guess even on Alaska, if he had 4 checked items, that would be like $200 each way plus whatever he would have to pay with Wrights which would be another $150-200 each way maybe? Granted, he's only paid to ship his stuff up there so far, he's still got to get it home along with hopefully a hide, horns and a bunch of meat

 

[Ray]

So you shipped a weapon through the USPS for a $125 and didn't need an FFL license to send and one to receive?

You can mail a long arm to yourself. State laws may cause an issue, but typically not. You can mail a long arm to a gun smith with no FFL as well.


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[thnksno]

Just an FYI, baggage rates for Wrights Air Service.

Excess baggage rate is $1.80 a pound. You are allowed 40 pounds with your ticket.

Freight rates are .84 cents a pound.

The 1.80$ is not too bad, but they told me depending on the weight of the other passengers and their baggage that our extra baggage could be denied. I didn't want to risk getting there with it and they wouldn't allow us to bring it.

 

[thnksno]

The problem is the wrights air flight though. We are arriving in Fairbanks at 9:50 pm and head out on wrights air early in the morning so the option of getting supply's up there are limited.

 

[Kevin Dill]

Alaska offers a myriad of issues getting gear there when you need it. Every situation is different. I'm guessing the high cost for the totes and rifle to Bettles could be....Bettles. A parcel post shipment to Fairbanks typically goes overland to Seattle and then by ship to Anchorage. From there it's overland again to Fairbanks. I've had shipments take 5+ weeks to hit Fairbanks from Ohio. I think Bettles is only accessible via air which just might be a significant factor in the cost of shipping.

I always go USPS as they have the best pricing. I also always compare shipping vs extra baggage costs because sometimes it's a wash. In some cases I ship ahead for convenience just so I don't have to muscle a bloated load of gear in and out of airports, shuttles and rental cars.

 

[JPD350]

You can mail a long arm to yourself. State laws may cause an issue, but typically not. You can mail a long arm to a gun smith with no FFL as well.


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So if you add a handgun to the case does the whole issue change?

 

[Ray]

So if you add a handgun to the case does the whole issue change?

Yes. You will then need FFL at both ends. A handgun is best transported in your checked baggage following the airline's rules.

here is a link to the USPS rules for mailing firearms.