Flying commercial with spotting scope?

[SteelyDan]

Any recommendations / lessons learned on flying commercial amd protecting your brand new, very expensive spotting scope?
Tough enough to trust TSA & baggage handlers with rifle cases....

 

[CodeMonkey]

If it were me, I'd order a Pelican or SKB case ASAP.

I wouldn't even risk it as a carry on in case you have to gate check your baggage.

 

[Banded_spooney]

If it were me, I'd order a Pelican or SKB case ASAP.

I wouldn't even risk it as a carry on in case you have to gate check your baggage.

All my optics (and prescriptions) go in my backpack for that reason. Don’t risk the gate check at small airports with checked bags. They won’t be treated any worse than when in my backpack while hunting. If it’s expensive enough I might consider a pelican or at least a harbor freight knock off, but that takes up your personal item which is a problem for me.

 

[JordanM]

SteelyDan I’m in the same boat, about to head back to AK in 9 days. Not taking a rifle case, so was planning to just heavily pad my spotter inside my checked bag. I may steal the backpack idea from Banded, but I dont think my 10x42s and the spotter will fit. If I can squeeze them in, it may be difficult to fit under the seat. It’s painful when you have a Rolex-worth of optics you don’t want TSA to fudge with…

 

[Banded_spooney]

SteelyDan I’m in the same boat, about to head back to AK in 9 days. Not taking a rifle case, so was planning to just heavily pad my spotter inside my checked bag. I may steal the backpack idea from Banded, but I dont think my 10x42s and the spotter will fit. If I can squeeze them in, it may be difficult to fit under the seat. It’s painful when you have a Rolex-worth of optics you don’t want TSA to fudge with…

I can get an 85mm razor and 10x42 SLCs in a harness in a personal item sized backpack. Not much else and the 15s have to stay home. I’ve only had the occasion to need both twice but it worked out both times.

Take your eye piece off and pad the shit out of it.

 

[Banded_spooney]

Actually I haven’t thought about it but might be worth putting your eye piece in your rifle case. Should be pretty safe next to your scope.

 

[Steve O]

I keep my optics with me in my carry on. I just got back from Kodiak and my spotter, binos, and rangefinder went in my Yeti Hopper M30. If I had meat in it on the way home, they would have gone in a small stuff sack and stayed with me in the cabin.

 

[bronco_buster]

Pelican case is standard equipment for the camera/film guys, thats where my high end glass goes. I purchased some cheap knockoffs for my son off of amazon. Haven't found any situation where they didn't perform just as well without the pricetag. Believe it was the monoprice brand.

 

[171farm]

As already mentioned, all optics go in the carry on back pack.

 

[FLATHEAD]

That would definitely be a carry on.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

100% of the time it is carry-on in my backpack.

It's easy enough to borrow a gun on-site if something were to happen. It is not easy enough to borrow alpha glass.

 

[eaglemountainman]

Most times, binos and spotter go in my carry on. If there's no room in the overhead bins, it fits under the seat.

If I have to put them in my checked bag, I surround them with socks, drawers and shirts in the middle of the bag. The binos are already in an AGC harness and the little Kowa 554 is in a Maxpedition wine bottle bag for extra padding. My concern with them in checked bag is not breakage, but the possibility of being separated.

 

[schmalzy]

To add to everyone else, spotter and binos go in carry on. No issues and no worries about it. Just use a carryon that can handle a little weight. Patagonia duffle with backpack straps worked pretty great for me and was pretty discrete.


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