Tips and tricks for airline travel.

[RyanT26]

After packing and unpacking a few times now I am interested to hear any tips for tricks for flying up, getting under weight restrictions (50 pound commercial weight) and so on
I think I should come in under on the weight but not by a whole lot.

 

[Dkhunter12]

If your not going the Air Cargo Route and taking everything with you on the plane, you should only need a carry on, gun case, and a checked bag.

Maximize your carry on size and weight. I use an modern looking hiking backpack for a carry on. I compress all my down in there and other expensive items.

Take out all of the foam in your hard sided gun case (assuming you are rifle hunting) and pack all your clothes and gear tight around your rifle. Maximize this weight to 50 lbs including the case.

Then if you are using a large duffel for the rest, bring a ratchet strap or lashing strap with you. Then strap your duffel to your gun case. Assuming it has wheels, you only need to drag around the gun case with one hand leaving the other hand free...assuming your carry on is a backpack.

Jam as much as you can in your boots, water bottles, etc. don't have voided areas empty.

If you end up in ANC they will likely tear apart your gun case and re-pack it when their done looking at it.

Its tempting to over pack...the best advice is don't take unnecessary gear.

Also depending on where you end up, you can buy some stuff there...then on the way out sell it to someone in a Walmart parking lot.

Good Luck!

 

[snowymtnwolf]

I’ve seen the hiker crowd taking giant hiking packs as carryon

What doesn’t fit for weight, wear and pack as carryon.


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[Jimss]

I wear my kifaru pack filled so it fits in the over heads. I also carry on a giant camera case with optics, camera, etc. my carryon adds up to around 75 lbs and is a lug carrying around airports.

I gut the foam in my large rifle case that’s on 2 rollers. I put my rifle, fishing rods trekking poles and pad them with waders and clothes. I make sure the case weighs less than max allowed wt.

On the trip home I often have quite a few fish boxes full of salmon/halibut/rock bass and big game meat/capes. Insulated fish boxes can be bought at Walmart or cabelas in anchorage.

I use large totes (forgot their name) for most of my equipment.

It’s way cheaper to pay extra baggage fees than pay someone to ship them to you.

 

[Cactus kid]

I’ve done a bit of air travel to hunt and a few things I learned:

-I was not allowed to carry my kifaru pack as carry on. Some guys have no issue, but it just takes one Johnny-on-the-spot ticket lady to make you check your bag as you tried to board. I learned the hard way. Wondering if your pack with 5k in optics that was half assed checked as you were boarding makes for an interesting flight.

-my carry on is a small duffel bag- optics and boots go in here. These are things I can’t hunt with out. Everything else I can figure out.

- checking a firearm- you can never have too many tsa locks. Pack extras, makes sure every hole on the case has a lock on it.

- everything else goes into a larger duffel. I put my pack, clothes, trekking poles, food, everything in here. Packing cubes are a life saver and keeps everything organized and easy to find. Buy a bunch in different sizes. Ammunition in a locked box will travel in this.

This is my “system” and I have been able to make the sub 50 lb threshold with ease, even with tents, pack, 14days of food.

Some guys remove the padding from their rifle case to stuff more gear in there. Not my style, but an option.

 

[280rem]

I find the flights into the field way more challenging than commercial flights. I can usually make things work out alright, putting small heavy items in carry on helps. Having a good size 2 gun case is a big help for a party of 2 and put enough stuff in there to get it to 49lbs. Last time I checked on mailing stuff up I was quoted $140 for 70lb max, well that’s a no brainer Alaska air is only gonna trim ya $100 and it can weigh 99lbs. If you have a bag going to be over 50lbs go all out and stuff it full staying under 100lbs. 54lbs cost the same as 94lbs. I have seen my bags show 52 or so coming home, since it’s harder to calculate packing to come home, and not a word was said, but I wouldn’t count on that.