I wonder if anyone has a good solution for transporting rods in a rod case as checked baggage. The NTSB has a real talent for breaking guides, tips and generally screwing up expensive gear. Any suggestions?
I do it all the time. I use a SKB rod case. The TSA is going to open it for sure. I don't put more than 5 rods in the case. That way it's easier for the TSA to open & close the case. I bundle the rods together with rod ties. If you try to stuff too many rods in the case it's difficult for the TSA to close the case. That's generally when damage to rod guides occurs. On the SKB case I run a cable tie through the lock ring to insure the case doesn't open. The TSA will cut the cable tie to open & inspect the rod case. I tape an extra cable tie to the outside so after they close the case they have a cable tie to use. Again if you try to transport too many rods in a case that's when the trouble starts. My buddy transports his rods in a bug PVC tube. It works but if you fly often with rods I recommend something nicer.I wonder if anyone has a good solution for transporting rods in a rod case as checked baggage. The NTSB has a real talent for breaking guides, tips and generally screwing up expensive gear. Any suggestions?
I've flown quite a few times with rods in a large Bazooka case - as many as 10 for long range trips. Always put each rod in an individual fabric rod sleeve then arrange them so that half are butt "down" and half are butt "up" and ensure the butt ends overlap the tips. That way the ends the rods making contact inside the rod tube are the butt ends. I wrap the whole bunch in bubble wrap at each end and the middle. The bubble wrap strips help keep the rods centered in the tube. Never had a tip damaged either in checked baggage or shipping rods via Fedex. If you have time, shipping them to the landing is a good option.I wonder if anyone has a good solution for transporting rods in a rod case as checked baggage. The NTSB has a real talent for breaking guides, tips and generally screwing up expensive gear. Any suggestions?
Rather than putting a dowel or pipe inside the tube why not use make a stopper?
If you have a tube that slides one smaller tube inside a larger one and uses pins to hold it in place all you need to do is set your rod tube to the desired length. Where the larger end fits the smaller end drill a hole in just the smaller end where the other pin holes are. Get a nut a 2.5" to 3" bolt and washers (depending on the width of the area). Put equal washers on either side and push the bolt through the hole you drilled. Now you have a stopper. Tsa can't push in past that bolt since it will not fit through to the larger sized tube. Saves room and weight inside the tube and no need to carry around a piece of PV or wood that can damage your other rods.
been using the same thing for years on the glued end glue good foam cushions the rods threaded cap other end thin plastic sleeve around rods with rope tsa will pull it out see rods and slide it back in no problems so far ..bigrishtransport.comX3 for phil
instead of bubble wrap, we used bar towels and just tied the rods with thin rope when we inserted the rods, they slid in pretty tight.
we just used the 4" black pvc, glued a cap on one end and drilled the open end and cap so we could fit a bicycle lock on it after going thru tsa.
have done the over 20 years flying to loreto, la paz, cabo, east cape. never a broken tip if you tie them together like phil said.
after arriving at the hotels, we used the pvc pipe like a safe, all locked up money and all legal papers.
in the past when we flew down as a group of 32, we taped four tubes together and they counted them as one. don't know what they allow these days as i've been driving from los angeles to the east cape pulling a small utility trailer.
BIEN SALUD, DA RAT