Lucky for me I have a buddy in SD that stores my rods and tackle box. I ship my reels in a pelican case to and from SD at least once a year and have never had a problem using these tips I've learned the hard way shipping equipment on the averge on 4 times a month for work. I opened up a personal account with fedex and use fedex ground. I ship to and from a FedEx location, if possible. There is a main shipping location near most if not all airports. Try and avoid shipping from an "authorized shipping location" or fedex office (formerly fedex Kinkos). When you fill out the paperwork, ship to yourself and "hold at Fedex location" and insure for replacement value. you can check the tracking number and check delivery. I do carry on 2 big reels (when fishing a long trip) and 2 small reels. This won't work for everyone but it works for me. Hope it helps.
Last edited: