travel arrangements for backpacking

didn't mention this either:

fuel…and my jetboil….can i really bring that on a plane? it seems like there is no way they'd let me fly with that

If you can fit the liquids in to the TSA specified size container(s), you can probably carry them. The stove will be ok, but not the fuel. Trekking poles are also generally not allowed in a carry-on. I just check mine rather than deal with potential hassle.

So do you just buy fuel wherever you go to?

Yep

thanks for your help

so i guess dried foods are fine to have in there?

Another option is to ship Fedex/UPS. If you ship ground, you can include fuels, etc.

If I have a short layover, I usually ship to the local UPS Store and just pick up my stuff when I arrive. With airline bag fees, this comes out about even. And I trust UPS to get my stuff there more than the airline to make a tight connection. The only drawback is that you have to have your stuff ready a week or so in advance to make sure it's there in time.

So you ship your whole pack to the UPS store?

This is interesting because i was worried about them losing my pack….that'd ruin my whole trip

Most of it. I carry on clothes, sleeping bag, toiletries and maybe a few other things. The rest gets shipped.

But I only do this if I think there's a greater chance the airline will miss a connection than UPS losing the bag. If it's a direct flight, I'll just check it.

I've never had an issue with UPS and don't see it as any more risky than checking a bag.

I wish I had bookmarked the article I saw some months back that cited some statistics showing that UPS and the USPS lose packages more often than the airlines! Not, of course, that airlines don't lose things. I've never had a package lost by either, though, and luckily I've never had the airlines lose anything of mine, either. Do some redundant labeling both outside and inside of pack and tape them down securely. Include your destination in case the airline tag disappears. Note that delay of the luggage occurs far more often than actual loss.

If you can squeeze your pack into an overhead bin, you can carry it on–just make sure your little bottles of liquid are kept out in a quart freezer bag for the TSA check. However, you will have to check your trekking poles, knife and/or scissors and buy your fuel at your destination. Butane lighters, on the other hand, have to be carried on. I still haven't figured out the sense behind most of these TSA rules, but of course they didn't ask me!