flying with GG LT4 poles

I've traveled pretty extensively with my poles, which aren't the LT4 but are similarly impossible to pack: they are 2-section carbon fiber Lekis and do not shrink much when compacted. I use a poster tube, which is made of a very hard cardboard and travels well. TSA likes to open them up to take a look but they've always arrived undamaged.

Dale,

I have a pair of GG LT 4s and recently went through this exercise to fly mainland for my JMT thruhike in August. My usual practice: If I'm flying somewhere for a trip and I'll have a place to leave excess packing material, ie rental car, friends house, etc, then I use a mailing tube to put my trekking poles inside of and put that inside my pack and cover laundary bag, which is described below. I then can save these extra packing items in the car or friends house to use for my return.

However, to go to CA, using a mailing tube wasn't an option since i would have to discard it, and I'm cheap, so I just put my poles and my pack inside a lightweight laundary/garment bag. Although the handles stick out of the garment bag a bit, I make sure that I tie the bag's draw string around the poles so they won't slide out. Also to avoid the trekking pole tips from poking through anything, I gently tape some sewing thimbles on the ends with a little cotton ball whisps shoved inside the thimble to protect the tips. These are cheap and weigh next to nothing. I then ask the airline to put it all in one of their big clear plastic bags.

Although Alaska/Verizon Air "misplaced" my bag for a few days, when it finally arrived, my pack and poles were intact, having also survived a TSA inspection. The cost to check the bag was $25.00. (I am still fighting with Alaska for my lost bag reimbursement claim.)

However, to return home, I decided to avoid the checked bag fee and another potential "misplacement" of my pack and to carry it on. To do that, I had to strip everything out of my bag that I couldn't carry-on; poles, stove, multitool, etc. I simply went to the post office, bought a mailing tube there and packed my poles and everthing inside with some socks and a Capilene 2 shirt to protect them and then mailed it home. Total cost to buy the tube and postage was less than $15.00. The tube arrived home only a few days after i did and was in perfect shape.

In the future, I will try and avoid checking a bag for a lengthy trip and try and mail my poles ahead to wherever I'm staying the first night.

When checking your bags you can tell the checker that you are disabled and that the poles are for your disability. They will allow you to bring them on board because of your medical condition. They will not ask for any proof of your disability or questions about what your disability are because it is against the law. You might feel silly because you're walking around the airport using trekking poles but you'll definitely get them through

-loki

Loki, or anyone else, have you tried this "scam" with metal poles? Has this strategy ever not worked for you?

+1 for the poster tubes. I've done this several times with GG LT4 poles in my large duffel bag. Works great, I recommend finding a local reprographics place. They receive paper in 30 and 48 inch lengths. The tubes are also reinforced so they wont get smashed by other luggage. Im sure they will give you a few for free, dont forget to ask for the end caps

What I have done twice this year is buy a cheap suitcase from a car boot sale for $8, then check it into the aircraft hold and dispose of it at a trash collection point at the other end.

In the suitcase together with my poles were my sharps, foam sleeping mat, and all my food for the trip. Everything else went into my rucksack as carry on cabin baggage. That meant all the vital and expensive kit stayed with me. If the suitcase got lost by the airline it would be relatively easy to replace everything.

Coming home I find a large cardboard box, cut it down to pole size, wrap the poles and mat inside and tape it all up to get checked in again, and ask the airline to label it as Fragile.

I know a least one of the cases was taken away by someone before trash collection day – and I fondly think of it going off on someone else's holiday!

I too want to hear more about the "scam" method…

Loki – how many times have you tried this? Where do you keep them when on the plane??

I'd be pretty worried about getting up to security and it not working for whatever reason. These are too expensive to throw away!

Can knives be checked??

I have a pair and recently flew to Colorado for a 7 day hike in Estes; I disassembled the poles and placed them in the side pocket of my pack; I carried everything including poles and a bear can in a GG Gorilla 2012, base weight 9 lbs; I was able to store the pack in the overhead cabinet lying sideways with the poles against the back of the cabinet. I had no problems flying through two major international airports, and the poles did fine. Honestly, I would not fly with them again; instead I would ship them ahead to a UPS store and pick them up (this is available at any UPS store nationwide for $1 per day held at the store, and they will insure your item); I was afraid that the poles would get damaged with other people placing their bags in the cabinets; fortunately this did not happen.

I too want to hear more about the "scam" method…

Loki – how many times have you tried this? Where do you keep them when on the plane??

I'd be pretty worried about getting up to security and it not working for whatever reason. These are too expensive to throw away!

Can knives be checked??

Knives can be checked.

I recently flew to Alaska with a packraft and four piece paddle in my carry-on and had no problems with security. Also routinely bring a fishing rod in a long rod case. Just out of curiosity, has anyone tried to bring trekking poles and been denied? Seems like they would fit well in a wide rod case.

Yup. When I flew to Wyoming a couple of years ago I tried to carry my poles on. They wouldn't let me, had to check 'em.

I've flown with trekking poles a couple times before. I collapsed them and had them next to me at my seat. If you want to give an excuse you can say you have weak ankles, a recent knee surgery, vertigo or problems with your equilibrium. They'll never ask you for proof. I often fly with my English bulldog and tell them he is a service dog. If I feel like explaining more I tell them that I'm diabetic and he can sense my blood sugar level. I've flown 7 times with him. If you feel nervous about it call your airline and let them know in advance.

-loki