Packaging packs for air travel

https://backpackinglight.com/search/?q=Air+travel+backpacks

Thanks Ken.
We use two light green trash bags each and a roll of 2″ packaging tape for the two of us.
More recently we have seen shrink-wrap machines inside international airports: they will wrap your luggage for you! They do a good job too.

Cheers

I like using a duffle bag. But contractor-grade (3 mil) or, better yet asbestos material bags are good if you don’t have a place to store the duffle bag.

You can also just put it in a cardboard box. Airlines tend to be stricter on H + L + W limits for boxes than bags, so check those limits.

I take the Arc Blast as a carry on, because I think the frame suspension could get destroyed if not in a box. If it is just a backpacking trip, I just take the whole bag with contents onboard, it is usually small enough to be allowed. If it is a combined travel and backpacking trip and I have other items and it is too much to carry on, I put the contents in the checked suitcase and still carry the flattened backpack onboard. BTW I have never had an issue carrying on 3-section poles (there are other threads about that issue.)

It is my understanding that the Airlines will replace any damaged contents of your checked luggage, but not the exterior luggage itself.  Given this I have taken two different approaches, both of which have worked well.

1. Bought a cheap hard-sided suitcase at a second hand store and loaded everything including the (empty) backpack.  You can carryon clothes and any bulky stuff if space is a problem.
2. Loaded the fully packed backpack, along with boots/shoes and trekking poles into a duffle.  Lately I’ve used the REI pack duffel…it did very well on a trip to Panama.

I have not had any trouble with carbon fibre trekking pole damage using #2, so am pretty unconcerned about damage to my Arc Haul’s suspension, which is much more protected that the poles.

Thanks for the information. It gave  me some ideas.

Over the years I have seen luggage get severely butchered. One bag of mine looked like it had been spiked by a pick-ax. So my position is that even if there is only a .001 chance that my Arc Blast frame will be harmed, it is not worth it, because the chances are good that where I will be flying to and my trip schedule will not allow for an adequate repair. If I can easily avoid trouble at no penalty, why not.