Backpack question

[Bill Krueger]

Greetings Peregrinos! We will be heading out in about 10 days for the Camino Portuguese from Porto to Santiago...so the question is to check one backpack with our walking poles or not, and do you put your pack in a bag or wrap it prior to checking it? These forums are great thanks for sharing your wisdom!

 

[t2andreo]

I advise checking the poles. I collapse mine and either put them in the rucksack with stuff around them, OR I attach them to the side of the rucksack, under the compression straps. In six Camino trips, traveling back and forth, from the US to France and Spain, I have never had a problem.

NOTE - if you can disconnect the compressed shaft segments so they are parallel, the overall length is about 2 - 3 inches shorter. You can do this with traditional 'twist-tighten' poles and some flip-lock poles. My Black Diamond carbon fiber Z poles to not come completely apart...or at least I have not yet figured out how.

If you are traveling with a spouse or S/O, consider combining checkable items in one rucksack, then share the carry-on capacity of the other, smaller rucksack. "Checkable items" include the: hiking poles, pocket knives; liquid, pastes, or gels larger than 3 oz.; and anything else you do not need on landing.

Wear your hiking boots enroute to save weight and ensure that, if the worst happens and you happen to lose your rucksack, at least you have your broken in boots or shoes.

Also, I always use a Sea to Summit 16-liter Sling Bag as my carry-on for enroute travel. it holds all my valuables, medications, documents and electronics, plus on change of undergarments and a t-shirt, "just-in-case." Once I am on Camino, it rides in a rucksack waist pocket. When entering a town, it becomes my possibles bag" for shopping, laundry bag, and day-off touring.

Hope this helps.

 

[Bill Krueger]

thanks, t2andreo! good advice...when checking your backpack (rucksack) do you put it in a bag or wrap it in any way?

 

[t2andreo]

I obtained a brightly colored nylon laundry bag that is very large and easily contains my loaded rucksack. I place a secondary destination address label on the top of the rucksack, as well as a destination luggage tag attached to the sting tie.

I pull the string closure as tight as I can, apply appropriate knots to prevent it from coming open, wrap the excess string around the 'neck' of the closed sack, and use a brightly colored nylon wire tie (zip-tie) around the wrapped / wound tie string to ensure the string does not easily come undone or catch on machinery in the luggage handling process. The nylon tie is also a security 'lock.'

Finally, if the laundry sack appears on the baggage carousel minus the nylon tie, it is an immediate 'tell' that someone has been in my bag. The bright color of the laundry bag makes my bag instantly recognizable. This is a handy feature when entering any country with 'death to drug smuggler' laws. But it also alerts me that TSA or some other entity has been in the bag.

On arrival at my destination, I remove the rucksack from the laundry bag then fold the nylon bag to it's very tiny size. It can either be used to line my rucksack, or included in the items I typically mail ahead to Santiago before I start walking.

This one bright green laundry bag has made six round trips. It has a few small tears from baggage handling, repaired with duct tape on the inside, as well as some stains. But I machine wash it after every trip and it owes me nothing.

Hope this helps.

 

[Bill Krueger]

perfect! thanks! via con Dios!

 

[t2andreo]

De nada!

 

[josephmcclain]

I actually packed my entire backpack and trekking poles in a suitcase which I then checked. It really worked perfectly. I sent it through from Saint Jean to Santiago by the post to Ivar’s, picked it up when I finished 40 days later. And even had some fresh clothes for my remaining days in Madrid. All really easy.

 

[MikeyC]

As above we also check my backpack which contains our hiking poles and my wife's smaller pack is carry on. I've used a builder's rubble bag to protect my pack closed with duct tape. Disposed off after arrival. A second rubble bag serves as a pack liner and then as a cover on the return flight. I take a length of duct tape wrapped around a piece of card. This is for any running repairs on the Camino and to seal the bag for the return.

 

[Bill Krueger]

thanks, MikeyC, we keep a length of duct tape wrapped around our hiking poles. the post on to Ivar is a good option as well, thanks to all!

 

[alaskadiver]

We never check backpacks. Never. We carry them on the plane and check a light bag with our trekking poles, and pocket knife. My husband secured the poles with duct tape and put some bubble wrap around the tips to keep them from poking holes in the bag. We sent that bag in a small box to Ivar along with our clothes for after the Camino since our vacation was continuing for another week.

Our poles are expensive and TSA clearly prohibits them as carryon, as do many countries. I don't want to gamble on some security person who may or may not be following the rules that day.