checking backpacks on international flights

[hobokenpilgrim]

How do you make your backback secure (no loose straps) when you are about to check your luggage for your flight?

 

[Trudy]

On the way to Spain, I popped by backpack into a very cheap plastic zippered bag, which I threw away on arrival.

To get it home I put on the rain cover, tucked in the straps as much as possible, and tightly fastened two lightweight straps around it. The bag arrived back home with no damage at all.

 

[hobokenpilgrim]

Thanks! That is very helpful.

 

[WolverineDG]

I took mine on the plane with me as carry-on. I secured all the buckles before putting it up in the overhead bin. It was nice to not worry about my pack making it at the same time I did.

Kelly

 

[Cyd]

How do you make your backback secure (no loose straps) when you are about to check your luggage for your flight?

Last time I flew from Sydney airport there was an option to shrink wrap your bags - I think there was a small fee for that but plenty of people seemed to want to avoid a Shapelle Corby situation!

 

[michael]

"Shapelle Corby situation!"

?

michael

 

[spursfan]

a Google search will provide more than enough info

 

[marktqm]

Last year I used one of these:

http://www.pro-tector.co.uk

Worked really well. Easy to open, keeps the dirt off the surface of the rucksack.


Mark

 

[peskywabbit]

When I did the CF, I planned to spend a few days in Madrid post-Camino, so I stuffed both my pack and an extra set of clothes into a duffle bag. When I arrived at Lavacolla, I just took out my loaded pack. The duffle with my extra clothes I forwarded to the hotel, which was kind enough to keep it for me until they saw me six days later, trailing Camino dust into their clean lobby

Not bad for a cheap bazaar purchase (for marktqm, read: "tiangge")...

 

[Dawn of a new Day]

i took mine on as a carry on, and no one seemed to be concerned about straps hanging out. may be a different story if you are checking it. so much easier taking it with you, no chance of lost luggage.
my flight arrived in vancouver at 2pm and i was on a city bus at 2:25pm. now how is that for timing. no one going thru immigration,
dawn

 

[paulmack]

may I suggest that if your bag is too heavy to go as hand baggage, you are carrying too much.

 

[twh]

good discussion here on back pack covers for larger back packs checked into Baggage hold.

 

[FamPed]

This is what I use for covering my backpack when I check it in.
https://www.ikea.com/se/sv/catalog/products/90149148/
Afterwards i just fold it and put it at the bottom of my bag, untill next time. I use small neon zip ties to tie the zippers togheter.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0723HGCLP/?tag=casaivar02-20

 

[Mark Barnes]

I took a 70L Osprey pack and had to check it. Let me say that it was way to big but I thought I knew it all back then and learned the hard way. Back to question - I bought an airport stroller bag on Amazon for about $13.00 and it worked great.

 

[C clearly]

I regularly check my backpack with no special preparation except tying up the dangling straps.

 

[domigee]

How do you make your backback secure (no loose straps) when you are about to check your luggage for your flight?

I just tidy up all the straps (tying loose ends together etc) and off it goes.

 

[domigee]

may I suggest that if your bag is too heavy to go as hand baggage, you are carrying too much.

No, no, it is just that we carry ‘dangerous goods’! My pack is usually under 5 kg but I still check it in (knife, poles, potions.... you name it!)

 

[Deleted member 83944]

I don't even tie off the straps now. I turn up with my poles on the outside of the bag and ask the clerk if they want the poles on or separated from the bag. Either way they have all come out fine. I don't like doing hand luggage only, I like to keep my big suncream, nail scissors and whatnots.