hiking poles

[bikergal]

Several people have commented throughout this blog that they have been unable to take their hiking poles on the plane. Thus, they either had to check them as luggage (hoping they make it to their destination) or purchase new ones in Spain. I was able to take mine on the airplane by having my doctor write a note stating that I required an "assistive walking device." I showed that letter to the folks who checked me through security and had no problem with my hiking pole.

 

[Gilespenn]

I wonder, did you limp through the screening device?
Giles

 

[bklyntraveller]

Posing as a disabled person to get around security screening is not in the true spirit of the camino. One of these days someone at TSA will question why you have a doctor's note to say your "hiking" poles are medically necessary and you will not be allow through with them. At this point it will probably be too late to check the poles in the baggage compartment and you will be out of luck having to decide between leaving them behind at security or missing your flight.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I was able to take mine on the airplane by having my doctor write a note stating that I required an "assistive walking device." I showed that letter to the folks who checked me through security and had no problem with my hiking pole.

Part of security screening in the U.S. is the casual, friendly interrogation (an oxymoron). Telling security that you are going to walk a 450 mile pilgrimage, but need assistive walking devices, may be the type of contradiction that they are looking for. You could lose your poles and have to take a later flight if they detect the deception. Each security person screens thousands of persons a day, so they are well acquainted with doctors who will say anything. You are lucky that you got an agent who decided to be gullible that day! Pacer Poles might make a better deception because they look like assistive devices. Lost luggage is still a rare event, but everyone knows someone who has had delayed luggage, so the unreasonable fear persists. You are taking a chance walking a camino. Take a chance on baggage handling.

 

[Abbeydore]

I was able to take mine on the airplane by having my doctor write a note stating that I required an "assistive walking device." I showed that letter to the folks who checked me through security and had no problem with my hiking pole.

Part of security screening in the U.S. is the casual, friendly interrogation (an oxymoron). Telling security that you are going to walk a 450 mile pilgrimage, but need assistive walking devices, may be the type of contradiction that they are looking for. You could lose your poles and have to take a later flight if they detect the deception. Each security person screens thousands of persons a day, so they are well acquainted with doctor's who will say anything. You are lucky that you got an agent who decided to be gullible that day! Pacer Poles might make a better deception because they look like assistive devices. Lost luggage is still a rare event, but everyone knows someone who has had delayed luggage, so the unreasonable fear persists. You are taking a chance walking a camino. Take a chance on baggage handling.

Did you do the same when you went on your bike :lol:
That would have been a laugh :lol:

 

[federicoastiz]

if you have a suitcase that you are checking thru, just put them in there and there is no problem.
I had extra luggage for travelling around spain before and after El Camino and I sotred it in the Madrid Airport for a handfull of dollars.

 

[Anniesantiago]

For the record, we packed our poles in our bags.
Joe had his poles taken away at security.
My pacer poles were not taken, nor mentioned, so I'm not sure if they recognised what they were via the X-ray. I placed one on each side with the handles turned in and over all the other items and they got through.

 

[peregrina nicole]

I flew to and from Santiago recently with RyanAir and Easy Jet. I took EasyJet from Glasgow to Stanstead and RyanAir to Santiago (and vice versa on the return). I checked in my rucksack and had my collaspeable poles attached to the outside. At both Glasgow and Stanstead, I had no problem checking in, but had to take my bag to the 'outsized' baggage area. Coming back from Santiago with RyanAir, the check in staff asked me to take off my poles and tagged them separately. There was no extra baggage charge for this. Given that RyanAir charges you for everything, I find this amazing, but RyanAir at Santiago are well used to poles. My bag went through and my poles were placed by the desk to no doubt await more poles. I was at the front of the queue when the check in person closed the flight to Valencia. She confirmed via telephone the number of passengers, checked in bags and checked in poles. At Stanstead, I collected by rucksack at the same place as the other bags but had to go to luggage area A to collect my poles. For my ownward flight to Glasgow (EasyJet) I stapped my poles onto my bag. I am pretty sure you wouldn't be able to take poles on as cabin luggage. I'm not sure how other carriers or airports deal with poles attached to checked in luggage. Wrapping your bag in clingfilm might help. What airlines seem to have issue with are not poles themselves (as checked in items) but with the fact that they stick out and can become detached from the bag and muck up the baggage handling process.

Wooden poles are another issue. Some countries like Australia or New Zealand do not permit wooden objects to be imported. So, most of these people leave their poles behind in Santiago. In the Peregrino Office in Santiago, we have a place for poles (wooden and metal) that people want to leave behind (near counter 9). People are welcome to take a pole or pair of poles. When I was working at the Peregrino Office, an English peregrino stopped by to pick up his credencial and asked about poles. I took him to the pole area and he chose a nice looking wooden one. He was quite heartened that his pole had already done the camino and was going to return it to the pole place when he arrived back to collect his Compostella.

Buen Camino!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

airlines seem to have issue with ... not poles themselves (as checked in items) but with the fact that they stick out and can become detached from the bag and muck up the baggage handling process.

Poles, straps, and buckles can become road kill in the baggage handling equipment. For your own benefit, put your backpack and poles in a large plastic bag, a large nylon sack (I sewed one that has lasted ten caminos), or plastic wrap (usually several Euro or dollars at the airports that have the equipment). If you have tried to replace a critical buckle on the camino, you will know how difficult it is, even at good sporting goods stores.

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

In "Chinese" shops in the UK, you can buy enormous, plastic, zipped bags for about £1-50. That's what I used on the outward trip in May and it took my backpack + collapsed walking pole. On the return trip, Ryanair accepted a guy with a full size alluminium crutch, but wouldn't let me take the collapsed [24"] walking pole.It had to go in the hold.

At Stansted Airport it wasn't on the luggage carousel and as my bus left in ten minutes I just had to accept the loss, and left.

Buen camino!

Stephen
http://www.calig.co.uk/camino_de_santiago.htm

 

[Alan Pearce]

To peregrina nicole

re Australia allowing wooden poles into Australia. I have used the same wooden walking staff [about 150 cm long] on each of my 3 caminos, and each time I have brought it back into Australia. All wooden objects must be declared to customs after landing and they will look doubtfully at it, and possibly want to sterilize it [at your cost], but each time after I have explained what it has been used for they have been willing to let it through. It possibly helps that it is obviously of Australian origin, with aboriginal motifs painted on it.

Alan

Be brave. Life is joyous.

 

[peregrina2000]

Such fun, this is one of those never-ending discussions. I have contributed my fair share of hot air to similar threads, but this year I have a different experience to report on.

For years, I checked my poles. Usually in a big cardboard tube. Then two years ago, they were lost and it caused me a lot of headache and rushing around to buy a new pair in Madrid before going to Sevilla.

This year, I decided I would put rubber tips over the pointed edges, collapse them, put them in a small duffel bag, and try to carry them on. So I had my backpack as my carry-on and the poles in a duffel with nothing else as my personal item. l had them in a duffel just in case I had to check them at the last minute. TSA didn't bat an eye. When I got to Madrid, I packed up the duffel bag and sent it up to Santiago, where it was waiting for me on arrival so I could fill it with olive oil, cheese, etc etc. and then check it with my poles inside on the way home.

I would never check my backpack. Maybe it's just my bad luck, but over the years, I've had at least 7 experiences with bags not arriving when I did on an international trip. They almost always arrived several days later (the hiking poles were never found), but for people eager to start walking on the Camino, that would be a huge pain.

So my bottom line is that I think it's worth it to try to carry the poles through security, but leave enough time, and have them in a bag, so you can go back and check them if you are forbidden from doing so. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[SandyBrown]

I would never check my backpack. Maybe it's just my bad luck, but over the years, I've had at least 7 experiences with bags not arriving when I did on an international trip. They almost always arrived several days later (the hiking poles were never found), but for people eager to start walking on the Camino, that would be a huge pain...... Buen camino, Laurie

I totally agree about not checking a pack, and for all the reasons suggested here. Wrapping a pack in plastic to check on the way home is fine, but if it's possible to carry it onboard (as I and many others do) why risk that it might get lost?

 

[Busybee]

To peregrina nicole

re Australia allowing wooden poles into Australia. I have used the same wooden walking staff [about 150 cm long] on each of my 3 caminos, and each time I have brought it back into Australia. All wooden objects must be declared to customs after landing and they will look doubtfully at it, and possibly want to sterilize it [at your cost], but each time after I have explained what it has been used for they have been willing to let it through. It possibly helps that it is obviously of Australian origin, with aboriginal motifs painted on it.

Alan

Be brave. Life is joyous.

I also got my daughters wooden pole into australia without a problem - I had to declare it at customs and they had a quick look at it, then let it through - It was bought in France so not originally from Australia...

 

[fraluchi]

Such fun, this is one of those never-ending discussions.[...] This year, I decided I would put rubber tips over the pointed edges, collapse them, put them in a small duffel bag, and try to carry them on. So I had my backpack as my carry-on and the poles in a duffel with nothing else as my personal item. l had them in a duffel just in case I had to check them at the last minute.

This is exactly what AnnaKappa and I will be doing on our coming travel schedule.
For 4 Caminos, when we fitted the collapsible poles inside our backpacks, we had no problems with security controls at airports of SJO, MAD, PNA, SCQ, SVQ and back.
Last year, however, the head of security officer in Santiago airport (SCQ) happened to be an unpleasant, unyielding "100% applying the rules" person who made us leave our poles behind.
Lesson learned: you never know.

 

[rickster]

First question I was asked before even reaching actual security was " do you have sticks in your pack".

 

[LTfit]

Returned from Madrid yesterday and there was no problem taking my folded poles in my backpack onto the plane (Transavia). I flew out of Amsterdam into Madrid in June without a problem either (KLM).