transferring an empty duffel bag from St. Jean to Santiago

[sarahlinden]

I am checking my pack to fly from Oregon to Biarritz and have found a very serviceable duffle bag for a low cost. Is there any way for me to send it from St. Jean Pied de Port to Santiago, to be picked up at the end of June?

 

[trecile]

I am checking my pack to fly from Oregon to Biarritz and have found a very serviceable duffle bag for a low cost. Is there any way for me to send it from St. Jean Pied de Port to Santiago, to be picked up at the end of June?

It will probably cost more than the cost of the duffel. Is there a reason why you won't be carrying it on the plane?
Have you looked at the ikea frakta bag, which is cheap enough to leave behind in SJPDP?

FRAKTA Storage bag for cart, blue, 28 ¾x13 ¾x11 ¾"20 gallon - IKEA

FRAKTA Storage bag for cart, blue, 28 ¾x13 ¾x11 ¾"20 gallon After 30 years in our range, it’s one of the most hardworking bags in the world. It’s big and strong and carries most things. Be it shopping, doing laundry or going to the beach, it goes wherever you go. Also suitable for recycling.

m2.ikea.com

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Is the intention to protect the pack in the hold? If so, while I'm loathed to suggest single use plastics, plastic wrapping at the departure airport might be of more convenience to you. I've even seen domestic cling-film (I think you call it saran-wrap or reynolds-wrap?) brought into service.

 

[Jarrad]

Several years ago I mailed an empty duffel bag and some business clothes from SJPdP to Ferrol (about 40 miles north of Santiago). The post office in SJPdP was easy to find and getting everything boxed up and labeled was easy enough. Because of my travel situation, it was an unavoidable (but a bit painful) cost. I believe I paid about 30 Euros. I was bemused that it cost almost as much to ship some laundry to the greater SdC area as it was to fly my carcass and baggage from Paris to Biarritz. Still, I would gladly pay that amount again to avoid carrying the extra weight in my pack for a month.

 

[ranthr]

It will probably cost more than the cost of the duffel. Is there a reason why you won't be carrying it on the plane?
Have you looked at the ikea frakta bag, which is cheap enough to leave behind in SJPDP?

FRAKTA Storage bag for cart, blue, 28 ¾x13 ¾x11 ¾"20 gallon - IKEA

FRAKTA Storage bag for cart, blue, 28 ¾x13 ¾x11 ¾"20 gallon After 30 years in our range, it’s one of the most hardworking bags in the world. It’s big and strong and carries most things. Be it shopping, doing laundry or going to the beach, it goes wherever you go. Also suitable for recycling.

m2.ikea.com

This is the one I use when I send my backpack, it does not weigh much so I carry it with me and put my bp in it in hostels to protect against bedbugs during nights, often spray it with permethrin before leaving.

 

[sarahlinden]

Thank you everyone. I am checking my pack because I have liquids and sharps in it. I also don't want to risk having my hiking poles confiscated. I have arthritis in my hands and had to pay a bit more for poles that are easy to expand and fold up. The duffle bag only cost $15 (US dollars), so if it costs too much to send it, I will donate it to whoever could use it in St. Jean and hope that I can find something that works as well to go back home at the end of my Camino in June.

 

[trecile]

Thank you everyone. I am checking my pack because I have liquids and sharps in it. I also don't want to risk having my hiking poles confiscated. I have arthritis in my hands and had to pay a bit more for poles that are easy to expand and fold up. The duffle bag only cost $15 (US dollars), so if it costs too much to send it, I will donate it to whoever could use it in St. Jean and hope that I can find something that works as well to go back home at the end of my Camino in June.

I always check a bag with my poles, liquids, etc., but I carry my backpack on the plane. If my checked bag goes missing it's much easier to replace a few items than my entire kit!
There are other things in my checked bag too, because I do some traveling before and after the Camino, and have my suitcase sent to Santiago, but I still wouldn't check my backpack.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

Thank you everyone. I am checking my pack because I have liquids and sharps in it. I also don't want to risk having my hiking poles confiscated. I have arthritis in my hands and had to pay a bit more for poles that are easy to expand and fold up. The duffle bag only cost $15 (US dollars), so if it costs too much to send it, I will donate it to whoever could use it in St. Jean and hope that I can find something that works as well to go back home at the end of my Camino in June.

I would do a as Jeff suggested above and skip a duffel bag. If you don't wish to use a cling wrap plastic, you can also do this:
1. Tighten down the shoulder straps.
2. Wrap the waist belt to the front of the pack and fasten it together, then tighten up the slack nice and snug.
3. Get a large, heavy mil, plastic yard waste bag to put the pack in, and duct tape the opening shut or use a zip tie.

That will keep the pack fairly safe, and you can dispose of the trash bag upon arrival.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

I would do a as Jeff suggested above and skip a duffel bag. If you don't wish to use a cling wrap plastic, you can also do this:
1. Tighten down the shoulder straps.
2. Wrap the waist belt to the front of the pack and fasten it together, then tighten up the slack nice and snug.
3. Get a large, heavy mil, plastic yard waste bag to put the pack in, and duct tape the opening shut or use a zip tie.

That will keep the pack fairly safe, and you can dispose of the trash bag upon arrival.

Having once snagged a strap on the end of the rail of the boarding steps (SO embarassing!) I now take out the waterproof cover and put it over the "wrong" side of the pack, cinch it down and carry the pack by the top handle. I guess you could do the same if you check it in to the hold but use duct tape as well?

 

[Deleted member 67185]

Having once snagged a strap on the end of the rail of the boarding steps (SO embarassing!) I now take out the waterproof cover and put it over the "wrong" side of the pack, cinch it down and carry the pack by the top handle. I guess you could do the same if you check it in to the hold but use duct tape as well?

Sure, it might just work really well.

 

[mette]

Yes let us all use a lot of plastic to wrap our backpacks and other stuff and then throw it away
Don’t think about the environment or nature, it makes me so sad

 

[gloria lowe]

IKEA bag is great and very cheap. They have them on Amazon

 

[Deleted member 67185]

Yes let us all use a lot of plastic to wrap our backpacks and other stuff and then throw it away
Don’t think about the environment or nature, it makes me so sad

Tens of thousands of people FLY to the start of a Camino each year. This is aside of the fact of all the transportation during the Camino. Comparatively, that some folks use a plastic bag, which is reusable, strikes me as a fairly small dust speck relative to environmental harm.

 

[t2andreo]

If it is a simple, unwheeled, duffel bag, consider carrying it to the first Correos you come across in Spain, Zubiri IIRC. Mail it from there. it will be cheap and fast.

If you send it from France, the postage will likely be more than the cost of the bag.

Also, you can obtain inexpensive duffel bags at an Asian / China / Chino / Oriental Bazar shop at Santiago. As others have said, consider disposing of the carry bag at SJPdP.

Hope this helps.

 

[elleley]

Hi! For my first Camino, I left my inexpensive duffle with my airbnb host in Paris and then bought another inexpensive one in Santiago for the return home. Since then, I have been using an Osprey Airporter. It folds up small and goes to the bottom of my pack until my trip home. I know some folks never check their packs, but I have not had a problem in my four pilgrimages. Fear is not part of my gear...too heavy! Ultreia!

 

[twh]

I had the same question on my first Camino last year and ended up getting a “Demo Bags” from Amazon.

I wanted something that was:

Large (45” tall, 30” wide, 42 gallon volume)

Inexpensive - $2.50/bag

Strong – (100 lb load, for broken glass, brick, cinder block on construction sites)

Tear Resistant – woven polypropylene (similar to the Ikea bag but stronger)

Light – less than a pair of socks

Small Volume when not using – size of a burrito from Chipotle

Reusable – worked great Round trip from USA last year - 8 flights where the bag was handled (3x - switching planes, 5x - baggage claim pick up)

Unique – so no one accidentally took my bag mistaking it for their own.

No straps - to snag on baggage handling equipment and then get ripped open


I bought a few reusable zip ties from the hardware store to cinch the bag closed near the top. At the check in counter, pull out the Demo Bag from your pack, insert pack into Demo Bag, put zip tie on loose for looping around the identifier tag or adhesive strip the airline attaches to a checked bag and then cinch it tight. As soon as I picked up my bag off the luggage conveyor, I dragged it away from the crowds, removed the zip tie, pulled the pack out, folded up the bag and put it in the pack thus negating the need for straps/handles. The bag sat at the bottom of my pack for the whole Camino. Because of all the attributes above, it was ready to be used again when I started my travels back to the USA eliminating the time and cost of finding/buying a new travel bag before leaving Santiago.



Downside to the Demolition Bag:

It’s not stylish

Minimum purchase size is 5 bags for $12.99 (for a life time of Caminos)



Except for the straps and the smaller size, the Ikea bag looks good. I’m always suspect of zipper quality and thus consider it just one more potential failure point. My pack was big and would not fit in the Ikea bag…be sure to look up dimensions and capacities of that bag before purchasing it. I do think most Camino type back packs will fit in it. I just looked it up, these are the Ikea specifications: (L- 28 ¾” , D-13 ¾", H- 11 ¾", Max. load: 55 lb, Volume: 20 gallon)



Demo Bags – on amazon

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073H9RQQH/?tag=casaivar02-20

 

[trecile]

I had the same question on my first Camino last year and ended up getting a “Demo Bags” from Amazon.

Do the Demo Bags have some kind of closure?

 

[twh]

There is no built in closure on the Demo Bag which is a good thing, nothing to fail. One just twists the extra material at the top to compress it and then add the zip tie and cinch it down so it looks like the black trash bag in the picture below when closed. The material of the bag has enough bulk to it that when cinched down, there is NO WAY the zip tie could be pulled off the bag. The other two pics are of an actual Demo Bag and a reusable tie down or zip tie. If you lose the zip tie you are out of luck so I brought extras with me but never needed them.

 

[Tincatinker]

There is an obvious and simple solution to this problem.

Firmly attach a label to your duffel-bag saying "If found please deliver to the Pilgrims Office in Santiago" and leave it somewhere conspicuous on your way out of St Jean.

With luck you'll only have to wait a couple of days for some Pilgrim to deliver it for you.

 

[tomjane40]

It will probably cost more than the cost of the duffel. Is there a reason why you won't be carrying it on the plane?
Have you looked at the ikea frakta bag, which is cheap enough to leave behind in SJPDP?

FRAKTA Storage bag for cart, blue, 28 ¾x13 ¾x11 ¾"20 gallon - IKEA

FRAKTA Storage bag for cart, blue, 28 ¾x13 ¾x11 ¾"20 gallon After 30 years in our range, it’s one of the most hardworking bags in the world. It’s big and strong and carries most things. Be it shopping, doing laundry or going to the beach, it goes wherever you go. Also suitable for recycling.

m2.ikea.com

I carried my pack onto the plane with no difficulties - poles inside as well. BUT - I had this very same IKEA bag folded up and stored at the bottom of my pack and used it to ship everything home. It only cost $4, light weight, and worked great.

 

[tomjane40]

Thank you everyone. I am checking my pack because I have liquids and sharps in it. I also don't want to risk having my hiking poles confiscated. I have arthritis in my hands and had to pay a bit more for poles that are easy to expand and fold up. The duffle bag only cost $15 (US dollars), so if it costs too much to send it, I will donate it to whoever could use it in St. Jean and hope that I can find something that works as well to go back home at the end of my Camino in June.

You also could check with you physician. I know of folks in our APOC group who are getting a waiver to carry their poles on the plane as assisted walking devices. Therefore not having to check them.

 

[Left Coaster]

As for sending the duffel forward to Santiago, I have done this twice. Prepare a mailing envelope before leaving home so that you are not fussing with that chore when you are supposed to enjoying the sites, sounds and taste of your Camino. Send it via Correos to Ivar. His details are on this site. Do not mail it from France as the cost will be high and timing of delivery might be an issue. Ivar will store it for a small fee. Make sure you communicate with him to coordinate the pick up time.

 

[Marcus-UK]

I am checking my pack to fly from Oregon to Biarritz and have found a very serviceable duffle bag for a low cost. Is there any way for me to send it from St. Jean Pied de Port to Santiago, to be picked up at the end of June?

The Spanish postal service Correos have a Post Restante service. Go into any Post Office and they will supply a box which you can put stuff not required for the Journey and they will then deliver it to the SdC post Office near the Cathedral for a later pickup. I have used this service and it works well. I also have a pack cover and used it for the same purpose as you are. The Correos package box can be any size from small to Bicycle! I think the chatge is weight based and you get X days free storage and a nominal daily charge over this.

 

[trecile]

If mailing, you can use the special pilgrim service of Correos, Paq Peregrino

https://www.elcaminoconcorreos.com/en/transfer-luggage

 

[AlexanderAZ]

There is an obvious and simple solution to this problem.

Firmly attach a label to your duffel-bag saying "If found please deliver to the Pilgrims Office in Santiago" and leave it somewhere conspicuous on your way out of St Jean.

With luck you'll only have to wait a couple of days for some Pilgrim to deliver it for you.

Ahhhhh, to live in a country where an unattended bag doesn’t end up with the Bomb Squad called and 5 square miles shut down by the SWAT team!

 

[Telboyo]

I had the same question on my first Camino last year and ended up getting a “Demo Bags” from Amazon.

I wanted something that was:

Large (45” tall, 30” wide, 42 gallon volume)

Inexpensive - $2.50/bag

Strong – (100 lb load, for broken glass, brick, cinder block on construction sites)

Tear Resistant – woven polypropylene (similar to the Ikea bag but stronger)

Light – less than a pair of socks

Small Volume when not using – size of a burrito from Chipotle

Reusable – worked great Round trip from USA last year - 8 flights where the bag was handled (3x - switching planes, 5x - baggage claim pick up)

Unique – so no one accidentally took my bag mistaking it for their own.

No straps - to snag on baggage handling equipment and then get ripped open


I bought a few reusable zip ties from the hardware store to cinch the bag closed near the top. At the check in counter, pull out the Demo Bag from your pack, insert pack into Demo Bag, put zip tie on loose for looping around the identifier tag or adhesive strip the airline attaches to a checked bag and then cinch it tight. As soon as I picked up my bag off the luggage conveyor, I dragged it away from the crowds, removed the zip tie, pulled the pack out, folded up the bag and put it in the pack thus negating the need for straps/handles. The bag sat at the bottom of my pack for the whole Camino. Because of all the attributes above, it was ready to be used again when I started my travels back to the USA eliminating the time and cost of finding/buying a new travel bag before leaving Santiago.



Downside to the Demolition Bag:

It’s not stylish

Minimum purchase size is 5 bags for $12.99 (for a life time of Caminos)



Except for the straps and the smaller size, the Ikea bag looks good. I’m always suspect of zipper quality and thus consider it just one more potential failure point. My pack was big and would not fit in the Ikea bag…be sure to look up dimensions and capacities of that bag before purchasing it. I do think most Camino type back packs will fit in it. I just looked it up, these are the Ikea specifications: (L- 28 ¾” , D-13 ¾", H- 11 ¾", Max. load: 55 lb, Volume: 20 gallon)



Demo Bags – on amazon

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073H9RQQH/?tag=casaivar02-20

How do you get the zip tie off? I tend to cut them off but you probably won't have a knife at the airport.

 

[trecile]

How do you get the zip tie off? I tend to cut them off but you probably won't have a knife at the airport.

Nail clippers or short blunt scissors would work and be allowed to be carried on the plane.

 

[Former member 35551]

If you use a pack liner, here's another option.

Zpacks makes a cover specifically to check on a plane. It doubles as a pack liner and weighs only 3.3 oz. However, its made out of Dyneema (Cuben Fiber), so, it isn't cheap. Personally, I use a trash compactor bag for a liner, so, can't give first hand info but have bought tent, dry bags, etc from them. Everything is very well made.

Zpacks Airplane Case

 

[twh]

How do you get the zip tie off? I tend to cut them off but you probably won't have a knife at the airport.

see post 18, picture of reusable zip tie, click on it and then zoom in. you will see a tab or short "stalk" sticking up. when this tab is pushed in, it releases the "bite" on the zip tie thus allowing it to be pulled out and then reused many times (it also allows TSA to open the bag and then close it up after inspection). These are more expensive than the "single use" zip ties but they also tend to be stronger. I agree with Trecile that nail clippers are best for cutting single use zip ties. I like the Victorinox 8.2055.CB Swiss Army Nail Clippers with Nail File, Stainless, in Blister pack. Just copy that into Amazon and find the product for $9.