Walking Sticks as Carry On??

[Cailin O Eire]

Hi I'm going doing 5 days walking from SJJP from 1st June, I booked flights this evening and I didn't check in any bag, I'm just after thinking of the walking sticks....they fold up in half but won't fit in the carry on they will be tied onto the side. I'm flying Dublin to Biarittz with Ryanair, does anybody know will Ryanair let me bring the sticks on board or will they be seen as a weapon?! I'm also wondering do I need a fleece even in early June will it get cold on this route, I'm hoping to pack as little as possible as I want to carry the bags. I did Sarria to Santiago last year packed too much only managed the bag the first two days and it definitely wouldn't have been carry on eligibility!! Just want to bring essentials two changes of clothes and wash them as I go. Anyway any tips size bag etc would be greatly appreciated.
Buen Camino

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Hi I'm going doing 5 days walking from SJJP from 1st June, I booked flights this evening and I didn't check in any bag, I'm just after thinking of the walking sticks....they fold up in half but won't fit in the carry on they will be tied onto the side.

Just have them wrapped on your bag with the fancy kitchen plastic - 3euros well spent - and send in the hold.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

From RyanAir.com

Prohibited items:

8.10.1.2 Pointed/edged Weapons & Sharp Objects; pointed or bladed articles capable of causing injury, including axes & hatchets, cleavers, arrows and darts, crampons (grappling iron, hooked bar of iron, or plate with iron spikes used in mountaineering), harpoons & spears, ice axes & ice picks, ice skates, knives with blades of more than 6 cms including lockable or flick knives, ceremonial, religious and hunting knives, made of metal or any other material strong enough to be used as a potential weapon, meat cleavers, machetes, open razors and blades (excluding safety or disposable razors with blades enclosed in cartridge), sabres, swords and swordsticks, scalpels, scissors with blades more than 6 cms as measured from the fulcrum, ski and walking/hiking poles,

 

[Cailin O Eire]

Thanks there goes my plan not to check a bag ah well.
Thanks again
I can't wait

 

[wayfarer]

You can buy reasonably cheap hiking poles in StJPP and then leave them when you finish walking or post them home from Spain which is inexpensive.

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

Ryanair staff confirmed last May that they would have confiscated walking poles, had I taken any in my hand baggage. I found an inexpensive one [€6] in a Chinese bazaar which was perfect, and left if in the pile of "free" walking poles at the Pilgrim Office in Santiago on my departure.
The previous year on my return I needed my stick as I had severe blisters: I was told I couldn't take it. I pointed to a man with a single metal crutch - "What about him?" I asked. "That's different!" I was told. The regulations are rather bizarre - you can take a walking stick [and may be found a quick route to the front of the queue] but not a walking pole.
Good luck!

 

[Al the optimist]

Besides which it is security normally that takes them when scanning. SDC security is notorious for confiscating them. I prefer to not check my bag and buy new ones at my starting point and leave them at the end. I would rather fork out 20 euros than risk losing my Camino essentials.

 

[david malta]

From Ryanair regulations and airport security it is quite clear that walking sticks are not allowed in cabin. What about selfie-sticks? Are these considered as a threat for security?

 

[TonyC]

Just have them wrapped on your bag with the fancy kitchen plastic - 3euros well spent - and send in the hold.

I don't find that Bag-wrapping services are very common in UK airports, possibly the same in Ireland. The only places I seen the service offered regularly offered is in US airports.

 

[wayfarer]

I don't find that Bag-wrapping services are very common in UK airports, possibly the same in Ireland. The only places I seen the service offered regularly offered is in US airports.

Not common in Ireland but I use a roll of kitchen wrap (Cling Wrap) at the airport just before check in when I'm sure everything is in the bag, same in Santiago. Works a treat.

 

[ebrandt]

Not common in Ireland but I use a roll of kitchen wrap (Cling Wrap) at the airport just before check in when I'm sure everything is in the bag, same in Santiago. Works a treat.

I know you can get poles in Spain, but I love my poles. The grip suits me and I have callouses on my hands in exactly the right places for them so I thought it was worth checking bags to get them to Santiago. Plus we took a swiss army knife with us that had to be checked.

We flew London to Biarittz. We put the rubber ends on our pole tips, stuck them in socks with a rubber band around them and tied them to our packs. Then we placed the whole bundle in a big heavy duty plastic bag and duct-taped it so that it could be opened if necessary. When we checked the packs we explained to the Ryanair person what we had and she happily sent us to the special baggage handling spot to check the bags. The packs were marked fragile. In Biarittz, our bags were carried out as if they contained fine porcelain. We ditched the plastic and tubes and were golden! We took the train home to London via the Loire Valley so we didn't need to worry about the poles going home. But plastic bags and tape would be easy to come by in Santiago to prepare to go home. We had heard horror stories about Ryanair and baggage so we were worried, but our experience with them was extremely positive.

This next summer we are travelling from the US. We plan to check our poles and a swiss army knife on as we get one free checked bag on international flights. Then we can carry on packs . If the poles and knife don't make it, we can replace them in Oviedo (we are doing the Primitivo).

On the American Pilgrims FB page, someone suggested placing your pack in an IKEA bag ( http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90149148/ ) This seems like a potentially good idea. The bags are cheap and light. You could just ditch it when you get there or stuff it in the bottom of your pack to use on the way home.

Liz

 

[fortview]

Hi Cailin,
This year, I strapped my collapsed down poles onto the outside of my back pack, and had no trouble taking them as hand luggage, either from London Stansted to Zaragoza with Ryanair, or on the return from Asturias . (I got pulled over because I had a plastic bottle of talcum powder though, which showed up as a liquid!!)
Last year, also had no problem, flying Bristol to Barcelona.
BUT every time I've tried to take poles through in Santiago airport, they've been confiscated.
So it's a bit of a lottery. If you're prepared to take the risk of losing them, give it a go, if not, don't
Buen camino, Helen

 

[JamesL]

Hi I'm going doing 5 days walking from SJJP from 1st June, I booked flights this evening and I didn't check in any bag, I'm just after thinking of the walking sticks....they fold up in half but won't fit in the carry on they will be tied onto the side. I'm flying Dublin to Biarittz with Ryanair, does anybody know will Ryanair let me bring the sticks on board or will they be seen as a weapon?! I'm also wondering do I need a fleece even in early June will it get cold on this route, I'm hoping to pack as little as possible as I want to carry the bags. I did Sarria to Santiago last year packed too much only managed the bag the first two days and it definitely wouldn't have been carry on eligibility!! Just want to bring essentials two changes of clothes and wash them as I go. Anyway any tips size bag etc would be greatly appreciated.
Buen Camino

I did not bring a walking stick with me, but bought it in Reina , brought it back to the USA. Mine was oak, 2m long, steel tipped! I asked directly to the airline folks and they treated it as a "special" and tagged it for the hold. Loaded in Madrid, it came back to me in Philadelphia undamaged. As for a folding walking stick(s), talk to them. Probably, it will have to be tagged and put in the hold. Bring the fleece. And a cover. You are intending to hike the Pyrenees. We went in May/June and it rained and snowed in the Pyrenees....I had a backpack, hike boots, etc. in a duffle as checked luggage, which folded up in the bottom of my pack for 5 weeks. Buen Camino....

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I don't find that Bag-wrapping services are very common in UK airports, possibly the same in Ireland. The only places I seen the service offered regularly offered is in US airports.

Madrid has these - so at least you could fly back with them.

 

[kmrice]

Madrid has these - so at least you could fly back with them.

The bag wrap service at Madrid airport was great!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

View attachment 15574
The bag wrap service at Madrid airport was great!

Love the sombrero they put on your bag ;0)

 

[Cailin O Eire]

I did not bring a walking stick with me, but bought it in Reina , brought it back to the USA. Mine was oak, 2m long, steel tipped! I asked directly to the airline folks and they treated it as a "special" and tagged it for the hold. Loaded in Madrid, it came back to me in Philadelphia undamaged. As for a folding walking stick(s), talk to them. Probably, it will have to be tagged and put in the hold. Bring the fleece. And a cover. You are intending to hike the Pyrenees. We went in May/June and it rained and snowed in the Pyrenees....I had a backpack, hike boots, etc. in a duffle as checked luggage, which folded up in the bottom of my pack for 5 weeks. Buen Camino....

Rained/snowed that's good to know will be walking through the Pyrennes on Day 1...2, wasn't sure if I needed warmer clothes for that part. I really want to carry my back pack, I just don't know what size to get. The bag I had last year was a 50l way too big!!! Thanks for replying,
Rita

 

[Cailin O Eire]

Y

I don't find that Bag-wrapping services are very common in UK airports, possibly the same in Ireland. The only places I seen the service offered regularly offered is in US airports.

Ya I've not seen it been done in the airports here, I recall in Santiago airport a bag wrapping service alright.