Transporting your reels

[MarkR]

Hi guys,

Just wondering what you guys currently do and what ya all think might be the best solution to the reel transport problem.

Will be great if we could hand carry our reels onboard all aircraft but some carriers and airports don't allow reels to be hand carried. Usually not a problem when departing from Changi but on our recent trip to Rodrigues, we were asked to check in our reels by airport authorities at Mauritius for the domestic flight to Rodrigues. This made things quite difficult as not all the guys had hard suitcases with them.

I guess it's less of a problem if you have a direct flight to your destination but if you are required to transit and switch planes, it can be a real pain. Even rod tube stickers are not spared. My mate had all his lovely Sevenseas stickers removed at the Kuching airport when he was on transit to Miri

I think the best solution offered by Narc is to pack your reels in a hand carry hard case with good locks. So if you are suddenly required to check-in your reels at another airport during transit or even at the final security check at the gate it can be easily done without too much worry and hassle.

On a seperate note, i'm wondering if TSA locks are a good idea. I recently bought a TSA lock for my soft luggage but feel that these locks might be easier to pick if access to master keys are not tightly controlled.

cheers

[edylie]

If travelling on a group, I would recommend to check in all at the same time but of course there is a risk that upon reaching destination, the luggage is lost or "stolen" ...

Or maybe each one could carry a bag like this



Offshore Angler Reel Case

How about the following?



Cabela's -- Plano Hard Case

Cheers,
Edy

[jerk]

Cabela's -- Plano Hard Case looks good! dunno sg selling in anot. anybody any idea?

[MarkR]

These dedicated hard reel cases are cool but personally would prefer something bigger so that I can pack together with my reels a change of clothes, a sweater etc. Pelican cases are awesome too but $$$

[edylie]

Jerk,
I am not sure if there is anyone selling the plano case. But I guess if there is enough interests, we could do a mass ordering.

MarkR,
Buy those regular big suitcase (like those in OG) and pack that plano reel case into it

Cheers,
Edy

[MarkR]

Hi Edy,

Packing reels into a protective outer case and then into the suitcase is one way to go about it. However, I prefer hand carrying my reels if possible, that's why think Narc's suggestion is good.

cheers

[edylie]

MarkR,

I also preferred to hand carry my reels but i guess it is getting tough to "negotiate" nowadays with the custom officers.

Lets identify a light and tough hand carry reel case which is good for check in and light enough for hand carry.

Of course it must be able to store at least 6 reels!

Cheers,
Edy

[DaFrogman]

Guys and Gals,

There are a lot of options as far as hard cases go. Narcs idea on a carry on hard case as a standby is really good. I personally like the Pelican cases and there are some cheaper and good clones made by Land & Sea who specialise in diving gear.

One thing about the Pelican cases and their brethen is to remember that they are usually sealed cases that have a small o-ring sealed thumb screw bolt in the front of the case. You need to unscrew that thing if you check in to cargo, just in case the aircraft cargo hold is not pressurised during flight.... the low pressure at high altitude might make the air in the case expand and the case could literally burst.

Another thing is to keep the case as normal looking as possible. DO NOT put Shimano/Accurate/Daiwa/Sevenseas stickers all over it though these look really cool, its like labellng the case as "Expensive Fishing Reels Inside, Please Feel Free to Steal This Case".... I used to avoid this with my dive equipment that had to be checked in.

The other good idea was to put the reels in a lockable case that then goes into the main case, bulky, heavy but probably more of a deterrent if the x-ray people are in on the scam. Another word of advice would be to check immediately upon arrival at the airport to see if your reels are still in the case, then its easier to approach the airline people whilst there may still be time for them to check where the stuff was stolen. A police report is usually a good idea too particularly for insurance purposes (if your insurance covers it). Finally on the subject of insurance, I believe that some forms of travel insurance are available specifically for fishing and diving gear, which is probably added peace of mind, at least you can recover some costs aside from the sheer inconvenience. Make sure the amount covered does cover the cost of the tackle though.

Just a few thoughts.

Saimee

[MarkR]

Thanks DFM, some excellent points and nice ideas.

Cheers!