Check-in backpacks for flights - how to make sure they don't get damaged?


behyx

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Jun 15, 2002
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I'm going for a backpacking trip soon and I'm worried about checking in our backpacks. What can be done to make sure the straps won't get entangled in the conveyer belts?
 

  • Bundle up and tie up any excess slack in the straps; SAF tactical style.

  • Cover up the backpack with a rain cover or a thick plastic trash bag.

  • Request for and use the container or tray provided for the baggage handling conveyor system.
 

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Get your girlfriend/mother to sew a nice cloth bag with zipper or ties to put your backpack in. Can be folded away when not in use, for transportation, as a spare bag, and to sleep on with pack inside.........
 

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Ok thx guys!
 

follow any of the good advise above .... everything else can get damaged or stolen for all you care ...........just hand carry all valuables and MUST-HAVEs
 

My Tatanka has a pull out piece that can wrap and zip, if not I've seen some people do the shrink wrapping of their luggage in airport at a cost...but I don't think it's cheap....u could probably buy a new bag if u do that a few times :)
 

some stores carry a case to put your hiking bags. i was contemplating getting one. i don't know the exact name, but Tatonka carries them i think. Deuter and Marmot too. basically you can place your hiking bags inside for flights and they have sizes for 30L bags to 60L bags and beyond
 

After many years of travelling with backpacks I got complacent and had a backpack chewed up by conveyor belt. You should get backpacks with a panel that can be zipped and cover up the shoulder straps. Tying up all the loose straps can help. You cannot rely on plastic trays as some airports do not have them and they do not follow your pack for the whole journey. If you must use a technical mountaineering pack then I suppose the safest way it to put it in another bag.
GVStow.jpg
 

Hey guys,

I'm confirmed getting the big bag to put my backpack in for check in. I've seen a store selling a 60l one for $40+ and I think it's expensive! Where can I find a cheaper one?

Also, my Gf getting a new backpack, we saw a local brand 'vertikal' is it any good? A 70l for only $100
 

Put some weight in the pack to check that she is comfortable with the pack. Check the construction to see if it will last.
 

Also, my Gf getting a new backpack, we saw a local brand 'vertikal' is it any good? A 70l for only $100
Vertikal is a Malaysian brand, sort of like a cheaper version of Deuter or Osprey.

Brought one along to Exercise Lightning Warrior in South Africa, it unfortunately didn't came back.
 

The quality of Vertikal sounds bad :( But I kind of expected it because it looks so much thinner than other more established brands.. Perhaps I should pop by Queensway and see their selections of branded backpacks..
 

The quality of Vertikal sounds bad :( But I kind of expected it because it looks so much thinner than other more established brands.. Perhaps I should pop by Queensway and see their selections of branded backpacks..

, it unfortunately didn't came back.

Ha, ha, I was trying to refrain from being brand conscious. Vertikal is not a brand I would buy but I am too brand conscious to have any experience with it.

Here are the more reputable brands to consider:
Gregory
Osprey
Eagle Creek
North Face
Lafuma
Karrimor
Arcteryx
Deuter
Lowepro
Macpac
Black Diamond
Mountainsmith
Marmot
Mammut
Millet
Patagonia
Tombihn
Jack Wolfskin
Mountain Hardware
Berghaus
Kelty

Queensway is a good place to look for packs. You can also go to Golden Mile including the shops at the nearby HDB blocks. Remember to bargain.
 

You can go for Jack Wolfskin or a Tatanka one. They are not too expensive. My first large backpack was Jack Wolfskin. 60L, cost me only $130 (after bargaining). Comes with the zipper behind where you can zip up all your straps for check-in. Lasted me for a good 5 years before I had to change due to the waterproofing material on the inside flaking off (something that occurs frequently due to our humid weather). The Tatanka one that i am using cost roughly the same and has the same zipper at the back too. Check out the shops at Army Market (opp Golden Mile complex). They have a good range and the prices are good. That is where I get all my travelling gear.
 

roamfree, Jack Wolfskin and Tatanka @ $130 sounds good!!! At only 30% more than the Vertikal, it's a clear choice which one to get :p Any particular shops at Army market to recommend?

Actually my own 60L Lowe Alphine which I've used a couple of times over the past 7 years also have such problem when I dug it out of the storeroom the other day.. It somehow feels sticky inside. (happens to my army field pack too haha!)... Just wondering does the flackery material stick to the clothes I put inside?
 

roamfree, Jack Wolfskin and Tatanka @ $130 sounds good!!! At only 30% more than the Vertikal, it's a clear choice which one to get :p Any particular shops at Army market to recommend?

Actually my own 60L Lowe Alphine which I've used a couple of times over the past 7 years also have such problem when I dug it out of the storeroom the other day.. It somehow feels sticky inside. (happens to my army field pack too haha!)... Just wondering does the flackery material stick to the clothes I put inside?

actually, there is a shop that i go to for my stuff. I bought all my backpacks there. It started with only one shop space and now occupies about 4 shop space, all in the same corner. Proof of how good a business the shop keeper is doing. The problem is, I cannot recall the shop name off hand. hahaha.... I always need to walk around for a bit before I can remember the corner it is at. :p

The flaky material actually does stick, not just to clothes, to everything else too. My laptop, my sleeping bag, my toiletry bag etc. It is when I get too fed up with cleaning up the black spots, that I will go get a new backpack. It is quite a pity because these two brands of bags are very sturdy. All I got on my Tatanka bag, which went around the world with me for 17 months, is just a tiny slit on the front pockets. No other slits or holes and the zippers are still working great. So yeah, if anyone ask me, I would say, just go for these two brands. They will be as fine as a Deuter or Eagle Creek, just way cheaper.
 

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Great to hear that roamfree!

I plan to continue using my existing 'flaky interior' backpack, I will just put a huge cut-to-size trash bag (or something similar) inside so that my stuffs won't get any of the flakes. (army taught me that haha), then I will just get a Jack wolfskin or Tatanka for my gf..
 

Haha!! Actually it works too eh! Ok that shall be my last resort if I couldn't find any suitable bag for the backpacks haha