 Poster: A snowHead
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I took the plunge earlier this year and bought my own skis, after several years of hiring, and now I have a question with regards to safe packing.
I've got a Salomon bag, padded round the binding area. The shoulder strap, when tension is applied to it, compresses the skis within the bag. I intend on padding it out further with salopettes/fleeces, but wondered if anyone has a similar bag - what do you do about the strap??
Unlike the husband's board bag, the strap isn't detachabale, and I'm worried it'll get caught somewhere on its journey through the airport bagage system and either damage the bag and/or my lovely new skis!
Any suggestions? Is there anything anyone has used before to essentially strap the strap (!) around the bag so it doesn't get caught somewhere? I thought of velco strips??
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| jocrad wrote: |
| essentially strap the strap (!) around the bag |
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Skis go through oversize baggage, which is also where my hold-all gets always sent 'cos it has so many loose straps - pretty sure it takes a different route to the airport, you don't need to worry about it. Skis are tough anyway, wouldn't be much good on a mountain if they could be damaged by a little conveyor belt.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Nothing a bit of gaffa tape won't fix as you drop the bag off at oversize if you're that worried.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Quote: |
Skis are tough anyway, wouldn't be much good on a mountain if they could be damaged by a little conveyor belt.
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After getting my poles bend in the soft bag on a flight to Canada I purchased a hard plastic ski tube for 2 pairs of skis. It is brilliant and also serves as a passible roof box. The carrying staps are a similar problem on the roof of the car. I wrap a bungee around the bag to keep everythng tight.
John
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
I intend on padding it out further with salopettes/fleeces
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I wouldn't. The ski edges and grease in the bindings can damage nice ski clothes. Just chuck the skis in, tie up any loose bits as best you can and drop it at the outsize baggage belt. As clarky999, says your skis can take a bit of abuse and he bag is padded anyway.
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sah, +1................only time I'm worried is when they dont turn up, otherwise they take the hammer and are OK
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Cut the strap off.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I stick everything I possibly can in the ski bag, because most of the time it doesn't get weighed (never, in my experience) but also because it pads the skis and poles from damage - I wrap the bindings with a couple of plastic bags, then put an old sock or two over either end of the ski, then put my trousers over them, then anything else that fits gets chucked in - the skis are strapped together to stop them shifting about but also to stop them from damaging the stuff packing them out. More than anything I try and protect them from the impact of being thrown, end over end, by careless baggage handlers, and to avoid anything like a hard suitcase from smashing into an edge or something.
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surround skis and ploes in bubble wrap.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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If you're really concerned about your skis, wrap them in bubble wrap with cardboard over the ends.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I just stuff the skis and everying else apart from my helmet in a suitably sized board bag, as Monium says a carrier bag or two round the bindings.
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You know it makes sense.
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sah, I tend to chuck as much of my ski kit in my ski bag as poss (that way I can get everything else in hand luggage). Can't remember any of my stuff getting damaged, but then most of my kit is a few seasons old now, so don't really notice dirt and stains anymore lol.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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jocrad, the handle? 
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Poster: A snowHead
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| clarky999 wrote: |
| sah, I tend to chuck as much of my ski kit in my ski bag as poss (that way I can get everything else in hand luggage). Can't remember any of my stuff getting damaged, but then most of my kit is a few seasons old now, so don't really notice dirt and stains anymore lol. |
I used to do that. Especially at the end of a trip... then I noticed a nasty cut in my goretex trousers that I'm 90% certain came from a ski edge in the bag - maybe the bag banged against a suitcase or something like that and the material got caught in the cross fire. Also, looking at the state of my ski bag there are a lot of cuts and grazes on there, and I really don't want ski wear as the buffer zone in there.
I do remember one airline (Canadian I think) getting a bit ars*y about me putting cloths in there, apparently only skis & poles were allowed in a ski bag (I think I got away with a shovel handle too). I'm not that worried about that factor, I've only ever had it checked on that one occasion; I suspect most other airlines and other check in staff do not really care and I'm in no hurry to fly with Canadian again.
All that said, if it means you have just a ski bag and hand luggage then it's worth doing. Do you carry boots as hand luggage then? I worry about some officious security person telling me that they are a weapon or some cr@p like that so I check my boots in (in a bag inside my main luggage).
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I have a really big double ski bag lol, so I can get my boots in there with my skis (tend to only travel with one pair as I leave the others in IBK). Usually have shovel,probe, poles and snow saw in there too.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
have you seen the handling of ski's!
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Seriously, they're designed to be hooned down a bloody big mountain of snow, ice, rock and wood, absorbing large forces and stresses from carving and landing drops/jumps. If being dropped/thrown on a pile of bags damaged them, they wouldn't be much good for normal use would they?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Put skis in bag with ski ties top and bottom.
Fill bag with clothes on way out and self propelled dirty unwear on return,
Chuck at oversize lugagge belt.
Recover at other end.
Simples.
What do you seriously think luggage handling can do to skis?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I send mine by Ski2U collected and brought back to home, 2 pairs loads of kit magic. (I do not need to declare a financial interest)
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Few years back missus had first 20 cm from tips of her atomics in soft ski bag chopped off by baggage handlers en route from London to Geneva. Never found out how they did it, but she thinks they slammed a set of the metal shutters on them. The kind that some places have at the luggage trailer loading/unloading area. Even the insurance company was gobsmacked by the damage. She bought us a hard plastic sporttube after that. Do exactly what they are meant to, but can be a pain to lug through airports.
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| Alans deep bath wrote: |
| jocrad, the handle? |
Hmmm, that's the whole point of the post - there is one strap on the bag. When you pick it up to carry, the strap kind of tightens around and compresses the skis. So if I chop it off....maybe I could juggle it instead?!?!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I've lined my ski bag with an old yoga matt, probably does very little other than a placebo effect for me lol have noticed that it makes getting the skis in and out easier as it lends the bag a little more shape.
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under a new name, I'm just a bit concerned the strap will wrap itself around the bowels of Manchester airport's baggage system and rip itself off, seen a few lone luggage straps going round on carousels before now!! I know my gear should be okay if I pad the bag out.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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sd2010, There is no way that a skitube is harder than skis.
No way.
Weird accident tho!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I use foam insulation, the kind used to insulate water pipes. You can pick it up cheaply at any DIY store and it works well although its a little fussy to cut and fit. I've got a padded bag but still pad my bag after an unhappy experience on a Birmingham to Munich flight with Lufthansa three years ago. I was lucky to the extent that the only damage was a small tear to the bag but my sister in law ended up with a bag ripped from top to bottom along the zip and a binding skewed almost 90 degrees.
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I normally put 3 or 4 pairs (adult/child) in a large snowboard bag. Never had any damage or complaints so far. Skis are tough.
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You know it makes sense.
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Wrap skis in a couple of old towels (to protect edges to/from other stuff) and then pad with clothing EXCEPT expensive layers. Jeans;socks; undies etc.
Expensive layers go in other baggage....
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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wreck skis on last run pack, claim on insurance, nice new pair of skis for next time, sorry that must have been mr devious.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Cynic, One flaw: most (all?) insurance policies won't cover damage to skis whilst in use.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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jocrad,
Alans deep bath, His advice to cut the strap off was spot on unless it's removable.
Better than even money your strap will get caught in the luggage belt machinery which will potentially damage/tear your bag open and may even delay your skis from being shipped or prevent shipping completely. If you don't believe me, call up one of the major full service airlines and speak to the baggage reclaim guys: Your later posted concern is reality, which is why they ask you to remove any straps.
The bubble wrap would be a good idea around the bindings, better still if they are adjustable/racked bindings to remove them and pack in bubble wrap too -they'll be much less vulnerable which is the way you need it.
Alternatively I can recommend the hard skitubes -they really do hold and protect the skis (straps removed) but can be a pain to cart around especially if it's the big 3 pair one, and they aren't very good for transporting anything else apart from skis or poles.
Oh and they've weighed my ski's the last three times and the excess if any will be painful as unless it's very close, you will be charged on most airlines. I cannot say if that applies to Lufthansa or Swiss though - Virtually guaranteed that Thos Cook will likley apply the rules with precision though as revenue for them will be tight.
If you do decide to risk your bag etc with straps, please let us know later on this thread how you get on! 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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jocrad, Please just buy another bag.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Jivebaby, my OP being the strap isn't removable, and as it's the only handle/strap that's on there, I'm kind of stuck without it!! It also compresses the skis within the bag...
Cynic, no thanks cynic, stick with the one I've got thanks, thought my OP was a perfectly reasonable ask for assistance as to what other users might have done in the same situation
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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If it's that much of a deal (it isn't), just duck tape it down before putting it in oversize baggage.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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jocrad, definitely juggle it. And post pics.
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| under a new name wrote: |
sd2010, There is no way that a skitube is harder than skis.
No way.
Weird accident tho! |
Yeah, but they are a lot harder than a soft bag and I've never known of a pair of skis actually being damaged while in a sport-tube. Maybe somebody else has?
But with a soft bag and bubble wrap on the tips, tails and bindings (probably the most vulnerable area) I don't see a problem. I wouldn't wrap freshly sharpened ski edges with clothing that's for sure.
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| Alans deep bath wrote: |
| jocrad, definitely juggle it. And post pics. |
I'll give it a go!!!!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| under a new name wrote: |
| What do you seriously think luggage handling can do to skis? |
I've seen interesting damage done to other sports equipment, including a bag that appeared to have been dragged across tarmac behind a luggage carrying vehicle of some kind, cos wearing away that much hard wearing fabric between checkin and reclaim would have been pretty difficult to do any other way.
Its not unreasonable to assume that if there is some easy means for the handlers to damage your stuff, then one day they will discover it.
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