prevent losing luggage/gear
Moose
I have a Moose hunt coming up in Sept. I do not have the option to drive due to my work schedule. My plane has 3 connecting flights and I am concern about losing gear. Is there any suggestion anybody has other than shipping ahead of time thru UPS or Fed X. My biggest concern is my bow.
Cross your fingers and hope for the best! It’s a wild world out there in the air travel space right now!
I’ve shipped gear before, I could have almost booked a charter jet to get me there for the cost! Never again. Pack your bags well, try to use non-descript luggage (no camo, hard case, coolers, etc), as I think that stuff gets left out sometimes. I really don’t think there are any secrets.
You really may want to cross your fingers that you even get there from some of the stories I’m hearing right now, much less your luggage! Good luck, I’m in a similar boat come sept too…
—jim
Good advice from Jim. Most all of my stuff (including bow) goes in the big Sitka bag which doesn’t look like a bow case. Usually only check one bag.
Many airlines now have an app where you can check baggage status in real time. Good luck.
Book your itinerary with long enough layovers to allow your luggage to get loaded on your plane. Short layovers are the biggest culprit for luggage being late and lost
Delta Airlines for example will let you know when your bags are loaded on the plane. (They scan each bag in as it’s loaded on the plane) while you’re sitting in your seat
Arrive at your final destination early to allow time for delayed luggage to show up.
x2 what Altitude said. UPS, Fedex and every other shipping service out there have raised their rates due to fuel costs. I saw your comment about your work schedule. If at all possible, I recommend leaving one day early just in case anything happens with your flights or bags. That extra night in the hotel will a small price to pay if your bags are delayed. Good luck on your hunt.
I had a lost bag once on a trip to Alaska. When I mentioned it contained a handgun (I had checked it at airline counter) the attention level of the airline workers went to DefCon 1 and it was immediately found.
I am shipping up two 27 gallon totes next week via UPS to Dillingham for our DIY moose hunt. They each weigh around 56 lbs. cost was about $300 each.
It’s worth it for me to have verification that it’s all sitting there a few weeks early. If it doesn’t make it or gets lost, I will know early and can make adjustments on my end.
If you have an iPhone, Apple AirTags are a great tool for travel as well. I essentially put one AirTag in each of my luggage pieces. Given the prevalence of Apple devices, you essentially get real-time tracking of your luggage. Obviously having an AirTag in your luggage does nothing to guarantee your luggage arrives with you, but it will tell you where your luggage is at any given time which can be very useful for locating lost luggage and correcting the problem. A friend of mine just went through some travel delays and was without his bag for days. The airline told him it would be waiting for him at his hotel, but I know he wasn't convinced. With the AirTag, he would have known for sure and I'm sure it would have saved him some stress and worry.
And like others have said, I've now added an extra day of travel on the front-end of my upcoming moose hunt to allow for any travel disruptions. The extra day on the trip and the extra $150 for one more night in the hotel is worth it for the peace of mind for me.
Go a day early, allowing your luggage to catch-up, if it get lost.
The only 100% way to keep from having things lost is don’t go.. aside from that hope for the best. You can ship your gear upon advance that will reduce chances of loss drastically..
One thing I do on bigger hunts is arrive a couple days early to give lost luggage a chance to catch up…
Good luck
A guy walks up to the luggage counter at the airport. He asks "I'm flying to Dallas and checking 3 bags, could you please send one to Miami, the second one to Chicago and the third to LA?" The baggage checker replies "We can't do that!" The guy responds, "Why not, that's where they ended up the last time I flew with you!"
I would suck it up and ship your essential gear. I know the costs have risen, but it beats (IMO) sitting there without gear. I've done it before, and it works out. On a recent moose hunt to NF, a friend's gear showed up on the last day. Fortunately, he was able to use someone's back up bow and arrows with a little ingenuity for a quiver.
As Gator said and I did. I added A day in front and a day on the back end, keep your fingers crossed.
Have a great hunt!
Do you know what I lost baggage is always a story ………………because it doesn’t happen over 99% of the time
The odds are massively in your favor that you’re not gonna have any problems, but we all sweat it as if it’s the probability that we will.
Relax, September is the best month for bag mishandling with only 2.87 of 1000 being screwed up for some reason.
Get there a day early if you can and who cares if they lose it on the way back they’ll deliver it to your front door eventually
I tried shipping in advance to UT twice on my first two trips that i had to fly out west. Second time i gave it two weeks for a 3 day FedEX ground route. 2 days in the package tracking stopped. No idea where it was, was it moving (actually there were two parcels ( Bow case and big duffel). I could get no info on where it was if it was moving, was it lost, what the deal was. Nothing. I talked to them multiple times a day and checked the wesite incessently for an update. I was filling out claim forms. I was in the process of replacing the stuff locally at the last minute and dealing with the FedEX later..
a couple days before leaving I got a call from the outfitter. He said the parcels showed up. Out of nowhere. Went into the system and it showed 1 was delivered. The second one was never shown as having been delivered.
Point being nothing is failsafe ever. it's about the odds.
Another thing to consider if you fly is taking 2 bows in separate pieces of luggage and put some arrows in each and split your clothing between the two bags. I usually carry on my optics, rain gear, and releases (and wear my hunting boots), so even if one bag is lost you are still in business. Had this happen once on a trip to AK, just needed to borrow a stabilizer from another hunter on the trip and I was good to go.
I guess there should also be a separation as to if someone is guided, outfitted or DIY and how much stuff they are bringing . If I only need the basics and someone else is taking care of tents, food, etc, then I will just take my stuff and check as luggage.
When it comes to excess items for my own camp such as raft, food, tents, etc, then I ship. I hate hauling a ton of crap through the airport.
Thanks for all the good info
I booked with an extra day on the front end just to avoid this from happening and if it does I have a cushion.
Do you know what I lost baggage is always a story ………………because it doesn’t happen 99% of the time
The odds are massively in your favor that you’re not gonna have any problems but we all sweat it as if it’s the probability that we will.
Get there a day early if you can and who cares if they lose it on the way back they’ll deliver it to your front door eventually
Buy insurance if shipping anything worth over $100 with UPS. Likely same with FedEx.
I ship 1000's of packages a year. UPS admits they delivered one of the boxes to the wrong address. They can check the GPS location of the truck as the package is scanned at delivery and was miles from the address on the shipping label. UPS will pay exactly $100 for the incompetency or lack of training for that driver. Sure, UPS could build in a green light/red light scan so the driver would not be able to scan the package if not very near the GPS coordinates of the correct delivery address but that would be something a partner in the shipping business would do and UPS is not a partner.
Take a picture of everything you pack or ship. Check with your homeowner's policy...my insurance company was going to cover everything in my bag had it not been located.
Mike
Besides excellent info and advise already given . Inside each bag , case etc leave paperwork clearly stating contact info : name address home address/ destination, phone # , email address .
I second the Apple Air Tag. You’ll know exactly where they are should something happen.
I just landed in Whitehorse and I can tell you that the math referenced above didn’t compute for the people on my flight. One guy still had his luggage in Toronto. Lots of disappointed people.
Two bows. Two duffle bags. One should make it. Last time I used a bow case - it showed up 8 days late. Sold it after I got back. Never lost a duffle bag. Yet……
If you were to check a firearm does increase your odds of bag getting to destination?
Check a handgun in the bow case if possible.
Fly first class or if you have premier status, they get tagged priority on most airlines
What the gentlemen before me stated. Fly your pistol in your most important luggage. Airlines get major fines if the gun doesn't arrive with the passgenger.
A buddy of mine was told his bag wouldn't be able to make it on the plane due to them being over weight capacity. When he told them he had a pistol in the bag, their attitude changed and they removed another buddy's bag to make sure his was on the plane.
I shipped the majority of my gear a couple weeks ago (pricey these days) up there to the pilot we're using. The rest that didn't fit will go with me and I'll have my pistol in that luggage to make sure it arrives. I'm using a rifle so I know it'll be there as well. Good luck!
Last week my wife flew from Los Angeles to Des Moines. Thirty (yes... 30) hours door to door with no motel/sleep. Our one son and grandkids flew from LA to Australia and got home before my wife did. They lost her one suitcase, which happened to contain her CPAP machine. The next day the airlines delivered a suitcase (100 miles each way) to our home. The guy hands me a purple, floral print suitcase (which I'd never seen before) with a Gay Pride Rainbow ribbon tied to the suitcase handle. I said, "that's not mine." Then looked down to see my wife's nametag on the new suitcase. Okay... So, afterwards I say to my wife, "what's with the rainbow ribbon?" She tells me people tie colorful ribbons to the handles of their suitcases so they can distinguish them from others going around the carousel at the baggage claim. I said I knew that, but what's with the Gay Pride Rainbow ribbon? She didn't have a clue what it meant. Sometimes she scares me when I'm in airports and not packing heat.
Haha! Barry, my wife has one of those on MY bag. It’s always a good conversation starter in camp.
Blaine enjoyed visiting with you a few months ago.
It is a small thing, but I take pictures of my bags after packed and keep them on my IPhone. In the past this has helped identify the type of bags (not so I can fondly revisit my lost bags and reminisce ????). In the days before this joke of a meltdown of a major industry that is free to do as they please, I routinely put a large piece surveyor’s orange flagging tape on the handle. It really looks wonderful when you see it come down the luggage ramp
2 bows 2 bags Pack enough essentials that you can hunt with either. Carry on electronics and rain gear, wear boots.
Excellent idea on the Airtag. Airline lost our guns and bags two years ago in Denver. I bought a cheap Savage rifle to hunt until they got us our luggage but they only reimbursed us a few hundred bucks.
2 bows 2 bags Pack enough essentials that you can hunt with either. Carry on electronics and rain gear, wear boots.
