Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Shipping Gear to avoid luggage issues

Anyone have suggestions for shipping gear/guns to hunt location via fedex or ups. I'm planning to ship all my gear/gun to desitination ahead of time to avoid chances of lost luggage on the plane.

It will be gear for two 2x duffles (50lb each), 1x duffle ~50lb(camp gear and backpacks, etc), 2x sleeping bags, 1x rifle (encore, could be broken down to shorten). Was thinking about using a large server box to ship all in the same box, or should I box them seperately (I'm curious what would be most cost effective from those of you that have done this).

Usually we drive trucks this will be my first fly out trip so I would like to get it right.

thanks

Funny thing, I was just researching this this weekend. I have an account a Fedex and they were the cheapest. UPS was most expensive. I was using a 35# average bag weight. They all wigged out when I got around to mentioning one of my bags would be a gun case, that was OK until they asked if I would have a gun in it. I told them that shipping a empty gun case was "unrewarding" then they went nuts and started to tell me what the "law" was, they were wrong of ofcourse and they do not ship "bullets at all" both places asked me what ORM-D was. I had asked them if they shipped ORM-D, they didn't know but they sure knew they didn't ship bullets. They in fact do and automotive windshield washer fluid is rated as ORM-D. What I really found in my trips to both stores was that neither knew what they were doing. FYI I'm making a trip from Denver to Katy, Texas. Shipping for my 35# bag was going to be just a little less than $20 one way on Fedex and $30 at UPS. However, when I listed the value of my gun case at $1000 they didn't increase the rate, but required an adult signature at the other end. One other option is to have it shipped and held at the shipper's office at the other end. I think that would be the best option for me. I'm traveling with two other guys so we all need to do the same thing other wise we're chasing bags at the airport and at the shippers. What I think I learned is both options are doable but you have to choose between one set of hassles or another set of hassles.
Legally, you don't have to declare there is a firearm in a package IF you're shipping to an FFL, but if you're not you're suppose to declare it. Most of the time that's not a problem for me since I don't ship to a nonFFL, but since it's legal to ship to yourself and if you're not an FFL it seems to me you should declare it to the shipper, from my experience that will not be a rewarding experience. So there seems to be a little catch-22 here unless you find a knowledgeable clerk at one of the shippers. So good luck and hopefully if I've got something wrong someone will come along and correct me.
There is a thread about this over in the General Big Game Forum, you may want to read. CH

I have flown as much as I have driven and I have always flown with my rifle. A friend of mine who hunts all over the world told me that they had never lost a gun on a jet, but the big two sure have for them! A comment was made that "they will lose your underwear before they will EVER lose your gun on a jet"....implying that they are looked after carefully. That has pretty much been the case with my travels, although I don't travel as much as my friend does.

I will NOT trust FedEx with my rifle no matter what! Ever. I make hand made knives for a hobby and they have lost my knives in shipment, as has the USPS, and even though they were insured, neither shipper would pay the claim. UPS has (fingers crossed) never lost a package for me.

I will bring mine on the jet with me and pay extra for it...it would be about what UPS would charge anyway. Mark your rifle case on both sides with your address, where you are going and the location's address, along with the dates of your hunt...just to be sure. Tape over the label with clear tape so it won't get rubbed off. Your phone #s on the label would help as well.

Good luck!

When I fly I make sure I have my cell phone number listed the one I will have on my during the trip. We've got this topic going in two places.
What I didn't mention above was the cost was a wash with my Fedex estimate, the cost was the same as the airline fees (for my trip, not sure it would have been the same for a longer trip) UPS was going to total $120 for shipping two #35 bags r/t as opposed to Fedex $80 r/t which was the same the airline fees. I'm not sold on the shipping concept completely yet, I think they can both lose your bags, I do tend to think guns might have a better survival rate on the airline on non-stop trips. I worked at D/FW many years ago we did lose some guns. I talked an ATF agent a few days ago when I was researching this idea and from what I gathered from our conversation they have no shortage of guns falling off the truck. I've decided in the future I won't ship any firearms to an address that sez "Gun Shop" or indicates it a gun store. CH

all interesting points. My thought was I would know ahead of time if they got lost shipping them early and could at least try to save the trip by buying new gear (that was difficult to type).

I'm not too keen on either situation, which is why we drive most of the time...

when I travel for business, and have a lot of stuff that needs to be where I am going...frequently at times, Medical Stuff I work with... I ship it to the local UPS or Fed Ex station where I am going...just address it to myself, AND ON THE NEXT LINE: UPS Will Call.. and my phone number... that means the customer will pick it up at the Local Hub..just list my cell number and they will call me when it gets there..then hold it for 5 business days.. plus going from UPS hub to UPS hub, the chances of it getting lost decreases dramatically..

NEVER EVER use a UPS contract agent... as they charge you 50 to 100% higher for their service to ship it..find out where the closest UPS hub is and take it there yourself...
take the stock off of a rifle.. and pull out the bolt, and put them in a separate box or case, and then tape the two boxes together... then you can list the contents as parts... and they will still charge a single total weight to two boxes going to the same location..

This brings up a good point. I shoot an encore so I may break it down in different boxes and try that. Do you ship your ammo too?

I flew over 100,000 miles last year without 1 luggage issue............relax.

Lefty C

lefty:

You know I wonder just how often checked baggage gets lost. My personal experience, which I admit is not as extensive as yours, would indicate that it doesn't get lost very often. I fly on average about once a year and I've been doing that for 45 years and have only had two baggage incidents. Both of those situations were cleared up in a matter of hours. For the last 20 years, my luggage has included a gun case and I've never had any problems.

I bet that the people who are concerned with lost baggage have had a bad experience and are now in the once burned twice remembered category.

As soon as the airlines started charging for checked baggage, I started mailing a 120 quart Igloo cooler through USPS full of gear and consumable supplies. I use a 120 quart cooler because that's the biggest dimension that the USPS will allow. My rifle case travels as checked baggage. I suppose that I trust the airlines with my rifle more than USPS. For my $$$ FedEx and UPS are just too expensive. I only use them when there's no other alternative such as shipping frozen fish overnight.

The airlines published baggage procedures usually states something like "one carry-on bag and one personal item such as a purse or laptop computer case". I have interpreted that to mean two carry-ons and haven't had any problems with that either. So my rifle case is the only checked bag that I take.

KC

KC do you put the cooler in a box before shipping or just tape it closed and send it?

Dink

DINK:

I use strapping tape and just tape it closed. Make sure to cover the clasps with the tape or they will come loose and get broken. Put a roll of strapping tape inside for the return trip. Also make sure that you write your name and address on the outside of the cooler with indellible ink. So even if they lose your cooler it can be identified and eventually get back to you.

KC

Thanks KC. I know cost would depend on how heavy it is but is there a "average" cost on shipping a 120 quart cooler usps?

Dink

I've got stuff boxed up and ready to mail off for my next hunt this spring. I've learned that hauling a bunch of crap through and airport isn't much fun.

That being said, I'll mail it early enough that I'll have time to call the transporter to confirm it arrived, before I head up there.

I put hasps on the ends of my coolers I use as luggage... you can then even pop on a tiny lock. I"ve carried rifles broken down and handguns in them on the airlines too... Looks much less like a rifle case.....

I"ve not had an issue with the hasps on them either way around. I trust them more than tape. I run SS bolts through, fender washers inside, and then cover that with a blob of silicone.

Just don't use too small a hasp... the ones I have kinda clamp down but I used too small ones this last time.. they survived but will be replaced.

I would think a bit though.... all my coolers are airline size... IE around 70 quts. And sometimes its as cheap/easy to pay extra baggage fees coming back with frozen meat, and or overweight. I don't know how bad they'd nail you for oversize and overweight and you can't go over 100 pounds anywya... a 70 will easily hold 100 pounds plus of meat....

We typically stuff our gear in duffle bags too.... or carry some, and worst case I toss our clothes in a duffle for the return trip, and put that in a cardboard or plastic box and USPS it home and carry the meat as luggage....

Rost do you have any pics of the hasp on the cooler? I like that idea but I am afraid that the cooler shell would split.

Dink