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Flying with Skis question

Philpug

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For me, the main downside of many hard shell cases is the weight. I recall weighing the Sport tube and it weighed in at a hefty 17lb, that does not leave much for 2 pair of skis and other things you need/want to pack in the case. Plus when TSA opens the case, thy always do not put it back together the right way.
 

Jilly

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Plus when TSA opens the case, thy always do not put it back together the right way.

That was my problem when I went A Basin the first time. I had a friend use one to take Dragon Boat Paddles to a competition. She picked up it up in a plastic bag as they could not figure out how to put it back together. (Carbon fibre paddles at the time were around $200. Not something you want in a plastic bag.)
 

cantunamunch

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I am not convinced that clothing does anything at all to protect skis from edge-on pressure or from impact blows, unless you all have d3O baselayers or something.

My Sandpiper bags are fully padded; when I've used my Fischer double I used kids' EVA foam blocks as spacers.
 

ADKmel

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wow your tube weighs 17lbs?!!! my double sport tube weighs in at 12lbs.. and No they do not always put them back right and loosing the pin was not cool...
 

Brad J

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Tied my pin with line , the last two trips no one opened the box, they must have remembered the last time they opened it !!!!!!!!!!!
 

Philpug

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wow your tube weighs 17lbs?!!! my double sport tube weighs in at 12lbs.. and No they do not always put them back right and loosing the pin was not cool...
I don't have one but I have weighed some that have.
 

Swede

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Have been flying quite a lot with skis. For holidays with the family and with my daughter's race team (with lots of skis). I (we) and the absolute majority of the kids travel with soft bags and I have not yet seen any damage to skis due to mishandling (skis are sturdy). I have found helmets to be the most delicate part of the equipment (isn't it ironic) and everyone always bring boots and helmet in hand luggage. Personally, I have never wrapped our skis in anything. But I do retain the brakes with rubber bands and use three straps.
 

Philpug

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Make sure you at least get a padded bag. When we went back to Vermont earlier this month and brought our skis along, at check in the Southwest agent was clear in saying that they cover for lost bags, NOT for damage to the articles inside.
 

Swede

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Haven't looked inside everyone's bags. But haven't seen anyone on the team with hard cases. And no damages so far.

Edit: language barrier. Yes the use sleeves (soft ones). I thought 'sleeves' were some kind of wrapping inside the bag. When I say 'never wrapped' I was reffering to putting clothes, extra padding, towels etc. around the skis in a soft sleeve.
 
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cantunamunch

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Haven't looked inside everyone's bags. But haven't seen anyone with hard cases. And no damages so far.

Sure, I get it - it's just that a ski sleeve is THE most logical place to put impact, rub and cut padding especially if multiple pairs are transported loose relative to each other.

Fat lot of good a padded ski bag does me if a cross-loading scenario puts the edges of one ski right up against the binding rail of another, and then slams 300kg of additional luggage on top, ya know?

(Yes, I've had binding rails and demo plates get wrecked - always by the other skis in the bag).
 

Swede

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Sure, I get it - it's just that a ski sleeve is THE most logical place to put impact, rub and cut padding especially if multiple pairs are transported loose relative to each other.

Fat lot of good a padded ski bag does me if a cross-loading scenario puts the edges of one ski right up against the binding rail of another, and then slams 300kg of additional luggage on top, ya know?

(Yes, I've had binding rails and demo plates get wrecked - always by the other skis in the bag).

Bad luck. Inme - zero incidents flying with lots of skis lots of times in soft bags. And haven't yet come across a scenario where multiple pairs in one soft bag can move around. People over here not only wear tighter ski clothes. We use tighter ski bags too :roflmao:
 
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Gnarvin

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I honestly don't understand how this is even a debate or why soft cases are MUCH more popular. I use a hard case and wouldn't risk my skis to a soft case. I have seen a limited amount of how roughly the airline people handle the skis, but just from what I have seen, they literally throw the cases around. I have a SportTube Series 2 and it comfortably fits a pair of Nordica Enforcer 100 and a pair of Rossi Tempation 88. The downside, is as Phil said, the hard case is heavy and between the case and the 2 pairs of skis it weighs just around 50lbs which is usually the stipulated weight limit. I have never been charged extra though.
 

BMC

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I use a Burton wheelie gig bag which is much the same as the Dakone one. Works perfectly on two major trips so far.
 

Norther1

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Question for those who use a soft padded bag---do you put the skis inside base to base? If so do you retain the brakes up with rubber bands or lock them together with the brakes down? Or do you put them in tip to tail (bindings in) and strap the whole thing together? Thx
 

Magi

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Pretty simple, soft or hard case?

Do you feel comfortable traveling with your skis in a soft case?

Buy a douchebag. https://douchebags.com/

I found the SportTube too heavy, too hard to maneuver, and a pain in the ass to store when not in use (doesn't fit in smaller cars as well either).


I pack my skis base to base, brakes up, straps at both ends, and the middle. ~10 flights, no issues.
 

Jim Kenney

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Question for those who use a soft padded bag---do you put the skis inside base to base? If so do you retain the brakes up with rubber bands or lock them together with the brakes down? Or do you put them in tip to tail (bindings in) and strap the whole thing together? Thx

I use an inexpensive soft bag. Recently flew Delta a lot and between soft ski bag and loaded boot bag I could keep total weight to 50 lbs and they only charge for one checked bag in that case. I put the skis together in normal locked position (no rubber bands on bindings) with a strap near one front tips. like this:
interior-gear-straps2.jpg

Although my bag is not as big or nice as above and i packed one ski and one pair of snowshoes in it for two separate Delta flights to Colorado and Canada.
 

mdf

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Skis do get damaged by airlines, but I think it is rare enough that I will stick with a soft bad padded with stiff foam.
Not sure I remember who, but someone told me about skis that apparently fell off the luggage cart and were dragged along behind. There was a big hole in the bag and the front off the skis were ground down by the asphalt. But that's what, one time out of thousands?
 

cantunamunch

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Question for those who use a soft padded bag---do you put the skis inside base to base? If so do you retain the brakes up with rubber bands or lock them together with the brakes down? Or do you put them in tip to tail (bindings in) and strap the whole thing together? Thx

base to base with ski sleeves, padded with stiff foam OR base/topbase/topbase/topbase nested with the bindings off.
 

markojp

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So...none of the kids on the race team use ski sleeves?


No length for speed event skis for sure...

I used to use a large taco roll bag made by swix... Could hold 7-8 pairs and length no object. I'm sure muleski knows more current race ski practice.
 

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