travelling with fencing equipment

[rvergara]

I've never travelled with my fencing gear, and by travel I mean taking an airplane mostly. I doubt they'll allow my fencing bag as my carry-on luggage .
Do foils arrive alive and well after you check them in? (i'm sure by now you know i got new blades while i was abroad)

[El Chucko]

Use a hardshell golf case, and tip the baggage guys generously.

[counterattack]

I've never travelled with my fencing gear, and by travel I mean taking an airplane mostly. I doubt they'll allow my fencing bag as my carry-on luggage .
Do foils arrive alive and well after you check them in? (i'm sure by now you know i got new blades while i was abroad)

They tend to make it okay if you have a fencing bag. If you won't have a chance to do armory before fencing with them then PVC pipes that are slightly longer than the blade are a cheap and easy way to help make sure they make it. You can get them very cheaply at a hardware store (I got mine pre-cut for about $1 each). The big thing that can ruin your day is if there is anything loose in the bag that can tangle with the wire inside the bell guard. If that happens then the wire can get broken between the socket and the blade. I had this happen with a loose pair of pliers once.

[KD5MDK]

I recommend the PVC tubes anyway. UNLESS YOU HAVE A VISOR MASK. The SEMI commission has strongly advised against allowing PVC and the lexan mask material from being brought together.

In general, flying is the primary advantage of hard golf cases, as airlines are accustomed to them and make more allowances than they do for other unusual baggage.

[daveappr]

When using a hard shell golf case, remember, you may be charged for oversized luggage, it seems to be enforced in a rather -shall we say, sporadic, manner, but on return flights (same airline mind you) I have been charged for my golf case being oversized. The golf case, for my money, has, however, been the best way to travel. One other thing I try to remember to do- since the airlines seem to love inspecting my case- is taping a copy of the tournament conformation materials inside the shell, and a copy of the tournament schedule as well. With all the wires, tools, and ohm meter, etc. it's paid off when I look and see the little notice from TSA that they've inspected my bag- not as many items floating loose anymore. Oh, and a TSA lock- available at most AAA travel offices allows for the case to be locked since they have the ability to open it.

[DHCJr]

I recommend the PVC tubes anyway. UNLESS YOU HAVE A VISOR MASK. The SEMI commission has strongly advised against allowing PVC and the lexan mask material from being brought together.

In general, flying is the primary advantage of hard golf cases, as airlines are accustomed to them and make more allowances than they do for other unusual baggage.

Not only that, but it is in the rule book and it is also in the rule book that you should never put your visor mask in the airline cargo hold. It also should be have it's own seperate bag. It should be in your carry on bag.

So if you do all these things for this FRAGILE piece of safety equipment, the PVC should not be a problem, because being in a seperate bag, it will never come in contact. A regular FIE mask is not considered as fragile, so you do not need to do all this to protect it.

[fencerbill]

Not only that, but it is in the rule book and it is also in the rule book that you should never put your visor mask in the airline cargo hold. It also should be have it's own seperate bag. It should be in your carry on bag.

Not in the cargo hold is curious. Isn't this the same material they make fighter jet canopies from?

[Frank Pratt]

Not only that, but it is in the rule book and it is also in the rule book that you should never put your visor mask in the airline cargo hold. It also should be have it's own seperate bag. It should be in your carry on bag.

So if you do all these things for this FRAGILE piece of safety equipment, the PVC should not be a problem, because being in a seperate bag, it will never come in contact. A regular FIE mask is not considered as fragile, so you do not need to do all this to protect it.

...and this "fragile" piece of equipment is supposed to repeal an epee that's in front of 250 pound epeeist who's in a fleche, heading straight for my left eye. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

[rvergara]

Thanks everyone!

[fencerbill]

I've never travelled with my fencing gear, and by travel I mean taking an airplane mostly. I doubt they'll allow my fencing bag as my carry-on luggage .
Do foils arrive alive and well after you check them in? (i'm sure by now you know i got new blades while i was abroad)

Despite the bad experiences some people have had with weapons broken and masks crushed, you can travel with just a fencing bag. From Boston I have gone to Albuquerque, Chicago, Salt Lake City and to Munich with just a large fabric fencing bag, using pvc tubes for my weapons.

[BB Boom Boom]

I would never travel to a tournament with all of my equipment in the fencing bag. If you do you are playing baggage roulette, and the airline will not buy you all new equipment just because you fence the next morning. This applies even if it is a direct, non-stop flight. We pack a carry-on with all the equipment needed (except for weapons) and check the fencing bag with the weapons and other clothes. That way you can fence the next day whether or not your luggage arrives and at the most have to borrow a weapon or two.

[Phaeton]

I wouldn't be condoning marking a bag fragile. Due to recent anectodatal information from friends of mine that work in airports and personal expierience, marking a bag fragile means that "It makes a pretty sound when I throw it harder". I find my baggage just as often mistreated when marked fragile as when not. Also, for some reason, my fencing bag recently has ended up with 6 or 7 "checked by the TSA" flyers. The fact of the matter is not that many people apart from you care how your baggage ends up.

TSA might ahve some issues bringing equipment on planes also. Some things could appear to have dubious secondary uses beyond individual weaponry. Fly in a bit advance of a competition, so there's leeway for things to go wrong, and if you really want to avoid baggage claim...ship your bags first I suppose, I've nver done it, but you could mail yourself your bags for when you arrive.

[annacattiva]

Hm. I don't think anyone was suggesting actually Marking the bags as fragile, just bringing said fragile items in your carry-on. I agree with BBBB- I've always brought my fencing gear (obviously minus sabres) with me as carry-on and then packed my sabres and (replaceable and less necessary) clothes in the fencing bag. The most attention I've gotten is one confused TSA guy looking at the x-ray screen and saying "Woah, what's that?" at which point, to my extreme surprise, another TSA guy told him. (And got it right, too.) And as fencerbill says, I've also never had problems with a soft fencing bag. If you pack intelligently (PVC pipes, not putting your weapons next to the edge) it should be fine.

Anna

[lindajdunn]

I use a hadshell golf case in which I put my weapons and my clothing and my lame, etc. into my carry-on. As I have a lexan mask and carrying bag, I carry that separately.

[DHCJr]

Not in the cargo hold is curious. Isn't this the same material they make fighter jet canopies from?

I think it is because other mask can be fixed if they are semi-crushed, while the visor can not or that is what I have been told. It could be the problem with PVC. Because of the conflicting rules between the rulebook and the appendix and it appears the appendix overrides the rulebook, I am starting to look at that more. Much of this is new to me and I am not sure of the why.

[remise]

I traveled from one end of the country to the other with a soft fencing bag and PVC pipes for my weapons. I used my clothes to cushion everything.