Outer travel pack for back pack is it necessary

[Tay and I]

Camino Francis starting 30 Sept

I have a Aarn 35litre pack which weighs about 6.5 kilos packed and ready to go.
I am concerned about the straps at the back hanging loose on the air plane conveyor belt . Also I am planning to have my bag transported daily and don’t want the straps . Seen some nice light osprey cover bags but too large .
Any ideas

 

[alhartman]

Cheap, disposable, laundry bag just for conveyor belt protection. Get mine at Dollar Stores for ---you guessed it---$1

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Does the pack already have a rain cover? If so use it to cover the straps rather than the bad and Duct-Tape is your friend

 

[Tay and I]

Thanks I was thinking that but wondered if that would hold .

 

[Tay and I]

Well I guess that would also do for day to day camnio transport . I know the bags you mean are they sturdy enough . Will venture to the one dollar shop
Today .

 

[ddraver]

You can, however Ive always just done all the buckles up and tightened the straps, tucked the ends in and stuff and been fine.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Does the pack already have a rain cover? If so use it to cover the straps rather than the bad and Duct-Tape is your friend

The conveyor belt may be very hard on the rain cover; it may develop a lot of leaks! I have a very light nylon bag that has lasted a decade, and it has a dozen holes, mostly over the strap and buckle pressure points.

 

[Tay and I]

Yes I was thinking that too . Looking for a light nylon bag which isn’t too big . Can only find fancy large branded ones .

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Yes I was thinking that too . Looking for a light nylon bag which isn’t too big . Can only find fancy large branded ones .

Ikea

 

[Tay and I]

IKEA - not way down-under in NZ

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Something like this will work, but I think it weighs too much if you are carrying your backpack. If you are using a pack service, no problem!

https://www.target.com/p/deluxe-sid...avel-bag-for-car-seats-strollers/-/A-75454264

In the alternative, buy a yard of 4-6 ounce nylon fabric, stitch a bag an inch or two larger than your pack on all dimensions, and add a nylon cord with a barrel cord lock. It will weigh only a couple of ounces, wear like iron, land protect your straps and buckles.

 

[Dorpie]

I've shared this before and no doubt I'll share it again. This is what greeted me at the baggage carousel in Milan once.



Now at the very least I put a rain cover on my pack.

 

[Doogman]

Somewhere between 1-2 years ago, someone posted on this Forum about a lightweight plastic bag that they used to put their backpack in. It was like a large dry sac. I went out and bought one and thought it was really good. It was not too heavy, and could also be used to sit on if the option is a wet log or wet rock or something. I somehow lost it, and I have no recollection of where I ordered it from. Does this jog anyone's memory? Thanks.

 

[WalkingJane]

Thanks I was thinking that but wondered if that would hold .

I used my backpack's cover on the plane - put it on the back of the pack instead of the front, tuck all the straps and oddments inside, then also a couple of bungee cords to secure all that.
Some airports have those machines I love that encase your luggage (whatever kind) in shrink wrap.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

I've shared this before and no doubt I'll share it again. This is what greeted me at the baggage carousel in Milan once.

View attachment 46196

Now at the very least I put a rain cover on my pack.

Mice?

 

[Jeff Crawley]

The conveyor belt may be very hard on the rain cover; it may develop a lot of leaks! I have a very light nylon bag that has lasted a decade, and it has a dozen holes, mostly over the strap and buckle pressure points.

"conveyor belt " what is this? Not familiar with the term

 

[dfunghi]

I doubt this could prevent the kind of disaster shown by @Dorpie but it will certainly contain loose straps and such as well as keep it all in one bundle. I have used bags like these over coolers being shipped to keep private.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IJES808/?tag=casaivar02-20

Let me add that I tuck cord in after tightening and use a large electricians cable tie to secure top. Maybe in your case I would also run a few yards of duct tape around the entire thing to keep it on and secure.

 

[dfunghi]

I've shared this before and no doubt I'll share it again. This is what greeted me at the baggage carousel in Milan once.

View attachment 46196

Now at the very least I put a rain cover on my pack.

I hope it was at least delivered by someone like this?

 

[Cambridge Pilgrim]

Clingfilm (or Saran Wrap) is your friend! Basically a DIY luggage wrap.

Though not the most eco-friendly of solutions in hindsight.

I’m liking the laundry bag idea. Two uses for the price of one! Top tip!

 

[lissie45]

IKEA - not way dine under in Nz

Hi fellow kiwi, I always travel with a 42 litre pack, sometimes it eats checked in. I wrap the waist belt around the bag and tighten it - most airlines will put it in a bin. Never had any damage and the bag is 18 years old! You could also just buy a $1 strippy bag from a dollar store - keeps it clean if you worry about that

 

[twh]

I looked long and hard for a protective bag before my trip. My backpack was way to big for carryon luggage. The protective bag had to be Large, Light, Strong and fold down to a small size for reuse on each leg of the trip. The bags below from Amazon were a great solution for me. I used a heavy duty, reusable zip-lock to keep it closed. I used one bag for 8 flights where the bag was handled and it survived intact. It did show wear but it held up and I'm so glad that wear was not absorbed by the fabric on my back pack. The box of 5 bags below is $13.00 so each bag is less than $3. The distinctive color of the bag made it easy to see when claiming my luggage. A single bag, when reused, naturally folds down to it's original packaged size of 11" x 7" x 3/8"

DemoBags Reusable 7 MIL 42-gallon Contractor Trash Bags, 5-count box

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073H9RQQH/?tag=casaivar02-20

 

[Bob P]

I had good experiences with "Highlander Rucksack Transit Cover". It's lightweight, reasonably strong (stronger than trash bags) , inexpensive (under $20), lockable zipper closure and has handles on the outside. Now,,, I did add an extra nylon strap around the middle, thru handles to reinforce handles for when baggage handlers are "lifting". Made four connecting flights with no evidence of damage. Used this bag inside backpack as a "pack liner" to keep bedroll and clean clothes extra protected.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Amazon sells the large blue Ikea bags for about $6-9. They have two handles so should be very easy to carry through an airport.

 

[Tay and I]

I hope it was at least delivered by someone like this?

View attachment 46201

 

[Tay and I]

Well that is my preference above including that hat but not this time

 

[Tay and I]

I had good experiences with "Highlander Rucksack Transit Cover". It's lightweight, reasonably strong (stronger than trash bags) , inexpensive (under $20), lockable zipper closure and has handles on the outside. Now,,, I did add an extra nylon strap around the middle, thru handles to reinforce handles for when baggage handlers are "lifting". Made four connecting flights with no evidence of damage. Used this bag inside backpack as a "pack liner" to keep bedroll and clean clothes extra protected.

 

[Tay and I]

Thanks for your thoughts

 

[twh]

The Ikea bag from Amazon (Length: 28 ¾ " Depth: 13 ¾ " Height: 11 ¾ ") looks like a good choice if your back pack will fit in it. Mine did not. I would have preferred the Ikea bag if the size were right. Zippers could be a weak point but I don't know. Sewn in handles and back pack straps are a big plus when handling the bags yourself but they are potential "catch" issues if they get stuck or entangled in loading/unloading conveyor belts/machinery. The Ikea and the Demo Trash Bags are constructed from the same material, Polypropylene which is very strong, it won't rip like other materials. 67% of the reviewers give it 5 stars.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OS47EDK/?tag=casaivar02-20

The Highlander Rucksack Transit cover has a majority (56%) rating it at 1 star due to it's flimsiness. Many tear apart in air travel. It looks nice and is light weight (many of the travel covers out there are heavy and bulky, not something you want to carry 500 miles) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00872A012/?tag=casaivar02-20

Regardless of the bag cover you purchase, be aware if it comes off for any reason and your flight transfer destination tags are attached to it, you may lose your bag (see reviews on Highlander). Always have a copy of your personal information plus that particular flight information attached to your pack ALSO, not just the cover. I made up tags ahead of time for each leg of my trip and put them in a ziplock bag with the current flight info on top. When that flight ended, I removed the top sheet and threw it away exposing the sheet below with the next flight info, destination and personal contact info.

 

[Anthony18]

I've shared this before and no doubt I'll share it again. This is what greeted me at the baggage carousel in Milan once.

View attachment 46196

Now at the very least I put a rain cover on my pack.

Good Lord!!

 

[Anthony18]

Camino Francis starting 30 Sept

I have a Aarn 35litre pack which weighs about 6.5 kilos packed and ready to go.
I am concerned about the straps at the back hanging loose on the air plane conveyor belt . Also I am planning to have my bag transported daily abd don’t want the straps . Seen some nice light ofsprey cover bags but too large .
Any ideas

One way to protect your checked in bag on a flight

 

[twh]

Good Lord!!

Unfortunately, a rain cover would have been destroyed also from the trauma that ripped open that pack. Rain covers are built to deflect the impact of rain drops so they can be of light weight in construction. Deflecting rough handling by baggage employees and mechanical moving equipment requires a completely different product. Strong, Light Weight and Compact Volume...all of which seem to be mutually exclusive. Thus the difficulty in finding the "perfect" travel cover.

A regular black trash bag has a low chance of working. It might survive a 1 or 2 leg flight but it's unlikely.

A Compactor bag is much stronger than a regular plastic trash bag, even a heavy duty trash bag. It has some give to it and can usually handle 30 to 50 pounds of material.

The Construction Site Bag can take 100 lbs of bricks or concrete blocks with sharp edges and not rip. It appears to be the toughest material that has the unique balance of strength/light weight/low volume/low price for a trip like the Camino where you have to carry your travel bag during your 500 mile walk.

 

[Kanga]

@Tay and I the Aarn pack I use has an internal liner so does not need a rain cover.

At 35 litres it can probably go into the plane with you, and does not have to go in the hold. Make sure the total weight is under 7kg and you are good to go.

I've sent my larger Aarn pack in the hold several ways - either in a cheap plastic woven bag ($2 shop) or wrapped in plastic film, or simply lengthened the waistband and pulled it inside out around the pack, also doing up and turning the shoulder straps. It becomes quite neat. I always put the front balance pack inside the body pack for transport - they are not usually needed to be outside until I start walking. Alternatively you can take them off and use them as cabin luggage.

 

[Tay and I]

The Ikea bag from Amazon (Length: 28 ¾ " Depth: 13 ¾ " Height: 11 ¾ ") looks like a good choice if your back pack will fit in it. Mine did not. I would have preferred the Ikea bag if the size were right. Zippers could be a weak point but I don't know. Sewn in handles and back pack straps are a big plus. The Ikea and the Demo Trash Bags are constructed from the same material, Polypropylene which is very strong, it won't rip like other materials. 67% of the reviewers give it 5 stars.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OS47EDK/?tag=casaivar02-20

The Highlander Rucksack Transit cover has a majority (56%) rating it at 1 star due to it's flimsiness. Many tear apart in air travel. It looks nice and is light weight (many of the travel covers out there are heavy and bulky, not something you want to carry 500 miles) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00872A012/?tag=casaivar02-20

Regardless of the bag cover you purchase, be aware if it comes off for any reason and your flight transfer destination tags are attached to it, you may lose your bag (see reviews on Highlander). Always have a copy of your personal information plus that particular flight information attached to your pack ALSO, not just the cover. I made up tags ahead of time for each leg of my trip and put them in a ziplock bag with the current flight info on top. When that flight ended, I removed the top sheet and threw it away exposing the sheet below with the next flight info, destination and personal contact info.

 

[Tay and I]

That is a fabulous idea making sure the details are on pack inside in the way - one I will copy from you . Thanks

As there are two of us my granddaughter and I What Do you think of putting two 35 lite bags - Will fit - I tried it / into a 50 litte
osprey airporter
Only 13 kilo Max to take off airplane - luggage pick up thingee.

Will fold up tidy and hang off pack (.45kg) 16oz . But just wondering if the bags would slop around To much .

 

[twh]

I would consider .45 Kg (1 lb) to be a very heavy pack cover but if you can get two back packs into one very heavy bag cover that's a step forward. If you already have it you might as well use it if you don't mind carrying the weight of that cover on your Camino. I'm sure the Osprey Bag cover is durable enough to easily handle 13 kilos without ripping.

 

[Dorpie]

Unfortunately, a rain cover would have been destroyed also from the trauma that ripped open that pack. Rain covers are built to deflect the impact of rain drops so they can be of light weight in construction. Deflecting rough handling by baggage employees and mechanical moving equipment requires a completely different product. Strong, Light Weight and Compact Volume...all of which seem to be mutually exclusive. Thus the difficulty in finding the "perfect" travel cover.

A regular black trash bag has a low chance of working. It might survive a 1 or 2 leg flight but it's unlikely.

A Compactor bag is much stronger than a regular plastic trash bag, even a heavy duty trash bag. It has some give to it and can usually handle 30 to 50 pounds of material.

The Construction Site Bag can take 100 lbs of bricks or concrete blocks with sharp edges and not rip. It appears to be the toughest material that has the unique balance of strength/light weight/low volume/low price for a trip like the Camino where you have to carry your travel bag during your 500 mile walk.

A fair point. While I assume it was a loose strap that snagged in machinery this wasn't altogether clear, whatever happened though, it tore through three layers of pretty strong pack material in places.

My solution was to get a tent bag, which they very kindly gave me for free as they didn't have any large enough for sale, from our local outdoor shop while I was buying some other bits and pieces.

 

[Tay and I]

@Tay and I the Aarn pack I use has an internal liner so does not need a rain cover.

At 35 litres it can probably go into the plane with you, and does not have to go in the hold. Make sure the total weight is under 7kg and you are good to go.

I've sent my larger Aarn pack in the hold several ways - either in a cheap plastic woven bag ($2 shop) or wrapped in plastic film, or simply lengthened the waistband and pulled it inside out around the pack, also doing up and turning the shoulder straps. It becomes quite neat. I always put the front balance pack inside the body pack for transport - they are not usually needed to be outside until I start walking. Alternatively you can take them off and use them as cabin luggage.

 

[Tay and I]

Thank you . I appreciate your information.
Im off the starting block 30th Sept.

 

[t2andreo]

The point of the cover is to protect your rucksack at all costs. This means the outer cover or bag is, by definition, expendable. So, do not spend more than you have to. For six Caminos I have relied on the same bright lime green, nylon laundry bag. It handled my 48-liter Osprey Kestrel pack, fully loaded.

The key is to reduce or eliminate anything that might catch on baggage handling machinery. The bright color aids rapid identification and deters someone from taking your bag because it looks like their bag.

I use long, heavy-duty rubber bands, or trash can / bin liner rubber bands / straps to hold down excess material on the bag. These too are inexpensive and have a multitude of uses while on Camino.ric).

Finally, I attach a DESTINATION baggage tag to the rucksack 'grab loop' (protected against the back panel, as well as the outer sack. I double knot the outer bag and place the luggage tag on the inner-most secured section. someone has to untie at least two proper knots to get to the tag or open the bag (without cutting the fabric).

I use a DESTINATION tag as I want the wayward rucksack to come to where I will BE on arrival, not where I WAS (home). Inside the rucksack is my home address information, for return use...

Hope this helps,.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

@t2andreo, detailed and thorough, as usual.

 

[MichelleO]

We clingwrapped ours. No worries.

 

[t2andreo]

But my laundry bag is reusable. Your cling film is not... Just sayin...

 

[J F Gregory]

Camino Francis starting 30 Sept

I have a Aarn 35litre pack which weighs about 6.5 kilos packed and ready to go.
I am concerned about the straps at the back hanging loose on the air plane conveyor belt . Also I am planning to have my bag transported daily and don’t want the straps . Seen some nice light osprey cover bags but too large .
Any ideas

If it is that small why not carry on luggage. I travel quite extensively and haven't checked a bad in years. I pack in a 38 liter kit. It has been in more than 12 countries. I do pack my walking sticks in side of the pack without any issues.

 

[dfunghi]

If it is that small why not carry on luggage. I travel quite extensively and haven't checked a bad in years. I pack in a 38 liter kit. It has been in more than 12 countries. I do pack my walking sticks in side of the pack without any issues.

I think several smaller aircraft and airlines offer very restrictive carry - on, well below the 22" norm. We have small commuter flights here and they "valet" check (taken at gate free of charge and returned at gate at destination, not baggage claim) almost every bag as the overhead is big enough for a shoe box and little else.

 

[owms2323]

Camino Francis starting 30 Sept

I have a Aarn 35litre pack which weighs about 6.5 kilos packed and ready to go.
I am concerned about the straps at the back hanging loose on the air plane conveyor belt . Also I am planning to have my bag transported daily and don’t want the straps . Seen some nice light osprey cover bags but too large .
Any ideas

Why don't you carry it on?

 

[Tay and I]

The point of the cover is to protect your rucksack at all costs. This means the outer cover or bag is, by definition, expendable. So, do not spend more than you have to. For si Caminos I have relied on the same bright lime green, nylon laundry bag. It handled my 48-liter Osprey Kestrel pack, fully loaded.

The key is to reduce or eliminate anything that might catch on baggage handling machinery. The bright color aids rapid identification and deters someone from taking your bag because it looks like their bag.

I use long, heavy-duty rubber bands, or trash can / bin liner rubber bands / straps to hold down excess material on the bag. These too are inexpensive and have a multitude of uses while on Camino.ric).

Finally, I attach a DESTINATION baggage tag to the rucksack 'grab loop' (protected against the back panel, as well as the outer sack. I double knot the outer bag and place the luggage tag on the inner-most secured section. someone has to untie at least two proper knots to get to the tag or open the bag (without cutting the fabric).

I use a DESTINATION tag as I want the wayward rucksack to come to where I will BE on arrival, not where I WAS (home). Inside the rucksack is my home address information, for return use...

Hope this helps,.

 

[Tay and I]

Thanks everyone for your great ideas for outer back pack . All helpful .
Gracias

 

[Scott Fraser]

Check out https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0741BZSV3/?tag=casaivar02-20

It works great for the flight to The Camino.

Don’t worry about the straps transporting your bag forward. It’s not an issue.

For the trip home you can get your bag wrapped at the airport.

 

[twh]

Check out https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0741BZSV3/?tag=casaivar02-20

it works great for the flight to The Camino..

This will work if you have just one direct flight or you bag is checked through from starting airport to final destination on the Camino. If you have "stay over" days on your way to the Camino start point and need to get anything out of your pack, the plastic cocoon is rendered useless once you take it off....it's not reusable.

If security needs to look in your bag or the wrap rips off during handling, again, the cocoon is rendered useless and your baggage tag is probably gone.

Same thing for the return flight. If it's direct or checked through then great it will work at keeping your straps contained and protecting your bag from moisture. Each airport may have a different policy, availability and or price for wrapping your backpack...do your research ahead of time if you don't like being surprised.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

This will work if you have just one direct flight

...and are willing to take the roll with you on your trek to wrap for the return...

I note it weighs two pounds, take or leave.

 

[Scott Fraser]

...and are willing to take the roll with you on your trek to wrap for the return...

I note it weighs two pounds, take or leave.

I’ve used this shrink / stretch wrap twice on flights to the Camino. I cut it off on arrival in Europe. I don’t take the roll with me because of the weight. I use the wrap services at the airport for the return flight. (Euro 7-8?)

On my last entry to the US a customs officer asked what the plastic bundle was. I told her it was my backpack and was wrapped that way to prevent straps getting caught up in baggage handling. She was happy with that.

 

[Tay and I]

Thanks for you help everyone . What a wonderful forum !! See you soon on the walk!!
Gracias