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[Kisu]

Murh I'm probably taking both of my suits with me, but not sure how to get them. Last year I used sports bag but only one suit fits in it, I thought I buy other bag for the second suit but its a huge load for both arms.

Which kind of method are you using for the suit if you are coming by aeroplane and bus?
Some old school suiters got plastic trunks, where do you buy these?

Thanks in before hand
- Kisu ^^

[Loewi]

Murh I'm probably taking both of my suits with me, but not sure how to get them. Last year I used sports bag but only one suit fits in it, I thought I buy other bag for the second suit but its a huge load for both arms.

Which kind of method are you using for the suit if you are coming by aeroplane and bus?
Some old school suiters got plastic trunks, where do you buy these?

Thanks in before hand
- Kisu ^^

Plastic Boxes are not very good for Flights, because they are not very stable. Recently suits of a german fur got lost for a couple of weeks because the plastic box broke. Happily he got them back weeks after they lost it.

many germans use old boxes from the german armee. The Brand is "Zarges" and the model is "A10".
They are very stable and just as big as they can handle normally at the airport - and you can close them with cablestrips.
See attached Pic for an example.



[attachment deleted by admin]

[Drift]

Zarges boxes are really good (strong and undestructibel if used in a proper way), I can recomend them as well. You can also find them outside the army. They come in different sizes, here some examples:

http://www.nextag.de/zarges-boxen/zzdezB1z0--suche-html

For a cheaper version:

http://www.alu-box.de/?gclid=CPz-q6WYhJoCFRaA3godEUanFg

(Sorry, both links are only in German).

If you complain about heavy loads for the arms, you should try a good sturdy rucksack with back supporter, hip- and chestbelt.
You could divide your suits, and carry the heads in bags, the rest on your back...
I would not recomend rucksacks for plane trips, though.
 

[K9Primate]

I suppose that would be sturdy indeed, but isn't that a bit on the hefty side?
You could take one of these contraptions with you no doubt:http://www.handtrucks.com/hand-trucks/folding-hand-trucks/wescominimoverfoldinghandtruck.cfm
which probably only makes sense if you need to haul a lot of stuff with you.
Anyhow just a thought, or was it a brain-fart?

[Suran]

Anyhow just a thought, or was it a brain-fart?

Not practical on an airplane from Finland.

[Recherei]

Usually weight is not the biggest concern in packing fursuits.  Size, water resistance and crush resistance are.  The largest suitcases that are within airline's 62" rule, (H+W+D<=62"), suffice for many.  In the US, Rubbermaid sells "Action Packers"  http://www.rei.com/product/663056  for the high-end fursuiter.  Many others get by with a sturdy cardboard box, (carefully stuffing the fursuit head and wrapping the suit in a plastic garbage bag before taping the box closed.)

[Loewi]

Usually weight is not the biggest concern in packing fursuits.  Size, water resistance and crush resistance are.  The largest suitcases that are within airline's 62" rule, (H+W+D<=62"), suffice for many.  In the US, Rubbermaid sells "Action Packers"  http://www.rei.com/product/663056  for the high-end fursuiter.  Many others get by with a sturdy cardboard box, (carefully stuffing the fursuit head and wrapping the suit in a plastic garbage bag before taping the box closed.)

and these action packers youre talking about are the ones the airlines do not have a problem with.... ... destroying it...
since i know a friend who almost lost two professional made fursuits by using these action packers, i wouldnt call it for high-end fursuiters.

[Recherei]

and these action packers youre talking about are the ones the airlines do not have a problem with.... ... destroying it...
since i know a friend who almost lost two professional made fursuits by using these action packers, i wouldnt call it for high-end fursuiters.

I have never flown with action packers myself, but have never had trouble with suitcases and cardboard boxes.  In the aforementioned instance, it's obvious the airline was at fault.   Have you tried flying with a more laid-back, less-demonstrative airline?

[Cheetah]

From my personal experience with ANY airline: Plastic Boxes WILL be destroyed. Period. It does not matter which brand, action packer, or not Use metal cases, preferable the Zarges ones. Normal aluminum boxes won't be destroyed, but usually will be deformed so that you won't be able to re-use them.

Especially on intercontinental flights, your box might end up underneath the combined weight of the luggage of 1000 other passengers, and it needs to be able to withstand the pressure. Also, airport personnel tends to be very rough with your checked luggage. It gets thrown around a lot, and if your box lands on an edge or a corner, the mechanical shearing forces can be surprisingly destructive even if the abuse isn't that bad.

[Recherei]

From my personal experience with ANY airline: Plastic Boxes WILL be destroyed. Period. It does not matter which brand, action packer, or not Use metal cases, preferable the Zarges ones. Normal aluminum boxes won't be destroyed, but usually will be deformed so that you won't be able to re-use them.

Especially on intercontinental flights, your box might end up underneath the combined weight of the luggage of 1000 other passengers, and it needs to be able to withstand the pressure. Also, airport personnel tends to be very rough with your checked luggage. It gets thrown around a lot, and if your box lands on an edge or a corner, the mechanical shearing forces can be surprisingly destructive even if the abuse isn't that bad.

That follows my working hypothesis on the decision making process of airline luggage handlers.  When loading an aircraft, they have to decide which pieces to put on the bottom of the pile and which should be reserved for the top.  When presented with an undamaged apparantly sturdy, and conveniently rectangular piece, their inclination is to toss it in and make sure it is on the bottom.  If something looks like it may fall apart if given any serious abuse, they will handle it more carefully making sure it isn't crushed.  I believe most travelers' experiences will bear this out.  It isn't their intention to damage luggage.  It's simply survival of the weakest. 

Given that precondition you should select your packing box accordingly.

[Cheetah]

That's entirely based upon assumption.

[Drift]

@Recherei: I must admit that the working "hypothesis" makes sense, but unfortunately it is just that. We can not be sure how the luggage is handeld, and even if lighter bags are really given extra care by airport personel, it can still end up being shifted around or turned upside down or thrown down during the transfer progress.

Especially over the last three years, I flew quite a lot across Europe (@ once a month). I can say that I would never ever take the risk in using cardboard boxes for something as valuable as a suit head! After every journey, my bag was a bit more destroyed than before.
My last suit case (medium quality) lived for one year and 2 months until I could not use it any more.
The suit case I use at the moment (good quality, it is 4 months old) already has deep scratches and a torn off zipper.
I am not going to advertise flight companies now, but I am using 5 different companies operating in Europe, cheap ones and "better" ones, the impact on he bags always beeing the same.

So especially for suit - heads I advice cases with hard plastic shells, alluminium boxes or: if small enough, take them in the plane as hand luggage.

[Zefiro]

So, there is a whole container full of baggage of different kind, and another container or the aircraft storage area. It needs to be filled quickly, and will be packed by stacking - one item over another, when the available base area is full.

What do you expect them to do? Play Towers of Hanoi?

*purrrr*

[kyyanno]

One thing to do (though there is *no* guarantee at all of how much notice will be taken of them) is to stick "Fragile" and "Handle With Care" labels onto the box that you use, complete with the internationally recognised ISO symbols. I used a £12 plastic tuff-box from a UK DIY chain, covered it on all viewable sides with said labels, including across the interlocking lid (forming a semi-security seal), and it got from here to Germany and back via aircraft hold without so much as a scratch, bend, dent, chip or stress mark.

[Ozone.Colfy]

planning to Order one of these next payday http://www.storagetrunks.co.uk/index.php
A couple of my relatives recomendde them and they're not too steeply priced either, only problem is they only ship to the uk