trekking poles

There are plastic tubes you can buy. Any store that sells ski equipment will stock them. Be advised, even if you were able to fit your poles in your backpack, trekking poles can't be carried on. Because of the pointy ends, security rules mandate that poles must be checked.

Thanks Stephen. I will check out the outdoor stores today.

I used this as a fine reason to check my roll aboard suitcase. I am not as paranoid about lost luggage as for the amount of travel I've done; I've been lucky--touch wood! I found that they would fit in the luggage. Then you don't have to sweat the other rules about liquids. I still carry a day's clothing in my carry on and other essentials, and I do insure my luggage for delay and loss with my travel insurance so that my trip is not too upset if it is lost or delayed.

Pam

A few comments--

There are hiking poles with rubber ends (which I like much better than pointy ends) and,

I saw a man bring his hiking poles (with pointy ends) onto our AA flight back into the U.S. No one ever said a word to him.

We sent collapsible fishing poles in a tube one time and they lost them. They did bring them to us several days later.

Oh, another thing..

In Switzerland, stores rented poles.

If you get rubber tipped poles make sure that they don't have lovely points under them. Mine did.

Pam

My husband had a collapsible fishing pole as a carryon from Sophia to Vienna without any problems but it was taken away (wouldn't fit in a bag if he wanted it to go cargo) before the flight from Vienna to Amsterdam.

My trekking poles have rubber ends on them, but when you remove the rubber they have a rough, "grippy" end for hiking in ice and snow. They aren't pointed. I always check my main bag, though, so I don't worry about carrying them on -- they fit in the back of my suitcase alongside the shafts of the handle of my bag.

Drove all over town today looking for plastic tubes at ski stores and Canadian Tire. Victoria seems to be sold out of plastic tubes so I am going to appear at the KLM counter and plead ignorance. I figure they must have plastic bags and bubble wrap. My backpack is too small for the poles and I am too cheap to check 2 items of baggage. Thanks for all the advice. Anyone fly Ryanair with poles? We have to fly Ryanair and AirFrance with them

Cathy, Back in 1999, I flew Air France from CDG to Nice and security made me check my poles. They put them in kind of a paper bag and checked them through. They weren't wrapped or protected in any way as I had not expected them to be taken away. Fortunately, they did come out fine at the other end. I'd suggest that you be prepared to check them. If they won't fit in your suitcase, perhaps bring a small duffle bag. I think your idea of bubble wrap is a good one.

Or, you could just rent after you get there.

Thanks to all for the input. We will be walking in the middle of nowhere Sardinia and COrsica so I will have to schlep the poles all over the Med. I am counting on the "kindness of strangers" at the various airports.

How about one of the plastic tubes for blueprints? I have seen them at Office Depot and I imagine they are available at most office supply stores or maybe even Kinkos, since they copy blueprints there...

I have a feeling the blueprint tubes will be too narrow, but it is worth a try.

Cathy....Check the local Home Depot (or similar) for some strong cardboard or plastic piping tubes. The plastic ones will probably have some sort of caps where you can seal one end and keep the other end on with tape or something similar.

Eagle Creek does a small duffle that can be folded up very small and it held mine. I wrapped them up in some clothes--raincoat or similar item and then checked it. You could also wrap it in bubble pack. I like the duffle as it folds up and fits in your back pack or suitcase. The trekking poles can then sit on the outside of your pack for non-air travel. And if you buy things that need checking you're better prepared for the return trip.

Pam