Airline Travel

southpaw coach · Oct 21, 2015

Looking for some advice. How do players who are accustomed to airline travel pack their equipment in order to protect from damage and theft during air travel?

What about team gear?

Go ahead and give me your horror stories while you're at it. Thanks!

PA SB Dad · Oct 21, 2015

Players should have their glove and cleats in their carry on bag along with uniform(s). The rest can go in checked baggage. In terms of team equipment, I give each player 2 regular softballs, 2 TCBs and 2 TCB wiffles to put in their bag to bring with them. No need for a net if you have the TCBs. I buy a $2 bucket at Home Depot if I need a bucket once I am there.

SoAZDad · Oct 21, 2015

Yup, carry on uni's, glove, and cleats. Check in the good bats. Put them in a rigid gun case.

CMMom1740 · Oct 21, 2015

What about catcher gear? Not really gonna fit in carry-on and I wouldn't just want it in the regular canvas bag it gets carried in.

OlatheDad · Oct 21, 2015

Send the bulky and heavy items FedEx ground to your hotel. Cheaper than paying excess baggage fees on the airlines. Make sure to call ahead and let the hotel know it is coming so they will accept it. You usually will need to send it 3 to 5 days ahead of time, but that should not an issue with some planning.

You can send some of the bats this way as you will get to wrap them and box them yourself.

Just a thought.

SoAZDad · Oct 21, 2015

I don't fly with catcher's gear for TB tournaments, but I'd do the same thing when I go on dive trips - I wrap my regulators and computer with my vest and wetsuits to pad them and put that in the center of my dive gear bag. Then I pad all around that with towels and clothes. Seems like catcher's gear takes a beating on the field, and I wouldn't worry about the shin guards much, just keep the helmet/mask padded toward the center of the bag.

ScottyDont · Oct 22, 2015

Every player on our showcase team takes a piece of team gear on the plane with them. Bownet, bucket of balls, whatever. Share the expense as equally as possible.

We leave bats and catcher's gear in the player bag, but we use the Mizuno bag with the hard-shell bottom so it protects the bats very well. Glove goes in the carry-on bag along with the spikes (the only two things that can't be replaced or borrowed if they get lost or damaged).

happytobeme · Oct 22, 2015

We have checked DDs bag with catchers gear and bats for several years and no airline problems. I agree with the gloves, spikes and uniforms in a carry-on bag. We did have a TSA guy give us grief once about the metal spikes (potential weapon??), but he eventually backed off.

JAD · Oct 22, 2015

happytobeme said:
We have checked DDs bag with catchers gear and bats for several years and no airline problems. I agree with the gloves, spikes and uniforms in a carry-on bag. We did have a TSA guy give us grief once about the metal spikes (potential weapon??), but he eventually backed off.

We always carry on the glove and jerseys, but check the spikes, bats and pants. Our team wears regular Mizuno pants, so they could be replaced if lost and we could buy a new pair of spikes or bat if necessary.

Airline Travel

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southpaw coach

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