Luggage please help need recommendations

[WAB]

I’ve never had a problem with checked luggage, other than one incident with a gun case being jimmied open and then taped shut by TSA. That was a crazy incident with an Americase takedown case coming out of Calgary. Other than that, TSA has gone through luggage but never taken or broken anything.

I am a minimalist traveler. All valuables, other than gun and ammo in carry on. Everything I need for a successful hunt on my person or in carry on. I can’t believe the pile of luggage I see some hunters with. Makes me wonder how much of the crap they’re hauling around actually gets used.

 

[Rimbaud]

In addition to TSA locks, I use a small zip tie on suitcases, duffels, etc. I figure that TSA locks are easy for most of the bad guys to enter, but the zip tie creates an added deterrent.

 

[JimP]

Each ticket holder checking a firearm is restricted to that 11 lbs, no matter how many rifles he has.

 

[Tanks]

Heathrow have a policy of only rifles (or ammunition) in a case

That is the case with TSA as well. No ammo in the gun case.

 

[Tanks]

Each ticket holder checking a firearm is restricted to that 11 lbs, no matter how many rifles he has.

And in Harare on the way back, they weighed my ammo WITH the case. I had leave behind $300 worth of ammo as a gift for my PH that had accompanied me to the airport.

 

[JimP]

And in Harare on the way back, they weighed my ammo WITH the case. I had leave behind $300 worth of ammo as a gift for my PH that had accompanied me to the airport.

If I shot factory ammo out of my rifles I would be more than happy to, but all of my rifle ammo is custom loaded by me for my rifles.

 

[Hyde]

I took my DSLR camera and lenses which pretty much took up most of the smaller case. On my trip via British Airways and Airlink, both airlines consider these types of cases to automatically be "FRAGILE". On my trip to Johannesburg, I waited and waited and waited until the belt finally stopped, no bags. I knew my bags had made it and were close by (air tags). I found someone to ask and she directed me to the Fragile luggage area. There they were. Oh well, 30 minutes lost but lesson learned.

 

[fourfive8]

Not to hijack this but I've wondered about how people secure their locked ammo case. Do you put it in your duffle or suitcase loose? Or do you have a wire cable that locks the box to your suit case?

I do the later when traveling with a locked pistol case in my suitcase. The pistol case is locked and then it is locked to the suitcase.

No hijack, no worries. After reading some of these posts, can’t believe some carry more than 11 lbs of ammo, no matter if weighed with case or not! I just weighed 40 rounds of loaded ammo in its lockable case and it weighed 5 lbs. What in the world are folks shooting with 11 lbs of ammo?

Ammo is “supposed” to be in its own locked case and put into checked bag. Occasionally, regional airlines serving RSA, will require ammo case be checked separately. At times they seem to make up the rules as they go. Then when claiming/ re-checking bags in JNB for connecting for return flight, you can simply place the ammo case back into your checked bag. That potentially saves an extra checked bag fee. I did that once after the regional airline out of Durban insisted I check the ammo case separately. Upon arrival at JNB, I put the ammo case into my checked bag for flight to US on Delta. Expect anything and use patience traveling anywhere in Africa.

I simply made my own lockable ammo case out of a pistol case. I added two holes for small, cheap padlocks. Glued in some foam dividers so it snugly holds two plastic, slip top ammo boxes for 40 total rounds and an average weight of 5 lbs. Has worked perfectly for several trips. I just pack it tightly in and surrounded by clothes. No issues, even in a fabric duffle.

Pics show lockable ammo case for travel

 

[WAB]

No hijack, no worries. After reading some of these posts, can’t believe some carry more than 11 lbs of ammo, no matter if weighed with case or not! I just weighed 40 rounds of loaded ammo in its lockable case and it weighed 5 lbs. What in the world are folks shooting with 11 lbs of ammo?

Ammo is “supposed” to be in its own locked case and put into checked bag. Occasionally, regional airlines serving RSA, will require ammo case be checked separately. At times they seem to make up the rules as they go. Then when claiming/ re-checking bags in JNB for connecting for return flight, you can simply place the ammo case back into your checked bag. That potentially saves an extra checked bag fee. I did that once after the regional airline out of Durban insisted I check the ammo case separately. Upon arrival at JNB, I put the ammo case into my checked bag for flight to US on Delta. Expect anything and use patience traveling anywhere in Africa.

I simply made my own lockable ammo case out of a pistol case. I added two holes for small, cheap padlocks. Glued in some foam dividers so it snugly holds two plastic, slip top ammo boxes for 40 total rounds and an average weight of 5 lbs. Has worked perfectly for several trips. I just pack it tightly in and surrounded by clothes. No issues, even in a fabric duffle.

Pics show lockable ammo case for travel

View attachment 749873View attachment 749874

I’ve pushed right to the limit with shotgun ammo. I took 28 ga to get the weight down. It’s tough to come by in remote areas and birds are a ton of fun once the buffalo is in the salt.

 

[Jay Cohea]

I stopped locking luggage years ago. It’s pointless with a zipper bag. I put nothing of any value in my check luggage and pack clothes that if taken nothing is lost.

Same here