Checking Large Haul Bags

Do large haul bags (metolius el cap or BD zion) count as oversize luggage? Anyone have experience going on Southwest and checking an el cap-sized bag? Won't be full of course, but I'd rather not waste space by stuffing the entire haul bag into another suitcase.

Thanks

Sean

Most airlines will put that info on their website (weight and dimensions). My last trip overseas, Turkish didn't have an issue with a big haul bag, but Aegean and Ryanair did. My partner and I ended up taking two Half Dome bags as checked luggage and daypacks for carry on.

Flew my full Bdel Zion from SFO to North Carolina as normal checked luggage. Have to watch the weight though. Ended up bring most of my nonpointy piton as carry on

The most common dimensional limit for checked airline luggage is 62" (Length + Width + Height). That being said, I've checked duffles bigger than that and had no problem because the agents were just eyeballing and it wasn't grossly over-sized (18" diameter x 36" long = 72 total linear inches).

Since I don't like the stress from worrying about a fussy agent with a tape measure, and because I had trouble keeping it under the 50 pound limit anyhow, I'm thinking of switching to two slightly smaller bags. If I can fit all my gear in the smaller one, awesome. If not, the second bag fee is the same as the oversize fee, so it's a wash and I get to have much more capacity than the single sorta-monster-sized bag.

The largest haul bags absolutely fit into the oversize category. It's mostly a question as to whether the gate agent is going to enforce the rules or not. I wouldent take the risk. The total for a roundtrip ticket would be $280+ for one bag with the oversize fee. Oversize is typically $200 round trip plus whatever their standard bag fee is ($15 or 25 per way). That's just for one bag. For less than that price you could buy the haul bag brand new and just throw it away at the end of the trip...

Another option is to ship it to your destination and pick it up at the post office or UPS.

Rich Murray wrote:If not, the second bag fee is the same as the oversize fee, so it's a wash and I get to have much more capacity than the single sorta-monster-sized bag.

Not sure who you're flying with, but I fly all the time and I've never found that to be the case. Second bag is typically $25 or 35 each way. Oversize or overweight is typically $100 per way plus the standard bag fee. In any case, all that info is on the website.

I have checked a little bit smaller one several times. Due to the size difference, I can't really say what they'll accept.

I just wanted to throw out a general warning. Every single time, without exception, that I've checked my haulbag it has been searched. Now I honestly don't care if they rifle through my stuff. The problem is that on two occasions they couldn't figure out how to close it, so it came out on the carousel half open. I'm amazed that I didn't lose anything.

So word of warning, don't pack loose things on top. Don't do a brilliant tetris job of packing it. Don't overfill it. And hopefully TSA won't screw it up too bad.

BTW, I have heard rumors (completely third or fourth hand and unsubstantiated) of haulbags being slit open to search when they couldn't open it. Maybe if it were tattered enough they'd just think it was a garbage bag, I don't know. It's probably not true, I shouldn't spread rumors.

I've flown many times with my full-size haul bag (twice with a portaledge in it that put it quite a bit oversize), and have never been charged extra. In fact, it's my go-to luggage. Just play it cool.

Sometimes it arrives on the oversize carousel instead of the main carousel, but that's it.

In my [substantial] experience, airlines carry not a bit of the size of your pig. It's all about weight.

If you are lucky at the airport, after weigh in they will have you roll your pig over to the oversize baggage ramp. If you are like me, after weighing in your pig, you will take the thirty extra pounds of gear you temporarily hid in your carry-on, and put it in the pig between weigh-in and send off on the oversize ramp. ;)