Airline Travel + Carry Case for 9+ Mazes
Posted: Fri Mar 29, 2019 6:07 pm
So recently moved to Germany from the USA for work and I was really at a loss for what I wanted to do with my mazes. I have heard many horror stories involving government shipping and was very apprehensive to ship my mazes with the rest of my household items as they are one of the few things I truly would be upset to lose. I did a lot of research involving cases for the mazes as well as airline travel and it was always hard to find a good answer. I know that many people have had different experiences with airport security so I wanted to give my story as well as my method of transport.
I had 9 open mazes that I did not want to close, and I did not have 9 original boxes to put them in. So I set out to find a case that would work to fit all 9 in a manor that I though would give adequate protection through an 8 hour flight. I settled on the Nanuk 908 Waterproof Hard Case. The case is 12.5" x 9.8" x 8.0", so anything near these dimensions would work. Being this deep allowed me to pack the mazes with them being open. Although in hindsight i could have just dropped the pins out of the sleeve and packed them in a shorter case. Anyhow here are some photos of the finished product. The case came with two layers of foam that have blocks that you are able to remove to create a custom layout for whatever it is you want to fit into the case. I settled on removing blocks in a 3x3 cube which seemed to be most optimal for the sleeve to fit into. This allowed me to fit a 3x3 of mazes in the case.
Photos, sorry they were too large to upload directly so you get an imgur album
When deciding how to approach security, initially I had decided to check the case in one of my suitcases. I had written a nice letter to place on the top once opened, which would explain what the puzzles were in hopes they would not mess with them or take them. In fear of them removing the mazes and possibly closing or losing the pins, I opted to carry on my mazes. My ration was I would rather the opportunity to show an agent what they were than take my chances with someone not reading my letter, or just doing whatever to the puzzles. I packed the case into my carry on roller and when I came to my turn at the scanner I put the case into its own bin and sent them through alone. They were stopped and pulled to the side, and the two agents opened the lid to the most confused look on their faces. I was able to flag them down and the agent had me show her what was going on. Since I had no shaft in my bronze I was able to easily explain what was happening and she let me move along with no problems. No swabs, no removal, no nothing just a brief explanation with me being able to show what I had. I know results my vary, but just so their is a more recent tale from someone traveling with mazes you now have mine. I also had two unopened mazes in my checked bag, which arrive untouched. As well as silver in my carry on backpack. In total i traveled with 13 mazes, all which arrived with no problems.
If anyone is worried about weight, the case + all 9 mazes (and the mini) weighted in at ~15 pounds. It is not light by any means, but you should not have any issues with carry on weight requirements.
Anyways I hope this helps someone in the future. It can be quite nerve racking when deciding how to travel with your mazes.
I had 9 open mazes that I did not want to close, and I did not have 9 original boxes to put them in. So I set out to find a case that would work to fit all 9 in a manor that I though would give adequate protection through an 8 hour flight. I settled on the Nanuk 908 Waterproof Hard Case. The case is 12.5" x 9.8" x 8.0", so anything near these dimensions would work. Being this deep allowed me to pack the mazes with them being open. Although in hindsight i could have just dropped the pins out of the sleeve and packed them in a shorter case. Anyhow here are some photos of the finished product. The case came with two layers of foam that have blocks that you are able to remove to create a custom layout for whatever it is you want to fit into the case. I settled on removing blocks in a 3x3 cube which seemed to be most optimal for the sleeve to fit into. This allowed me to fit a 3x3 of mazes in the case.
Photos, sorry they were too large to upload directly so you get an imgur album
When deciding how to approach security, initially I had decided to check the case in one of my suitcases. I had written a nice letter to place on the top once opened, which would explain what the puzzles were in hopes they would not mess with them or take them. In fear of them removing the mazes and possibly closing or losing the pins, I opted to carry on my mazes. My ration was I would rather the opportunity to show an agent what they were than take my chances with someone not reading my letter, or just doing whatever to the puzzles. I packed the case into my carry on roller and when I came to my turn at the scanner I put the case into its own bin and sent them through alone. They were stopped and pulled to the side, and the two agents opened the lid to the most confused look on their faces. I was able to flag them down and the agent had me show her what was going on. Since I had no shaft in my bronze I was able to easily explain what was happening and she let me move along with no problems. No swabs, no removal, no nothing just a brief explanation with me being able to show what I had. I know results my vary, but just so their is a more recent tale from someone traveling with mazes you now have mine. I also had two unopened mazes in my checked bag, which arrive untouched. As well as silver in my carry on backpack. In total i traveled with 13 mazes, all which arrived with no problems.
If anyone is worried about weight, the case + all 9 mazes (and the mini) weighted in at ~15 pounds. It is not light by any means, but you should not have any issues with carry on weight requirements.
Anyways I hope this helps someone in the future. It can be quite nerve racking when deciding how to travel with your mazes.