Large Tent as a Checked Bag?

[Smashley_RR]

My husband and I are planning to travel from Ohio out to Montana this summer but cannot figure out if our tent will be able to be checked. We made sure our stations do checked baggage, we just want to be sure we will have a tent to travel with. We have a larger tent, not a backpacking tent, and would prefer not to buy a new one for this journey.

It is in its own carrying bag and under the linear inches and weight for checked bags. All the posts I have seen are about small tents that are in other suitcases/luggage. This would just be the tent in its own nylon, zippered bag, that has a couple click straps on top and long carrying handles. It seems to us like it could be considered a "Special" checked baggage item, but not specifically listed there and the chat function was not helpful in answering this question.

We do not have much cross-country Amtrak experience, so any wisdom on this subject would be helpful! Thank you!

 

[Maglev]

...It is in its own carrying bag and under the linear inches and weight for checked bags....This would just be the tent in its own nylon, zippered bag, that has a couple click straps on top and long carrying handles...

There should be no problem with this. I hope you have a great trip!

 

[tgstubbs1]

I'm sure they would allow it. Does it have metal or fiberglass poles?

 

[John Santos]

My small, but much larger than backpacking sized, 2-person tent with metal poles fits easily inside a large LL Bean roller duffel bag, along with most of my camping equipment, hiking boots, sleeping bag, pad, etc. No problem checking it on Amtrak.

Don't carry camp stove or lantern fuel, e.g. butane, propane, etc. in your luggage It is hazardous and not allowed. I buy my fuel at a camping or outdoor store near my destination and leave any leftovers at the registration place with a note "free to a good home." Stoves and lanterns without the fuel tank are fine. I would avoid gasoline (Coleman fuel, aka naptha or white gas) or kerosene stoves or lanterns as they are hard to thoroughly dry out and trying to empty them, you risk spilling the fuel.

 

[MARC Rider]

My small, but much larger than backpacking sized, 2-person tent with metal poles fits easily inside a large LL Bean roller duffel bag, along with most of my camping equipment, hiking boots, sleeping bag, pad, etc. No problem checking it on Amtrak.

Don't carry camp stove or lantern fuel, e.g. butane, propane, etc. in your luggage It is hazardous and not allowed. I buy my fuel at a camping or outdoor store near my destination and leave any leftovers at the registration place with a note "free to a good home." Stoves and lanterns without the fuel tank are fine. I would avoid gasoline (Coleman fuel, aka naptha or white gas) or kerosene stoves or lanterns as they are hard to thoroughly dry out and trying to empty them, you risk spilling the fuel.

I once took a white gas stove on a camping trip that involved Amtrak. At the end of the trip, I had to spend a good amount of time sitting around (in an outdoor location, of course, that was NOT the station platform) running the stove until all the fuel was used up so that I could take it on board with me for my return ride home.

 

[tgstubbs1]

Those little folding Sterno stoves are handy and don't have any flammable parts.

 

[CCC1007]

Which station are you getting off at? That determines whether or not there is Checked Baggage service.