Date: Mon, 5 Jun 1995 11:56:58 -1000 From: tanaka_be@swam1.enet.dec.com (Bert Tanaka) Message-Id: <9506052155.AA21203@us3rmc.pa.dec.com> Organization: Harvard University Office of Information Technology Subject: Kite Ideas - Kite Travel Case On the team that I fly on, our tail gunner, Rod Smith, is a pool man in real life. Rod has access to pool supplies and has made the team some pretty neat kite cases we use for travel. Rod makes a tube out of Coex drain pipe. Its a PVC type material. About 6 1/4" in diameter, very strong, and has a finished weight of 8 lbs. The pipe comes apart in the middle. One half of the pipe has a flared collar that the other half of the pipe telescopes down into until it forms a rigid, unbending single tube. Each end of the tube has been sealed and re-enforced. As far as its strength goes, I can stand on the tube without crushing it. The tube will hold 6 kites, maybe 8 with careful packing. So, you pull the tube apart to pack it, and then just push its mate back together when you're ready to ship. Here's the cool part. Rod made these tubes so that their length fits exactly into an MLD kite bag. The bag keeps the tube together, and even has a handy shoulder strap you can lug it around with. ;-) True, the bag has to go thru over-sized luggage in the airport due to its size, but we don't even have to break our kites down and for someone as lazy as I am, that's worth it right there. If you should do this, be sure to remember to tie all the zippers together so that the bag cannot open during transit, and you will have to unhook the strap from the bag once airport baggage handling receives it. Good Winds, Bert = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Tue, 6 Jun 1995 09:18:44 -1000 From: sasaki@netopd.harvard.edu (Marty Sasaki) Message-Id: <3r29ml$e8u@netope.harvard.edu> Organization: Harvard University - OIT/NSD Subject: Re: Kite Ideas - Kite Travel Case In article <9506052155.AA21203@us3rmc.pa.dec.com>, tanaka_be@swam1.enet.dec.com (Bert Tanaka) writes: |>Rod makes a tube out of Coex drain pipe. Its a PVC type material. About |>6 1/4" in diameter, very strong, and has a finished weight of 8 lbs. The |>pipe comes apart in the middle. ...other stuff deleted... I use the heavy cardboard tubes used to pour concrete foundations and columns that are available at builders supply places. They come in different diameters and different lengths. I slip an 8 inch in diameter tube into an MLD bag. Works great for me, although someone did have damaged kites using one of these tubes. I often use cable ties to close off the zippers for the bags rather than locks... -- Marty Sasaki Harvard University Sasaki Kite Fabrications sasaki@noc.harvard.edu Network Services Division 90 Melrose Street 617-496-4320 10 Ware Street Arlington, MA 02174 Cambridge, MA 02138-4002 phone/fax: 617-646-1925 = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Wed, 7 Jun 1995 03:57:03 -1000 From: ilh@lcs.mit.edu (Lee Hetherington) Message-Id: Organization: MIT/LCS Spoken Language Systems Subject: Re: Kite Ideas - Kite Travel Case In article <3r29ml$e8u@netope.harvard.edu> sasaki@netopd.harvard.edu (Marty Sasaki) writes: | I use the heavy cardboard tubes used to pour concrete foundations and | columns that are available at builders supply places. They come in | different diameters and different lengths. I slip an 8 inch in | diameter tube into an MLD bag. Works great for me, although someone | did have damaged kites using one of these tubes. That would be me. I used some of these 8 inch, heavy duty cardboard tubes, and it was crushed by an airline. That crunch crushed about 4-5 SkySharks (including older VIIp!) in a couple of kites. Bummer. Now, this travel was during the winter, and the kites likely were stacked up with skiis. I'm guessing I'd probably be fine at other times of the year. I'd rather use 8 inch PVC if I could find it locally. -- Lee Hetherington ilh@lcs.mit.edu = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Sun, 4 Jun 1995 04:08:35 -1000 From: jbacon@ftp.com (John Bacon) Message-Id: <950604140835@toymaker> Organization: FTP Software, North Andover, Massachusetts Subject: Re: Kite Ideas - Kite Travel Case In article ilh@lcs.mit.edu (Lee Hetherington) writes: >>That would be me. I used some of these 8 inch, heavy duty cardboard >>tubes, and it was crushed by an airline. That crunch crushed about 4-5 >>SkySharks (including older VIIp!) in a couple of kites. Bummer. >> >>Now, this travel was during the winter, and the kites likely were >>stacked up with skiis. I'm guessing I'd probably be fine at other times >>of the year. I'd rather use 8 inch PVC if I could find it locally. I found my solution to travelling with kites from the fishing industry. I had my father (he owns a custom fly rod company) pick up a shipping tube for me. Cost under $10.00 holds 2-3 kites nicely (4" diameter) Airline certified liteweight pvc with lockable caps. You can also buy them at Sprots Authority, Hermans, and other large sporting goods stores. If you are worried about the pvc tube, for about $20.00 you can get a really nice aluminum case that will hold 1 kite. Kinda expensive for a big collection, but the aluminum cases look great. The pvc should be more than strong enough. My dad has used them to ship $800 - $2000 rods in for quite a few years with no problems. BTW, they are a lot lighter than the cardboard tubes. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- John Bacon | NERO International Rules Coordinator Customer Education | NERO International Office FTP Software Inc. | 1(413)477-6677 2 High Street | N. Andover, Ma 01845 | The Toymaker ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Check out FTP Software's Customer Education Department Home Page http://www-custserv.ftp.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Mon, 19 Jun 1995 19:40:10 -1000 From: bgl@aol.com (BGL) Message-Id: <3s5mvq$od8@newsbf02.news.aol.com> Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364) Subject: Re: Kite Ideas - Kite Travel Case For 8-inch PVC, try an irrigation supply. cheers brooks (kyteman@aol.com) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =