Mailing a walking stick

[upcarver]

Has anyone tried mailing a walking stick? Will the US postal service accept a 6' x 1' x 1' box? Maybe UPS or FED EX?
If it is possible to mail such a critter, how do you package it?

[TreeWizard]

I think you'll be better off with UPS or FED EX. If you take it to one of their offices they will sell you a tube to pack it in, or for a few bucks they will pack it for you.

[mpounders]

You can buy mailing tubes at Office Depot and put a couple together. I have used mailing tubes, the boxs for flourescent light fixtures, and PVC drain pipe from Home Depot. The drain pipe is a lot cheaper than mailing tubes and would be one solid piece. I shipped a large staff using 3 inch drain pipe, with a couple of wooden plugs I cut out of plywood for the ends. The post office is much cheaper than UPS/FedEx and had no problems shipping it my large PVC package!

[Buffalo Bif]

I stuck a mailing label on a 1.75" x 6' basswood blank and mailed it unwrapped, the postal employees laughed but it got there fine. I think they'll take up to 90 inches of so.

[Inadv]

This is great info everybody!! I have a very good friend on the other side of the USA who doesn't have access to walking stick material. I have been scouting and plan to grab a few when spring arrives and leaves sprout so that I can make positive ID of the ones I collect for him, and had been wondering how best to package and ship. This post answers several of my questions so thank you Upcarver for asking and thanks to all who responded with their own experiences.

L.P.

[Dileon]

Thanks for the information, I was wondering about mailing also.

[chipmunk]

Originally Posted by mpounders

You can buy mailing tubes at Office Depot and put a couple together. I have used mailing tubes, the boxs for flourescent light fixtures, and PVC drain pipe from Home Depot. The drain pipe is a lot cheaper than mailing tubes and would be one solid piece. I shipped a large staff using 3 inch drain pipe, with a couple of wooden plugs I cut out of plywood for the ends. The post office is much cheaper than UPS/FedEx and had no problems shipping it my large PVC package!

they make thin plastic end caps plugs sometimes there used for the paper tubes they are made for pvc ect. piping there a lot lighter then wood and cost a lot less they come in most sizes and can be glued[crazy] 2 drops will do... in 1 end and tape the other just a throught!

[Ron T]

Stick suppliers caution buying/shipping just one stick because it doesn't take much to break it. I've had sticks mailed to me by friends who tied them up, wrapped them in bubble wrap and slapped a label on it. They arrived intact.

If I,was sending just one stick, I would use Mike's method with the 3" pvc pipe.

[upcarver]

Really good info, everybody! I need to ship just one stick that I carved for a good friend. Think I'll try bubble wrap in a PVC tube, capped on one end and taped on the other....US al service. Will let you know how much it cost to mail.
Thanks from Georgia, y'all.

[Jim Arnold]

After trying lots of ways including those mentioned here, I buy a roll of brown kraft paper from wally world ($3/ roll and I can get 3 sticks out of a roll), roll the stick up in the width of the paper(about 24"), fold the extra 12" over (I leave an extra foot on either end), folding the 12" lap over the face of the stick. Tape it up, put a label on, done (about 5 minutes tops).

I always use the Priority Mail with the US al Service, for me, they're less expensive and more reliable then the others.