How to safely prep a stick to ship that is inexpensive

[HockeySavants 5]

I've been shipping more sticks and shafts lately and have always wondered why people put sticks in oversized boxes and charge people absurd shipping costs.

My way is very effective, safe, and keeps the package very light weight so that we both benefit from the shipping costs!

Materials needed:

Plastic Wrap (I used walmart brand, works fine since it's OEM reynolds)

Bubble Wrap (your standard bubble wrap should do)

Scotch Tape (Scotch brand....simple enough...although I use Staples)

Packaging Tape (Don't use cheap packaging tape! hard to work with and tends to come off easy! I used Bandit One Arm)

Painters Tape (optional) (I used Scotch brand)

1. Wrap the entire stick in a layer of plastic wrap. If you know how to tape a hockey stick, this should be just as easy. I always start from the knob to the bottom and work my way around the blade.

2. Wrap the stick up in bubble wrap, I start from the knob with strips that will wrap around just enough to overlap a bit. Be sure to leave 2-3 inches at the top of the knob. You can double up on the layer if you wish but not necessary. Wrapping the blade can be tricky but same as blade tape method. I use Scotch tape to keep the bubble wrap in place before I'm able to wrap it with packaging tape.

2 a. Tape up the blade with the packaging tape just like blade tape until there is no exposed bubble wrap.

Here's the blade covered completely.

3. With the 2-3 inches of bubble wrap at the top of the knob, fold it down and tape it in place.

4. Now time to use the packaging tape to completely cover up the shaft, this allow the bubble wrap to remain protected during shipment and to be exposed to the elements. You will need to do 3 strips, each wrapping around the blade vertically. Some people may want to wrap the tape completely around the shaft and that's fine, but I find this neater and uses less tape.

Image is hard to see, but you can see the tape on the side ready to be wrapped around the shaft. It takes 3 strips to cover the entire shaft

voila! You can see the thickness of the packaging, trust me everyone who's received my sticks have been pleased.

5. Next using the painters tape, I wrap it around the knob, this helps keep the knob from possibly opening up during shipment, I choose painters tape since it tends to stick to the surface quite well.

6. Last step, if you're concerned with the packaging tape undoing itself or used cheap packaging tape, candy cane a layer of Painters Tape around the stick so that it stays in place.

This alone qualifies for USPS First Class since these sticks are so light nowadays, I paid $3.80 to ship I believe. Much better than $15-20 right?

[vapor lover 0]

this is great, exept wouldnt there be the possiblility of something landing on the stick and it breaking in 2?

[niXon 4]

Looks like it would be a nightmare to unwrap.

[Stoop 1]

This alone qualifies for USPS First Class since these sticks are so light nowadays, I paid $3.80 to ship I believe. Much better than $15-20 right?

$3.80?? I've been getting robbed.

this is great, exept wouldnt there be the possiblility of something landing on the stick and it breaking in 2?

Good point, though cardboard might not really prevent it. And at that price, might as well add on all the insurance.

[noodle3872 40]

I don't understand the point of using shrink wrap against the stick; it'd be a bitch to get off when unwrapping and would almost force the receiver to use a razor blade to remove it. I use self-adhering bubble wrap against the stick and then wrap with shrink wrap securing the ends with packing tape and that's it. I suppose I could incorporate the painter tape prior to shrink wrapping but I've never worried about somebody opening the package when shipping within USA borders. Across borders, I'd consider it.

[bigdmac 12]

Looks like it would be a nightmare to unwrap.

It's better than unwrapping a broken stick!

[Chadd 916]

Bubble wrap covered with a garbage bag that has been sliced up covered with packing tape. I usually offer the person buying the opportunity to pay for insurance. If they decline, any damage is on them.

[HockeySavants 5]

this is great, exept wouldnt there be the possiblility of something landing on the stick and it breaking in 2?

I get this question all the time, I have them mark it as fragile and can always add insurance if they pay for it. But seriously these sticks are used for shooting pucks and winning face offs. Unless the Postal workers actually take your stick and slam it on the ground they will not break during shipment.

The reason I wrap it in plastic wrap is a habit from having worked in retail and we'd used to wrap up open box TVs and what not and has been cheap and effective way to protect from scratches and nicks.

It's actually not that hard to unwrap, you make a small cut in the middle then using a blade or scissors you can cut it in half vertically.

I think it's better for USPS to know what you're shipping and they will be more careful as a result, putting a stick in a box only promotes more picking up and tossing into the truck if you ask me.

[Vet88 674]

Got to agree with everything you say. Cardboard does diddly squat to protect your stick when something is dropped on it, all it does it add cost in the form of empty space around the stick. If only everyone else shipped their sticks to me like this, I'd save a fortune in shipping costs......

[fatwabbit 93]

Or you could have someone fill up a box full of shafts/OPS before shipping. Two good buddies of mine in the US consolidate shafts/OPS before shipping them to me. 6 shafts/OPS to Australia for $30-40 is a great deal.

[bostonjuniorblackhawks 1]

Bubble wrap covered with a garbage bag that has been sliced up covered with packing tape. I usually offer the person buying the opportunity to pay for insurance. If they decline, any damage is on them.

^this

the only three things you really need to protect the shaft as much as you can is the garbage back cut up into strips, bubble wrap, and tape. If it's a stick I just put cardboard around the toe to protect it a bit more. Protects it from everything except for getting snapped in half which has happened before

[HockeySavants 5]

I just got an RS today and the cardboard box was beat up to hell. I had to cut the box completely open to pull the stick out since it had crushed around the blade.

I have shipped out 5 sticks/shafts using my method and all have said that it arrived perfectly.

[voxyledbetter 9]

I just shipped out a couple blades today, and I just wanted to say thanks to HockeySavants for posting this. I followed this set up and was able to ship them just like the pics above vs. putting it in a box. The box would have been over twice the price to ship...

Thanks again!

[mapenasty 1]

Bubble wrap is for cushioning only, it won't protect your stick from being supported unequally on the ends, which is where most failures occur. You are essentially wasting your money buying bubble wrap for this.

I'm a packaging engineer, and I've tested and designed packaging materials for sticks, fishing rods, and tons of other odd shaped items.

Here's what I would do. Stretch wrap the stick, tape a wooden dowel to it, wrap the whole thing in kraft paper. If UPS and Fedex damage your product during shipping, they can legally not pay you the value of the item if they determine there was an insufficient level of packaging. You can refute the claim by testing the package in a lab. This design would easily pass any testing criteria that is thrown at it. It also takes up minimal space and is probably even cheaper then the bubble wrap.

[Amiroo39 121]

Bubble wrap is for cushioning only, it won't protect your stick from being supported unequally on the ends, which is where most failures occur. You are essentially wasting your money buying bubble wrap for this.

I'm a packaging engineer, and I've tested and designed packaging materials for sticks, fishing rods, and tons of other odd shaped items.

Here's what I would do. Stretch wrap the stick, tape a wooden dowel to it, wrap the whole thing in kraft paper. If UPS and Fedex damage your product during shipping, they can legally not pay you the value of the item if they determine there was an insufficient level of packaging. You can refute the claim by testing the package in a lab. This design would easily pass any testing criteria that is thrown at it. It also takes up minimal space and is probably even cheaper then the bubble wrap.

Is there any way you could post a couple of pics of this method?

Also, when easton sends me a stick, its just wrapped in a garbage bagish material, no bubble no nothing. thanks in advance.

[SirJW 207]

Bubble wrap is for cushioning only, it won't protect your stick from being supported unequally on the ends, which is where most failures occur. You are essentially wasting your money buying bubble wrap for this.

I'm a packaging engineer, and I've tested and designed packaging materials for sticks, fishing rods, and tons of other odd shaped items.

Here's what I would do. Stretch wrap the stick, tape a wooden dowel to it, wrap the whole thing in kraft paper. If UPS and Fedex damage your product during shipping, they can legally not pay you the value of the item if they determine there was an insufficient level of packaging. You can refute the claim by testing the package in a lab. This design would easily pass any testing criteria that is thrown at it. It also takes up minimal space and is probably even cheaper then the bubble wrap.

How thick should the dowel be?

[quinton1 4]

I just buy the black liner that you use for gardens, I believe it's a few mils thick, cut it into sheets,then wrap it like a present, then candy cane the entire shaft/stick. I have shipped 300-400 shafts like this USPS priority mail with no problems what so ever