Business travel & bogu

[mark]

I travel a fair bit, and try to practice as often as I can when I do so. For example, I am traveling to Vietnam for a few weeks and would like to get in a practice in during a stop-over in Japan and one in Saigon when I arrive.

I like to travel light and it really would be convenient if I could find a way to store/ship back my equipment once I finish training and continue the next couple of weeks of my trip without having to lug my kendo gear around.

Has any one found a work around?

[xvikingx]

Send it back by surface mail if you have the time. If not see if the Vietnamese postal service has any cheap international shipping.

[Neil Gendzwill]

Some people I know who travel to Japan frequently simply keep another set there.

[Manuka]

If you are returning to the same hotel at the end of your trip they will often be able to store stuff for a week or two. That might work for Saigon ?

[namabiru]

Or does the airport do luggage storage? I know it would be a pain to have to go there just to sort it out, but if you're moving around a lot, and in/out flying out of Saigon in the end, it may work.

Or a hotel might store it, even if you have to alter your travel plans and return there to stay your last night.

I'm not sure that I would trust my bogu in the mail. I know when I moved from Japan mine went in a suitcase and stayed with me. Not saying the postal service in Vietnam is untrustworthy, but...

[mark]

Wow, thanks guys great ideas!
Neil's idea of leaving a second set would work if I was going back often enough. Unfortunately that is not the case. It however go me thinking that the cost of sending it back as xvikingx sugested on anything but surface might actually cost as much as a cheap set and might actully take a month or so to arrive. And that without taking into account the likelyhood of loosing it in the mail as namabiru pointed out. In some cases it might make sense to buy a really cheap set and donate the bogu to the local club after practice.

Manuka, I never even though of hotel storage or airport storage. I am pretty sure I can set it up to return to the same hotel before I leave. I will check it out, thanks.

BTW, as I was typing this out my wife passed by and asked me what I was typing. When she heard my answer sure enough... What? You have been harping for the last month saying that I have to travel light (2 bags) and you want to bring your kendo stuff! Folks I really, really have to find a solution, or no kendo for me on this trip :)