How to secretly pack a leather jacket to Disney World?

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Sun, 10/13/2013 - 04:09

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Mushi404

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How to secretly pack a leather jacket to Disney World?

Hi everyone! My husband is a HUGE Tron fan, and so I got him a replica of the leather jacket that Sam Flynn wears in his motorcycle sequence. I mean, he's such a huge fan, that he got a motorcycle that resembles the light bikes.....he also has a tron riding jacket that has the photo reflective tape to look like the circuitry and disk. We'll be celebrating his birthday while we're there, but it'll be about 6 days after we get there.

I read that you aren't supposed to keep leather jackets folded for long, and/or let them get wet. We'll be coming from a super dry place (NM) to Florida! I'm worried it'll sweat due to climate change and maybe get moldy by the time he opens his present. It also smells so strong of leather that he can't go into the newly named "Disney Room", lol, it made the whole room smell like his jacket. I've been periodically checking on the jacket in the secret room, I got a padded hanger for it, so it wouldn't make creases. But, is a week too long to keep it folded? So, I'm wondering if there's a special way to gift wrap the jacket, so that he can't smell it in the luggage, as well as a way to make it not get moldy/crack before he opens it. Otherwise, there will be a secret luggage as well....I'm stuck in a rut

Sun, 10/13/2013 - 06:22

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MrHub

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You could ship it to your resort.

Sun, 10/13/2013 - 13:18

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Vettelover

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Like mrhub said I would have it shipped to the resort. Some places can even help you package it, and ship it for you.

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Sun, 10/13/2013 - 17:16

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AnnielovesDisney

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I live in Florida and you do have to be concerned about leather getting moldy from the humidity. It can get moldy surprisingly fast here in Florida. You don't have to worry about the jacket once it is in the resort, because it is climate controlled. I would be worried about the shipping or flying process. Either way you choose to get it to Florida and get it back home, it will be spending a considerable amount of time in the extreme humidity without A/C.

If it were a gift for my husband, I wouldn't risk it getting ruined. Of course, it may be perfectly fine, there is no guarantee. I've lived in FL. for ten years and I've had many things get ruined by humidity, at all different times of the year, not just in the summer months.

Have you considered keeping the jacket at home and saving it to give to him as soon as you get home? It sounds like he is going to LOVE this jacket and you're going to love giving it to him. Maybe you could save it at home as his one, last big birthday hoorah

Sun, 10/13/2013 - 16:00

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A couple of thoughts:

#1: Ship it, as has been suggested.

#2: Package it tightly in plastic garbage bags (thinking the really thick contractor ones). Seal it with duct tape and lay it flat on the bottom of your largest suitcase. pack on top of it.

#3: Wrap up something that relates to Tron and include a picture of the jacket. Have him unwrap that (maybe it could be waiting in the room for him when you get back from the parks one day) and give him the actual jacket when you get home.

I would personally go with #3. With my luck, my luggage would get lost or stolen and that would be the item I could never replace. Plus then you don't have to worry about it sitting out on the tarmac getting wet or rained on in between flights.

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Sun, 10/13/2013 - 18:12

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Maybe use one of those vacuum packing bags?

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Sun, 10/13/2013 - 19:17

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Revroy wrote:

Maybe use one of those vacuum packing bags?

I was wondering that too, if its a vacuum sealed it wouldn't smell and shouldn't get any moisture in it.

Mon, 10/14/2013 - 03:18

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mrhub wrote:

Revroy wrote:
Maybe use one of those vacuum packing bags?

I was wondering that too, if its a vacuum sealed it wouldn't smell and shouldn't get any moisture in it.

I was thinking of vacuum sealing it too. But, I once brought home mochi (snacks) from Hawaii, which was vacuum sealed and it had moisture inside of the bag, even with the little crystals. I was wondering if I could use bags of rice? I heard that rice absorbs moisture, maybe I could get a needle, puncture the bag a lot, fill up a bunch of ziplocs filled with rice and pack those with the jacket. That way I can gift wrap his jacket and just place the mini ziplocs throughout his jacket. Do you think that will work?

Tue, 10/15/2013 - 00:01

revral

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I think I'd either leave it at home & give it to him when you get back or give it to him before you leave & let him wear it on the trip if he chooses to. If I was going to bring it or send it ahead of me I definitely wouldn't pack it in a checked bag as I never check anything that I can't be without (ei. prescription meds, cash & cards) or that I'm not willing to have lost or stolen. If I do have to pack something in a checked bag that I don't want lost or stolen I minimize the risk of stolen happening by making the item as difficult as I can to get to. I was given a Swiss army knife as a Christmas gift one year & had to pack it in a checked bag so not wanting it stolen I put it in the toe of a shoe, stuffed the shoe full socks,packed the shoe so it would be difficult to get to & out of the suitcase quickly & zipped the bag up so that the zipper pulls were at the opposite end of the bag. I live in the Seattle are & have leather jackets that have gotten wet & even soaked numerous times & are still in good condition. However, they've always been hung up to dry & are stored hanging in a closet & not in any sort of protective bag hanging or otherwise. I wouldn't store or pack the jacket in plastic for any longer than it takes to get it home from the store or the cleaners.

Tue, 10/15/2013 - 02:09

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revral wrote:

I think I'd either leave it at home & give it to him when you get back or give it to him before you leave & let him wear it on the trip if he chooses to. If I was going to bring it or send it ahead of me I definitely wouldn't pack it in a checked bag as I never check anything that I can't be without (ei. prescription meds, cash & cards) or that I'm not willing to have lost or stolen. If I do have to pack something in a checked bag that I don't want lost or stolen I minimize the risk of stolen happening by making the item as difficult as I can to get to. I was given a Swiss army knife as a Christmas gift one year & had to pack it in a checked bag so not wanting it stolen I put it in the toe of a shoe, stuffed the shoe full socks,packed the shoe so it would be difficult to get to & out of the suitcase quickly & zipped the bag up so that the zipper pulls were at the opposite end of the bag. I live in the Seattle are & have leather jackets that have gotten wet & even soaked numerous times & are still in good condition. However, they've always been hung up to dry & are stored hanging in a closet & not in any sort of protective bag hanging or otherwise. I wouldn't store or pack the jacket in plastic for any longer than it takes to get it home from the store or the cleaners.

That's a great idea, to put it into my carry on! Maybe I'll also do the putting a photo of it in the present as well, since we'll be going through such a big climate change. I didn't know leather jackets were so fragile when I bought it. I'm not sure I'd love for him to have it on his actual birthday though. But, then again, I don't think he'll use it while we're there. Hmmm.

Wed, 10/16/2013 - 12:19

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My first thought was to ship it, but in reading this thread now I think - yikes! That's a lot of trouble just to get a jacket to Florida and back. I think I might look for an alternative - maybe an early birthday celebration before you leave so that he can see it?

Wed, 10/16/2013 - 17:15

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Mushi404

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Kristen K. wrote:

My first thought was to ship it, but in reading this thread now I think - yikes! That's a lot of trouble just to get a jacket to Florida and back. I think I might look for an alternative - maybe an early birthday celebration before you leave so that he can see it?

I think you're right, because, oh my goodness, it is a bit of trouble. He'll still have something to open while we're there, he still has his birthday shirt (made of cotton! phew!) that I made for him to wear around the parks on his actual birthday. Thanks everyone!