Maintenance Travelling with a Doll

There are carriers you can get! There was also a tutorial on how to make one, in the annals of DoA history.

I know Dollmore has some, and I’m sure other companies do, too. Dealers also have them. I like the two-doll carrier from Dollmore that I got because you can store lots of other things in it, not just dolls. It’s functionally a really big purse.

But I think wrapping them in cushions and keeping them in their own luggage should suffice. I’d also think keeping them with you, if you can, is best. I personally wouldn’t let a non-hobbyist tossing luggage on a plane (for example) handle something with my doll in it.

 

I've traveled with dolls several times, both with them "sitting" in a rolling suitcase and in a doll case. In a doll case, you don't have to pack them quite as carefully (depending on the case) but I used their clothes and a few towels for extra protection. In the suitcase, I made sure they were secure, wrapped well, in a good position, and didn't put anything heavy on them.

I do have two cautions from personal experience!

1. If your dolls are in a long case (particularly SD size) tote bags and other small carry on luggage will fit in front of it or behind it, but larger rolling suitcases will not. Someone who boarded the plane after me with a rolling bag was not happy that my bag was already up there...

2. Keep them easily accessible. Dolls may look strange on a scanner, and they might want to take them out to look at them. The easier security can see what they are, the faster you can move on!

Happy travels~

 

I travel a lot with my dolls, but only once on a plane. I wrapped doll in a flannel baby blanket and had him on top of camera as knew bag would be x-rayed. Now a days they will pull items out. I prefer driving trips so still packed in backpack, but goes with me everywhere from Disney World parks, to National Parks. I think size does matter, I have taken SD13 dolls to Pukifee size, and the smaller the better if you have any walking to do with doll. Also consider fragility, as the bigger the doll the more padding needed. If you have a small purse that can fit in your doll bag, great, because most airlines will only allow a carry on and your personal bag. So if you're bringing a doll the less room they take the better.

 

I've found Yoga-mat bags to be great carriers, if you don't have the time to wait for a 'proper' one. Just pad it with towels. And yeah keep them as carry-on if possible. I'd only have unstrung dolls (still well padded in small boxes) in check-in bags. Of course, If you don't intend to interact with or photograph your doll during travel-time you could have them unstrung in the carry-on too.

 

Omg, that is super clever!!! I really like that!

 

I travel a lot with my dolls. I managed to get a rather good deal of carrier bag. But to secure further I wrapped them in bubble wrap so they didn't move around too much. I suggest u wrapped them with clothes or towels to secure them further. Make sure those clothes are not the type can smudge things.

I did sewn a carrier bag for my msd:


As for my yosd, I did managed to find a perfect case to carry her around at Daiso for $1.28:

 

I've brought dolls with me on travels multiple times, including car trips, buses and airplanes. Depending on the rest of my luggage, I'll have my chosen doll (or dolls) in my backpack or their own suitcase. That means:

- If backpack, the doll is made to kneel and I put on the face mask, plus wrap a towel around them, making sure there's some between the legs so they don't bump into each other. If the hands are delicate I also wrap those individually in little felt sleeves I have. The doll is then placed inside the backpack along with whatever else I'm taking with me.

- If suitcase, I have a carry on one with wheels that I use just for them. I can fit two 60-65cm dolls in it by having them with their legs up against their body. Might be able to add a smaller one along but I haven't tried to yet. I place a towel half on the inside of the suitcase, then the doll in the aforementioned position (with face mask and the felt sleeves from the previous method), then fold the rest of the towel above them and secure them with the belts that come with the suitcase to keep things from moving too much. If possible get a corner of the towel between the legs. If I'm taking just one doll, the other half usually has clothes and the like. If I'm taking two dolls then rinse and repeat on the other side of the suitcase.

Both methods are good if you ask me, it depends how much stuff you can carry with you. I've had airport security ask to check them before, but they never had me remove them, just uncover them so they can see it's indeed a doll. At most I had airport security in the US ask to look under the doll pieces (in this specific case I was carrying two dolls disassembled plus other things), because I also had a snow globe and he wanted to check it since the x-ray caught glass and he had to check (at least that's the explanation he gave me, he didn't seem at all interested in my disassembled 65cm naked male doll, haha).

In terms of carrying your doll with you around while already at your destination, make sure it's a weight you can stand to carry all day or that it's possible to rest and/or drop them off somewhere. Some dolls are pretty heavy and depending on what you'll be doing, they might be a little too much. If I'm bringing a heavy doll with me I make sure it's only one and I'll have places to rest during the day. I have a very small one I take on every trip who has his own case (which I adapted myself) that's small but secure so I can carry it in whatever bag I have.

Sorry for the wall of text, I got a bit carried away

 

I traveled with two real pukis to tenn. I put them in a glasses case and places the case in my purse lol. We drove so they were pretty well protected but I didn’t bring them along to our daily outings. I went with family and they are not fans of my dolls (although my realpukis don’t get as much attitude as my msd and larger)

 

When I came home from my trip to Japan last year I brought an Unoa l-bi home with me. Since I had never travelled with a doll by plane and had heard a few tales of luggage not always showing up at the same time you do, I wrapped him up in my hoodie and clothes that were in my carry on and just kept him with me. I never had any problems with security or the scanners going through customs either times. It was nice knowing he was close by though, so I wasn't too worried through my flights.

 

Lol my msd and sd I get told are creepy. The tinies (the 1/12 sizes) my family feels they are less creepy. Plus they look more like elves so I guess more fantasy than human.

I meant to mention that DollZone carry bags, at least the older version, isn’t to expensive. I got an SD size carry bag for about $30. I think I’ll be able to hold 2 msd in it. I may bring one msd along when we fly but I’m not sure. I m nervous about bringing them on a plane

 

I have travelled a lot with different sizes and types of bjd. The most recent traveling experience was with 2 SD16 body, with 2 heads attached to them and 2 separate heads. Before putting on a face cap, (the plastic thing that goes over the face. Sorry I haven’t been in bjd community that speaks English and am not used to English terms for stuff.) I cut shock absobing materials such as bubble wraps or soft, cushiony fabric) in rectangular form and wrapped it around forhead once and around jaw-top part of the head once (basically horizontally and vertically), then secured it with masking tape. Then I placed the plastic cap on the face and secured it with masking tape. Then I wrapped the face with bubble wraps again. I’m kind of paranoid about the face because the make up can somewhat easily be damaged. I put flat silicone piece around the joints to keep resin from grinding each other, wrap up hands and feet with bubble wraps and then wrap the whole doll with soft, thick blanket. I tend to fill up my luggage up to keep the doll from moving as well.

 

Safest way is for them to be bubble wrapped and in their own little case

 

It depends. Sometimes, they just want to see what the dolls are; sometimes, they swab them for gunshot reside (common in the US). They didn't make me fully unwrap the dolls though, especially after I said they were fragile.

They've always been really careful with them if they had to look at the dolls, and some have even asked curious questions! ^^

 

As some one whp works securegy ar an airport let me give you all som pointers.
This is for makimg your trip less stressfull.

Hardcase carryon is the best option, some travel companies will not let you bring a bag of odd proportions ombord and you do NOT want to chek your doll in ever. People loading the cargo have been known to not only trow bags but jumping on them.

If you don't whant your bag ro be opened fallow the rules to a T (you can find thies on the airports hompage usualy) and don't bring any food and preferably no large electronics theas are things the securety staff might have to poen your bag for. If you do travel with a laptop remove it this should help minimize the risk of bag opening. Don't pack things in your dolls head.

Pack securly, I have traveled with dolls and a dollbag is a bad idea as they are generaly soft it is more likley to get squised by other bags or damaged in other ways. If you use a doll bag tell secirety that the item is fragile and they will most often then not make sure the bag doues not get squised.

Most xray operators will know what a doll looks like, if they ask to look at something it is almost sertenly something else. They do not go out of their way ro look at stuff that they can clerly tell is a harmles toy. A bjd looks much like all the other dolls out there if a bitt larger. Dollfie dreams can be more scarry looking on an xray as they have an internal sceleton, this I know reom experience as i traveled with two large dolls at one point. My feeple 70 was in the caryon and my dollfie dream i put on a box. My feeple70 was ignored but the exray operator jumped when she saw the thong with a spine and a ribcage in the box.

 

When I used to have my blythe I carried her in a case just like that one. Now I use it to store brushes....

 

She did it was very funny XD she jumped up from the X-ray and ran over to the box looking a bit afraid. Priceless XD

 

Luts sells some lovely BJD suitcases that are made by an actual luggage company in Korea. I'm in love with them, I haven't traveled with mine yet but they are very sturdy! I'd still carry it on-board though, just to be sure. But can definitely be unattended in over head on a plane. S is for Yo-SD and Tinys, M for MSD, L for SD13 and SD. They are a bit pricey but if you travel frequently, or like me go long distances (Europe to US), I'd definitely recommend the investment. Dolls are precious!

 

I’m flying for the first time with a doll in October. He’s 68cm but should be able to sit in my rucksack. The rucksack doesn’t have to go in the locker, as it can go under the seat in front (I’ve had a much bigger rucksack that fit fine under there). I plan to wrap him in some clothes but there’ll be nothing else in the bag save for medication, iPad and phone, so hopefully that’ll be okay. The worst I can imagine is being asked to take him out and explain, airport security having a giggle or giving me some odd looks. A doll carry bag will be too long to count as hand luggage on a short haul European flight in economy, so it’s the rucksack or the hold and no way is he going in hold luggage!

 

My husband and I were discussing future travel plans (talking about a trip we plan to take together, plus some individual convention outings I have planned), and I explained that I really wanted to bring one of my dolls so I can take photographs of him in a new location. He suggested getting a Pelican case or other hardsided equipment case usually intended for AV equipment or other sensitive electronics, and just cut the foam inserts to fit the doll(s). I think I'll do that, as there are carry-on sized cases of that nature.

I will add that I took my MSD boy to work earlier this week for the first time, and I just "knelt" him inside a narrow box lined with bubble wrap, with more wrap around his chest in the gaps, and placed that box in a flat-bottomed bag. His head stuck out of the box but not by much, and it was a quick way to transport him a relatively short distance.

 

I'm not 100% sure if this question is fitting for this thread, but I'm not sure where else it would go:
Has anyone ever taken any animal fibre wigs, specifically alpaca, with them when taking their dolls overseas? If so, were there any issues with customs?

 

I’ve never taken them overseas, but every tome I’ve ordered alpaca/angora/any kind of fibre for doll wigs, it’s been shipped internationally and had to clear customs. I would assume they’d be fine? I would think the concerns with animal products would be for instances where they’d bring plant matter (seeds from non-native plants) or some form of disease that could transmit to other animals/people. Alpaca wigs would already be processed, and would probably be no different than bringing like a wool sweater across a border.

This answer is all speculation, however, so hopefully someone with more knowledge of airport rules can jump in?

 

Get a case/box with straps—the straps help SO much. Makes you feel better about it too. I’ve carried her sling over my shoulder and it didn’t move at all. Some even lock.

 

Answering just to book mark this thread for watching: my local doll group was very helpful and offered some easier to find alternatives for carrying a doll! From Usually most expensive to least (and ease of finding both new or used):

1. camera tripod bags
2. Cricut/silhouette machine bags
3. Yoga mat bags or gym bags.

I managed to find a plain black Cricut bag but have to be careful with the Velcro straps inside on certain fabric (like silk scarves)…

planning to sew my own as a project once I get better at seeing lol

 

I traveled with my boy from the us to Korea and on the way to carry on to scan they took him out for inspection then promptly afterwards I was free to go. It was really quick to. He’s a large boy a 75cm I used a large doll carry with strap ons also don’t forget to pack some protection like foam inside the carrying case to be extra secure.

 

I have flown several times with a SD seated and wrapped in clothes in my carryon luggage. The S hooks are evidently not an issue as I’ve never been asked to take the doll out before, even when I was pulled aside to explain some other item (power banks/chargers, pencil sharpeners, metal containers etc.)

 

The straps in mine buckle! You’re right, I’d be wary of Velcro too.