Hi Fluters!
Today's blog post about how to keep your flute safe should you decide to travel with your instrument.
Here are some tips on how you can keep your flute in good condition and reduce the risk of damaging your instrument in transit.
Travelling on the go can often be stressful as you have to keep track of a lot of bags, schedules and family members. This is why I don't recommend carrying your flute as its own separate item because it can be very easy to lose track of amongst the chaos of travelling.
When I need to travel with my flute, I always try to keep it in a backpack so that it is always on me but I can keep both my hands free. You'll just need to be slightly more gentle than usual when handling the backpack, especially when you're setting it down.
The flute is held together by a lot of small, intricate pins and screws, which means that any sudden jolting impact to the case, if big enough, can move those parts out of line. Small consequences from knocking your flute constantly can include key pads no longer sealing fulling and bigger consequences can be that you potentially dent or bend parts of instrument.
Even though the flute is packed in its case, it is important to note that most standard flute case designs do not offer a great amount of protection as the parts in the case are still often loose and prone to rattling.
This is why I would never recommend packing your flute in a check-in suitcase because you cannot control how your baggage is handled at the airports. You also won't know what temperatures your suitcase will be exposed to and that can also have an effect on your instrument.
The traditional French flute case design that most flutes come in
If you own a more expensive intermediate, semi-professional or professional flute, you can also consider upgrading your flute case to give your instrument maximum protection.
Brands like BAM and Wiseman design flute cases that offers a great deal more protection to the instrument. The BAM Hightech Flute Case and Wiseman Tubular Flute & Piccolo Case are the more popular choices among those who own more expensive flutes here in Australia.
Wiseman Tubular Flute & Piccolo Case
The difference between a traditional French flute case and the Wiseman Tubular cases is that the Wiseman's case design secures each part of the flute so that there is movement at all within the case. The exterior is also much harder than a traditional French flute case and comes in a carbon fibre-made version as well. The BAM flute cases on the other hand, have the entire flute case filled with foam padding so that when it is closed, there is also no movement within the case.
Tips for packing your flute
When packing your flute in a backpack, try to put other things around to secure it so that the flute doesn't move around in the bag loosely. If possible, you can pack softer things like clothes to pad out the backpack and give it some extra cushion.
If it is a more expensive instrument, put an AirTag in the case to ensure you know its location at all times for peace of mind.
If you only own the traditional French flute case, always put the case in the zip-up carry bag it came with to provide your instrument with some extra padding.
Be aware of how you're handling your backpack with your flute in it and take care to always set your backpack down as gently as possible.
Happy fluting and see you in the next blog post!
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