Anybody know where I can get some cardboard tubes to mail fishing rods? The only place I found was uline.com, but the longest ones they have are 72".

Jay,
I have started to use the PSP drain pipe that can be bought at Home Depot pretty cheap. Some bubble wrap duct tape and a little luck has proven the PSP to worth while.

Tight wrap Jay,
Wylie

I use ABS or PVC tube and test caps for the ends. They are hard to crush and can be used for a rod tube if some wants to keep it. ABS can also be buffed if you want to take the time.

Foam core or cellular PVC weighs about half as much regular PVC and still retains the same rigidity. Any hardware or home supply store should carry it.

.............

Dont use cardboard....you're asking for troubles. Ship it, insured, in PVC or the like, and bubble wrap it inside.
PVC is cheap and you can cut it down to fit the size of your rod.

I use PVC but have used cardboard tubes you can go to a carpet place and they are always throwing them away and you can get them free most of the time.
Neal Cissel
Neal's Fishing Products

the two times that i've had to ship rods, i used pvc pipe. instead of bubble wrap, i just got some pipe insulation that is in the same aisle as the pvc at home depot. that stuff is super cheap, and worked great.

I always hear people always say "Don't use cardboard".

My answer to that is, when "any" tube gets put on a belt system, it will snap in half. This is the cause for most all damage to tubes.

I have worked at "major shipper" and know from experience that this is the problem. You need to insure all packages regardless of the type of the tube.

Greg.