Unusual items and how to pack them: Taxidermy, trampolines and more

We’ve all been there — that moment where we take stock of our belongings for an upcoming move, stop in our tracks, tilt our head to one side and think quizzically “How the heck am I going to pack that?” Whether it’s a bulky wall embellishment or a particularly delicate memento, fear not; we’re tackling these items in our latest series “Unusual items and how to pack them.” Read on for tips and tricks, and let us know in the comment box below what strange possessions you’ve had to pack!

Hunting trophies

While it’s certainly not in line with everyone’s beliefs or décor taste, taxidermy adorns houses across the world and is certainly one of the more difficult items to pack. The first step is to clean your trophy to ensure it’s in tip-top shape when it reaches its new destination. Use a duster for the hide and body, and a moist cloth to polish the eyes, hooves, antlers and other non-fur areas. Use gloves and avoid greasy detergents. Once the piece is clean, mount it to the wall of a wood crate suitable for the trophy’s size. This will ensure that it doesn’t shift or bounce around during the relocation process. At this point, some recommend packing the crate with Styrofoam peanuts or wrapping any antlers with brown paper (making sure that no tape comes in contact with any part of the animal). Others declare that no packing material is necessary. If you’re in the “I want to secure my trophy as much as possible” camp, be sure not to use any abrasive materials that could rub the piece unnecessarily and cause damage.

Trampoline

Don’t get disheartened when you head out to your backyard and see the mammoth springboard that doubtless led to countless hours of fun for your kids and, most likely, an injury or two. First, grab a collection of carefully labeled cardboard boxes and plastic bags to keep track of the various nuts, bolts and pieces of your trampoline. Next, you’ll need to disassemble the beast. Remove the enclosure net and safety padding, and give them a quick rinse with a hose if they’re dirty. Set them aside to dry, then put on gloves and undo the springs from the frame. Carefully label each leg piece and spring so you can match them up when you reassemble them later. Remove the springs from the jumping mat. Undo the legs and pack them away in an appropriately sized box. Survey the remaining pieces and pack away what you can. Anything left can taken care of by the moving crew.

Urn

If you’re traveling by car, transporting an urn is relatively straightforward. Make sure it’s sealed shut so you won’t worry if it happens to tip over, pop it in a heavy-duty cardboard box and pack the space around it tightly with whatever packing material you have on hand — newspaper, Styrofoam peanuts and towels are all suitable for this purpose. However, if you’re flying to your new home city you’ll need to abide by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) rules. Urns are required to pass through airport security and the x-ray machine, which means that you’ll need to purchase a temporary container made of wood, plastic or other material that won’t generate an opaque image. You can pack your permanent urn on the moving truck, or securely in your checked luggage.

And as always, call us if you have any questions! Our experienced movers have seen it all, and will happily provide assistance for any weird, wonderful or wacky item you need to pack.