Professional mascot costumes can be a huge investment for many businesses.  Well-designed, marketable mascots need to endure highly active use for a minimum of four to five years, and often cost thousands of dollars to create.  An important consideration for mascot designers is whether or not the mascot costume will be used in one place, or will be consistently traveling from one location to another.  For traveling purposes, packing needs to be handled carefully to alleviate as much stress on the costume as possible.  Designers can make specific accommodations for costumes that will be packed up often.  There are also many travel accessories available that protect the costume while being transported.  Following are four tips on transporting professional mascot costumes safely.

1.  Before Packing Your Mascot Costume

Mascot costumes are fairly warm to wear as they cover the body from head to toe.  Most wearers perspire during their performances.  If the mascot costume cannot be washed immediately, we suggest laying out, or hanging the costume up to dry, in a warm room where the air is able to circulate.  The costume should only be packed up when completely dry.

2.  Transporting Your Mascot Costume Locally

There are many travel accessories designed for transporting costumes locally, which easily fit in cars and protect the mascot from the elements.  Mascot totes and duffle bags have backpack-like straps and clip closures for convenience. For carrying, shoes should never be placed inside the head, and the head should be placed in the tote on top.  Totes and bags sometimes have zippered compartments for feet and hand mitts.  Transportation totes and bags are not necessarily meant for extended storage of the costumes, but more as carriers to transport the mascot safely from point A to point B.

3.  Packing for Overnight or Long Distance Transportation

Boxes should be used for longer trips with the mascot.  Important points to keep in mind when packing the costume in a box include:

• Use a box that is large enough to accommodate the costume without difficulty
• If the costume does not fit in a single box, do not squeeze it in to fit; use an additional box, particularly for the mascot head
• Softer parts of the costume can protect more vulnerable areas such as the eyes
• Often, hoops in the inner body of the costume can be detached to make the mascot more compact
• Roll the costume into itself to tuck away zippers or buckles
• Separate items such as shoes can be placed in plastic bags and positioned safely in the box
• Cushion the entire costume with bubble wrap or a similar product to fill empty spaces and cushion every part of the mascot

4.  Shipping and Storage Cases

Cardboard boxes wear out relatively quickly, and for mascots shipped on a consistent basis, well built, inflexible shipping cases are a great investment.  Many storage and shipping cases are custom made to perfectly fit the precise measurements and requirements of your mascot.  Shipping cases range can range in levels of protection, so choose one that best fits with your transportation needs.
It’s important to protect your mascot costume, especially when travelling.  After all, it is a significant investment, and a representative of your business!