I usually take my gear as check in, but not sure if the rules here in Oz are any different to the US, I would not think so.

However if you are really concerned about it, and the value of the gear etc etc, I would suggest doing what I did once and buying a cheap traveller combo from Cabelas or similar. I leave mine in the car and it does fish alright for limited spells but will not cause you any grief if you mail it ahead and it never shows up, or you leave it on the roof, slam it in the door or drive over it. Yes I have done all these things but never to my cheap gear LOL.