I ship probably more rods than I care to count. I always us the Post Office Priority mail. I always ship in the heavy walled PVC with the test caps. wrap in bubble wrap, then pack around the the rod with more cushioning. those plastic bags from the grocery store work good. duct tape the ends on good. make sure the shipping label is big enough to see without glasses and add some insurance. the most it has cost is probably $15 to the West coast. I think it's a bargain and have never had a problem.