When I was a teenager I would lash my 8.5' 2 pc. Eagle Claw rod naked to my external frame pack. It was awkward, but I never broke it. Of course it was a $20 rod. Next up was a 4 piece rod and I found a lightweight plastic tube that I cut down to length. Now it's an 8 pc. rod in a metal tube. It's a little heavy but super easy to pack.