About 8 years ago, the internet chuckled for a moment when the news hit the world:

Plane Passenger Successfully Checks In A Stick At The Airport

A photo was posted on Reddit’s r/funny subreddit by Redditor u/idontdislikeoranges, and showed the stick on a luggage conveyor belt with a London Stansted baggage tag attached to it. The photo was picked up by the likes of Metro UK, the Daily Mail, The Telegraph and Yahoo News, with most of accompanying stories wondering who checked in the stick and why.

It was cute for a hot minute and then disappeared from peoples’ collective memory.

Fast forward to 2024

And now we have today. For many years, my wife Sharon and I have been making regular trips to the Texas Hill Country, where we’ve had the pleasure of sampling numerous barbecue establishments. The Salt Lick. Cooper’s. Black’s. Rudy’s. And lots of the places in the BBQ heaven known as the town of Lockhart.

Following the generous gift of a Big Green Egg, I’ve taken it upon myself to try and recreate the distinct flavors of Texas BBQ at home. Through my research, I’ve come to understand that the choice of wood is paramount in achieving that authentic smoky taste. While any type of wood can impart a smoky flavor, I’ve discovered that using cherry wood results in a different outcome compared to using mesquite.

To get the exact flavor of Texas, it’s essential to use Texas post oak. When we visited Lockhart, TX, the major BBQ places had yards full of wood, getting ready to make the best-smoked meats in the world.

Texas Post Oak

If you live in Texas, it’s probably easy to find post oak wood. In fact, it may be as easy as chopping down a tree. However, if you’re in Florida, it’s not as readily available. This meant I’ve always had to buy small bags of wood from Amazon.com at a significant markup. I can only imagine how someone from Texas might enjoy chopping up trees from their yard (or their back 40; everything’s bigger in Texas, right?) and sending the wood to people all over the country.

I discovered a game-changer when I visited Buc-ee’s during a recent trip to New Braunfels, Texas. They were selling boxes of post oak at a fraction of the price I typically had to pay online. The only issue was figuring out how to transport the wood back home. Then it hit me that we were flying home with Southwest and were entitled to two free checked bags, while I only had one suitcase. I wondered if a box of wood would count as my second checked bag.

I’d already checked a case of wine for free on Alaska Airlines when we flew home from Oregon, so why not check a box of wood when flying home from Texas?

Asking Southwest Airlines

I had to ask if this would work before buying a box of wood from Buc-ee’s so I took to Twitter (oops, I mean X) and asked Southwest Airlines if I could check a box of wood. I hoped their social media team was from Texas and would understand my request.

Okay, since Katy recommended the brisket sandwich and cinnamon almonds, I knew they were on my side. When we visited Buc-ee’s again that night (remember, we’re not obsessed), I measured the box and took a picture.

She also asked that I check with the TSA to see what they would say about bringing a box of wood onto a plane. I had already contacted TSA via Twitter.

Katy from Southwest kept up the conversation, which I hope was the most unique question they had received in a while, and confirmed I’d be fine as long as the wood wasn’t soaked in chemicals.

Buying the wood

It didn’t make sense to purchase a box of wood until I knew I could bring it home. Once the TSA and Southwest gave the green light, we made a final stop at Buc-ee’s to purchase the box of post oak.

Getting the box of wood to the airport counter was another matter, as you don’t know how heavy that box really is until you’re dragging it on top of your luggage from the Austin Airport car rental facility to the airport.

Checking In A Box of Wood

When I checked in for our Southwest flight, I said that I had 2 checked bags (which are still free on Southwest flights). When we got to the counter, the agent looked at our bags and asked if I was checking a box of post oak. I said I was because I couldn’t find it in Florida. It took a moment to register, but she then asked for me to put the box on the scale. It weighed in at 28.5 pounds.

Afterward, it was placed on the belt to be loaded onto the plane. I bet the box attracted some attention from the airport employees. However, it’s no different from the time I brought a cooler filled with New Jersey kielbasa, pierogi, and pizza, to bring back home with me, from Newark Airport to Florida.

Baggage Claim In Orlando

Once the wood disappeared on the belt in Austin, we doubted we’d ever see it again. Much like the guy who checked a can of beer, our only hope was that the employees would be so surprised about packing a box of wood that they’d take extra care to make sure it got to the destination.

And sure enough, our box of post oak made it to Orlando in pristine condition.

When I pulled the box off the belt, the passenger next to me asked, “What type of smoker do you use?” When I told him that we have a Big Green Egg, he nodded in acceptance, and we discussed different types of wood to use for different meats.

Smoking with Post Oak

I haven’t had the chance to smoke a brisket with my post oak yet, but I did smoke some chicken quarters shortly after getting home. The Texas post oak didn’t disappoint.

When I finally do smoke a brisket or pulled pork, I wish I could share some of the finished product with Katy from Southwest’s social media team, who I have to thank for giving me the confidence to bring a box of wood to the airport as a checked bag.

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