At the British Airways Check-in the guy said my box was too small and he’s afraid it would get lost. He put a fragile tag on it and I told him I put the itinerary on the box. He seemed hopeful. However, then he said, “Well I can only check them to your point of entry.” He said I would have to leave Security at Madrid to go pick up the baggage and then come back through security to pick up my flight to Oviedo. That’s only a two hours window. 
I think I just said goodbye to my Trekking Poles and my Swiss Army knife. Or I said hello to a bus to Oviedo instead of a flight.