I heard that you should not put your PFD (foam not inflatable) in with your checked in luggage because the hold is pressurised and it can damage the foam. I am not sure if this is true, any ideas or advice on if its ok to check it in or best to take it as hand luggage? Thanks
When guiding overseas my kit stays with me - appropriate padding shorts, base layer, dry top, helmet, PFD, snack food - anything that is mission essential that I’d be hard pressed to purchase locally.
For most other items you can quickly purchase locally. Fly into someplace like Ulanbaator and need a dry top? You are SOL.
Are you talking about a standard PFD or an inflatable type?
A regular stuffed type PFD is no different than any item of clothing. As for compressed air automatic inflatables, yes, inflatable types can generally be carried in checked baggage, but you must contact your airline in advance to get their approval, as regulations vary by carrier. The life jacket should be packed to prevent accidental inflation, and you can bring the PFD and up to two spare CO2 cartridges with it.
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Mine only works with the wings attached.
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Some baggage compartments are pressurized to the same pressure as 10,000 ft altitude. (similar pressure to passenger compartment), some are not pressurized at all (much lower pressure than passenger compartment).
If it’s foam the difference in air pressure does not have any major effect. I’ve flown with regular foam PFDs to Hawaii, New Zealand, Europe and UK with no issues. Airliners to small prop planes. If it’s inflatable I think you can’t take CO2 cartridges on boards without them being approved. Open any valve so the vest won’t expand if you are on a non-pressurized bagage compartment flight.
CO2 cartridges depend on the airline and country
Groan !!! 
You should always wear your PFD!!! 
Holds may not be unpressurized and that presents the potential problem - closed cell foam bubbles will expand. I’m guessing they won’t expand so much that you end up with open cell foam, but seems like your PFD should be bulkier at altitude.
It seems like holds would have to be pressurized, to a degree, to maintain structural integrity of the aircraft. The Tibetan Plateau is about 15,000’, and PFDs do fine at that elevation.
I asked a friend who is a retired airline mechanic crew foreman and he said the holds in all commercial flights are pressurized for many reasons.
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Dogs fly as freight on most airlines. My field trial lab has flown to Montana and back to NC 3 times. Definitely pressurized
True in US and most first world countries, if going to Asian Continent, arctic areas, obscure pacific islands, Africa you can encounter lots of different aircraft, some not so up to date. Those of us who travelled in more obscure places in the 60s and 70s got to fly in non-pressurized WWII era DC-3. (C-47) that was fun, and I didn’t expect DC-3s much older than I am are still non pressurized commercial planes would still be working today.
All aircraft are pressurized equally. The entire fuselage. That means the cargo and passenger compartment reach the same DeltaP. Just travel with it, It’s fine.