Travel Bag

[Scubie Doo]

I am looking for a new travel bag. I'd like a roller bag with some decent padding and one that doesn't say "expensive dive gear located here". I am checking the bag so I was thinking about the armor 2194, and suggestions/recommendations are appreciated.

[bradmond]

this one weighs half as much at just over 6 pounds.

http://armorbags.com/wpcproduct/110-light-armor/

[Scubie Doo]

I like that lighter. Anyone have experience / thoughts with these or other travel bags?

[BillZ]

I have one of these from Costco:
http://www.costco.com/Ful-BlackGray-30% ... 52635.html

Dive gear in the bottom compartment, shorts and T-shirts on top. At 8.3 lbs it a few pounds heavier than I'd like but but it gets the job done.

Plus at $53 it'll save you $100 over the Armor bag. The bag has been bullet proof but if anything ever did break I could just take it back to Costco and get a new one.

[Scubie Doo]

I have one of these from Costco:
http://www.costco.com/Ful-BlackGray-30% ... 52635.html

Dive gear in the bottom compartment, shorts and T-shirts on top. At 8.3 lbs it a few pounds heavier than I'd like but but it gets the job done.

Plus at $53 it'll save you $100 over the Armor bag. The bag has been bullet proof but if anything ever did break I could just take it back to Costco and get a new one.

Now you're talking, thanks.

[LCF]

We've been using those bags from Costco forever. We get two or three years out of them, before the zippers fail. They hold a TON of stuff. Unfortunately, I haven't seen them at Costco in over a year, and the price for them elsewhere is significantly more.

[Tangfish]

I don't think anything out there can compete, value wise, with that costco gear bag if you can still find it. That being said, to me weight and durability are the most important factors for a bag to have.

I don't actually want the bag to have any extra padding because that just adds weight and I'm brining clothes and other things anyway that can double as some padding. I put small bits in lightweight plastic boxes on the inside and have never had them crack or the things inside damaged.

My friend in Thailand manufactures gear bags specifically for scuba (she's a diver) and just hooked me up with one. It's perfect and the dimensions are even based on the longest fins one would potentially have. Too bad we can't buy em here!

[BillZ]

Here's another great bag and what I'll probably be getting if my Costco bag goes out.



It's the lightest bag with wheels that I've found. At just over 3lbs it would give me 5 extra pounds vs the Costco bag which means I can pack more dive gear

Now if I could only find the perfect bag to pack my Cuda.....

[Tangfish]

I have the large version of this bag, I got on special:
http://www.eddiebauer.com/product/trave ... 002_en__US

Not the lightest bag but seems indestructible and has the lifetime guarantee like the costco option.

Speaking of not wanting it to look like there's expensive gear inside, I actually travel by air with all of my dive and camera gear in traditional suitcases, though I like gear bags for other uses.

[chokolad]

Now if I could only find the perfect bag to pack my Cuda.....

A buddy of mine made a perfect travel setup for Cuda. He puts a tail into rubbermaid action packer. A body goes inside the case made out of pipe insulation I believe. All the clothes go inside the body. Batteries in carry-on. This puts you in 2 bags each of which is under airline size and weight limits, so you pay just regular luggage fees.

He can probably provide more details. http://www.nwdiveclub.com/memberlist.ph ... ile&u=1851

[Scubak]

We just use one of the hard sided bags from Ross and it works...
K

[Scubie Doo]

Thanks for the tip on the Costco bags, bought 2 and took them to cozumel. They are durable, large and easy to travel with.

[ManBearPig]

http://www.flyingcirclebags.com/shop/sh ... PlAgUY76c0

What's better than rollers? A backpack! These bags are based on a military issue flight gear bag (or parachute bag ) but have padded backpack straps and hip straps that tuck away for travel, I routinely carry them packed with 80lbs of gear with ease. They also have a compartmented liner. I have used these bags on several military deployments, and also use them every time I travel with the family. They are rugged, durable, and light! Pack them to the brim with your gear and cloths and rest easy knowing that you aren't sacrificing 20% of your "free weight allowance" to your luggage. Flying Circle bags are the only bags I use and will ever use, so long as they keep on making them.

[ljjames]

I don't think anything out there can compete, value wise, with that costco gear bag if you can still find it. That being said, to me weight and durability are the most important factors for a bag to have.

I don't actually want the bag to have any extra padding because that just adds weight and I'm brining clothes and other things anyway that can double as some padding. I put small bits in lightweight plastic boxes on the inside and have never had them crack or the things inside damaged.

My friend in Thailand manufactures gear bags specifically for scuba (she's a diver) and just hooked me up with one. It's perfect and the dimensions are even based on the longest fins one would potentially have. Too bad we can't buy em here!

Sounds like an import opportunity

[stphnmartin]

Is this the costco bag being referred to?

http://www.costco.com/Ful-30%22-Rolling ... 36558.html

[Scubie Doo]

The ones I bought were similar. They were all black. But based on the specs it looks the same. Btw- these rollers are awesome. I bought two because the price was so reasonable. You should be happy with the purchase

[ljjames]

Another option that worked well for me recently happened to be a couple of 4 wheel rolly suitcases. You can get em super cheap at TJ Maxx or Marshalls. They REALLY don't look like anything special on the outside, and you can get either soft sided or shell. I take the 'biggest' thing I need to put inside (in this case it was a tripod) and get the smallest size that will fit what I need. For some reason, I find them easier to manage than the two wheel options when pushing multiple pieces. I attach my carryon to one of them and away we go. Much better than the struggles i've been living with trying to maneuver multiple large/heavy two wheeled bags. YMMV.

I picked up a couple soft sided, but next go round I will get clamshell. Obviously they are not a super rigid protective pelican case but any little bit of extra protection from all sides helps.

Be careful of the ginormous duffles as they can quickly exceed the maximum size for non-oversize luggage (and weight for that matter) and airlines are cracking down HARD. Not only that, if you have some second leg of your trip make sure the airline (if its not the same as your first leg - and sometimes even if it is) has same weight limits. I got bit by this on my last trip, super cheap spirit airlines has a 40lb limit as opposed to a 50lb AND they charge for carryon. Boo. (company booked the flight)

[stphnmartin]

I'm still debating which bag to get. I'm traveling in March to Indonesia and while the rollers are very convenient, they do take away from the amount of gear I can take due to their added weight. So, among the options is a straight up wheel-less duffle like this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Eagle-Creek-Trave ... VX64Z3T8WX

Once I determine how heavy my gear is, I'll decide wheel or no wheels. Hopefully it's the former!

[racerx_]

+1 for the Costco bag. Heard about it on here and got a set. Absolutely love it.

[Tangfish]

2 wheels gives the most amount of room on the inside and lightest weight with still the ability to roll. That's what I use unless I'm going with dive gear alone, then I use the four wheels as LJ describes which is much easier, except on an incline.

[CaptnJack]

My bags are always 49.9lbs each and 4 wheels is the way to go. I can wheel 2x 50b bags along upright with basically one hand. For the 2 wheeled drag along types that was mucho awkward. I just get cheap "hard" sided ones at Costco. I almost always run out of weight limit before running out of space. And that's with all the brutally heavy stuff in my carry-on

[Gdog]

+1 on the Costco bag. Using one for this trip to Bonaire

[inflex]

I use a gear bag similar to costco's. Think it was an old hockey gear bag. Tough but soft, unpadded outer shell.

I've found that 2 wheels can be a struggle. With 2 backpacks full of camera gear and 2 checked bags, having to pick up one side of a 2-wheeled bag requires some endurance especially through sections where there are no baggage carts.

I carry my regs and lights but everything else goes in the bag. Works out to be about 45lbs with a 5mm wetsuit.

[Tom Nic]

I used to make fun of the 4 wheeled bags and people who used them.

Until I started using them.

They are awesome, and so much better than the two wheeled variety that I would never consider going back.

Simply put, the ease of movement is huge, and the difference is somewhat startling at first - at least it was to me. Makes getting through airports a piece of cake, especially with multiple bags.

[ljjames]

lol.. same here and technically you can use them a 2-wheeler if needed to make it across shag carpet or gravel or whatnot.