How Do You Carry Your Gear?

[divingtigger]

I use a cheap hockey bag (no name type brand) for my gear, it has wheels and just looks like a normal black duffel bag. I have a carry on bag with wheels that I usually put my regs, console, mask and other items that I would need should the air line loose my baggage. I also take a camera bag. I just made an offer of $20 on an Appollo bag on ebay (gotta love it when the history also shows the prices he's sold stuff for) It looks like it should hold my SLR (for land use), my A70 and UW housing, along with my YS110 and tray/arm. If the tray/arm won't fit it will go into my carryon. If needed take it apart but I find that my arm/tray folds into itself very nicely

 

[kaarant]

WOODMAN:

Does your backpack fit in the overhead bin of the smaller planes?

 

[ScottB]

Which airlines?

Check the individual airlines websites..

All these are in lieu of one piece of normal checked luggage

US Airways for example:
Scuba diving equipment
Scuba diving equipment will be accepted in the normal free baggage allowance in lieu of a piece of baggage. One item of scuba diving equipment consists of:
One empty scuba tank
One regulator
One pressure tank
One mask
Two fins
One snorkel
One knife
One spear gun
One B.C. vest

Delta allows:
one bag, w/o tank

Air Jamaica allows:
Scuba Diving Equipment - One empty scuba tank, one scuba regulator, one tank pressure gauge, knife, one spear gun and one safety vest.
Additional bags of Scuba Equipment are $50 ea going to/from the states...

 

[Backscatter]

I LOVE Pelican Cases, have more than a couple, but I don't know that they are the best choice for air travel for the reasons that have already been mentioned. It is also nice to be able to fold up or otherwise compress luggage after you have arrived and unpacked. Most dive boats I have been on have almost no room to stow anything that can not be squeezed under the bench seat.

I use a spare mask box for my Canon A620 and Canon case. It travels in my regulator bag as a carry on when I fly. I second Woodman's suggestion on the backpack, you can get a lot in one, and as long as its not ridiculously large, it will fit in the overhead bin. It also leaves your hands free for you carry on and other tasks.

The mask box also works well for soaking the camera case after the dive. I just ordered a strobe, so I'm going to have to come up with a way to pack it. Might just get another mask box.

 

[WOODMAN]

WOODMAN:

Does your backpack fit in the overhead bin of the smaller planes?

I will admit that it was a sort of tight fit when I flew that little prop plane from American Airlines from Miami to Great Exuma island, but this was a matter of thickness more than anything else, and a little judicious packing would have minimized this, I think. I never took it on that small a plane before, and will know better how to arrange things next time. Woody

 

[Gilligan]

This is a padded DeepSee brand scuba regulator bag. It has a zippered pocket on the exterior.

It is inexpensive and what I use as my carry-on bag for my camera gear which includes:
2 Oly housings with cameras
Inon strobe, diffuser and cable
Wide angle and two macro lenses
6 sets of four re-chargeable AA batteries
Battery charger
O rings
Miscellaneous items

It all fits using bubble wrap on some of the items

 

[ce4jesus]

I use a pelican 1510 for the camera gear. I have a computer backpack that I stuff with my regulator and dive computer. The rest gets checked in a normal looking suitcase. I haven't had any issues but I'll make my first long international trek in May to the Philippines. Oriental airlines have gone to a single carry-on with a 7KG weight restriction. ... unless you're flying something other than coach. Everywhere else, its pretty much just a size thing 22 x 14 x 9

 

[Allison Finch]

I used to use a Pelican 1510 rolling carry-on but it was a bit small for my new DSLR. At DEMA, a couple of years ago, I found the Seahorswe rolling carry-on hard case. It is bigger on all dimensions than the 1510, but will still fit into the carry-on template. Here are some pics of the comparison;

I used the padded dividers from my Pelican in it, but you can see what a size difference there is;

Recently, Seahorse produced their own padded dividers which are a much better design than Pelican's. I haven't taken a picture of them yet.
I have traveled overseas many times with this case and have had no problems at all. However, make sure the check-in counter doesn't see it because no way it will pass the weight restrictions.