Ok you know you've got it bad when.....

[bwerb]

My wife and I were going away for the weekend. We loaded up the car (Acura Integra) with all the camping gear, climbing gear etc. and it filled the vehicle. Then we had to take the two cats (each in their own cages) over to my parents, and we had the Dog (who sat on Nurseshark's lap). We looked like the poster children for "who needs and SUV".

I've configured the roof racks on my Pathfinder so now I can get the following in or on the vehicle at the same time...

6 Scuba Tanks - trunk
2 Drysuits and all Gear - trunk/back seat
2 Sets of Climbing Gear (rope, rack, harnesses, helmets) - back seat.
2 Sets of Downhill Mountain Bike Pads/Helmets - back seat
2 Mountainbikes - Outriggers on Roof Rack
2 Whitewater Kayaks - Center Kayak Stacker.

Talk about a multisport weekend eh!

 

[LUBOLD8431]

Now, thats impressive!!! I broke down last year and traded in my Volvo for a cargo van...

I can fit the following in it:

Front seats: Two people

Cargo area: 6 sets of doubles, 6 stage bottles, four action packers, three drysuits, case of Pepsi blue that was given to us because the store we stopped at couldnt sell them, wheelbarrow to carry the gear to the quarry, friend of mine sleeping on top of three sets of doubles with a foam pad over them.

Look on the guy from the store that gave us the Pepsi blue when he came outside to help me carry Pepsi blue to the van when he saw all the crap in my van, and my friend sleeping, and he thought he was dead:


PRICELESS!!!!!!

 

[pentiumchic]

Wow you teach packing lessons???And I thought I could pack well.I'm a novice compared to some of you guys.

Jen

 

[seakdivers]

You need to get a Dodge Durango! I love ours!
Once we fold down the third row seat, the typical load for me, my BF and the dive buds is 8 tanks, 4 bcds, 4 drysuits & undergarments, 4 weight belts, and a big Rubbermaid tote of fins/ masks/ gloves/ hoods/ goodie bags...etc with plenty of room to spare. There's always room for the 3 kids and the dog we drop off at the babysitter's!
When we took our OW course, the DM had us haul most of the gear for 8 people! We had 16 tanks/ weight belts/ bcds & hoses...etc the only thing we didn't have were the people or the drysuits.
The best part is that when we open up the back hatch, the gear is sitting at the perfect height to don your heavy stuff without any help!

 

[radagalf]

This summer, I began with my 1988 Mazda B2200 truck... had a cab on it, it was perfect!!! Until the day the tow truck had to push me over the bridge, and we only had one lane going my way (Lion's Gate Bridge - for those of you who don't know it... it is the most ill conceived construct ever erected... pos).

Needless to say I sold the truck a week later... and because I'm a broke ass student took the cheapest car on the market, a 2003 Sunfire.

Now, I never thought that I would drive a car, never mind a Sunfire, but I must say I am amazed at what I fit in this car when myself and another instructor are teaching on weekends.

We fit: -6 scuba tanks (hence the depressions in the cover of my
wheel well... <sigh>)
- a gear bag each: 2 total (BCD, reg, 2 prs fins, gloves, hoods, reel, lights, etc.)
- 2 bags of spare gear (full complement in each)
- 2 fully loaded floats, containing 25lb weight for anchor, and a 20 ft. line and 60 ft. line in each (CESA rope, and Deep advanced rope)
- lunches, backpacks with extra clothes
- another prolly 100 lbs in weights for myself, my buddy, and extra weight to add to students if needed
- one milk crate and one rubbermaid container full of spare parts/wax/etc.
- a box of Timbits.... how can you go diving without the TIMBITS???
- needless to say, the roof is still empty... so I need to get some kind of storage up there..

Its amazing what one can fit in there... and the best thing.. with a 140 hp engine... she can still go!!!!

However, I wish I had my parents propane powered '78 Ford Econoline van... 2 bucket seats and wood floor... fit WHATEVER you want in there... <sigh>

I'll have to add pictures if I ever take any.

 

[tinman]

bwerb once bubbled...
My wife and I were going away for the weekend. We loaded up the car (Acura Integra) with all the camping gear, climbing gear etc. and it filled the vehicle. Then we had to take the two cats (each in their own cages) over to my parents, and we had the Dog (who sat on Nurseshark's lap). We looked like the poster children for "who needs and SUV".

I've configured the roof racks on my Pathfinder so now I can get the following in or on the vehicle at the same time...

6 Scuba Tanks - trunk
2 Drysuits and all Gear - trunk/back seat
2 Sets of Climbing Gear (rope, rack, harnesses, helmets) - back seat.
2 Sets of Downhill Mountain Bike Pads/Helmets - back seat
2 Mountainbikes - Outriggers on Roof Rack
2 Whitewater Kayaks - Center Kayak Stacker.

Talk about a multisport weekend eh!

Please take a photo of yourselves equipped for a wall dive! Of course, add in the wall climb gear...I would love to freak out an OW class I'm helping with...

 

[bwerb]

It is currently pouring rain in Vancouver...If it clears up and I'm going diving in the next while, I'll see if I can haul everything out and set it up for you. Or, would you rather I put on my drysuit, bc, downhill pads, kayak helmet and full climbing rack with rope while carrying the kayak in one hand and bike in the other...now THAT would make a great profile picture...hmm...training for the new underwater portion of the Eco-challenge.

Brian

 

[tinman]

"And class, here is a diver equipped for a wall dive...yes there is a little more equipment to get familiar with....and sometimes you have to rappel down the wall first...occasionally you have to shot rapids to get to the best spots..don't worry, we'll handle that in your AOW course..."

I gotta see how you'll clip off the kayak as a stage bottle - there's a visual to rival the infamous Fido staging discussion.

 

[Big-t-2538]

This is a good one....

I was in FL for two weeks with the swim team coaching. My 2 dive buddy's drive down (from Dayton, OH) in a '95 Honda Accord.

They were doing 3 days of manatee dives somewhere before they came and got me.

Once I joined up, here was the cargo.

3 adults (well physically anyway)
6 tanks
3 full sets of gear (wet-suits, BCDs, fins, weights, etc.) for diving in FL in the middle of December
1 large cooler for food and water/beer
1 first-aid kit (my buddy tends to play paramedic, but not by choice, so he has a three drawer toolbox for first-aid)
2 people's travelling gear for 1 week
1 person's travelling gear for 2 weeks
Camping gear for 2 becuase they camped out one night
Christmas presents for 8 people that I thought would enjoy something other than a post card from Florida.

We met in Tampa, and drove to ORlando to stay at my buddy's sister's house and dumped non-diving gear there.

We then dove West Palm beach on a charter...and headed back to orlando

From Orlando we drove the 13 and 1/2 hours home with all that crap in the car. Talk about a long ride.....

 

[GeekDiver]

Before I started diving I drove a 78 vet, 73 mustang, 69 fstbk mustang, 78 firebird, 79 t/a and a 70 chev p/u in that order.

I now have a 4x4 Toyota PU (it's a two door one, SUV's are just off road bloated station wagons) Now I have my truck to haul gear. My next car is going to be an 78-80 model GT 308 for the non diving days.

Real divers drive 4X4's. we don't have to repel up or down hillsides that's what the winch and skid plates are for. If you can't drive over it then you drag it over. Any mountain bike w/out a motor aint worth haveing and you only paddle a boat cause you've run out of gas or broke down.

Geek