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Are there any available on-line reviews for this product? Also, some distributors say the bag is available 8/25/8, but the Akona website says it's release is "January" (1/08 or 1/09?).
Also, does anyone have any particularly good/bad experiences with this or other Akona dive bags?
Stahlsac makes a bag very similar in specs to the Akona. Its called the Jamaican Smuggler. It weighs 9.4 lb empty, and has very good zippers. It's all black and doesn't look like a dive bag. And Stahlsac has a better warranty that Akona.
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There are only 3 kinds of people in this world -- those who can count, and those who can't.
I contacted Akona to ask about the flimsy zippers and they assured me that they have fixed that problem in the newer version: "The newer version will be arriving with our next shipment next month. There is no change to the name or the part number it is simply an inline change. We changed them from YKK plastic to YKK Bronze zippers."
I really liked the Stahlsac bags (particularly the Truk Laggoon, sleek and sturdy) but just need enough room for one XS set of tropical gear at this time and don't quite yet need as much size as the Stahlsac bags offer. I will look at them again if I upgrade in the future or need to start packing gear for two.
After searching far and wide (including outside of "dive gear" bags, as some people have suggested), I narrowed my choices down to the following:
-Stahlsac Truk Lagoon (28"x18"x13", 6552 cub in, 11.5 lb)
-Akona 10 lbs Roller (29.5"x18"x9", 4624 cub in, 9 lb)
-LL Bean Quickload Upright XL Duffel (26"x16.5"x11", 5238 cub in, 7 lb 11 oz)
-Eagle Creek Cross Roads 25 (25"x15"x10", expands addit 2.5", 3750-4690 cub in, 8 lb)
My requirements were:
-sturdy wheels
-sturdy handle
-durable zippers
-not too heavy
-preferably including hideaway shoulder or back-pack straps
The Eagle Creek Cross Roads 25 offered everything I wanted (minus a shoulder strap). It's lightweight, has sturdy wheels and has zip-away padded mesh backpack and waist straps. It's about equal in size to the Akona 10 lbs bag, but a little lighter and I expect the back-pack straps will come in handy for the occasional off-road adventure (such as my recent trip to Little Corn Island, which has no roads/cars and is mostly made up of winding muddy trails).
Thanks again for the comments!
-T.
Last edited by tctmd; July 25th, 2008 at 01:21 PM.
Reason: added some info