2 sets of gear

[FortWorthDiver]

Anyone know of a good bag that I can check-in at the airport that will fit 2 sets of gear?

[Mo2vation]

Welcome to the board. Go Ducks.

Obviously depends on how much gear, wet or dry, petite or king kong size, etc, etc, etc....

I can fit my entire kit, and my wife's entire kit into the Stahlsac rolling XL cargo (Catalina) bag. The only exception is the drysuit undies. If I pull the reg bags, those will fit. Its a huge bag, rolls, great zippers, etc, etc. Its pricey, but I can't say enough about the quality.

Whatever you use, never pack weights or your cylinder into a bag.

K

[AzAtty]

I second the Stahlsac, but a different model. I picked up a "Galapagos" instead of the "Catalina". It's 7935 cu. in. instead of 7350 cu. in. I've managed to fit in a full set of gear plus a dry suit and undergarment, or two full sets of equipment, with a bit of room to spare. If you carry on your regulators, you'll have even more room. It has wheels, it stands up nicely and it's a Stahlsac. It doesn't scream "steal me" too badly, but it doesn't look like run-of-the-mill luggage.

[t_dogg]

I have the Armor Bags XL Backpack with Wheels #2 and it fits both myself and my girlfriend's gear, excluding regs. I'm sure the regs would fit, but we prefer to carry those on. The bag is pretty stealth. This one doesn't scream "steal me" either. 8500 cu. in.

Mark

[Waterlover]

Check with the airlines. Most have a 62 linear inches bag size limit and either a 50 or 70 pound limit before additional charges are added. Most of the bags listed are above the 62 inch limit, but they should hold the gear.

[FortWorthDiver]

Water how can you figure out the linear size of a bag?

[Waterlover]

Length + width+ height=total linear inches for measurement.

[FortWorthDiver]

Thanks for the help y'all - actually found a Samsonite 30'' bag at Kohls last night - and at 50% off it was only 130.00. Both sets of gear fit great and of course the regs go in a carryon.

[Roooter]

I also have a Samsonite wheeled duffle bag that works great as a dive bag. I use an Armor backpack (w/ wheels) to carry my regulator & mask. I was also able to carry a bathing suit & pareo, sunscreen, a bottle of liquor (1ltr) & 2 cartons of cigarettes with room to spare.

[ebbdiver]

FortWorthDiver once bubbled...
Thanks for the help y'all - actually found a Samsonite 30'' bag at Kohls last night - and at 50% off it was only 130.00. Both sets of gear fit great and of course the regs go in a carryon.

If that's the same bag I bought from Mervyn's for just under $130, it measures less than an inch under the airlines 62" requirement! That's as big as you can get and not have to pay extra for shipping. It also has roller-blade wheels and a pop-up handle. Great bag!

[jonnythan]

FortWorthDiver once bubbled...
Thanks for the help y'all - actually found a Samsonite 30'' bag at Kohls last night - and at 50% off it was only 130.00. Both sets of gear fit great and of course the regs go in a carryon.

$130 for a bag??

http://www.ems.com/products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=84552444177 2153&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302251201&bmUID=1053350848614

http://www.ems.com/products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=84552444209 8395&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302251201&bmUID=1053350848621

[ebbdiver]

Jonnythan, if that's all you use to protect your gear, why stop there? I'm sure you could find a GI surplus bag for less than $20 to protect you $1000 worth of gear! Good protection for dirty clothes maybe.

[jonnythan]

ebbdiver once bubbled...
Jonnythan, if that's all you use to protect your gear, why stop there? I'm sure you could find a GI surplus bag for less than $20 to protect you $1000 worth of gear! Good protection for dirty clothes maybe.

What makes the $130 bag any better? I have a couple of EMS duffles.. they're extremely high quality. EMS also sells Eagle Creek duffles for $150-$200 which are basically equivalent to the EMS brand.

The $130 Samsonite bags from Mervyn's are no better....

[ebbdiver]

It's better because it's a hard sided bad that keeps things from getting banged up, squished, and pinched by other baggage. There are cheaper hard sided bags, but they're not as durable. We're talking about this bag being checked in as luggage at the airport. I don't know how you can keep your gear from being damage in a duffel bag. I used a duffle bag for years in the Navy. I would use a duffle bag on the boat though. Fits better and doesn't slide around as much.

[MNStarfish]

Anyone having any problesm with the 50 pd bag limit?

My last trip, last year before the 50 pd limit, all my gear plus extra clothes was 62pds in one bag (minus reg). I figure I'm going to have to carry two bags now to stay under the limit which is going to be a pain.