Travel Light - How to Travel Without Check-in Luggage ?

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anwa

Registered
Messages
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Location
Malaysia
# of dives
25 - 49
Am on a mission to try to fit all the necessities for a scuba diving trip in the tropics (I am from Malaysia, and diving around South East Asia region) within the 7kg limit for cabin bags. I hate waiting for luggage at the carousel and budget airlines charge for check in luggage.

So far, it has be Mission Impossible.

This is what I have:
1.Zeagle Express Tech with 4 D-rings, crotch strap and XsScuba weight pockets.
2. Full 3mm wetsuit.
3. TUSA liberator fins.
4. Mask / Snorkel / Booties.
5. Feugo torchlight
Total weight with a 50cmx30cmx20cm carry on bag is 7.8kg.

I plan to replace the TUSA liberator with a mares xstream, and newer lighter mares xvision mask. This will probably bring the weight down to 7.2kg.

Now all this is excluding the aqualung titan lx 1st & 2nd stage and atomics ss1 octo/inflator, and I still have to pack clothes, laptop and canon compact camera into a small backpack and hope the airlines let me through.

Any suggestions ? Anybody managed to go traveling with scuba gear without checking in any luggage?

Or is this really Mission Impossible?
 
Wow, that'd be impressive!
Even my lightweight travel fins are too big to fit in the size guide for carry-on luggage . I've seen bags much bigger than the 'allowed' size carried on, but I wouldn't like to risk them enforcing it for the sake of an extra $15.

I just came back from SE Asia traveling on budget airlines :eyebrow:. Never had to wait more than about 10mins for my bags to come out onto the carousel. Most of the time it was out by the time I got through immigration.
 
1) Forget the snorkel.

2) Get a pair of those 'finger toes' type shoes...wear them to travel and dive.

3) Forget your wetsuit. Wear a rashguard to travel. Pack board shorts.

4) Get a super-lightweight BP&W. Remove the metalwork from harness. 1 camband only.
Otherwise...cut off the metalwork on your Zeagle and don't pack the weight pockets.

5) Get a Fourth Element Thermocline top. Can be worn as a sweater, or 3mm equiv diving top.

6) Remove the batteries from your torch.

7) Get a 'bum bag'. Some airports allow these as 'clothing' not luggage.

8) Get a photographers vest. Wear it. Fill the pockets with as much stuff as you can.

9) Laptop bags are usually allowed, in addition to carry on bag.

10) Get a waterproof climbing jacket. Fill the pockets with as much stuff as you can.

11) Get some hiking trousers with big pockets (5.11 Tactical gear is good). Fill the pockets.
 
1) Forget the snorkel.

2) Get a pair of those 'finger toes' type shoes...wear them to travel and dive.

3) Forget your wetsuit. Wear a rashguard to travel. Pack board shorts.

4) Get a super-lightweight BP&W. Remove the metalwork from harness. 1 camband only.
Otherwise...cut off the metalwork on your Zeagle and don't pack the weight pockets.

5) Get a Fourth Element Thermocline top. Can be worn as a sweater, or 3mm equiv diving top.

6) Remove the batteries from your torch.

7) Get a 'bum bag'. Some airports allow these as 'clothing' not luggage.

8) Get a photographers vest. Wear it. Fill the pockets with as much stuff as you can.

9) Laptop bags are usually allowed, in addition to carry on bag.

10) Get a waterproof climbing jacket. Fill the pockets with as much stuff as you can.

11) Get some hiking trousers with big pockets (5.11 Tactical gear is good). Fill the pockets.

Great suggestions ! I'll probably be filling my pants and jacket pockets with camera and maybe batteries for torchlight. So far laptop bag pack with clothes haven't been stopped by airport.

Is there a lighter BP/Wing then zeagle express tech ? I will probably remove 2 D-rings, but need 2 for hooking the surface marker and SPG.

Thought of traveling without wetsuit but I get cold even in shorties.
 
Do have a look into Fourth Element kit... It has comparable thermal properties to 3mm neoprene, but is much lighter. Added to that, it is neutrally buoyant, machine washable and you can use it on dry land on a cool evening too! A set of long sleeve top and bottoms (2 piece, with overlap on the torso) weighs less than 1kg/2.2lbs.

Fourth Element Thermocline

thermo_core_top_ls_main2.jpg



There are lots of BP&W options.... here is one idea...

Oxycheq and DSS do some sweet 18lb wings. Enough for most divers in the tropics...very small and light. The Oxycheq 18lb Mach V wing weighs 2.8lbs.
OxyCheqColored18Lbwing.jpg


Add a basic harness to that, minus the D-rings. (less than 1lb weight).
Attach your SMB to the bottom of the backplate, via 2 elastic/bungee cords.
Maybe leave the left hip d-ring for clipping the SPG (use small bolt-snap on the SPG... go minimalist and plastic...no big console).
bp-166.jpg


There are some good super-lightweight backplates available. Again Oxycheq do a nice range:

Oxycheq Travel Backplate (Aluminium).
2.2lbs (1Kg). Built in cam-band slots, no need for STA.
OXYTravelBackplate.jpg


Oxycheq Ultra-lite Travel Backplate (Nylon)
9.6 oz / 272 grams
31QJQQBvrcL._SL500_AA300_.jpg





That's your BCD and wetsuit weight down to less than 3kgs :D :D :D
 
Just back from Malaysia and used AIr Asia to fly London to KL and on to Borneo and Bande Acheh
While they only allow 1 bag but in Asia they did not seem to enforce it and also you can ignore the 7Kg.
Keep the bag soft so it can be squished into the box if you are asked. We bought a soft wheelie in Giant for about 30Rngt that worked perfectly.
I would not carry the wetsuit, get a well fitting 1 mm dive skin that's warm enough for most locations. If not you can always rent one. A well fitted 1 mm will be warmer than an ill fitting 3mm.
Drop the snorkel, 1 D-Ring, and the weight pockets.
Go for full foot fins and drop the booties, or just rent them.
Go for a wrist computer and just have a small presure guage on the regulator, or possibly go wireless.

Chargers are the bane of my life, 1 for the camera battery, 1 for the AA's for the torch and my strobe, 1 for the phone. Oh yes and my laptop plus charger. :furious:

I think my hand luggage weight over 12Kg but I was never asked.
 
Do have a look into Fourth Element kit... It has comparable thermal properties to 3mm neoprene, but is much lighter. Added to that, it is neutrally buoyant, machine washable and you can use it on dry land on a cool evening too! A set of long sleeve top and bottoms (2 piece, with overlap on the torso) weighs less than 1kg/2.2lbs

Thanks for the tip - any thoughts on sizing for a 6' 80kg male?
 
What does the Titan LX weigh? You might shave ounces with an Atomic T2.

Also aren't Miflex/Phantom hoses considerably lighter?

If you're going to carry C-Cells for the Fuego, maybe get a Dorcy/Penetrator instead. It takes 6 AAA's. Also 220 lumens. I used it as a primary all week. LED Lighting Products Piranha Dive Manufacturing Dual o-rings and it twists on so no issues ever with a switch.

I also bought an HP netbook for travel purposes. I have big hands so the HP key spacing works better for me.
 
If you're going to carry C-Cells for the Fuego, maybe get a Dorcy/Penetrator instead. It takes 6 AAA's. Also 220 lumens. I used it as a primary all week. LED Lighting Products Piranha Dive Manufacturing Dual o-rings and it twists on so no issues ever with a switch

I'm a fan of the Dorcy's - I have three - but the twist 'switch' gets hard to operate below 30m or so. You have to remember to turn them on before the dive or during the descent. Once you get to 50m they're almost impossible to turn on (or off for that matter)
 

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