Advice packing regs in drybox along with misc items

[rvojr]

Are there any rules of thumb or issues people have encountered traveling with dry boxes? I made natural loops and no kinks prior to putting any of the other items in. I made sure no metal was near gauges or fragile items. Then filled in dead space with the other items. I was very pleasantly surprised with the amount of items that fit.

DIN first stage with 2 second stages, 24" and 7' (bolt snap) along with LP hose and 2.5" gauge (bolt snap)
DIN to yoke adapter
Dive watch i300c
Tank light
Trilobite
Compass

• Box Dimensions
• Outer: 11 x 13 x 5 inches
• Inner: 8.5 x 11.5 x 4 inches
• I used the top and bottom foam while removing the middle piece.

Nothing moves and seems like it is solid. The lid shuts to almost closed and the foam compresses slightly to latch. Luckily this is a test run just in a truck for the first trip so will likely see minimal jostling. Any advice or telling me to stop shoving 10lbs of stuff in a 5 lb box is appreciated.

 

[divinh]

Are you going to be carrying this on a plane? I have a similar setup and ended up not using the Deep6 drybox as it's pretty heavy on its own. I opted for an AquaLung Traveler 50 soft bag for the reg, SPG and adapter. The computer is in its own small hardshell. I put all of it in a 10L drybag, along with mask. It keeps the weight down.

 

[rvojr]

Most likely at some point it will go on a plane. You're right. I picked it up and thought it was heavy but...actually weighing it via luggage scale at a whopping 26.75 lbs. For now, it is going in the trunk for a travel from NJ to FL.

 

[RIHappyDiver]

I have the single setup from Deep6. I've only traveled by air with it once, but I stashed it in a padded laptop computer bag and put it in my backpack. Worked well. My primary is on a 40" hose coming out of the bottom port, so I took that off and put it back on when I got to our destination. For car, my gear bag has a reg bag built into the end. However, if your worried about it banging around in the trunk, the dry box seems like a good option, though maybe just for the reg..

Safe travels and diving!
Erik

 

[Doc]

Regulators are so delicate that they should be transported only in genuine Pelican brand cases with Carbonite poured in to seal them up.⚰ Just kidding, did you get that?

A real dry box is water resistant (but- less so than ANY reg set) and should feature a pressure relief valve due to atmospheric changes. They are dust-proof, but so is any piece of scuba gear. [up to when you unscrew the hoses!]

As to gauges If you have the original foam pluck & fit inserts, boxes are somewhat vibration resistant, but when that foam is gone, they're not. Period. If the pluck-foam isn't used per instructions- you've exceeded the original intended design of that case in terms of vibration resistance. Stuffing in anything, including Beanie Babies does not count.

Once you get to where you're going and feel safe, you can use regs to pound nails- not exaggerating. ⚒

Any dry box on an airplane as carry on? Only noobs.

Dry box in a vehicle? OK, if you must toss it in the open bed of a pickup truck.

Overkill. Sexy suitcases, but nowhere near as chick-magnetic as silver aluminum Halliburton briefcase. (real deal Double-naught spy gear)

Toss it in a good USGI surplus crew bag. Wrap your camera and computers in t-shirts, carry them in your lap if you're really serious. SPG gauges should be able to withstand equal abuse as any reg set...roof rack for them.

 

[Damselfish]

I voted other. Regs (like most dive gear) are just not that delicate.

For local diving or driving someplace, things like plastic crates, tubs, duffel bags, mesh bags, lots of things work fine/better. Depends what you're doing but I don't see why you would cram your gear in something like that drybox. Sure you can be careful how you do it but cramming isn't desirable when you don't need to. And if it's wet when you want to come home, you don't really want to close it up in a dry box.

For air travel, whether gear is going in a carry-on or checked bag, I just pack carefully. Make sure things that shouldn't be poked, aren't. Use clothing to pad things a bit. Done. That box wouldn't appear to be logical as checked or carry-on.

A drybox is meant to keep things dry, something you don't really need to worry about with dive gear. Some may actually not be designed to be all that impact resistant. Sure stuff cocooned inside may be (over)protected. but not if if the case itself cracks when it falls off a luggage cart or something. A case designed for major protection, like a Pelican, I would only consider for actual fragile things that need to get checked or otherwise have a chance of being abused, like some camera gear. (Then maybe, you have to worry about a case like that indicating there may be something worth stealing inside.)

 

[rongoodman]

I just put them in my carry-on, along with computers, mask, iPad, and headphones. If I'm concerned about the possibility of delayed luggage not catching up with me, the Deep 6 fins and some clothing goes in too, along with the wetsuit if I'm taking the 3mm.

 

[rabe]

I just put them in my carry-on, along with computers, mask, iPad, and headphones. If I'm concerned about the possibility of delayed luggage not catching up with me, the Deep 6 fins and some clothing goes in too, along with the wetsuit if I'm taking the 3mm.

Same here: computer, mask (with prescription lenses: with normal lenses it would be like a night dive without torch) and regs are traveling with me.
Regs are usually in an extra soft reg-bag (toghether with the computer, inside iys own small case) and the mask in the mask case.