Regulator Bags

[boulderjohn]

Since I have a pretty expensive reg and an air integrated computer attached to it, I am with those who are afraid to leave that many $$$ lying around in an untended bag. So I carry it on. I don't use a regulator bag for that because of the restrictions on carryons; why waste a valuable carryon on a small regulator bag? I put the reg in a regular carryon.

This means that I do get hassled at some airports, but I would put that at about 15% so far. I have it on top and ready to pull out.

In any event, I would never use any of the prepared reg bags I have seen so far. IMHO, they are overpriced for what they do, and you can get something better cheaper. Maybe something I have not seen is better.

 

[fookisan]

I just feel better having the ~$1700 worth of gear in my possession rather than in the belly of the plane. They can open your luggage whenever they want. When I returned home both my dive gear bag and my girlfriend's bag had notes inside saying TSA had opened them. Someone could easily pocket a wrist mount computer, but a set of fins is a different story.

..
..
..

Although I used to travel a lot, I have not traveled by air in some time. Is this how it is now? Does all hard luggage have to be left unlocked when checked in and can it be opened by any airlines worker that feels like it? My luggage used to be pressure packed with tons of stuff in it and I used ratchet tie downs strapped around then for extra pop-open prevention security. Used to travel with much gear (most not scuba related) all packed in multiple hard luggage. What a nightmare it would be to get my luggage closed if they would open them. With all the odds and ends I used to pack, I'm sure some alarm would go off. Has anyone suffered from theft?

Dan

 

[lairdb]

The odds are fairly low, but you should expect all luggage to be opened. You can lock, but if your luggage is selected, they *will* cut the locks off (and may damage the bags in the process -- your problem: you're the one that locked them.)

Soft or hard doesn't matter.

Overstuffing shoud be considered a no-no; too hard for them to re-close.

If there's a small glimmer of good news in this: if TSA has to open something that you made an obvious attempt to secure, they will re-secure it with TSA-branded, serialized, tamper-tells. If I feel it's worth it, I'll use a tie-wrap in place of a lock. Though not a lock, it's mildly challenging to remove without tools, I can see at a glance if it's missing at arrival-time, and if TSA does remove it, they'll replace it with their own tampertell.

It's not perfect, but remember passive security philosophy: it's about making your target less attractive than the one next to it.

(There is another approach, though you can't use it for all destinations -- pack a firearm. If you do so (correctly and lawfully) they will open and inspect, but you are required to surveill the bag during this inspection and lock it afterward with your own real lock.)

 

[Xanthro]

I carry my reg in on board in a bag, which is in a larger carry on bag. That way, if they want me to take it out, it's no big deal, plus it doesn't end up taking up any more space than normal. My travel bag is set to have the regulator bag on the outside, and I would NEVER checked my bag with my regulator there.

My wife was questioning why I didn't check the regulator, until she saw LAX throw bags down on the floor at the TSA check point.

Xanthro