Rolling gear bag suitable for wet gear

[EL Pistoffo]

Wife and I each have Mares Mesh gear backpacks we use when we cruise. For the most part they work well when hauling around our gear but after a dive the weight of the wet gear is pretty heavy for anything but short walks, especially for the wife.

This trip, we may be doing quite a bit of walking around town after our dives and don't want our backs and shoulders destroyed from the weight of our wet gear so I'm looking for a rolling bag to solve our problem. It needs to be suitable for 2 sets of full, wet gear (minus tanks and weights).

I've eyed a few bags such as the Akona Roller duffel bag: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EJ3493S?ref_=cm_cd_al_qh_dp_t

Another is the Tusa roller mesh bag: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004BIQHUY?psc=1
This bag might not be as comfortable hauling around since it lacks the rigid support and longer handle of a regular roller bag.

I wonder if just going with a regular, inexpensive rolling luggage bag would do the trick. If wet gear is going to tear up the "dive" branded bags then maybe going with cheap, regular bags would be better.

 

[Ludicrous Depth]

XS Scuba also has an excellent mesh roller bag. The mesh is the thick, heavy duty. I have used mine for years on boat dives and the convenience of being able to pull behind instead of lugging around makes a huge difference.

 

[Scubadeep1]

X2 for the XS Scuba roller great bag.

 

[EL Pistoffo]

XS Scuba also has an excellent mesh roller bag. The mesh is the thick, heavy duty. I have used mine for years on boat dives and the convenience of being able to pull behind instead of lugging around makes a huge difference.

I've been leaning towards the mesh style roller bag. The XS Scuba seems to be a fine choice. As long as there is no problem with it carrying two sets of dive gear, minus tanks and weights, I'm good.

 

[Altamira]

I'll give you two solutions. First, I have the XS Scuba mesh rolling duffel, but it has its issues. The main problem is that for me to use it to carry my gear from ship/hotel to dive boat, I have to pack it inside of another suitcase or I have to put my gear inside another bag and then into the mesh duffel to check it in for a flight or cruise. Even if I could completely conceal the fact that the mesh double is containing dive gear, the bag does not have any side support. Second problem: Because of the position the pull handle is attached, it is not the easiest thing to pull with two full sets of wet gear.

Simple solution: Buy a $40 FUL rolling duffel from Costco. Fill with two sets of dive gear plus other clothing. Check the bag on plane or ship. The bottom half has a pretty decent side support for the more fragile stuff. Use it to carry your two sets of gear to the dive boat. It fits nicely under the seat, and takes not much more space than the mesh duffel. Load it to the gills with wet dive gear, the extension handle makes it easy to pull no matter how heavy, and then let the bag air dry in your room or balcony. Mine dries overnight. Use the rolling duffel to repack dive gear and other closes for the return journey home. I just bought my second set of these bags after using the first set for almost 5 years, and I actually only bought them because Costco has been out of them for quite some time. They have held up very well, and compare very favorably to much more expensive rolling duffels.

 

[EL Pistoffo]

Dude, you just addressed every concern I had in my mind.

I'll give you two solutions. First, I have the XS Scuba mesh rolling duffel, but it has its issues. The main problem is that for me to use it to carry my gear from ship/hotel to dive boat, I have to pack it inside of another suitcase or I have to put my gear inside another bag and then into the mesh duffel to check it in for a flight or cruise. Even if I could completely conceal the fact that the mesh double is containing dive gear, the bag does not have any side support. Second problem: Because of the position the pull handle is attached, it is not the easiest thing to pull with two full sets of wet gear.

This is what I was worried about. When reading the reviews for these mesh roller bags, I'd occasionally run into those same complaints about the support and handle. Being those critiques were uncommon I wasn't sure if there were legitimate or reliable. You've confirmed that it is indeed an issue. So hauling 2 sets of gear in one mesh bag is not all it's chalked up to be.

Simple solution: Buy a $40 FUL rolling duffel from Costco. Fill with two sets of dive gear plus other clothing. Check the bag on plane or ship. The bottom half has a pretty decent side support for the more fragile stuff. Use it to carry your two sets of gear to the dive boat. It fits nicely under the seat, and takes not much more space than the mesh duffel. Load it to the gills with wet dive gear, the extension handle makes it easy to pull no matter how heavy, and then let the bag air dry in your room or balcony. Mine dries overnight. Use the rolling duffel to repack dive gear and other closes for the return journey home. I just bought my second set of these bags after using the first set for almost 5 years, and I actually only bought them because Costco has been out of them for quite some time. They have held up very well, and compare very favorably to much more expensive rolling duffels.

One of my idea's was to purchase an inexpensive rolling duffle bag slightly larger than the mesh bag and then place the loaded mesh bag inside the rolling duffle for use during extended transporting such as to a cruise ship or flight. A two bag solution.

My other idea was like yours, use an inexpensive duffle like the FUL, no mesh bag, and just transport both dive gear sets in one. If it gets ruined by the wet gear its only $40 lost. My concern was whether a bag like the FUL could even remotely do the job. How would it handle soaked, dripping gear? How long would it last with this task? Is the bag to large for dive boat (six packs)?
Well, you've done it and it works so that reassuring.

I'll be cruising to Cozumel in a couple months and will put your idea to the test. After our dives, we will need to haul the wheeled duffle around town a bit while we grab a bite to eat before returning to the ship.

So just to confirm, this is the FUL bag, right?
Costco Wholesale

 

[Altamira]

Yes, that is the bag, and at the present time they have them in our Costco stores, where you can buy them without paying the shipping charge from their website sales. I also did a couple of dive trips where I did put the mesh duffel with 2 sets of dive gear inside of the FUL rolling duffel. That was a waste of time, effort, space and weight, especially when I found the fully packed mesh bag was not very user friendly compared to the rolling duffel. I can't speak for others, but I used the mesh duffel on three trips and will likely never use it again. My old FUL bags are still in good shape inside despite carrying wet dive gear (salt water diving), and the exterior damage is limited to areas where it looked like the bag handlers were dragging it wheels up. Both of our old bags are still useable, and I was amazed how well a $40 bag held up for scuba use. I am not sure how well either one would fit in a six pack boat

 

[BRT]

I have watched Costco for the rolling duffel but had not caught it in stock. Here it is at overstock.com for the $40 delivered no tax. Traveler's Club Adventure 30-inch 2-Section Drop-Bottom Rolling Duffel Bag | Overstock.com Shopping - The Best Deals on Duffel Bags

 

[Ludicrous Depth]

While I agree that the Costco bag will work, I personally would rather use a mesh bag, roller or not for wet gear. The mesh bag will dry rapidly while the fabric bag will not. The idea of two sets of gear in any of the mesh bags comes with little merit as I can barely fit, 1 reg set, BCD, Fins, Mask, towel, etc in one bag. Now maybe you or your companion may be very small, but I honestly don't see two sets in one bag.

While I DO like my XS scuba roller bag, I do agree, that it is not optimal for rolling long distances, but that is NOT the reason why I purchased or its intended use. Short hauls only from Boat to car or boat to room. Keeping that in mind, it works great.

 

[Altamira]

Not trying to talk you into switching from a mesh duffel to any other kind of bag. If the mesh bag works great for you, I certainly am not going to try to convince you otherwise. Although no one would classify me as small, I was easily able to pack two full sets of gear into the XS mesh bag, including Apollo Bio and Scubapro Twin Jet fins, Zeagle Covert and Scubapro Go BCDs, two 3mm full wetsuits (large/XL and medium) with beanie and boots, two full sets of SP MK17/S555/R395 regs with computers and back up gauges, two masks, plus assorted safety gear, and save a dive kit. My wife did carry the towels in a separate bag, mainly to keep them dry. Two BP/Ws may have been an issue. FWIW, most of the material on the Costco bag is some sort of nylon and also dries quickly, even inside of a ship's cabin, although not quite as fast as the mesh bag, but it is a lot easier to pull fully loaded. Glad you like your mesh bag. Do you want to buy another one? I would use my mesh bag more often if my diving was local or involved longer stays in one location without having to deal with airplane or ship travel. Stay safe.