Large gear storage box - suggestions?

[psychocabbage]

I use 2 smartbins I got from Walmart. I added an igloo cooler drain plug to one so I do my after dive soaks in it then drain and hang.

Here is a pic of it holding the following:
5 sets of personal gear (mask, snorkle, booties and fins)
5 BCs.

It fits in the trunk of a Jetta and of course in the back of the scuba truck.

We got the bins at Walmart for $40 each.

 

[mike_s]

I've found that for home storage that the rubbermaid bins are great.

you can get them in numerous sizes and they are stackable

just take a magic marker and write on the end what's in each bin. works great

I picked up a Dive Box from Ebay at a smoke'n deal. It holds a ull set of my gear plus a tank in the tank well. It works on the Catalina Express and I can sit on it and lock it. You can get a Stanley box for a bunch less at retail but I found my for $100.00 delivered and it has been a life saver.

California Diving Company

I've looked at that before also and think it's a really nice box.

but they are smoking crack on how much they want for one. I can't access that link at work, but last time I checked it was over $200 for their bin. I think the sand wheels added an extra $50 to $70 bucks.

I'm glad you found for a great deal on EBAY, but most folks wouldn't buy it because it's so overprices. there are some other old threads on here discussing it that the OP or others can review before shelling out this munch money for this box.


As for that Stanley Box, there is someone on here, maybe NW Gratefull Diver, that has taken something like that Stanley box and put a cam strap on it to hold a tank on top of it. seems like it worked pretty good for them.

I'll see if I can find the pic of it or the thread to reference and post.

 

[muddiver]

Most of the really busy divers here on the west coast use a Stanley box with an old SCUBA tank cam strap laced throught slots cut in the lid. It is the hot ticket for dragging your gear from transport to a shore dive site that is over paved or fairly hard packed surfaces. It never really occured to me, but being able to sit on the box to don your wet suit or dry suit is a great extra.

If you dive for a while, you will discover that you really need a couple of different set up for your gear. Using the search function you can find a couple of threads on dive gear drying/storage racks as well as travel boxes.

I found that I use:
1. A 55 gal plastic drum with the top sawed off to soak gear.
2. A jumble of hangers and SCUBA gear hangers to dry my gear, some folks with garage space build cool PVC racks that double as a storage rack.
3. I use a large tupperware box on wheels to store my gear (except weights) because it is water/bug tight and probably keeps ozone and other bad stuff from degrading my gear.
4. For boat charters I use the trusty old dive bag with wheels. I prefer the Akona dive bag because it has a cool frog on it. Hummm... I guess that isn't a practicle reason.
5. For beach runs and pool traning I use the blue tupperware tub mike s posted above to keep the samd and water out of my Jeep. Doubles as a rinse tub on site.

So, as with gear in diving, you will end up with a number of travel and storage options in your closet, unless all you do is vacation dive once a year and you travel with a minimum of gear to do so.

 

[Jayde323]

Picked up one of these at Walmart. It easily holds a full set or gear, wet or dry. Handles are really strong and make it super easy to carry. When I get home it makes a great rinse tank.

 

[mike_s]

I use 2 smartbins I got from Walmart. I added an igloo cooler drain plug to one so I do my after dive soaks in it then drain and hang.

.

where can you get the igloo cooler drains? (or was this off an old dead cooler)?

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I buy TWO idenical rubbermaid containers and then nest them. The outer one will get beat up, cracked and split, but it protects the internal one which will remain water proof and allow you to throw wetsuits and gear in a car without rusting the car out. After a few years the external bin is ruined and you put a new bin on the inside..

 

[Codyjp]

I've been rockin' the stanley box for a couple years now. It serves as my all around box and rinse tank. It is rusty and looks like crap but it is still going strong. Worse case I'll have to spend another $45 to replace it.

 

[Yvette13]

Only problem with the Stanley tub, it's more than 62inches total. Which would be too large for checked luggage on airlines. However I would love to find something like this that would not exceed 62inches in total.