Alternative to BP/W

[lairdb]

I don't get it. I just packed my Fred T SS BP and Oxy wing into a suitcase with clothes all around it and the whole thing weighs just less than 50#. Mask/fins/etc in another case and carry on reg and computer. No weight issues.

Um, Rick?

"I don't get it. I split 70 pounds of gear among three bags and each weighed less than 50 pounds."

Sure... but maybe he doesn't want to split his gear into that many bags.

Yeah I dont see how you could be over the weight limit unless youre packing your tank!

I'm curious -- what's your kit and what does it actually weigh? You might be surprised.

I can get my most basic dive kit down to about 32 pounds; much of that is a steel plate (6#, about 2# of webbing and rings), reg (about 8# all told), and jets.

Add a couple of small lights (UK SL4s), small strobe and tray (Ike DS50) and housing (Oly PT012), and I'm pushing 40 pounds. The simplest and lightest decent rollerbag I have found is about 9 pounds. Just room for a swimsuit and the bag is "full".

If I really wanted to cut weight, I'd switch to my AUL plate (Aluminium, about 4 pounds with rings et al.), and carry-on my reg.

 

[JustinW]

you are probably packing all of your gear into a fancy travel suitcase that weighs at least 5-10 pounds, reducing what you can actually carry to be even less, you can get smart with what you pack everything in and just reduce the weight of your luggage bag. I use military issue duffel bags that are tough as nails, I pack everything carefully and nothing ever gets broken, and the duffels are lighter and cheaper than some fancy bells and whistles roller bag.

 

[archman]

you are probably packing all of your gear into a fancy travel suitcase that weighs at least 5-10 pounds.

Yup, this is a very good point often overlooked. Weight of luggage, empty.

 

[cmm1970]

I am concerned about weight because I travel with a DSLR u/w photography rig with twin strobes, a dome port, chargers, batteriers...you know, all the fixin's. If it was gear alone, I probably could pack the tank also.

 

[lairdb]

Yup, this is a very good point often overlooked. Weight of luggage, empty.

Yup. I'm something of a luggage obsessive (evidence and more evidence), so I have some data handy on this:

Minimal duffles (GI, generic cordura, etc.) are typically about 2 pounds (most of mine are 30 oz.) Wheels (and the therefore requisite semi-rigid bottom) add 2 to 3 pounds, but (see "evidence" above) I firmly believe that wheels without a rigid handle is a mistake, so that takes you to 8 or 9 pounds if you shop carefully. (_Do_ actually weigh the luggage in the store if this matters to you; the straps, hangers, buckles, etc. "features" can add several pounds very quickly.)

(A brief editorial comment on duffles vs. wheels: wheels aren't necessarily just laziness -- there's no way I can carry 2 or 3 separate duffles at 20 or 30 pounds each a long ways, or even an awkward short distance without having to shuttle them, risking theft, etc. With one 50 pound rigid-handled wheeled bag, I can get it almost anywhere by myself; with two, one in each hand, I can do almost as well, and pile other bags on top of them as well if needed. IMO, that's worth the weight tradeoff. YMMV.)

In hard-case-world:

The Pelican cases that look so cool are 24.5 pounds and up when EMPTY. (The 1620 is the largest that is less than 62 linear inches; the 1650 is 1.5 inches over, which means you'd get away with it 99% of the time, and weighs 29.4 pounds.)

Storm (a division of Hardigg) makes cases that are a little lighter and often considerably cheaper than the Pelicans, for a very competitive case; their iM2975 (largest <62li) is 22.5 pounds empty.

The Rubbermaid ActionPackers are either way under the size limit, or way over; I'm not sure what they weigh if you're willing to pay the oversize charge -- I know Curt uses them; perhaps if he stumbles across this he'll know.

Stanley has some VERY interesting products uner the "mobile job chest" line that I know some SoCal divers that are not concerned about checkability use; very nice wheeled cases that can double as rinse-buckets, but not hugely space-efficient, and even the smaller is over 62li.

 

[Goose75]

If the strength of plastic worries you, you could use your metal plate as a template to make a composite one in your garage.

 

[rgbmatt]

I use an OMS aluminum plate, and haven't had any trouble when travelling. Last time I took my gear on the plane, my bag was light enough that I threw my weight belt in just because I could! Come to think of it, though, on the same trip, some of my co-workers were using steel plates and still didn't have any weight issues, even though they were also carrying a pile of heavy/bulky scientific instruments.

As long as you pack your stuff carefully enough, you can probably fit your gear + cameras in without exceeding the weight limit. Backplates only weight a few pounds each, which doesn't make a huge difference in the long run.

 

[cmm1970]

Here is a little more background. I used to pack my DSLR in a Pelican 1610 case. That would leave on bag for clothes, snacks, and scuba gear. Well, long story short...my Pelican case was cleaned out going through Puerto Rico on the way to Bonaire. Losses totalted $8000 in photo gear. Lesson learned is that Pelican cases scream "expensive stuff...please steal" and that I need to be carrying on the housing, camera, and port. With the airlines(American) reducing their international bag weight limit to 50lbs from 75lbs, I have lost 30% of my payload capacity. I have moved to a suitcase weighing 10.5lbs from the 18.5lbs that my Samsonite weighed. Good savings. You all may be correct in that there will be no problem with two 50lb bags, but in this string, there have also been some good ideas to reduce the weight of this beefy BC setup. That was the intent of starting the string. The criticism of luggage and comments to that effect has been a necessary side effect of getting a few pearls from others. Thanks to all of you with positive suggestions. The duffles, the PVC STA, not using heavy luggage, they are all good ideas. Thank you! Anyone with any others, plug them in. I love the good ideas.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[zboss]

Speaking of which - how do you guys weigh your bags? When I was flying out of DC a few months ago I noted that two different luggage scales weighed the same bag at different weights by six pounds (48 and 54).

 

[kidspot]

hmm "have you had control over your bag at all times?" as the airlines are asking lately