Best Bag to use for Carry On

[opie712]

Is the turtle pack big enough to hold an ots guardian ffm

 

[opie712]

How to you contact dive caddy they come out with a new product website is down and phone number disconnected everyone talks their customer service up but seems to me pretty poor from the start

 

[koozemani]

The 11th post in this thread is from the manufacturer, notice he never expressly states that the bag meets airline size regulations.

---------- Post added December 4th, 2013 at 04:27 PM ----------


I never said I did not like the product. I said it does not meet airline size requirements, which could be a problem with foreign carriers.

---------- Post added December 4th, 2013 at 04:48 PM ----------



The scuba market is pretty small compared to some other sports so most of the scuba related bags are going to be marketed by the dive gear manufacturers. If you become a traveling diver then you will want to make your gear choices based on weight and ease of packing. For example instead of a knife, carry a Trilobite instead, use smaller fins, wrist mounted gauges instead of the boot, etc.

Contrary to what Dmoore says I do not hate the Dive Caddy. However, I do feel that the manufacturer markets the product in a somewhat deceptive manner. As Dmoore points out whether or not the bag meets airline requirements depends on your gear selection which is not clearly stated. I also strongly believe that the gear used in the video would not meet airline specifications when folded. Especially when adding a spider pack and turtle pack.

It depends on the airline. Some airlines will give specific dimension limits, while others give a general "total dimensions may not exceed" limit. I have and use a caddy. I have had to gate check it only once and that includes on little express jets(puddle jumpers). When packed, with the spider bag, it will meet some airline size requirements as long as they are the "total dimensions may not exceed" kind. The way I pack it, it ends up a little to long for some carry-on limits mainly due to my fins. On smaller aircraft, i'll remove the spider bag, clip it to the turtle bag and count that as my "personal bag", with the bulk of the caddy now fitting in the overhead compartment.

I have never had a packed dive caddy come under the weight restriction for a carry-on. Thankfully, i've never had it weighed. I usually count the turtle bag as my "personal bag" and store computers and the like in it. I do not know if it accommodate a ffm as I have never used one.

 

[carltona]

It depends on the airline. Some airlines will give specific dimension limits, while others give a general "total dimensions may not exceed" limit. I have and use a caddy. I have had to gate check it only once and that includes on little express jets(puddle jumpers). When packed, with the spider bag, it will meet some airline size requirements as long as they are the "total dimensions may not exceed" kind. The way I pack it, it ends up a little to long for some carry-on limits mainly due to my fins. On smaller aircraft, i'll remove the spider bag, clip it to the turtle bag and count that as my "personal bag", with the bulk of the caddy now fitting in the overhead compartment.

I have never had a packed dive caddy come under the weight restriction for a carry-on. Thankfully, i've never had it weighed. I usually count the turtle bag as my "personal bag" and store computers and the like in it. I do not know if it accommodate a ffm as I have never used one.

I am also a bag manufacturer and make no claim that my bags are designed as carry-on. That said, I carry it on flights all the time. It's about how big the bag is loaded. The mesh bag is very flexible and I can usually fit it into the little frame that determines the do not exceed bag size. I use a simple compression strap from some 2" webbing. The bottom line is you have to be smart about it. I am not looking to cram all my gear into the overhead just the can't live without gear. The other game people are playing now is gate checking. Take your obviously too big bag down the jet way and have them load it into the belly straight away. Like baby carriages. No fees usually.

 

[dmoore19]

If you are going to an island to stay for a week or so having your gear not get there with you is generally a minor inconvenience. You can probably rent gear for a day or so until yours gets there. On the other hand, if you are going to an island to board a week long liveaboard that is a different story. The odds of your bags catching up with you is a different story. Having a bag with all your stuff to carry on is something that is important to different degrees. I have a dive caddy and have used it. I would prefer to have a roller bag to schlep around an airport but if I am going on a live aboard I can see it is worth the extra work to carry as much as possible in a dive caddy or something similar.

 

[ams511]

It depends on the airline. Some airlines will give specific dimension limits, while others give a general "total dimensions may not exceed" limit. I have and use a caddy. I have had to gate check it only once and that includes on little express jets(puddle jumpers). When packed, with the spider bag, it will meet some airline size requirements as long as they are the "total dimensions may not exceed" kind. The way I pack it, it ends up a little to long for some carry-on limits mainly due to my fins. On smaller aircraft, i'll remove the spider bag, clip it to the turtle bag and count that as my "personal bag", with the bulk of the caddy now fitting in the overhead compartment.

I have never had a packed dive caddy come under the weight restriction for a carry-on. Thankfully, i've never had it weighed. I usually count the turtle bag as my "personal bag" and store computers and the like in it. I do not know if it accommodate a ffm as I have never used one.

I did a quick check on the "Big 3" US airlines, Delta, United, and American, and all of them give specifications of 22" x 14" x 9". Southwest is a bit more generous at 10" x 16" x 24". What the airlines want is the bag to fit in the bin wheels out and not sideways. What really matters is how picky the gate and flight attendants want to be.

 

[koozemani]

I did a quick check on the "Big 3" US airlines, Delta, United, and American, and all of them give specifications of 22" x 14" x 9". Southwest is a bit more generous at 10" x 16" x 24". What the airlines want is the bag to fit in the bin wheels out and not sideways. What really matters is how picky the gate and flight attendants want to be.

With my current fins, my caddy comes in at 26" tall. I fall within the other dimensions when I count my turtle/spider bag as my personal bag.

i'll usually pack as follows (caddy)
fins
masks (2)
bp/wing
boots
wetsuit
skin, rash guards, jammers, swim trunks
computer, compass (both wrist mount)
safety gear
one change of clothes
save a dive kit.

my wife's carryon will hold (wheeled traditional carryon)
cameras, housing, strobe
2 sets of regs
computer, compass
safety gear
change of clothes
fins
boots
masks (2)
wetsuit, skin, rash guards, swimsuit

the he only essential piece that isn't carried on is her BC. That will change once I talk her into a BP/w.

 

[ams511]

With my current fins, my caddy comes in at 26" tall. I fall within the other dimensions when I count my turtle/spider bag as my personal bag.

I am not disputing what you are saying and am glad the bag is working for you. However you bring up an important point that the Dive Caddy folks don't, that proper gear selection is important for the bag to fit within the airline specifications. As another poster pointed out it is highly unlikely that the configuration shown in the video would meet airline carry-on specifications. I remember in the past their website gave some tips on how to avoid getting noticed.

As airlines merge there is less competition, so I expect them to be more aggressive in the future about baggage limits to compete with low-cost and foreign airlines. There are some airlines (not the majors) that now charge you for bringing carry-ons into the plane. You actually need to reserve and pay for space in the overhead bins.

 

[opie712]

Can anyone give me the diamentions of the turtle pack and how to contact dive caddy as their phone number is disconnected along with their website down

 

[Mike]

I plan having my regulator, computer, mask, snorkel, and all the little items in my regulator bag. I have looked at a few of Aqualung's bags but want to make sure I do not get hung up and then have to check my dive gear.

Any thoughts and recommendations?

Thanks

If you're talking about a carry on bag, really it doesn't really make any difference if it's made for scuba or not, in fact I'd say if it's made for scuba you're giving up valuable space to flaps, straps and any other scuba specific item built into the bag.

Since it's a carry on the only things that matter are 1) it is as large as the carry on regulation allow, without going over them so you don't risk it being sent to checked, 2) whatever the extras built into the bag are, they take up the least amount of space possible so that that room is available to fit the stuff you want to bring.

That said, all you have to do is do a quick search for best carry on bag on google and find one of the bags recommended by seasoned flyers, scuba doesn't really have to have anything to do with it. Like I said you want the most room, with the least amount of extras in the bag taking away from your storage.

The ebags Etech2.0 Weekender Convertible is THE carryon bag for serious flyers.