Gear bags vs Hardcases

[peterw]

I use a big Pelican 1660. I can fit a tank, all my gear, a towel or two, and some extra dry clothes all in one rolling container. I used to use a giant duffel bag and carry a tank seperately but I now I can fit everything into the pelican. I love it.

http://www.pelican.com/cases/3bo_1660.html

 

[Axeman]

I use a pelican 1650 with stickers glaore and carry my dry suit and tanks.

 

[Hoya97]

I dive a lot - almost exclusively from Dive Boats. The Akonia Duffle Bag lasted about a year. I refuse to recommend it. The handles ripped out (Vertically) the zipper failed and the bottom wore out due to excessive sliding over the non-skid on the deck.

I use an outstanding bag from Code Alpha now. They are a small company but produce outstanding bags (I swear I'm not a company representative). The bottom is reinforced for non-skid decks, the zippers are two sizes larger than the Akonia and the handles are double stitched both horzontally and vertically. I use this bag on boats.

When I'm traveling, I use an Armor large rollie bag. This is an outstanding bag in that all my equipment fits inside - to include the Code Alpha gear bag. I transport everything inside the Armor bag while flying, then repack everything into the Code Alpha for the boat. A nice thing about Armor bags is that they don't have dive flags plastered all over them. Baggage handlers just think it's anothe rollie. They don't know it contains SCUBA equipment.

A suggestion when travelling. The TSA won't let you lock your bag as they can't search it. I recommend you use standard cable ties to secure your bag. If TSA needs to go into it, then they place a card inside your bag stating that they cut off the cable ties and replace the cable tie with a special TSA cable tie. Baggage handlers don't normally carry around cable ties to re-secure bags they rummage through looking for valuables. So if you see your cable tie is missing and the special TSA tie is also absent, then you can call over an airline representative immediately and you both can inspect the contents. No baggage handler is going to chance cutting through a special TSA cable tie and they probably don't want to take the time to find the card inside as well. I've travelled around the world a lto and this works for me! Thought I would pass it along to all of you.

Rubbermaid Tuff Bins are great. Put your duffel in the tuff bin and you won't have to worry about salt water ruining the lining in your trunk. Helpful hint, always keep your weights seperate from the tuff bin - they will cause it to break at the handles and/or crack on the bottom.

 

[Hoosier]

Sorry for resurrecting this thread, but I can't resist posting that I got the same box thanks to the good information. It is a darn cheap ($20) with the limited lifetime warranty. Yahoo!!
​

[font=바탕] [/font]

For local diving, my wife and I use a 45 gallon Rubbermaid box with wheels for everything exept tanks and weights - they are bungeed onto a dollie. The dollie works great if you need to transport the heavy stuff for any distance.


For travel we'll either FedEx the gear ahead of us if it's practical, or use generic travel duffels. A good generic duffel is usually cheaper than official gear bags and seem to made just as well - if not better.

 

[mack50md]

I use a Cabela's drysack. Leftover from my canoe trekking days. Roomy with shoulder straps. Fairly watertight. Fits under benches.

I use a roller bag for air travel. Stuff the drysack or a mesh duffel bag in the roller bag and use them to go from hotel to boat. Leave the roller bag in the room.

 

[downunder_diver]

I dont have a car so getting from A to B with dive gear is very hard!!! I catch public transport ie. 2 buses and walk a bit too. All up takes me around 2hrs.
Anyhow, I was wondering what type of bag would be handiest?
I'm thinking a Duffle bag or Mesh bag.
I dont really want to spend much - $50 max!

Thanks!
Safe Diving

 

[Mandy3206]

I used for more than 10 yrs a Back Pack, last 8 and akona similar to the AKB 114, only diference was the top pocket was bigger due to using the space for the water bottle on the current one.

I switched to a Pelican 1620 'cause I got tired of hauling my gear in my back, and don't want to hurt my back with this bag that weights a ton. So now I drag and roll the 1620 around and the only moment that is lifted is when loading/unloading from the car and same situation from the boat, both times I get the help from another person to do this.

The Akona never let me down and it resisted everything I throwed at it and can be used for another 10 yrs, maybe more.

I decided to save my back after seen this 6'-2" baseball player get hurt loading the gear into the boat and had to sit out both dives due to his back ache.

It doesn't matter if you go the softpack or hard case way, just make sure it got wheels on it.

 

[AcDriver]

RuberMaid Action Packer. You can put 2 pad locks on it, its vertually indestrucable,it floats, Its $20, and you can put stickers on it.

<in my best Bevis voice>, heh, hee, he said rubbermaid action packer.


Sorry! Couldn't resisit!:mooner: