Good, inexpensive luggage?

[scubadada]

Hi @DrMack

I prefer luggage where the contents are not identifiable, and a potential target

 

[Zef]

A few years ago we purchased the following rolling duffel bags for our dive adventures and they have held up quite well:

Wheeled Duffel Bag, Black

We wanted something lightweight and rugged, with wheels, and was not ridiculously expensive . After lots of looking at local stores and online we found these. They are made of sturdy ripstop nylon, have roller-blade type wheels, and weighs approximately 2.5kg (5.5lbs) empty.

We purchased ours through the base exchange where we are stationed. I think we paid around $35 or $40 for each of the 4 we bought. I just check the price on the base exchange website and they are currently selling for $44.95 instead of $79.99 at the company website above.

If you are interested in buying one, I can assist, just shoot me a PM.

-Zef

 

[tarponchik]

We go through luggage quickly. Cheap and moderately priced hardside bags seem to get broken within two trips. The airlines are rough on them. I really don't want to spend the money on something like Tumi. We have Pelicans but they weigh so much that we'd hardly get anything in them before they'd be over the 50 pound limit. I know I'm looking for a unicorn, but do any of you have a recommendation for luggage that is not super expensive and is durable?

Btw, I read on the Tumi website they cover airline damage for the first year, but not after that first year. Should I just keep buying cheap bags and replace them over and over?

Also want to add, I'm looking for a checked bag - not carry-on. And I prefer hardside over soft, to protect my BCD. Also, prefer hardside to protect from water. We got caught in a huge downpour getting to the ferry in Cancun and the rain leaked into our bags via the zippers! I think I may treat the zippers with something like Scotchguard to prevent that from happening again.

What can possibly happen to your BCD in a checked bag??? Pardon me for intruding into women's territory, but you need something sharp to damage BCD, not just punches, heavy weights on top and kicks. So just go for the lightest bag you can find and sandwich anything sensitive between your fins, wetsuit, BCD and T-shirts. Put water-sensitive items into ziplogs and ignore the rain factor, things get dry eventually. And yes, buy cheap and patch/replace, as needed.

 

[Kimela]

What can possibly happen to your BCD in a checked bag???

I can't say how it has happened, but we ended up with a broken inflator that we suspect was a result of rough handling of a bag. Somewhere along the line, my Aqualung Zuma got a pinhole sized hole in it but I really have no idea how that happened - it's fairly lightweight anyway. Maybe the damage happened to both on the way to or from the boat, while in our own possession. But you never know how your luggage will be wedged, squished, thrown or piled on. I'm just trying to take whatever precautions I can to minimize the damage. Perhaps an overabundance of caution, but I'm ok with that.

 

[Zef]

I can't say how it has happened, but we ended up with a broken inflator that we suspect was a result of rough handling of a bag. Somewhere along the line, my Aqualung Zuma got a pinhole sized hole in it but I really have no idea how that happened - it's fairly lightweight anyway. Maybe the damage happened to both on the way to or from the boat, while in our own possession. But you never know how your luggage will be wedged, squished, thrown or piled on. I'm just trying to take whatever precautions I can to minimize the damage. Perhaps an overabundance of caution, but I'm ok with that.

Sorry to hear your gear got damaged. If you travel with your reg set and dive computer as a carry-on, perhaps removing the corrugated hose from the BC and adding it to your reg bag would keep that from happening in the future...kind of a minor pain but far less chance of it getting damaged.

When we pack, we put each fin on either side of the bag to protect the sides of the bag, wetsuits go along the bottom of the bag. Mask is in a fin foot pocket. When we had jacket BCs we removed the corrugated hose/inflator assembly and folded the jackets and placed them in the center of the bag back side up...we do the same now with BP/W, the wing gets rolled up and then wrapped in a towel or some t-shirts for added protection. Booties, hood, and gloves get stuffed where ever along with bathing suit, shorts, and shirts. Reg, computer, compass, and inflator hose go in the carry on (along with toiletries, spare underwear, and spare socks - essential if your flight gets cancelled or you are otherwise temporarily stranded at the airport overnight without access to your checked luggage).

If you decide to remove the inflator hose, be sure to remove the gasket and don't forget to pack it too.

-Z

 

[gert7to3]

I use a large rolling duffel from Eagle Creek. Replaced the wheels once and patched a bit of wear with hot melt glue. I carry on my camera, housing, prescription masks and dive computers. For the most part, everything else can be rented. I cut down a lightweight closed cell backpacking sleeping pad to add protection around my gear in the duffel. My carry on bag is a smaller duffel from Eagle Creek which fits on over my rolling duffel's handle extension.

 

[Ivy Crackerboy]

Briggs and Riley is both bomb and airline employee proof. Over the past 20 years I have acquired a half dozen pieces. Well designed and well built in the USA. I have a local repair shop that, without charge or question, has fixed/replaced the few parts that the airlines have been able damage over the years. Pay B&R once and you have excellent luggage for life.

 

[living4experiences]

I was recently looking at luggage options, and I did some research on hard-sided luggage construction material and there's a big difference in polycarbonate, polypropylene, and ABS, a key difference being weight versus durability.

Here's a link about the Briggs & Riley warranty and a nice outcome for the warranty claim. https://travelingformiles.com/i-got-to-test-briggs-rileys-simple-as-that-lifetime-guarantee.

Personally, I don't mind buying cheap luggage, knowing that it'll be on its way to final demise after the first encounter with baggage handlers. The more beat up it gets, the less of a target it becomes for thieves.

 

[Janie88]

My husband and I both have Stahlsac duffel style checked bags and have used them for about 6 years with no issues. I only put my reg, dive computer and mask in my carryon. Never had any issues with my Stahlsac.

I have been looking recently at Osprey's checked bag.

 

[tarponchik]

My husband and I both have Stahlsac duffel style checked bags and have used them for about 6 years with no issues. I only put my reg, dive computer and mask in my carryon. Never had any issues with my Stahlsac.

I have been looking recently at Osprey's checked bag.

At $369 per bag, Stahlsac hardly qualifies as "inexpensive"