How we pack to get around the "second bag"

[fppf]

Ok folks, face it, airfare is going UP. The airlines are taking out the comps first then the tickets will go up. You can't change it, just deal with it. You can send all the emails you want, only way you can do something is don't fly. This in my mind is not an option. So what can we do about it?????

Well we just got back from Grand Bahama. My wife and I carry more than average amount of gear and we where able to pack everything into 2 carryons and 1 checked bag each. All bags where within the airlines dimensions and weight limits. So I thought I would list what we do to make it fit and avoid the new $25 fee for a second bag.

First, the list of items we bring on a dive vacation...Sorry its long...
Personal items for each of us:
general cloths for each day, normally 6
One pair of dress cloths for a night out on the town
One pair of crocks and one pair of sneakers/boots
TRAVEL size hygiene items, soap, shampoo, tooth brush, exct. Now when I say travel size I MEAN TRAVEL SIZE PEOPLE!! Why pack that huge bottle of shampoo for 6 days? YOU DON"T NEED IT!!! Get out your kitchen scale and weigh how much that full bottle is and you will see what I mean.

Electronic Items:
Dell laptop
Nikon D100 DSLR camera
Canon A640 PS camera
Cell phones
Cables, chargers, memory stick readers

Dive Gear Items for each of us:
Regulators (delta 4 FDX10)
Pro Plus 2 dive computer
Atom 2.0 dive computer
BC's (Probe, Isla)
Fins (Oceanic V12)
Mask
Snorkel
wet suit, 5mm each
boots
gloves
3mm cap
Safety sausage
Knife
Scissors
10’ ¼” nylon rope

Other dive items:
Save a dive kit
Oral rescue mask
Underwater signal strobe

Underwater camera gear:
Aluminum version of Ike housing for DSLR
Ike housing for the PS
DS125 substrobe and arms

So now for the packing, first thing is bag choice.
We like Akona bags, they have held up VERY well given the beating the airline monkeys give them. We have the older version of the roller duffel, the newer version has the same amount of space and is a little lighter still. The huge roller akona is a waste, its actually to big for airline dimensions and it weighs a lot more. Standard luggage bags are in the same boat, they weigh more. We also have 2 samsonite roller carryon bags that are at the maximum size limits. For our “Personal Item we each carry a backpack that has a laptop slot in them.

For each of us, all our camera gear and underwater housings go into the roller carryon. We then pack as many cloths around them as we can without bulging out the bag. The laptop and all other electronic items, regulators, dive computers go in the backpacks. This leaves the rest of the dive gear and about half the cloths left to fit into the roller duffels we check.

Each roller duffel weighs 49.5 lbs, my carryon is 38 lbs, the Mrs. carryon is 28 lbs.
Going through the security checkpoint is a little bit of a pain because they open your bags and hand inspect your regulator and housings.

So there you go folks, it is possible, hope this helps.

 

[alcina]

LOL the carryon limit in Australia is 7 or 10kgs (15-22lbs) depending on airline and where you go

Nice to see your solution...though this is precisely why the second bag fee is so irritating, people are just going to drag more and more into the cabin.

 

[deco_martini]

Well we just got back from Grand Bahama.

TRAVEL size hygiene items, soap, shampoo, tooth brush, exct. Now when I say travel size I MEAN TRAVEL SIZE PEOPLE!! Why pack that huge bottle of shampoo for 6 days? YOU DON"T NEED IT!!!

gloves
3mm cap
Safety sausage
Knife
Scissors
10’ ¼” nylon rope
Oral rescue mask
Underwater signal strobe

Given that you were going to grand bahama, you could have ditched all of those accessories and packaged some souvenirs for the return trip.

 

[fppf]

Alcina
Do they actually weigh your carryon and or personal item???
In the states and Bahama's they do not weigh your carryon.
When we went to Little Cayman we had a 55 lbs checked and a 15 lbs carryon. We where able to fit all dive items within those limits, but cloths where light.

We count on not bringing back personal care items to cover souvenirs and having the gear a little damp.

 

[alcina]

I've had my carryons weighed in Perth and in Sydney. Not every time but often enough that you do have to think about it.

I personally hate having to drag a heavy, bulky carryon around, but then again, I do itineraries that are a little more intensive than most people

 

[fppf]

Yeah I don't like it either, however I could not stand the thought of seeing someone throwing my bag with $5,000 worth of camera gear in it.

 

[alcina]

hehee - I usually check all of mine

 

[scubamickey]

Well, fortunately we fly first class mostly and the flight out to St Marten was purchased months ago so we are grandfathered in with the bags. No way we could not check 2 dive bags and a video housing in its Pelican. Not to mention the smaller bag with clothes and spill over dive gear. Although I'm going to try for 3 checked bags this year instead of 4.

2 sets of Jetfins and steel backplates are heavy.

 

[diveborg]

LOL the carryon limit in Australia is 7 or 10kgs (15-22lbs) depending on airline and where you go

That would keep me from packing my pony bottle in my carry on like I do when I fly to Santa Barbra. I swear I end up with a 40 lbs carry on for that trip.

 

[DandyDon]

I never put a camera in my roll-on as I have to fly Regional Jets in/out of Lubbock and they gate check the roll-ons. Yeah, you can pad them, but they can still break them - and disallow liability the way they write the rules.

I don't fly FC ilot: but as long as I stick with Delta partners, I still get to check 2 - 70# bags. Delta quit Lubbock but Continental treats me pretty nicely in the Elite program.