TNEngineer
Contributor
Joining this thread a bit late.
My wife and I have worked out a system: The more sensitive or expensive gear goes into my backpack, and the large/bulky stuff goes into a big Mares roller bag that gets checked. This keeps the sensitive stuff away from the baggage handling system.
My backpack gets both reg sets, computers, masks (I carry two prescription masks), and our lights because of their batteries. Total weight is around 25 pounds. We have Travelight BCD's which compress well, big fins, thin shorties, etc. that easily fit into the roller. "Excess" space is consumed by clothes and non-diving travel supplies.
When we reach our destination the non-dive stuff comes out of the roller, the backpack gear goes in, and then we are 100% self sufficient with a single, easy to roll bag containing complete support for two divers. If our big bag is lost, we can rent everything that was in it and still feel safe because the critical gear was in our possession the whole time. Yes, BCD's are critical too but you can evaluate a rental BCD pretty fast. Things like regulators don't always reveal their poor upkeep until you're at depth.
My wife and I have worked out a system: The more sensitive or expensive gear goes into my backpack, and the large/bulky stuff goes into a big Mares roller bag that gets checked. This keeps the sensitive stuff away from the baggage handling system.
My backpack gets both reg sets, computers, masks (I carry two prescription masks), and our lights because of their batteries. Total weight is around 25 pounds. We have Travelight BCD's which compress well, big fins, thin shorties, etc. that easily fit into the roller. "Excess" space is consumed by clothes and non-diving travel supplies.
When we reach our destination the non-dive stuff comes out of the roller, the backpack gear goes in, and then we are 100% self sufficient with a single, easy to roll bag containing complete support for two divers. If our big bag is lost, we can rent everything that was in it and still feel safe because the critical gear was in our possession the whole time. Yes, BCD's are critical too but you can evaluate a rental BCD pretty fast. Things like regulators don't always reveal their poor upkeep until you're at depth.
