Travel Light - How to Travel Without Check-in Luggage ?

[orenbvip]

I did 26 flights around SE asia. Mostly Air Asia. Never had them weigh my carry on. Take a Osprey Porter 46 bag and a small backpack with my netbook and crap. Never any problems. This year I am taking my gear here is what i got:

force fins w/inserts (no need for booties!) i stuff my dive computer in one and mask in the other

put them on the bottom on the top of the fins:

Zeagle express tech - pack with the body side of the plate face down and cam bands face up, pull all the straps over the top and wing around tight.

Inside the cam bands area I put in my reg setup (apex flight all miflex hoses and naked 1.5" spg)

I have room to spare and fit my camera and housing and a .5mm wetsuit.

I dont think you can get lighter than this.

 

[scubasaurus94]

What about the weight that water adds for the return flight? I don't think I've ever come home from a trip with totally (or even partially!) dried gear.

 

[vladimir]

If you're traveling to dive, I don't see the point of making gear compromises to avoid the luggage check-in procedures. It's not that much time compared with the time you'll be spending in the water--take the gear that you like to dive with.

I agree. I check my gear, fly business class, and pay the excess baggage fees sometimes. There are trips, though, where you have to lighten the load--propeller flights in Papua New Guinea, for example. And if you'll be on a trip that involves lugging your gear from place to place when you're not flying, having a lighter load can make it a lot more pleasant. So I find these ideas interesting even though they're not that applicable to my situation these days.

 

[gubbins]

Anwa,

I fly most weeks within SE Asia for work and have yet to have my carry on properly weighed (with Air Asia, Jet Star, Tiger, and also flights to HK and China on Chinese airlines). Quite lucky as it a rolling camera bag weighing around 20kgs. It seems to help make things smoother if you're smartly dressed and with a business style rolling bag, or with a smallish rucksack casually slung over one shoulder.

As Andy mentioned, wearing trousers with cargo pockets is good idea as anything actually carried on your body doesn't count towards the weight restriction (my largest lenses fit in these pockets in the event of actually being stopped, and I've done this before when my checked bag was also overweight).

It seems that perhaps the restrictions are so tight in order to deter passengers from bringing outlandish bags on the plane. If you look reasonable, you should be fine

Or you could always wear your wetsuit and BCD onto the flight.

 

[anwa]

If you're traveling to dive, I don't see the point of making gear compromises to avoid the luggage check-in procedures. It's not that much time compared with the time you'll be spending in the water--take the gear that you like to dive with.

In a sense I agree with you. But the issue here is traveling light. I used to travel with lots of things, and always wonder how my friends can travel with so little (non diving trips).

Then 2 months back, on a diving trip to Pulau Weh, Acheh, I tried with just a backpack. Clothes, toiletries, mask, snorkel. HTC Desire (love this phone) as "laptop and camera". Rented everything else. Really like the freedom of minimal luggage. Saw other divers lugging big dive bags etc. It was then that I decide when I start buying my own gears, I must aim for light weight.

It will probably be impossible, but i'm still trying my best....
Hope is start going to other South East Asia places with those small planes with limited luggage allowance.

 

[anwa]

Anwa,

I fly most weeks within SE Asia for work and have yet to have my carry on properly weighed (with Air Asia, Jet Star, Tiger, and also flights to HK and China on Chinese airlines). Quite lucky as it a rolling camera bag weighing around 20kgs. It seems to help make things smoother if you're smartly dressed and with a business style rolling bag, or with a smallish rucksack casually slung over one shoulder.

As Andy mentioned, wearing trousers with cargo pockets is good idea as anything actually carried on your body doesn't count towards the weight restriction (my largest lenses fit in these pockets in the event of actually being stopped, and I've done this before when my checked bag was also overweight).

It seems that perhaps the restrictions are so tight in order to deter passengers from bringing outlandish bags on the plane. If you look reasonable, you should be fine

Or you could always wear your wetsuit and BCD onto the flight.

As I am from Malaysia, I do travel with AirAsia a lot. And so far, like you say, they don't weigh your carry on bags unless it looks oversize and awkward. So far, the only airport that really really weigh your carry on is Melbourne Airport. They are really strict, don't even allow just a little over 7kg.

 

[anwa]

I did 26 flights around SE asia. Mostly Air Asia. Never had them weigh my carry on. Take a Osprey Porter 46 bag and a small backpack with my netbook and crap. Never any problems. This year I am taking my gear here is what i got:

force fins w/inserts (no need for booties!) i stuff my dive computer in one and mask in the other

put them on the bottom on the top of the fins:

Zeagle express tech - pack with the body side of the plate face down and cam bands face up, pull all the straps over the top and wing around tight.

Inside the cam bands area I put in my reg setup (apex flight all miflex hoses and naked 1.5" spg)

I have room to spare and fit my camera and housing and a .5mm wetsuit.

I dont think you can get lighter than this.

Thanks for your tips ! I really like the way you pack your stuff. I'm using a 50x30x20cm carry on bag, made of some soft material (nylon?). I place my fins left and right side of the bag. The zeagle express tech on the bottom. Wrap the wetsuit around the regulator and put on top of the BCD. Everything else on top of that (mask, snorkel, booties, torchlight, surface marker). Weigh in at 8.8kg.

orenbvip, how much does your set up weigh including the osprey porter bag ?

I am using a Aqualung Titan LX 1st and 2nd stage with miflex hose (purchased based on advised by LDS that the Apeks Flight might not be as durable, and spare part compare to "normal" size regulator might be more difficult - not sure how true is this. It was the ACD on the titan lx that decided it for me) and Atomics SS1 octo/inflator.

 

[DevonDiver]

What about the weight that water adds for the return flight? I don't think I've ever come home from a trip with totally (or even partially!) dried gear.

With an 18 hour diving-to-flying exclusion, I don't see why the gear wouldn't have time to dry in any tropical environment?!?

 

[anwa]

Continuing my quest for no check in luggage, I stumble upon Divecaddy. Anybody have any experience with this ?

DiveCaddy - Home

Worth the investment ?

 

[diversteve]

You know it weighs 5lbs. empty right? What sort of bag are you currently using?

My (U.S.) airline legal sized hard-cornered Travelpro roller bag weighs 4.7 lbs. Granted I can't get my fins into it but they're TUSA XL's. But I didn't pay $250 for it either. (less than half actually)

I would think that a legal sized, heavy duty ripstop nylon bag would be in the 2lb. range or less. Especially one optimized for climbing or hiking.

What I also don't like is that their comparison chart just says "Carry-on Maximum Size" under dimensions when they go thru the trouble to list every other mfr's actual dims. What's up with that?

My biggest concern with the Dive Caddy - was that if packed full it wouldn't legally fit in the carry-on sizing box. I actually asked about that in a thread - or e-mailed - their response was that it had never happened to them - this would've been right after it hit the market. Which is probably reasonable but I'd be concerned about damage if I was stopped and had to check it.

A couple of threads about it:

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/gear-bags-cases/305281-dive-caddy-airline-carry-solution.html
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ge...ddy-review-tech-diving-picture-intensive.html

The Mfr. also posts here somewhat regularly [user]divecaddy[/user]

This is really a good thread. I'm now watching weight when I browse for gear looking to find the lightest stuff possible. I've always wanted to do what you're attempting. If I ever can leave my video gear at home (doubtful) I might try it.