Travel Weight

[CompuDude]

(very little traffic in the Thailand forum, so perhaps I'll re-try this post here...)

How do you do it?

I'm traveling to Thailand in 3 weeks, and bringing some gear for some diving.

Thai airlines has a weigh restriction of 44 lbs for checked luggage.

I just bought a handy little luggage scale.

I figured I would bring the minimum gear possible (it seems to me) to dive in a meaningful way: mask, fins, bcd, regs, computer, 10w can light and camera gear (P&S, housing, strobe).

So, thats:

1) prescription mask,
2) OMS slipstream fins (lighter than Jets!)
3) Long hose singles regs
4) Computer and backup (negligible weight)
5) Fully-rigged bp/w (aluminum plate)
6) Pocket weight belt (empty, fairly negligible weight)
7) A mesh bag to put it all in

I weighed my full bp/w rig: Halcyon SS plate (I have an aluminum plate coming, so I know I can knock off 3#) with unweighted STA (old style, very light), cam bands and MC pack, small Titanium knife, Photon Torpedo backup light, and OxyCheq Mach V 30# wing. (I tend to leave everything rigged up ready to rock.) The full rig weighed 14 lbs, although that will drop down to 11 once I get the Aluminum plate. Still, 11 lbs!

My long hose regs (currently set up for doubles, so drop a good pound once the second 1st stage comes off for singles config) plus my dive computer and compass came in at 10lbs (again, which will go to 9 once I lose the extra 1st stage). Still, 9 lbs!

My fins are 6 lbs; I haven't weighed my booties.

Add in an Akona mesh bag (3lbs), a pair of booties, a pocket weight belt, my mask, and weigh all of the above together: 36 lbs, actually (take out the 4 pounds for the stuff mentioned above that will be removed), 32 lbs!

THIRTY-TWO POUNDS?!?!? If I pick up an ultra light 8 lb suitcase, that puts me right at 40 lbs, 4 lbs shy of the limit and dangerously close to the point where you need to leave at least a couple of pounds for little differences in scales, damp gear, etc! And I haven't even added my camera gear (<8lbs) and 10w canister light (<5lbs)!

Now, it's not quite as bad as it seems, since I'll actually be carrying on my regs, computer, mask (prescription), and possibly the can light and photo gear. That takes a lot out right there. I may be able to swap in a cheaper, lighter mesh bag and save what, a pound? Perhaps I could be persuaded to leave behind my backup light (perhaps!), and save another pound? Or less if I switch to my mini Q40 eLED instead of the PT?

Which is good, because I haven't added in clothing, toiletries, suntan lotion... or anything else I may need.

I'm flying Thai Airlines. Domestic flights (for instance, Bangkok to Phuket) have different luggage allowances than international flights, say, LAX to Bangkok. Therein lies the problem. I'm allowed a decent amount, something like 70 lbs, for the flight from here to Bangkok. The problem is we're jumping around the country a bit on smaller domestic flights, Bangkok to Chiang Mei and to Phuket. There, the domestic (smaller plane) allowances kick in, and unless I'm leaving luggage on the street behind in Bangkok, I'm stuck with the smaller domestic allowance. At least we'll be able to buy some souvenirs in Bangkok for the flight home, though.

I am allowed one 15.4 lb carry-on (I intend to violate this in every way possible by seriously loading some monster size pockets!):

How many pieces of carry-on luggage am I allowed?
Each passengers may hand-carry one piece luggage the sum of whose dimensions (length+ height + width) does not exceed 115 cm. ( 56 + 46 + 25 cm) (44.85 inches, i.e. 21.5 x 18 x 9.75 inches) and which does not weigh more than seven kg. (15.4 lbs). Pieces exceeding these dimensions must be checked in at the Check-in counter prior to departure. A woman is allowed to carry a purse as well.

I am allowed 44 lbs of checked luggage (doesn't say how many bags, but presumably one will be plenty!):

How much luggage am I allowed to check?
The luggage allowance for ... Economy Class passengers: 20 kg. (44 lb.).
...
For travel To/from Canada and the U.S.A., the following regulations apply:
Passengers in all classes of service, from First to Economy, are allowed two pieces of luggage. The sum of the three dimensions (length + height + width) for each piece cannot exceed 158 cm. (62 inches) and the weight of each piece cannot exceed 32 kgs. (70 lbs).

A friend suggested checking two half-empty bags, but the issue with that (obviously we're only talking about the international flights at this point) is that most real full-size luggage, I'm discovering, weighs about 10 lbs or more, so unless I want nearly half of my luggage allowance to be used for the luggage itself, I need to stick to one. I'm probably going to buy either Victorinox or Eagle Creek bags, as their bags are pretty much lightest in class, for the size. Since there's no way I can fill it full and stay under 44 lbs, I should have plenty of extra room for fun stuff on the return (as long as I buy it in Bangkok on the last day *sigh*).

NOW. I'm not traveling alone, thank god. It's still going to be tough to cram all our respective needs, and all of my dive gear, into the two bags. Thank goodness she doesn't dive! I'll have to decide later or not if we have the weight space to bring her mask and fins for snorkeling, however. (I got her pretty lightweight Mares Quattros, so not too bad there)

So how do people do this? Seems to me I've done nearly everything I could to reduce weight, but it's still pretty horrifying heavy when put together in even this fairly minimal configuration.

 

[TravisD]

It seems to me, that if I had to leave anything behind and rent it on-location, it would be fins. No servicing, few sizes to worry about, you'd probably only be giving up the comforts of your spring straps.

We're traveling with full dive gear for the first time in January, but fortunately only domestic! Still, we're habitual over-packers...

Wear the BP and call it a "back brace"?

 

[CompuDude]

Believe me, I've considered wearing the plate! LOL

I can only imagine the look on the TSA agent's face, though...

 

[Garrobo]

I would imagine that any "reputable" dive shop in either location would have quality and safe gear to rent. I do the same thing though it is in the US. I probably take enough stuff to outfit two people and each time I say to myself that next time I'll cut back. Just kidding myself though.

 

[SteveAD]

instead of an 8-10 pound suitcase, why not use a 2 pound duffle bag.

 

[DrPfat]

Great thread. I've had the same question and have been doing some research. I assume the bag you plan to buy has wheels since you expect it to weigh 8 pounds. You may want to look at a duffel without wheels but that has backpack straps. The North Face Base Camp Duffle weighs in at around 4 pounds and is bombproof. I have 2 (large and medium) and they are great for travel. I just used the large for a trip to Cozumel and it worked great. Wheels add weight and take up space. If you going to moving around alot it's probably easier with a pack without the wheels.

The APS Mantaray fins supposedly weigh in at under 2 pounds and have been getting some good reviews. The look like they have a shorter blade also which would make them easy to pack.

A good website I found for general tips on how to pack light is Leisure and Business Travel Packing List - Travel Light with One Bag!. It's geared for travel with only a carryon and has some great tips.

Lastly, don't forget that your gear will weigh more if it's not completely dry and may take you over the limit if your pushing it to the edge.

Have a great time!!

 

[DiverLS]

I went to the Galapagos Islands in Fall of 06 and had the same weight restrictions. I used most of it in a wheeled dive bag. I use a BC so I had my max of 44 lbs. I had BC, fins, regulator, wet suit, booties, mask and light clothes in it. My BC has integrated weights so I didn't need a weight belt. My carry on was the maximum allowed (size wize) and I carried a small backpack on my back. The carry on held my computer and the heavier clothes. My camera was in the backpack. On the smaller airplanes, you check your carry on at the plane and it is returned to you when you disembark, as soon as you leave the plane. I did remove my computer when this happened.

And I'm a woman, not as burley as most of the guys so I wanted wheels on everything. It worked. Some people in our group were overweighted. Tips to "sky caps" and tour guides erased any overweight charges.

Just hope that helps

 

[spectrum]

Make one of the 2 bags a roller duffel or similar fully soft bag. On that one you will save at least 1/2 of the luggage weight overhead on the common "square" luggage.

If possible travel with some expendable clothes and leave them behind as your dampness & souvenir allowance for the trip home.

Also between the 2 bags make one small and dense and the larger case gets the bulkier items. It's balancing act of density and volume. Be sure to work this out well in advance. Being in a cold sweat trying to to forget things at the last minute is a bad way to be.

White down the packing list so you can reconstitute the bags for the trip home or the next trip.

Carry-on wants to be the dive critical items like regulator set, computer and mask. Followed by personal essentials and ultra dense stuff like extra batteries.

Consider finding a lighter mesh bag.

Pete

 

[CaNaDiaNCoLd'N'FrEsh]

Dont laugh about wearing your gear on the plane, last years trip to Curacao I wore most of my clothing on the plane, bathing suit, 2x pants, 4x shirts etc. The only thing in my suit case was dive gear and underwear. People looked at me funny at the Curacao airport when I was stripping as fast as possible down to shorts, and a t-shirt. But it worked. Its funny how the air lines limit your luggage, but not total weight. As I see it if a 300lbs man can take 44lbs of luggage I should be able to take 144lbs of luggage.

 

[CompuDude]

Followup to my own thread, as a point of interest. Trip is over and was fabulous.

Picked up a Victorinox bag that was sort of a hybrid duffel/roller, and several pounds lighter than more traditional wheeled suitcase-type bags. Managed to just barely get in under the 44lb/20kg cutoff (19.5kg!). My wife's bag was about 30 lbs, as I recall, so we had a little room to expand if needed. A pair of clothes or two, and a pair of shoes (of mine) went into hers, but her fins went into mine (too long for hers). I also had my Al. backplate (Halcyon, with MC pack, and Ti belt knife), OMS SlipStream fins, Photon Torpedo backup light, a couple of SS bolt snaps, my DSS small SMB with 100' spool, 7mm Henderson InstaDry booties, XS Scuba pocket weight belt with SS buckle (no weights, of course), a very lightweight mesh duffel/boat bag, jammers and a long sleeve dive skin top, and a few pairs of clothing. The place I cheated was with my carry-on... I gambled people were right about them not weighing, and was mostly right. I had a standard 22" roller (max carryon legal size) with my 10w can light, regulators, dive computers, mask, camera gear, ikelite housing, Inon strobe, and a bunch of other stuff, plus my backpack/computer case (also stuffed to the gills). That carryon roller weighed almost as much as my main bag!

Worked out fine heading over, and on all domestic jumps. As we purchased small souvenirs, etc., they went into my wife's bag, which had more breathing room. Ironically, the one place we had a real issue was the international return flight. China Air's ticket guy was a rat bastard who insisted on weighing our carry-ons as well and had a fit when he saw they were over-weight. I couldn't believe they were making such a big hassle (recall, no problem LAX-Bangkok with the same bag, BIG problem Bangkok-LAX), considering we were allowed TWO checked bags at 70 lbs each, and we EACH only had ONE checked bag at barely 50 lbs each, although of course our carryon was too heavy. WTF? It was a serious test to retrain my temper, although I made it clear I was angry, and we hurriedly stuffed things where possible from the carryon into the checked baggage, although I drew the line at my camera, regs and can light, and even though it was still overweight (10kg vs 7kg), he eventually relented just as I was about to seriously lose it. From there there were no issues.

Thus endeth the adventure...