Traveling with the gear

[pmattb]

Greetings all,

So got my TopDawg in today - great quick ship from Backscatter - but eesh, between this, the dive gear - I'm not sure I'm going to have room in the bags (really weight) for clothes. Hope the airlines ready for that! - seriously though - I elected to not go the pellican case route just due to weight, but how do you all fly with all this gear?

thanks,
matt

 

[diversteve]

Video Housing, regulator, dive computer, camcorder batteries, a few tapes, mask and whatever clothes I can stuff around it - usually several shirts, socks and several shorts - go with me in my airline approved roller bag. It usually comes in around 35lbs. And my housing is slightly bigger than yours.

Twice due to overhead bin size restrictions, I was forced to check this bag. So I padded both ends of the housing and it made it fine. But my bag has two pockets on the top and an aluminum framework on the bottom to absorb any blows.

Laptop, camcorder in a soft lens bag, charger and more tapes in my laptop bag. I clip a digital p/s outside but no housing.

Everything else goes in a big non-dive marked roller duffel bag. Usually a case of tape also. It's usually in the 45lb. range. If you're overweght check in at the curbside porter if you can - not always possible on int'l flights. At our airport, there's no scale curbside.

 

[marshallkarp]

Congratulations on your new housing. I have seen the Top Dawg and they are really nice.

Okay, here goes. In my checked bag goes my 3 mil (you can save weight with a shorty), fins, BC, boots, reef gloves, swimsuit, three pair of Columbia shorts, five Columbia shirts, sandals, and underwear. Oh, and the housing in the soft case that I made with pictures here at my blog:

Marshall Karp's Blog: 05/01/2007 - 06/01/2007

Keep in mind this softcase is nowhere near protective as a Pelican, but it does afford some protection.

That is really about the 50 pound limit. I think the roller bag is probably eating up 11 pounds or so, too, so if you can get everything into a roller duffel, probably better.

For my carry-on, the Akona AKB175, reg, prescription mask, flashlight, and weighted housing handles. Also, the cords and adapters for the cellphone, camera, and camcorder. Also, about 12 DV tapes. Also, my toiletries. I used to use a Columbia backpack, but the roller carry-on is better for me.

Just out of curiosity, did my Jim Decker - Backscatter interview at Underwater Videographer have anything to do with your buying decision?

 

[pmattb]

Steve & Marshall - thanks for the notes. I'm gonna have to try that layout. I'd love to carry much of this on, to save the worry of it getting to the right place.....

Marshall - I saw that, and it did play a small part. lots of good info here (SB), and when you pare it down, in the electrical housing market for someone who's not 100% on one particular camera, it kept coming down to the same few options. Of them Backscatter has good rep.... But I'm a big fan of that sort of info out there, so keep up the great work...