Baggage Weight

How much does your camera gear weight?

The rest of my allowance!

Do you pack a hard case for it incase you are required to check it

I use a hard-shelled normal suitcase. Not only does this attract less attention (from customs/thieves), it is much lighter than a pelican case.

Alex

I've just lightened my baggage: North Face have some lightweight wheeled bags that weigh about half of their old ones (good news for oldies: I now resist the temptation to bench-press my dive bags onto the rack in a typical airport transfer bus). Of course it's all gone to pot since t'other Dr Alex (Tattersall) has lured me to picking up a Nauticam next week...

... I think it goes like this: a leak in the Spring + a good trip with rewarding photography + a depressing recession + too many patients at work + partner doesn't complain => distraction needed = new system!!

Tim

... I think it goes like this: a leak in the Spring + a good trip with rewarding photography + a depressing recession + too many patients at work + partner doesn't complain => distraction needed = new system!!

Ha! I love your algorithm Tim. Which Northface bags do you like? Last month the guy who ran the hotel in Bali looked at our pile of luggage and asked very politely;

"Are you traveling around the world?" It was the kind Indonesian way of saying why do you have all this crap to stay four days in my hotel? Lighter bags would have helped.

Cheers,

Steve

Lighter bags would have helped.

It is kind of scary that my budget keeps on going to lighter bags and gear (of the non-photo type). Still have not had success though.

I have gone the other way.

I use a standard carry on wheelie bag and in it I fit a Frog Indigo wing with aluminium back plate, shorty, boots, Apeks Regs with single SPG (miflex hoses), mask, a shorter copy version of the Scubapro Jet fin, travel towel and swim shorts and my netbook. It comes to about 14/15 kg

Then I have a light weight duffel with a couple of changes of clothes wraped around my strobes - it looks big but it is light weight.

So when I check in I throw the big light weight duffel on the scales and it is well under weight. And so far they have never tried to weigh my carry on bag. My digital SLR I usually leave with a friend when I am checking in or whear on a strap around my neck with my jacket over the top (might be a bit hard for anyone with a big belly but works for me)

The rest of the time I just carry it around in my hand. On the plane I just wrap my jacket around it and stick it in the over head (after I have weight lifted my carry on wheelie into the overhead)

If they loose my luggage - Im still going diving.

I have heard to many horror stories of people turning up for liveaboards with all their dive gear lost in transit. I can always buy a couple of pairs of shorts, T-shirts and a tooth brush but I cant replace my dive gear.

North Face have some lightweight wheeled bags that weigh about half of their old ones

Yes they are lighter (but not very light at 14.3lbs/6.4kg) but they still rip at the seams. The Rolling Thunder (Large) I had when it first came out and it didn't last long, thanks to Aeroflot! The outer skin is rip proof but inside it tore up between compartments. The aluminum frame also got bent and the handle caught onto something and ripped off. The aluminum frame doesn't protect as well as a hard shell case. I considered the medium but wanted something that could double as a dry bag on the boat (so I don't have to lug yet another bag!) and none of the NF bags are waterproof.

Bags are typically one of the major culprits when going overweight. A 6kg bag is simply way too heavy.

I personally don't want to go all the way to a mesh bag or similar and I prefer to travel with just one bag.

I'm currently looking at getting the Aqualung Traveller 850 from the US. Unlike the European version, this has an additional compartment on the inside of the lid, perfect for keeping clothes separate from the diving gear. It also weighs in at 3.7kg.

On the last three trips we've done, my bag has weighed between 24 and 26kg and while there are ways of either talking them out of charging for excess baggage or simply getting them to charge just for diving gear (typically around €50 instead of €500 for excess weight...), I've basically made it my mission in life to get in under 20kg on the next trip.

Agree that a 3mm is a good start. Miflex hoses are really helpful and I'm actually going to replace my Apeks with an Aqualung Titan LX - just as good and much lighter. I'm not completely ready to give up on my wing/BP and my jetfins but switching to a lighter single tank adapter and using an alu bp the whole setup complete with knife weighs in at 3.1 kg (Halcyon Eclipse 30, Halcyon alu bp, Halcyon knife and Agir sta). OMS Slipstreams are identical to jetfins but made in plastic and saves another kg. This setup, complete with boots, masks, an SMB and various other trinkets, weighs in at around 14kg which does leave 6kg for clothes - more than enough.

The Rolling Thunder (Large) I had when it first came out and it didn't last long, thanks to Aeroflot!

That's the heavy one, by the way...

... and no-one is going to manage a serious collection of photo gear and a full set of diving gear in one bag if carry-on luggage is restricted in the way that is starting to creep in. A large number of airlines aren't allowing more than 22kg in one bag. Most dive bags are too big these days, as the over-weight 30kg bag is getting very unpopular with the airlines. I'm not sure if any baggage is truly waterproof: I pack electrical items in ZipLock bags or sealed plastic boxes. I've left my backplate at home and used a soft-backed wing with minimal metalwork (I cut off extraneous D-rings, and use Fastex buckles, for instance) to travel for years. I can't really believe that a few grams saved on Miflex hoses is really going to help: it's the glass dome that's the culprit, isn't it? Or the Subtronic strobes...

Drew: I wouldn't risk Aeroflot if I could avoid it!

Tim

Which Northface bags do you like?

Wayfinder 30: 88l capacity, very simple, less than 3.2 kg.

Tim

I just tested an Aqualung Zuma BC (2kg) for Diver Mag (Sept) and gave it 10/10.

John,

Saw the Zuma in store yesterday, and must say it looks quite nice. However, I'm a bit concerned with the durability. For example, the straps are quite flimsy (IMHO a stupid decision as that's certainly not where they saved weight). Was just wondering how much you have had a chance to dive with it and if there was any evidence of wear/tear after that period?

Thanks,

Thomas

Just a quick point to make on this .. I haven't done it for a few years, but ....

When I was last checking into Heathrow for a Ski Holiday (2008) they did not charge for Ski bags, which are an extra bag and can be filled with clothes too.

So why are us diver punished?

I fly alot with Virginblue/PacificBlue and they have a baggage allowance of 20kg plus 7kg for carry on. But if you have sports gear like dive gear they allow you one extra piece up to a maxium of 32kg but take off 5kg from your normal checkin baggage allowance (was 20kg now 15kg). So I pack everything ie dive gear, clothes, etc etc into the large dive gear bag and camera gear into the 15kg of normal check in. Still have 7kg up my sleeve for carryon gear.

I pack light anyway with ally BPW, carbon fibre fins, miflex hoses etc etc but its nice to know if I need to carry more I can without thinking about excess baggage.

Regards Mark

I'm thinking about how I can pack for a Indo trip for next month. I know I can get dive gear, clothes, towel, etc into my dive bag at around 20kg. Pretty sure I should be able to then get my camera/lenses/housing/strobes accross 2 Lowepro bags that are small enough to carry on (the GF is kindly agreed to carry one ). Anyone see a problem with that plan?

I'm thinking about how I can pack for a Indo trip for next month. I know I can get dive gear, clothes, towel, etc into my dive bag at around 20kg. Pretty sure I should be able to then get my camera/lenses/housing/strobes accross 2 Lowepro bags that are small enough to carry on (the GF is kindly agreed to carry one ). Anyone see a problem with that plan?

Ryan who you flying with?

John,

 

Saw the Zuma in store yesterday, and must say it looks quite nice. However, I'm a bit concerned with the durability. For example, the straps are quite flimsy (IMHO a stupid decision as that's certainly not where they saved weight). Was just wondering how much you have had a chance to dive with it and if there was any evidence of wear/tear after that period?

 

Thanks,

 

Thomas

I came to the same conclusion. Light weight and priced right, but the bag and the straps seem flimsy. Also, the back padding will add buoyancy, the tank strap looks a little iffy, and the tank seemed a little wobbly.

I liked the Zeagle Escape. Rock soild fit and durable. A little heavy at 8 pounds (~3.2 kg.).

Bob

I use the Zeagle 24lbs wing from the Scout and a Alluminium backplate and harness with zeagle ziptouch weight pockets. I find it very strong, durable and having that customised fit. It also cost less than a normal BCD and packs down to nothing when flying. I actually use it as my daily dive kit.

Regards Mark

I've just flown Manchester-Hurghada-Manchester on Thomson Airlines. I had a hold-loaded dive bag of 20.5kgs; and a Pelican 1510 roller case weighing around 14kgs which I took as cabin baggage. No problem at all on check-in in Manchester or on the flight. My cabin baggage was not weighed. Thank God.

However at the check-in at Hurghada the cabin baggage was weighed and was added to the weight of my dive bag. The Thomson agent said I could have 20kgs hold-loaded, 5 kgs extra as a diver (on production of my c-card) and 5kgs as hand baggage. He said he therefore had to charge me for an extra 2kgs excess baggage. I reasoned with him politely for a few minutes explaining that I was taking back exactly what Thomson had allowed me to carry to Hurghada - and that I was more than happy to take 2kgs out of a bag and put in in my pocket. Eventually he just shrugged and relented. And we parted great friends. No problems on the aircraft. Thanks Thomsons!

One interesting thing I noticed on the flights, although both aircraft were jammed solid, there was hardly any baggage in the overhead bins! I take dozens of flights a year and I don't think I have ever seen this before.

I came to the same conclusion. Light weight and priced right, but the bag and the straps seem flimsy. Also, the back padding will add buoyancy, the tank strap looks a little iffy, and the tank seemed a little wobbly.

 

I liked the Zeagle Escape. Rock soild fit and durable. A little heavy at 8 pounds (~3.2 kg.).

Problem is my current rig is lighter than that (Halcyon Eclipse 30 with alu backplate, Agir single tank adapter and Halcyon titanium knife for a total of 3.1 kgs). I will eventually need a regular BC, however, but I'm leaning towards the Aqualung Pro LT, 6 lbs 10 oz and still full featured.

Thomas