gear bag recommendation please!!

In news:Nord_and_Bert <sockpanda@yahoo.com> typed:
> Looking to buy a new bag for my SCUBA gear...big enough to hold BC,
> fins, and rest of gear...I'd like it to have wheels, be water-friendly
> if not outright water-proof (though water-proof would be good), and
> ideally, it would be great if at least some section of it allowed for
> water drainage (ie mesh or something like that).
>
> Anyone have a brand or model of bag they really like? Or can anyone
> recommend a web site that sells them and has a good selection?
>
> Thanks in advance.

I've found the ones specific to scuba grossly overpriced and cheaply
made. My solution was to use a hockey bag, like this one,
http://tinyurl.com/2x9m6

Well made, very solid and less than half the price than scuba bag.


--
www.odysea.ca

In article <a9ffe7a9.0406191123.674b654a@posting.google.com >,
Nord_and_Bert <sockpanda@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Looking to buy a new bag for my SCUBA gear...big enough to hold BC,
> fins, and rest of gear...I'd like it to have wheels, be water-friendly
> if not outright water-proof (though water-proof would be good), and
> ideally, it would be great if at least some section of it allowed for
> water drainage (ie mesh or something like that).
>
> Anyone have a brand or model of bag they really like? Or can anyone
> recommend a web site that sells them and has a good selection?
>
> Thanks in advance.

You didn't specify what application you're looking for, but for just
taking gear to and from the beach or a local boat, I prefer a mesh bag
such as this:

http://s1059kxm.leisurepro.com/webap...ductDisplay?pr
rfnbr=48341&prmenbr=946&cgrfnbr=1051&parentCategor y=965&sort=prsdesc

Waterproof doesn't make a lot of sense for gear that's going to go into
the bag wet anyway. Better to have it open and breathable so it dries
without mildewing. I carry a small drybag for dry clothes, etc. I
*know* it's going to keep the contents dry, unlike most of the "dry"
compartments of bags.

Wheeled bags don't make sense for going to the beach, and they take up
way too much space on a dive boat. Unless you're diving doubles and
carrying a whole slew of technical gear, you should be able to carry
everything you need down to the boat without having to use a wheeled
bag.

Wheeled bags do make sense for traveling, although I'd personally avoid
bags made by equipment manufacturers. While nothing says "steal me"
like a Pelican case, bags with "Mares," "Scubapro," or "Cressi-Sub"
logos come in a close second. A used, large TravelPro or similar
wheeled luggage works just as well as a bag you buy at a dive store,
and is less likely to be stolen. Having said that, the travel bag I'm
presently using *did* come from a dive shop. It's kind of a "no-name"
bag with no logos and only one external zipper (lockable). It does the
job, although I'll probably replace it with a TravelPro when it dies. I
also pack my mesh bag in the travel bag for use on the local boat.
Except for liveaboards who expect to be dealing with lots of empty
luggage, large wheeled bags are just as unwelcome in Asia or the
Caribbean as they are in Europe or the US.

hth

Alan

"Nord_and_Bert" <sockpanda@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:a9ffe7a9.0406191123.674b654a@posting.google.c om...
> Looking to buy a new bag for my SCUBA gear...big enough to hold BC,
> fins, and rest of gear...I'd like it to have wheels, be water-friendly
> if not outright water-proof (though water-proof would be good), and
> ideally, it would be great if at least some section of it allowed for
> water drainage (ie mesh or something like that).
>
> Anyone have a brand or model of bag they really like? Or can anyone
> recommend a web site that sells them and has a good selection?
>
> Thanks in advance.
I've always had a van and used a wheeled garbage can. I put a valve on the
bottom and fill it with water when done to clean my gear. A few years ago I
stole an idea from a friend and bought a very large cooler at Costco. The
gear fits, it can be used for cleaning, it heats and cools slowly and can be
used for other things.
Still stealing I bought a wide wheeled hand cart to carry that.
Triple duty since my kayak fits nicely on top of the cooler.

Nord_and_Bert wrote:
> Looking to buy a new bag for my SCUBA gear...big enough to hold BC,
> fins, and rest of gear...I'd like it to have wheels, be water-friendly
> if not outright water-proof (though water-proof would be good), and
> ideally, it would be great if at least some section of it allowed for
> water drainage (ie mesh or something like that).
>
> Anyone have a brand or model of bag they really like? Or can anyone
> recommend a web site that sells them and has a good selection?
>
> Thanks in advance.


For those of us that don't own any vehicle, Stahlsac makes the steamer
trunk of wheeled bags. My choice includes shoulder straps for the long
hikes over unpaved areas and superb durability - though some tend to
faint at the prices commanded.

http://www.stahlsac.com

--
jer email reply - I am not a 'ten'
"All that we do is touched with ocean, yet we remain on the shore of
what we know." -- Richard Wilbur

"Nord_and_Bert" <sockpanda@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:a9ffe7a9.0406191123.674b654a@posting.google.c om...
> Looking to buy a new bag for my SCUBA gear...big enough to hold BC,
> fins, and rest of gear...I'd like it to have wheels, be water-friendly
> if not outright water-proof (though water-proof would be good), and
> ideally, it would be great if at least some section of it allowed for
> water drainage (ie mesh or something like that).
>
> Anyone have a brand or model of bag they really like? Or can anyone
> recommend a web site that sells them and has a good selection?
>
> Thanks in advance.

For shore diving I use a large Rubbermaid plastic container with wheels at one end (I
believe I got mine at Kmart). It's waterproof, so I don't get salt water in my car,
and it can be used as a rinse tank at the end back home (if there is no rinse tank at
dive site). Everything fits into it.

Adam

> > Looking to buy a new bag for my SCUBA gear...big enough to hold BC,
> > fins, and rest of gear...I'd like it to have wheels, be water-friendly
> > if not outright water-proof (though water-proof would be good), and
> > ideally, it would be great if at least some section of it allowed for
> > water drainage (ie mesh or something like that).

What is best for you depends on what you're going to do with it. If you
plan on taking it on boats, nothing except a collapsable one is best. You
don't really want one that is waterproof. In fact, the more air can get
into it, the better. Add a separate, waterproof container for those things
you want to keep dry.

My travel case is a large Samsonite suitcase. It looks anything but a dive
equipment container . . . on purpose. Otherwise, I use a mesh duffle.

Lee

"Lee Bell" <leebell@ix.remove.netcom.com> wrote in message
news:Y0MBc.21924$Y3.3452@newsread2.news.atl.earthl ink.net...
> > > Looking to buy a new bag for my SCUBA gear...big enough to hold BC,
> > > fins, and rest of gear...I'd like it to have wheels, be water-friendly
> > > if not outright water-proof (though water-proof would be good), and
> > > ideally, it would be great if at least some section of it allowed for
> > > water drainage (ie mesh or something like that).
>
> What is best for you depends on what you're going to do with it. If you
> plan on taking it on boats, nothing except a collapsable one is best. You
> don't really want one that is waterproof. In fact, the more air can get
> into it, the better. Add a separate, waterproof container for those things
> you want to keep dry.
>
> My travel case is a large Samsonite suitcase. It looks anything but a dive
> equipment container . . . on purpose. Otherwise, I use a mesh duffle.
>
> Lee

I also use a large hard Samsonite case for travel. It protects the gear well and does
not reveal the scuba gear, as you say. Only problem is you have to be careful not to
overstuff as it can compress gear quite hard.

For taking onto a boat I don't have the ideal bag, but it would be a mesh bag with
wheels, as I don't like to carry.

Adam

"Adam Helberg" wrote

> For taking onto a boat I don't have the ideal bag, but it would be a mesh
bag with
> wheels, as I don't like to carry.

If you drive to the boat, transfer things to the mesh bag just before you
get aboard. If you fly to the boat, put the mesh bag in one of your
suitcases and transfer everything when you get there. Don't take a hard
case aboard if you can help it. It's a clear sign that you are a novice at
boating and that you have not considered the needs of others.

The only problem with a mesh bag with wheels is that the wheels don't
compress and, for them to work properly, the bag pretty much needs to be
rigid in at least one direction. My suggestion, if you don't want to carry
your own luggage, either leave it at home or pay somebody else, a porter for
example, to do it for you.

Lee

Alan Street <agstreet@nonono_san.rr.com> wrote:
>
> Wheeled bags do make sense for traveling, although I'd personally avoid
> bags made by equipment manufacturers. While nothing says "steal me"
> like a Pelican case, bags with "Mares," "Scubapro," or "Cressi-Sub"
> logos come in a close second. A used, large TravelPro or similar
> wheeled luggage works just as well as a bag you buy at a dive store,
> and is less likely to be stolen. Having said that, the travel bag I'm
> presently using *did* come from a dive shop. It's kind of a "no-name"
> bag with no logos and only one external zipper (lockable). It does the
> job, although I'll probably replace it with a TravelPro when it dies.


There's many trade-off's to consider when looking for a travel bag, in
addition to making sure its simply big enough to fit all your gear.

A few that merit some thought today include:

1) Make sure that 'big enough' includes your fins' width/length.

2) With the stricter airline checked baggage restrictions, make sure to
check out how much the bag weighs empty, as they can vary quite a bit,
and really think about your trade-offs.


For example on the latter, a heavier "ballistic" type material bag is
more rugged, but will add ~2 lbs to a bag's empty weight.

Similarly, wheels are a really nice feature, and the ergonomics of their
"carry handles" vary widely: while a rigid telescoping handle is often
the most convenient, they parasitically steal a lot of volume while also
adding to the bag's weight...figure another ~2 lbs to a bag's empty
weight.


For example, here's two choices from LL Bean's catalog:

http://tinyurl.com/2yxso

http://tinyurl.com/2y8cw


The first bag is of a lighter material than the second, so it probably
won't last as many years, but between that an no telescoping handle, you
get 7500in^3 at 6lbs, versus 10lbs for only 4400in^3: roughly 40%
larger at 40% less empty weight. Which just might save you $75 on your
next airline flight (or whatever they're charging for being 1-2 lbs over
50lbs these days). YMMV.



> I also pack my mesh bag in the travel bag for use on the local boat.

Ditto. The mesh bag also pulls double-duty inside the travel bag, as
padding that gets wrapped around hard objects (regulators) to protect
them from each other.



-hh