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For Air Trave: Suitcase? Duffel? or...? Your favorite?
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We're all dreaming about the day we can hop on a plane without taking our &)(*&)@#$ life into our hands breathing there or in the airport. OK, so now we pull out our luggage and see that it's pretty much dead. What to replace it with? (Note that most US airlines restrict you to 50 lbs and 62 linear inches. ) We're climbers - we're supposed to use gear bags, aka duffels, right? D1. Terrible for organization: You can never, ever find anything in a duffel. Ends look the same, each section looks the same, and everything is piled vertically, so it is really hard to find anything on the bottom. D2. Frequently Damaged: My very large duffel (large enough to fit a backpack empty plus gear for a week trip) was munched by airline conveyor belts each and every trip without exception. Apparently, large area of cloth without structure will just get munched every time. I gave up on it. (you can mostly avoid this with heavier, thicker fabric, and partially hard-sided duffels maybe) D3. Wheels work poorly: Wheeled luggage makes much more sense in the airport context. Even partially hard-sided wheeled duffels are reviewed as "sucks wheeling" because any softness will cause the thing to sag and not wheel well. OK, so how about suitcases? Suitcases are usually thin in one dimension, and you can find stuff much more easily. They also often have good wheels, just what you want for long walks in the airport with 50lbs of gear and clothes inside. S1. Zippers are Stupid: Suitcases are almost all hard-sided, 2 zippered halves now. My previous suitcase zipper blew, and big zippers are INCREDIBLY expensive to repair/replace. This is just stupid. Anybody know of a zipper-free suitcase with wheels at a reasonable price? (Remember old plastic suitcase that were just hard shells that you clamped together? Ah, the good ol days...) S2. Spinners are Stupid: My old suitcase had two tiny wheels that barely stuck out. New suitcases, almost all, have FOUR wheels that stick out a LOT, like 2 inches, and these two inches count against your linear dimension quota! Stupid. Again, anyone know an exception? S3. Dimensions are REALLY UNFORGIVABLY STUPID: Most US airlines have a very straightforward 62 linear inches limit or else BIG fines for "oversize". So, when you look at most major suitcase manufacturers, are they clear about making a 62 inch suitcase "made for specifications of most US airlines such as United and Amercian", or something like that? ABSOLUTELY NEVER. I have NEVER seen it. They just pretend like these numbers don't exist, though it has been standard on US airlines for YEARS. _)(*#)($&@*& bloody idiots. They often give some kind of measure, but it's very rare they include clear measurements, including wheels, like we face at check-in. S4. Hard-siders have no pockets: Hard-sided suitcase are now all the rage; but there are no pockets. WIth pockets, you can put e.g. hat and gloves, or one sweater or jacket, in just as you enter the airport. This is a super-useful feature. ---------------------------- What do you do? Do you have a "gear bag" for airplane flights? Anyone have a recommendation that I can buy today and get in a reasonable time frame? Thanks, -TPC |
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My go-to checked luggage has been a Black Diamond Touchstone (70L) for 10+ years. Has some of the main pitfalls you mention with a duffel bag, namely lack of organization, but it's designed to be dragged up a wall so it's held up to the abuse. I would only recommend removing the hip belt during travel. Looks like it's out of stock on the BD website, but available from many other sellers. |
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For all climbing trips I use a giant duffel. I carry on my rack without issue. I have never had anything break in my duffel (even a bottle of tequila in Dec). Been doing it this way for a decade. I do cover and spikes like trekking pole points, crampons, ice axe pick and spike. The one i use is a mountain hardwear. Looks pretty similar to their largest camp 4 but mine is an older iteration. I didn’t get it at msrp and wouldn’t pay that much for it. Mountain smith is another one I use and much cheaper. |
Cron wrote: FWIW my quarter dome has seen way more damage from conveyor belts than walls - more than a few spots are rubbed through the outer vinyl after one trip. |
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get a roller duffel. the osprey line is fantastic... |
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I've checked my share of bulging duffels and large, full haul bags. Never had any airline, US or international, give a moments glance to the linear sum of the bag dimensions, all they care about is if it's under the weight allowance. Also I've seen some vendors include the handles and wheels in their listed linear dimensions, but airlines (if they ever checked at all, which in my experience they don't) do not count the wheels or handles in measuring bag size. Basically any bag you buy online that isn't specifically marketed as vastly oversized will not be a problem 99.9% of the time even if its 65", 75" (this is the listed dimensions of a large BD Zion haul bag), or probably even 80", so long as it is under max weight. I've never really understood the point of roller duffels. If you're going to get wheels just get a large suitcase in my opinion. To keep you duffel organized divide items into large stuff sacks by category. |
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I travel annually to Alaska with ice and ski gear. I use something similar to this https://www.sierra.com/dakine-31-split-roller-eq-100-l-rolling-suitcase-birds-of-paradise~p~71dvp/?merch=prod-rec-prod71DVP.. Mine's a roller, with two levels--tools and boots go in lower level, clothes in upper. Mine has three compartments on upper level. Pack it to 50# and you should be good. Ski boots go into avy pack as carryon, helmet goes into hand carry 15 liter pack. Skis etc. go into ski bag, filled as needed with other stuff. Rollers have frames which protect sensitive or sharp gear. |
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I use the stupid duffels. Typical North Face base camp XL, I also have a Gregory Alpaca 120L that is comparable. No major preference between the two. They've got some scars but they're not dead. I travel with gear 2-3x per year and have had them ~5 years. You can get wheels and a frame if you want but that's weight eating into your 50lb allowance, I can get to 50lbs easily without that stuff. I use a soft ski bag and bicycle bag too - unless you're shipping fragile antiques it's really about maximizing your 50lbs. Most outdoor gear isn't fragile. |
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never had issues with dimensions or zippers on my delsey luggage. i was a consultant flying every week, and packed mine to the gills (climbing stuff, running shoes, pack, ankle weights ...) regularly bumping close to the 50 lb limit. i estimate 40+ flights. zippers are beefy, and the whole thing expands with a secondary zipper so that you don't have to overstress the thing. i use this model "medium 25 inch." it's 10 lb and 89 liters. some times i put heavy (dense) items in my carry-on (mutant 38 with brain stowed). on climbing trips, i open it up like a clamshell and get a nice tray of gear where i can see everything. i put climbing stickers on it so that i can tell its mine and earn back some style points for not using a duffel. |
Kevin Kent wrote: when doing big, international trips, it sucks to carry around multiple 120 L duffels that don't roll...especially if you are traveling between multiple countries, towns etc with a lot of walking. the best method i've figured out to make moving around in country easier is (1) large rolling duffel and (1) large non-rolling duffel but with backpack straps. if you're heading out on mules, leave your roller in town and get everything in your non-roller for the trip. most mule services won't let you strap a roller onto their animals anyway (at least in my experience). |
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As a counter point (there is no right answer, only preference), rolling duffels/suitcases suck pretty much everywhere but the airport. If it's not baby smooth hard surface forget about it. Cobblestones, stairs, dirt, grass etc.. you'll be cursing it. I can carry two loaded soft duffels with backpack straps (one front, one back) a fair distance on any surface I can walk on. To me rollers make more sense for the business traveler. Airport/cab/hotel/repeat. YMMV, every trip is different. |
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Honestly? I have an old North Face Jester bookbag type pack that's all my clothes, personal stuff, flying, car camping, whatever. Fits under plane seats easily. Just any sort of handled reusable type bag, for the helmet, a book, snacks. That's the "purse". Patagonia Cragsmith 32L pack carries camping and climbing gear. Carryon. If I'm traveling? I'm meeting up with people. You don't have to both haul everything on a plane, anymore than hiking it in. I've only checked a bag once, and it was the smallest suitcase the ice tools would fit into. Just a soft side thing from Fred Meyer. I had my stuff, including a collapsed 55L pack inside the suitcase, and the rope. My friend who has to check bags (ice), has had luggage not show up when he did, had to rent a shit ton of stuff, and another time, a big duffel with all the good stuff stolen at the airport. I dunno. I don't fly much, but I'd prefer light, myself, and keeping it with me.  Climbing and camping stuff both.  Best, Helen |
jdejace wrote: I remember being the last one out at the end of an Ecuador guiding season--other guides were headed farther south. Came back with two full duffels at 75# each--the limit then was 75# per item. Rollers would have been nice, but hadn't been invented yet. |
Skibo wrote: This looks perfect to me! And you found a great price. I note that it has outside pockets, so it wins there, too. Can you tell me in what country is it made? (Don't like to buy chinese made items when possible, human rights and all that.) Thanks to everyone - great responses! -B |
thepirate1 wrote: I have no idea--probably Asia somewhere. You might check the Dakine website. |
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A few years ago, a minor border dispute between Chile and Argentina meant that taxis and buses weren't running across the border at Chile Chico/Los Antiguos. Unfortunately, there's a three-mile gap between the border posts, as the road veers well south to cross the Río Jeinemeni. And when we got to the border there weren't any taxis on the Argentinean side anyway. I dragged that Patagonia wheeled duffel stuffed with climbing and camping gear for like 5 miles and I don't know what I would have done without it. |
thepirate1 wrote: My Dakine bike bag was made in China. You can email 'em but I'd expect to be disappointed. |
