huge gear/boot bag suggestions?

[Dromond]

For better or for worse I have to be one of the majority of us who doesn't live slope side. I need to find a better way to haul my stuff around. My old solution, which wasn't that great, was to put all my crap in a big duffel bag and throw the boots over my shoulder with a boot strap. The duffel bag strap was never long enough and I managed to lose the boot strap in SA this summer and making 2 trips to/from the car at home and at the mountain just sucks. Sometimes I'm botting up at the car and sometimes indoors but I just want something big enough that I can put everything needed for 1-14 days of lift-served skiing in there and move it around relatively easily. (Shell jacket/bibs, boots, helmet, extra layers, water, lunch for the day, FRS radio, contacts, goggles, various odd items. It adds up fast.) Also, knowing everything other than skis/poles helps is in one place should help with the "Oh crap I forgot <blank> at home" factor. I'm thinking that a giant duffel type bag with boot pockets at the ends and a big shoulder strap might be the way to go.

Suggestions? Price is a concern. Something like this might be right, but wheels seem like overkill: http://www.artechski.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1131#

[Foggy_Goggles]

Find one of the bags PM gear used to sell. Money and inexpensive. Its big enough for Urope.

[Dromond]

I remember when those first went up for sale, but I don't remember the name. Anybody?

[squirrelmurphy]

AJ Kitt bags. I have both the roller duffel and the roller two-pair ski bag. They're huge, bomber, and I think I got them two years ago for $100 for both. I flew Burlington to SLC with three pairs of skis, two pairs of poles, two pairs of boots, helmet, and all my ski clothes in the ski bag.

[hutash]

PM Gear bags are no longer available, nor will they be. I asked Pat about it recently. So the best alternative is the DaKine double fall line or concourse. DaKine also makes a couple styles of boot bags/backpacks. I have an unused Dakine boot locker that am willing to sell, but it does not have wheels.

[jepilot]

AJ Kitt bags. I have both the roller duffel and the roller two-pair ski bag. They're huge, bomber, and I think I got them two years ago for $100 for both. I flew Burlington to SLC with three pairs of skis, two pairs of poles, two pairs of boots, helmet, and all my ski clothes in the ski bag.

How the hell did you stay under the weight limit?


EDIT: Also, wheels aren't overkill if you keep in mind that at some point on your trip, you'll be carrying all your gear.

[BSS]

Burton Cargo bag. I just got one after TWO YEARS of looking for the "right" bag. Tons of room, few extra compartments, fat shoulder strap, burly construction. One of the end cap boot holder sections also zips completely off and expands so you can send the rest of the bag with the checked luggage and keep the boot part as a carry-on. Retail is about $110.

[Jonathan S.]

Something like this might be right, but wheels seem like overkill: http://www.artechski.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1131#

No, not that bag!!!!

Haven't you spent enough time in my basement ski-sports-recreation complex to notice that destroyed bag? (Or were you too busy think of new ways to somehow strips screw threads in metal gs skis?!?) That bag seemed so perfect at first: roomy, wheelie, yet light enough to leave lots of room in the 50-lb airline allowance.

Then it very quickly self-destructed. (The wheel axis broke at the beginning of only its third airline trip, and add'l use had just been toting gear around for teaching at a a few ski patrol avy & mountaineering courses, so was still fairly new.) Unbelievably weak. Doesn't a major company like Swix care about its rep putting its name on something like that? (Too busy selling wax?!?)
Fortunately, having bought it through the NSP/PSIA accessories catalog, they sent me a sample of the successor bag as a replacement: much stronger overall (althoug that cost of eating way into the 50-lb airline limit), except for that weak fastex buckles (both broke on the maiden voyage, one before the bag even made it upstairs), one of which you're currently trying to replace.

Anyway, overall, I've found wheelie bags are great in airports, but not so useful around ski areas, especially since some wheelie designs aren't very good for toss over a shoulder. For going to day lodge on lift-served outings, I still have classic Spyder bag from 1993, with side compartments for boots. Zippers are starting to have some failures, although nothing fatal just yet. Given how much I used that when I was coaching, I've been very impressed by its durability.

[Hugh Conway]

wheels for bags weighing under 50lbs? Unless you can't ride the big coasters at Busch Gardens stop being a bitch.

Use a Tupperware for the trunk.

[fool]

How the hell did you stay under the weight limit?


EDIT: Also, wheels aren't overkill if you keep in mind that at some point on your trip, you'll be carrying all your gear.


From what I've found, the nice thing about the ski bags is they often don't check the weight because you usually take them to a special security station. That's been my experience.

And I think wheels are great. I think the Dakine double sequence has grooves in it's wheels to aid traction outside/snow.

[Jonathan S.]

wheels for bags weighing under 50lbs?
When I lived in the big city, I had a very long walk from my house to the subway station; now that I live in the boondocks and drive to the airport, I have an, ahh, special parking lot, but it's a long walk from there to the terminal. Given that I'm able to carry on and check a combined weight that pretty much equals my own weight, wheels help a lot.

[Hugh Conway]

What the hell are you carrying lightweight gear guru?

[Jonathan S.]

My trips out west often combine business, lift-served skiing, camping, and ski mountaineering, so it all adds up...

[Dromond]

wheels for bags weighing under 50lbs? Unless you can't ride the big coasters at Busch Gardens stop being a bitch.

Use a Tupperware for the trunk.

As I mentioned in the original post I'm looking for something for day to day use rather than from air travel, and preferably without wheels. Those big tupperware containers are great but useless if you need to use the day lodge. I think that I'll go with hutash's Boot Locker because it's essentially what I want and at a decent price. Thanks for the advice y'all.

[char]

Gregory Long Haul Duffle

[truth]

DaKine 60/40 Split Roller is greater than all. (http://www.backcountry.com/store/DAK0632/c4/s53/DAKINE-60/40-Convertible-Rolling-Gear-Bag-9700cu-in.html) Been rocking one for 5 years now lying cross country, cross borders, and across the pond and it's still in primo condition. Comes with a lifetime warranty. Makes living out of a car a breeze as it's all compartmentalized. Socks here, under layers there, shells and pants in that one, boots helmet etc etc etc. Hell, I keep all my gear in it at all times so that I'm good to go on 15 minutes notice.

http://static.backcountry.com/images/items/medium/DAK0632/C60BLK.jpg

The DAKINE 60/40 Convertible Rolling Gear Bag holds a ridiculous 9700cu inches worth of gear and comes apart into two separate bags to beat airline weight restrictions. “Traveling light” has nothing to do with this giant DAKINE travel duffel. No matter how much stuff you load into the 60/40 Convertible Rolling Gear Bag, its retractable handle and urethane wheels help you stroll through the airport with ease. DAKINE also includes two top pockets to keep smaller stuff from disappearing into the depths of this massive bag.

[Dromond]

My hand-me-down exploded so the search is on again. Come ooooon sales!


Burton Cargo bag. I just got one after TWO YEARS of looking for the "right" bag. Tons of room, few extra compartments, fat shoulder strap, burly construction. One of the end cap boot holder sections also zips completely off and expands so you can send the rest of the bag with the checked luggage and keep the boot part as a carry-on. Retail is about $110.

I assume that you're talking about this (http://www.the-house.com/bt5catb6zz-burton-travel-bags.html?utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=shopcomparefeed&CAWELAID=98498601)and not this (http://www.the-house.com/bt5cargtb7zz-burton-bags.html?utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=shopcomparefeed&CAWELAID=147415970).

[telemike]

get a big wildland firefighter's red bag

I use one of these. (http://battlelakeoutdoors.com/shop/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=30) - $130

http://battlelakeoutdoors.com/shop/catalog/images/firefighter_bag.jpg

It's basically a hudge duffel with 2 end pockets (will hold a helmet) and 2 long pockets on the side (will hold probe, tent poles, etc). The best part is that it's got backpack straps that stow away so you can shlep the fucker around on your back and still carry a big ski bag, and maybe even your man-purse. I can get a week's+ worth of normal clothes and bc ski gear into this + the ski bag and stay under 50# each.

[oftpiste]

I have a larger version of this http://www.sundog.com/product/bootbag.shtml which unfortunately is no longer produced, but the boot storage is the best and most convenient I've ever seen. Both boots fit in one end side by side and are well protected by PVC and ventilated by mesh. Built real sturdy too. I'd by another one in a second.

edit: stop the presses...it's this one: http://www.sundog.com/product/allsportduffel.shtml

Seriously great bag.

[powwrangler]

DaKine 60/40 Split Roller is greater than all. (http://www.backcountry.com?asdf/store/DAK0632/c4/s53/DAKINE-60/40-Convertible-Rolling-Gear-Bag-9700cu-in.html) Been rocking one for 5 years now lying cross country, cross borders, and across the pond and it's still in primo condition. Comes with a lifetime warranty. Makes living out of a car a breeze as it's all compartmentalized. Socks here, under layers there, shells and pants in that one, boots helmet etc etc etc. Hell, I keep all my gear in it at all times so that I'm good to go on 15 minutes notice.

http://static.backcountry.com?asdf/images/items/medium/DAK0632/C60BLK.jpg

The DAKINE 60/40 Convertible Rolling Gear Bag holds a ridiculous 9700cu inches worth of gear and comes apart into two separate bags to beat airline weight restrictions. “Traveling light” has nothing to do with this giant DAKINE travel duffel. No matter how much stuff you load into the 60/40 Convertible Rolling Gear Bag, its retractable handle and urethane wheels help you stroll through the airport with ease. DAKINE also includes two top pockets to keep smaller stuff from disappearing into the depths of this massive bag.

Airtran attendants informed me that my bag was "oversized" according to their standards last time I flew and gouged me for it. Hope this isn't whats about to come of the airlines. I told them that I had flown airtran before with it and most all other airlines and never had a problem, heck it wasn't even full and was 50lbs on the dot. They warned me that many airlines will be enforcing these policies so watch out or pay $5 to the guy at the curb.

[flip]

I have a Salomon Rep bag that I never use and would get rid of for cheap. Holds about 6 pairs of skis. Has wheels. Too big to fly with.

You want it?

[Dromond]

I actually just managed to snag a Rossi boot bag for very cheap. Not the hugest bag ever, but as big as the one I've been using - which I made work just fine.

[fish]

Suggestions? Price is a concern. Something like this might be right, but wheels seem like overkill: http://www.artechski.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1131#

i have that bag, but I've never used it... it's HUGE!

[Schmitty BC]

For a big day-to-day I got the Dakine 4 Cross off of SAC a few years back. They don't make them anymore, but there are companies online that still sell them, just do a search. It was marketed as a mountain bike bag, but works awesome for ski gear. It has two large end pockets with vents and floor drains, perfect for ski boots. The center section is large and fully waterproof. Can hold my ski pants, coat (puffy), gloves, helmet, etc. I can also get enough clothes in there for a weekend trip. I think it retailed around $60, so an awesome score.:D