Gear Bag for Airport Travel

[North]

Lots of ski bag threads popping up lately but I couldn't find anything on good duffels/rolling bags.

I'm heading to Japan for 2 weeks in Jan./February. I generally pack for speed and flexibility (ie. light) but I'm thinking that the ski bag + backpack combo may not be enough for this trip. I have the Dakine Concourse Double for skis, and once loaded with 2 pair it's tricky to get skins, shovel, probe etc. without going overweight. This extra bag will have to carry my touring boots, avy gear, non-skiing clothes etc. I'll have necessary gear for one day of skiing and alpine boots as carry-on. Any suggestions?

This looks ideal:
http://www./the-north-face-base-camp...-250-9070cu-in
but backpack + frontpack + boots + ski bag in one hand seems cumbersome. I'm not liking my odds of squeezing onto a Tokyo-area train with that lot.

Alternative is a rolling duffel like this:
http://www./dakine-split-roller-larg...-bag-6000cu-in.
but dual-wielding rolly bags wouldn't be my first choice. Also leaves me with no hands free for grabbing husky latin women

Maybe option 1 or 2 isn't as bad as I'm imagining? Certainly one must be better than the other, but I have no experience as an airport baggage pack mule so suggestions would be appreciated.

[hop]

Do you really 100% absolutely need 2 pairs of boots? Can you use inserts or plates or whatever to move 1 set of bindings in between skis? Can you get away with only one pair of skis?

Lay out everything you think you need. Put all softgoods that you will need for a day of skiing in your day pack/carry-on (ski outerwear, base layers, goggles, gloves, transceiver, skins, etc.) not only will you have everything you need to just rent skis and poles in case your ski bag doesn't show up (a big FU to Air Canada!) but that stuff is usually the heaviest gear too. You can wear your bulky fleece or puffy on the plane. Stuff your boots full of socks, underwear, and other small stuff and those go over your backpack as your "personal item". Another tip: a slightly larger daypack (mine's 40l) allows for more luggage-hauling ability and still skis fine when cinched down.

Aside from your hard goods, all that you have left are your street clothes and a change of ski base layers. You should be able to get all that in your ski bag and still be (barely) under the 50lb limit.

Whatever you do, remember what Hugh Conway says: wheels are fucking stupid.

[Shredhead]

I always have my boots, valuables and enough gear to ski, in a carry on backpack style boot bag.
Most of the time I can get away with just a roller ski bag. But when I can't, I also have a roller duffel. Both of my rollers bags also have a shoulder straps, which can come in handy.

Yes, both hands are full. But I prefer to be a fast and mobile unit and I can move a lot faster when I'm not carrying 100lbs. I'll get there first and then have both hands free for the husky latin women!

[Hugh Conway]

Carryon with a few travel necessities. Unsure of Japan but the big >40L, heavy >7kg carryons don't always work on a number of airlines.

Duffelbag with boots and other crap

Skibag with skis. Sometimes skibag has the crap from the duffelbag.

Nowheels; with or without wheels if you've got that much shit you aren't moving fast and free. I'm apparently extra gifted though

[North]

2 pairs of boots is about 95% (unless my bodacious/cochise frankenboot works out ). 2 pairs of skis is 100% since even if I'm sensible and bring 1 pair, I'll likely share the ski bag with a friend to cut down on the bag total.

Thanks for the suggestions on pack strategy. My 40L pack usually gets me through any non-skiing trip for up to a week. Ski trips are always ski bag + 20L or 40L pack w/all the skiing vitals. Trips of this magnitude are new for me, hence the uncertainty of what I can get away with.

[snapt]

Did Japan last year. Dakine double ski bag with skis and as much shit up to 50lbs. I'm pretty sure if it was over they would not have cared as long as it was in a ski bag. One of these http://www.patagonia.com/us/product/...?p=49345-0-425 for all else. The backpack straps were clutch. JAL and Al Nippon were super ski friendly, despite being way oversized, no fee's what so ever. You might look into shipping them from wherever you land to where you'll be as I found lugging the ski bag on trains to be a pain in the ass. Also I don't think you have to worry as much about your stuff getting lost in Japan as you do here...

[hop]

The annoying thing about ski travel is that you take the same amount of crap if you're going for a weekend or a month.

Maybe I'm also extra gifted like HC but the 40l carry on with boots has never been questioned by any airline in NA, Europe, or Japan. They always fit in the little size box and have never been weighed. Nine times out of ten I also have my Martin Backpacker guitar strapped to the outside as well.

Another tip: don't be afraid to put on extra layers and/or boots if the people say your kit's too big, and if I have the space I sometimes bring a small duffel bag to put overflow gear into and check in just in case some luggage nazi decides go to on a power trip. Never had to use it on the way over, but have had to use it on the way back when souvenirs are in play.

[Hugh Conway]

< place dropping > Austria, New Zealand, India for skiing is where they've bitched about it/hassled about it. Sometimes comes through, sometimes doesn't.

I've found, for me, having everything in a locked duffel bag ( I use an older Black Hole from Patagucci, it's the tits), skis in a locked ski bag, and a carryon backpack that can be locked with nothing strapped outside is a way to make sure nothing gets lost or stolen and makes life at the airport easier. I've done the daypack with boots outside, jacket strapped, blah blah and it's a pain.

[snapt]

I almost forgot both Japanese airlines didn't coun't my ski bag against checked luggage so I could have had another standard duffel up to 50lb without hassle.

[Daywalker]

Ski Bag + North Face Base Camp Duffel + (Ski pack and boots) = all the space you need and relatively easy (one hand free) travel.

That will be my Japan luggage this year.

[whyturn]

Rolling duffle, ski bag and boot backpack (line slope rocks). I always have too much crap. Finally pairing down this year. Gonna try big agnes stagecoach

[hop]

< place dropping > Austria, New Zealand, India for skiing is where they've bitched about it/hassled about it. Sometimes comes through, sometimes doesn't.

I've found, for me, having everything in a locked duffel bag ( I use an older Black Hole from Patagucci, it's the tits), skis in a locked ski bag, and a carryon backpack that can be locked with nothing strapped outside is a way to make sure nothing gets lost or stolen and makes life at the airport easier. I've done the daypack with boots outside, jacket strapped, blah blah and it's a pain.

Glad your system works for you.

There is no bigger pain than having your luggage lost or delayed. It's happened to me enough (once) that I'm willing to suffer the horrible terrible agony of carrying on my crucial items.

[Hugh Conway]

There is no bigger pain than having your luggage lost or delayed. It's happened to me enough (once) that I'm willing to suffer the horrible terrible agony of carrying on my crucial items.

My experience has been that between my planned itinerary and the rental equipment available on location if the gear doesn't show up plans are fucked until it does. Plenty more chances to lose something small on the way, and to be hassled about your overweight oversize carryon luggage, than for the luggage not to show up for a day, anyway.

this may fall under the obvious but plan travel so you know a) airline bag fees b) relative ontime c) decent connection times through a hub that doesn't get fucked regularly when you are flying

[hop]

Well Hugh, it's not surprising to anyone that we see things differently. OP, good luck. You have plenty of ideas to formulate your own way of travel.

One other tip that can help IF you carry on all of your essentials AND you're traveling with friends AND you're all taking two pairs of skis is to trade a pair with your buddy and pack his in your bag and vice-versa. That way, if one of you loses a ski bag you both still have a pair of skis in the bag that made it.

Boots are the most important part of your ski kit so I always carry them on on the way over. I sometimes check them coming home because I have other pairs waiting for me at home if they get lost or delayed.

[Hugh Conway]

Dickwaving down to the last word. Ahhh TGR.

[hop]

Dickwaving down to the last word. Ahhh TGR.

Ha, I'm not the guy dead lifting his wheel-less 500lb ski bag.

Will my 7000th post be in an e-dickwave contest with Hugh Conway? I can't think of any better way to use it.

[Hugh Conway]

Ha, I'm not the guy dead lifting his wheel-less 500lb ski bag.

How much do you think 5 dead teen Thai boy hookers weigh?

[BFD]

Men carry their skis women roll them. My first overseas ski trip, japan. I was carrying way too much shit. One pair of boots is all you need, in ski pack as carry on. Everything else in the ski bag. My partner had it dialed. Packed all the skis and avie gear rolled up in the sleeping bag in the ski bag. Sucks to get off the transportation and have more junk than you can carry comfortably.

[North]

One of these http://www.patagonia.com/us/product/...?p=49345-0-425 for all else. The backpack straps were clutch. JAL and Al Nippon were super ski friendly, despite being way oversized, no fee's what so ever. You might look into shipping them from wherever you land to where you'll be as I found lugging the ski bag on trains to be a pain in the ass. Also I don't think you have to worry as much about your stuff getting lost in Japan as you do here...

Thanks for the tips...especially about the shipping idea. I'll have to look into that. Good to know that Al Nippon is skier friendly. Flying United in the states and Al Nippon for international.

Ski Bag + North Face Base Camp Duffel + (Ski pack and boots) = all the space you need and relatively easy (one hand free) travel.

That will be my Japan luggage this year.

If I can't reduce the gear to 40L backpack + ski bag I think this is how I'll do it.

[North]

Ha, I'm not the guy dead lifting his wheel-less 500lb ski bag.

Will my 7000th post be in an e-dickwave contest with Hugh Conway? I can't think of any better way to use it.

How much do you think 5 dead teen Thai boy hookers weigh?

E-sparring here in my very own thread?! I feel like a proud parent! TGR never disappoints!

[keipow]

flying or doing anything in japan is about the rules. there will be no rule bending or flexibility. if your luggage does not conform to rules, they will not get on the transport. there will be a lot of polite but unyielding refusals.

there will be a lot of walking between public transportation transfers. wheels or not, just make sure that the bag is well-balanced.

no bag fee inside asia.