Airline luggage weight strategies

[The Publisher]

Maybe I should have named this article "The Successful 100lb Carry-On Traveler".

Most airlines have a two tier checked baggage allowance. I am not sure what the non-dive gear allowance is, because my two checked bags are ALWAYS "scuba gear". It is not like they open them anyway.

For scuba bags, they typically allow about 70lbs each for up to 2 bags. Between my rebreather setup with cylinders, 30lbs of sofnolime, and my huge HiDef video rig & lighting, and a small bailout bottle for the 'breather, I am, shall we say, about 3 lbs over the limit for each of the 2 checked bags.

BUT, my carry-on weighs about 35lbs, lol. I kid you not! Strangely I have never had that weighed by the airline counters, but the characters at the Ninoy Aquino airport seem to take personal delight in trying to nail anyone who tries to leave Manila. I don't know what irritates me more, them playing weight police or the monkeys at TSA at LAX who insist on placing my rebreather backs on it's front side so all the weight is on the abs fairing. Gee, I thought x-rays went through everything!

I have asked airlines if it costs extra if I weighed 350lbs, to which they said no. I asked them next if it was ok if I had 100lbs of equipment on my person other than a bag, they said they were fine with that too.

Ok, so now that I have found a chink in their armor, a soft side of their underbelly if you will, I have devised a two tier strategy to defeat the weight-police.

As of late I have taken to removing my DIN valves, and placing them in a nylon zipper pouch that is held like a notebook case. In there is my bailout reg, 3 DIN valves and 2 of the 4 large Li-Ion batteries (2 spares) for my dual HID video lights. Now my carry-on just had its weight reduced. I also carry a really light weight, el-cheapo cloth bag that looks like a lame shopping bag. It seems that if you have one carry-on on, a person hand carried tote seems to be fine with them, so it is a backup I stuff in my dive gear bag.

Now I just purchased a carry-on style 20" tall bag that is splittable into two pieces, and the whole thing is made to look more like a backpack. So I can disconnect the smaller pieces and get at least 20lbs in that, and use it as a backpack, and put the rest in the actual larger portion of that carry-on which has wheels.

Next I am considering buying those military style camo pants with the massive side thigh cargo pockets. They should be able to hold at least 4lbs each. They do make short pants versions of these although you lose the pockets near the sides of the knees.

Then there is the possibility of buying the photo vest with more zippers than a Michael Jackson outfit. All combined, I ought to be able to bring on 100lbs of stuff if ever in a bind, although sofnolime as a carry-on freaks them out too much considering they are ready to come unglued to begin with and I don't wish to set them off.

So in recapping, here are the various items with photos that are a must for the serious world dive traveler:

1. Backpack style carry-on splitable in two pieces as shown below

HSAT205_lg.jpgHSAT205_1L.jpg

2. Throw away style canvas cloth shopping bag with handles. Place sundry "prop" items at the top like souvenirs and t-shirts.

cotton-tote-bags.jpg

3. Military BDU cargo pants with side cargo pockets.

ACU BDU.jpg

4. Photo vest.

B&H Photovest.jpg

If you deploy all 4 strategies, you could theoretically get 100lbs of carry-on equipment on board, and as you pass by the insecurity agent who is looking at you for the really odd gait or limp you have as the weight is about to compress your spinal column and you into the "little people" category, just mutter to him as you pass; "old college football injury" which seems to work better and strangely enough draws less attention than: "Old repetitive motion adult shoot injury".

[hbh2oguard]

best of luck getting through the metal detector, or do you just take off the vest and pants

[The Publisher]

Lol, actually, all pockets are emptied into the plastic large trays just like you must remove keys from your pockets.

Now days even the metal rivets on Levis freak out the TSA'ers.

But it is not the TSA screeners that care about the weight thing. I have had airline ticket counter staff want to weigh my carryon just twice, but it is those characters at Ninoy Aquino airport in Manila that seem to take great personal delight in haranguing people with heavy carry ons even though Cathay themselves couldn't seem to care less.

So the article was meant to be a guideline for deploying countermeasures

[PinayDiver]

Is your "Corazon Aquino Airport" reference (twice) tongue-in-cheek? If yes, disregard my compulsion to say that it's actually the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Cory is the former Philippine president (as I'm sure you know). Ninoy was her husband, opposition senator assasinated on the tarmac shortly after arriving back in the country from political exile. Now, you'll tell me your "Corazon Aquino Airport" is a private joke that stuck and I'll feel foolish for even explaining

[The Publisher]

Wait a minute, it does say Ninoy! (how I love the edit feature)

Thanks for the heads up!

[littleleemur]

I know this is an old thread, but I've had my carryon weighed by British Airways. Had to take out a bunch of stuff and stuff it in my pockets.

Also the Security staff at La Guardia in NY (or rather the guy with the gun in camo standing behind them) has a problem with jewellery. I had to remove my earrings (little dangling 1" gold sticks fashionable a few years ago) and my pendant - a 1" gold disc) and mail it to myself because he said that they could be used as weapons....

Then I had go back through security again with everything emptied out on the table just to make sure I didn't hide them in the carryon.

What's next? Please remove your bra as you might try and hijack the plane with the 5mm hook closure on your bra?

[The Publisher]

LittleLemur,

What is next is electronic strip searches and photos of your nude body via backscatter imaging. It is already being used in Phoenix airport. I find the idea that some guy who watches reruns of Brokeback Mountain verifying I'm a gentile rather repulsive.



Check out the thread here called "Security Theater" and as to your incident where they said your gold jewelry needed to be removed because it can be used as a weapon, remember, Arab terrorists have hijacked airplanes by threatening to adorn the pilots with jewelery that clash just like they have threatened pilots with a bad manicure via pocket nail files and clippers.

Next time they state something as moronic as your jewelry can be used as a weapon, tell them that it is just a backup as you're waiting till they give you the large sharp steel knives they hand out onboard in business and first class.

[littleleemur]

ew!!!!!!!!!

yes it was extremely moronic. But he obviously didn't think so. & I needed to make my connecting flight.

[Papa Bear]

I already do the vest and the cargo pants. I carry two cameras in the pockets, memory cards, all the stuff you need for cameras today. I also go with the back pack and the biggest pelican that they will allow for my personal item. My checked bag is my "Beast" with lights and extra batteries and chargers. 68 to 70lbs. My dive bag from 50lbs to 70lbs depending on airline. If traveling with a group I will bring a third bag if someone is short a bag. It is a logistical nightmare and I sweet it on every trip. Until I have arrived and then until I am home. A photographers life is full of stress. But we bring back the pictures and stories that sell the tickets. So how about a little slack?

[allisonfinch]

This is my carry-on. It fits in the overhead, but it weighs 45 LBS!!! Don't let anyone at the check-in counter see it. If they do, they will want to weigh it and you're screwed.