Flying with Skis question

[Started at 53]

For carry on boots, I prefer the Transpack Sidekick Pro. It is backpack that carries your boots (as compared to a bootbag you wear on your back) so it is very comfortable walking through airports. The shape of the back fits very well in overhead compartments and holds a tremendous amount of gear and has a padded compartment for a laptop too.

The downside of the bag is that it does not protect the boots from the elements.

Interesting choice as the boots at not enclosed. I have looked at a bunch online, but all had closable boot compartments. All I am looking for is a way to transport them while flying. BTW, an iPad compartment is a requirement.

 

[Jilly]

Be careful with those that....depending on your BSL you might not make the dimensions required.

I use the Salomon Go to Ski bag. Never had a problem with it on Air Canada. And they are most pickiest out there. Boots, stuff and laptop. Just no where to put the DSL camera on the WB trip.

 

[cosmoliu]

@Jilly- could you post a picture of that bag with boots in, to get a sense of proportions?

 

[Jilly]

Boots go in side pockets, flat and opposing each other. My stuffs all put away. That's from the site and an ugly colour!!

 

[Carl Kuck]

Flying:

Boots get a Transpack XT Pro, carry-on, stash the boots under the seat in front and the bags in the overhead. (First aid kit goes with other stuff in the checked bag...)

I have a couple of Athalon padded single-ski bags, a shorter one for my wife and a longer one for me. The longer one will hold 180cm skis. I think the shorter bag is 165? Either way, the padding is good, the graffiti color scheme is super easy to spot in airport, sturdy fabric and straps. We'll pitch some extra clothing in ours and we're good to go. They're awesome bags. I have several two-pair bags, not really impressed with any of them...

 

[Slim]

I use both a double sport tube and Dakine doubleFall Line 190cm bag. Kids skis in the sport tube, as 190cm skis didn’t fit. In the bag I pack one pair flat on the bottom, and the other pair upside down on top of that, so the bindings face in and bases face out. This way the strong bases and edges are out, and by ‘boxing out’ the bag, they make the bag’s foam padding more effective.
I then use pieces of foam roller between the top and bottom skis to keep the bindings from slamming into each other, and even foam sleeves over the tips. The fall Line doesn’t have straps inside. I use duck tape to tape the ‘ski-foam-ski sandwich’ together into a solid construction.

 

[Freddo Bumps]

Sorry for the bump of the old thread, but has anyone tried the Kulkea ski bags. I like some things about the DB (adjustable sizing, rollup storage), but the lack of padding and durability concern me a bit.

 

[cosmoliu]

I've taken about 7 trips with the DB packed with two pairs of skis. The wider pair face down with the brakes retracted and the narrower pair bases facing out, again brakes retracted. The lack of padding seems not to be a problem. DB has transversely oriented hard plastic strips every few inches to absorb shocks. I suppose that a very strategically placed, or very unlucky impact between the plastic strips could dent an edge, but it hasn't happened. Yet.

BTW, I use gaffer tape on the edges to protect other contents like clothes from getting cut. Picked up that hint here. Gaffer tape strips off easily and can be reused.

 

[Philpug]

Sorry for the bump of the old thread, but has anyone tried the Kulkea ski bags. I like some things about the DB (adjustable sizing, rollup storage), but the lack of padding and durability concern me a bit.

@Dwight has been playing with the double bag. review coming shortly. But it is "all that".

 

[Dwight]

I have been using a Kulkea ski bag for 4 outings so far. Very well made. Great attachment points for skis and poles. It also has extra side storage pouches for other items. The wheels are very smooth and so far have worked well. Did go through some snow on the ground, but not a lot yet. It does have a punch out for longer skis, but so far haven't needed it. My longest is 184cm. The quality is better than the same time of bag at Level9 or other lower discount stores. My son purchased the Level 9 last week and to compare them as a car, pinto vs volvo.

The bag will be making it's first flight test in late Jan. Seems like it should hold up great.

 

[Freddo Bumps]

I have been using a Kulkea ski bag for 4 outings so far. Very well made. Great attachment points for skis and poles. It also has extra side storage pouches for other items. The wheels are very smooth and so far have worked well. Did go through some snow on the ground, but not a lot yet. It does have a punch out for longer skis, but so far haven't needed it. My longest is 184cm. The quality is better than the same time of bag at Level9 or other lower discount stores. My son purchased the Level 9 last week and to compare them as a car, pinto vs volvo.

The bag will be making it's first flight test in late Jan. Seems like it should hold up great.

Thank you! How compactly does it come packaged? I figure that should indicate how it can be stored.

The other bag that looks interesting is Evoc. The larger bag seems to compact reasonably nicely while still being padded. It does not have much by way of extra pockets, etc. They also have a pretty cool neoprene sleeve for tip/tails, though I think a bit pricey.

https://www.evocsports.com/products/bags

 

[Dwight]

Thank you! How compactly does it come packaged? I figure that should indicate how it can be stored.

The other bag that looks interesting is Evoc. The larger bag seems to compact reasonably nicely while still being padded. It does not have much by way of extra pockets, etc. They also have a pretty cool neoprene sleeve for tip/tails, though I think a bit pricey.

https://www.evocsports.com/products/bags

About 25".

 

[James]

I've taken about 7 trips with the DB packed with two pairs of skis. The wider pair face down with the brakes retracted and the narrower pair bases facing out, again brakes retracted. The lack of padding seems not to be a problem. DB has transversely oriented hard plastic strips every few inches to absorb shocks. I suppose that a very strategically placed, or very unlucky impact between the plastic strips could dent an edge, but it hasn't happened. Yet.

BTW, I use gaffer tape on the edges to protect other contents like clothes from getting cut. Picked up that hint here. Gaffer tape strips off easily and can be reused.

Why not pack it like this?

http://www.doglotion.com/dont-douchebag-carry-skis-douchebag

 

[mishka]

I travel with plastic box for skis. If binding removed (demo) you can fit two pairs skis and the poles. In box meant for one pair skis.
One plastic box was busted pretty badly but skis was not damaged. Second box was also damaged. This time skis was damaged as well. After last incident. Going forward I put additional padding on the bottom.
I have several friends who told me there soft ski bag got badly damaged as well

 

[raytseng]

Why not pack it like this?
View attachment 76131
http://www.doglotion.com/dont-douchebag-carry-skis-douchebag

I've got a relatively new to me db and still trying to find the best way for me to pack it.

The problem with that method is there are no internal tie down straps in the DB. So the con is that with standard 2ski packing setup, is the skis and poles are all going to move around in there and doesn't feel secure or feel like one pair is going to get diagonal or twist around, especially with 2 different length skis. It seems like the target design of a DB is travelling with some beefy big mtn skis where being perfect undamaged doesn't matter, so it seems like they've prioritized gear storage space options over light damage to the skis.

If you pack it the other way as 2 flat on bottom, 2 on sides, you will get
symmetry left and right, better able to stuff a bunch of softgoods into the middle to "hold it in place" as well as being able to packing more of those softgoods into 1 gap rather then trying to fill multiple gaps


Personally, I've got demo bindings, so I'm able to slide off bindings, and stack 2 skis flat and wrap in a beach towel, and each stack goes on each side, then put some softgoods in the middle to hold it all in place.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

This was how we packed our skis on the last Colorado trip. Worked great!!

 

[James]

This was how we packed our skis on the last Colorado trip. Worked great!!

View attachment 76134

What bag is that?

 

[David Chaus]

Looks like the Transpack bag I have.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

What bag is that?

I can't open the ebay listing anymore but I believe it's this one

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/254164673719

I have one by Athalon. I really like these bags because the skis are strapped in side by side with a partition between them. .

 

[cosmoliu]

After two years with flying with the Douchebag, I fell out of love with it after this happened this past February to my 100Eights:

In fairness to DB, I have to say that American Airlines had to have dropped the bag on the sharp corner of a very firm object, stragegically between two of the DB's protective "ribs". And likely from a height. The design of the bag seems adequate for most other vagaries of travel, but failed in this specific "sh*t happens" scenario.

On the upside, American made good on the skis. I had used the skis for 2.5 seasons and had put about 50 days on them. They asked for a purchase receipt and refunded me all but $50 of the original amount. Kudos to AA for that.

I have since bought the SporTube soft sided bag, after reading a review of it the very week that the above happened. I used it on the last couple of trips of the season and am very impressed with its construction. https://www.sportube.com/Ski-Shield-2-Ski-Bag-Padded-Wheeled-Gear-p/bgssd.htm My only complaint is that it only comes in a 185 cm length, leaving the bag to sag from the excess length.

Edit: I just re-read my post #68 above. "I suppose that a very strategically placed, or very unlucky impact between the plastic strips could dent an edge" seems eerily prescient.