Walmart (or other) Bags?

[Rockhound76]

Now that we are forced to reduce the weight of our baggage, while getting in all in one checked bag+one carry-one, we're reducing the weight our luggage, as well as the items we carry.

I'm migrating to lightweight duffles (no wheels) for checking in and a lightweight mesh bag for taking on the boat.

On the last trip, our lightweight luggage faired better than the HD stuff. My youngest son's rolling HD case came back from Grand Cayman, through Miami, with two huge cuts on the side and both wheels torn off. The fiberglass insert in the bottom was snapped in half. My wife's HD roller had a big tear across the top and a cardboard hard case of souvenirs inside (wrapped in towels) was crushed.

Of course, Continental denied any responsibility.

My son and I both used cheap duffles. They made it through fine.

No advantage to either style, IMO. The HD ones might last longer, but I don't think a $300 will last 10x more than a $30 one.

[Grizbear98]

I got a cheaper roller suitcase set from value city, it seemed okay when we bought it when I started college. I took it on its first plane ride to Belize this year, and it barely made it back. I'm not sure if it was the luggage bag itself, or the way it was treated by the airports, probably a mix of both. It did protect my gear though, but I don't think its going to last much longer. Its more of the brand of suitcase than how much you pay for it. You can get good suitcases and duffles at places like Ross and TJ Maxx for a much less cost, but they last just as long. I would personally trust that over another off brand bag.

[jtaffar]

we have a biglots here in fort smith. i'll have to check it out. otherwise i'll check out wally world... thanks for the tips.

[Damselfish]

Generic bags can be cheap and work really well. And some actually have pretty good and suitable hardware, just pay attention to that. We used to use Jansport rolling duffels that we bought for $29 and they were great for years. Relatively light because it was just a plastic bottom and wheels but not a real cart, and without lots of weight adding pockets and junk. Never really wore out, we just got to where we wanted something different.

The secret to not having your airline bag damaged by salt water, is not taking your airline bag on the boat. It's rare a bag that's suitable to check is suitable to use on a dayboat. For tropical dayboats pack a mesh bag. And even if you occasionally need to pack slightly damp gear, there's no reason it should be salty at that point.

[sravin1]

I personally feel that cheap bags are not the way to go especially if they are going to carry expensive stuff...

[Monkeylemon]

I've used a cheap-a** Walmart-type rolling duffel and was happy with the performance. It carried my gear just fine, seemed well-made enough, and was under $30. I don't know what its longevity will be, but I was happy to save my $$ for other stuff.

[dbsea]

I had a large luggage piece for my dive equipment but after the third flight the zipper failed catastropically while the heavy nylon fabric over the rest of the unit was still ok. Since we were departing from Hawaii the next day, I spent hours searching for a replacement with an EXTRA HEAVY DUTY zipper. It was an inconvenience but at least it didn't happen with the airport. Buy the best luggage you can afford---some of the good stuff is lightweight!