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General => General Topwater & Jigging Discussion => Topic started by: Gerhard Delport on August 30, 2014, 10:06:34 PM
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With the trip to Vanuatu getting closer its time to start planning what goes where.
With the weight limitations for check in luggage the carry on bag becomes more and more important.
Emirates will allow a carry on back and loptop bag as carry on luggage but Vanuatu air only allows one carry on bag.
This means a bag to carry your reels (spools in check in), laptop to down load each day's photos and video, dslr camera and lens, back up travel camera and GoPro action camera.
I bet there will be some clothing squeezed in there as well.
I am starting to look more and more at a high quality DSLR pack packs in the Lowepro or MindShoft range because of the internal compartments you can adjust for a camera, reels and other odds and ends.
What do you use for your carry on bag and what work for you and what not?
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I use Shout Jigger III and plastic case (about 30x20x16cm) for my DSLR. Never had a problem (but never used Vanuatu Air)
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Hi Gerhard,
I use the Pelican case 1510 for my camera and lenses, it is well build and protect your camera from the environment.
I get away with it at all times as it fits the size requirement for all airlines, take a look at it and ship your reels with the spools in your luggage,
with all the traveling and the fishing that I do i never missed anything from my luggage and I don't lock my luggage,
It might not be suitable to you or to what you're looking for but it is worth to take a look at it, the following is a link to the case:
http://www.foamerica.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=1510&gclid=CNCJttvmu8ACFQwV7AodAUgAwg
Good luck!
Tight lines
Sami
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Thanks for the info Sami,
I am not going to fly my reels in the check in luggage as my bag is a soft duffle.
The risk of damage to the reels are just to great.
I am working in Saudi and fly regularly between Dammam and Johannesburg with my fishing tackle.
Qatar and Etihad has no issue with the laptop bag and another carry on luggage bag.
I have sent Air Vanuatu an email regarding a laptop bag and a second bag.
If they allow the 2nd bag I will fly pack as I do currently.
But bussiness/work and a dedicated fishing trip has a bit different packing priorities...
Hope to hear how the rest of the guys here travel.
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Hello Sami,
How many lenses and camera,s do you take with you?
Just looked at the pictures of the box!!!
Just windering how much tackle and equipment other people take with them
With a trip.
Best regards,
Arnout
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Hi Gerhard,
I've not been to Vanuatu (and I think the hand luggage dimensions might be a little tighter by a few cms length, compared to Europe/Africa) but I do a lot of flying for work and frequently have to find new ways of jumping through new sets of hoops created by the airlines and those wonderful people tasked with ensuring our safety.....
I honestly think you're going to struggle to get all the kit you describe into a carry on bag that meets weight and dimensions rules, particularly if you're carrying multiple lenses for the slr.
The way I've gotten around this in the past is to wear a combat jacket with huge bellows pockets. It's always nice to close out a "your bag is too heavy" argument with; "F#%k you I'll wear it then"..... To date I've only ever had arguments over the weight of my carry on and the number of pieces but that's just down to the person at check-in.
I've been through a ton of carry-on bags for fishing trips. I have yet to find nirvana but my current pack meets my needs pretty well. The Osprey Farpoint 40 is way overengineered for a carry-on pack as it has a full hip belt concealed in the back of the pack. I'd rather have the extra weight/volume and lose the belt but that's pretty much my only major criticism. The main selling point of the Farpoint is that it has an internal frame for rigidity. When I loaded out the competition with a conservative 10kgs they completely folded up, whereas the Farpoint stayed rigid and was much easier to carry. I just added a good shoulder strap from a kata camera bag and I can carry the thing fully loaded with up to 12 kgs with ease.
The competition to the Osprey are the Lowe Carry-on TT (comes in a pack and wheeled variants) and the Arcteryx Covert Case C/O. Both collapse noticeably when heavily loaded, particularly the Arcteryx. If you travel with the case permanently strapped to your back you'll probably be ok, but who does air travel like that...?
As far as camera cases go I can't speak from direct experience. I put my slr and lenses in individual ThinkTank pouches and strap them inside the Farpoint using the internal compression straps.
Going on experience of their other products (and if money were no object), I'd look hard at the ThinkTank Airport Accelerator or Takeoff packs as dedicated camera packs. I'm sure Lowe and Kata do similar. My main problem with a lot of these packs is that the non-frame versions end up relying on the laptop to provide rigidity...
Hope this helps.
Cheers
Dave
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Dave,
Wow lots of valuble information.
My normal day to day pack is the CamelBak Urban Assault
http://www.camelbak.com/en/Canada/Military-Tactical/Packs/Urban-Assault-XL.aspx
It normally function as my laptop bag but if I am allowed only on cary on bag this will be it.
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I don't use an SLR but have seen how much bulk lens add to fishing luggage. I will leave that to the camera guys to answer.
Every time I travel for fishing I have three bags: a carry on which is always doubles as my deck bag, a holdall for check in and a rod tube. Currently the carry on/deck bag I use is the hPa Fishbox 27.
In the carry on goes all reel bodies (normally 7-8) plus a book and maybe a few other things for the flight. The holdall has all other tackle in it plus sundry personal items. Normally take 7 or 8 rods on a trip and they are obviously all in the rod tube which is padded out with screwed up clothing.
All very simple really. I do appreciate that SLRs do complicate things though.
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Hello Sami,
How many lenses and camera,s do you take with you?
Just looked at the pictures of the box!!!
Just windering how much tackle and equipment other people take with them
With a trip.
Best regards,
Arnout
Hi Arnout,
I normally have 2 Cameras, 3 to 4 lenses with 1 flash,
As for the tackle the following is my go most of the times:
6 to 8 poppers ranging from 140g to 230g
7 to 10 stickbait ranging from 120g to 200g
5 to 6 lures from 50g to 85g for a PE5 rod
10 to 15 jigs from 160g to 400g
5 Rods in total, 2 popping 2 jigging and 1 light popping rod
5 reels
3 shorts, 3 breathable fishing shirts, a cap, 2 sunglasses and a sandal (never fish bear footed)
All the above fits in the luggage except the jigs and i don't bother anymore with the TSA and their regulations.
I always wrap the jigs to the lower butt part of the rods and I tape them in order to ship them in the Sportube to gain and distribute weight properly.
My computer and my camera as a carry on as always.
At certain time and places no matter what you do and how organized you are you still have to pay for the access luggage ? unfortunately it is what it is..
Tight lines
Sami
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Thanks for the list Sami
Could you please list what terminal tackle, spare spools, spare braid and leaders etc you take.
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Hello Sami,
Not so much fishingtackle as i touched you would take with you.
I allways think i have to much and useless tackle with me.
Next trip i will not take more as 5 or 6 rods with me ( do we need PE5 in raivavae?).
Best regards,
Arnout.
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Dave,
Wow lots of valuble information.
My normal day to day pack is the CamelBak Urban Assault
http://www.camelbak.com/en/Canada/Military-Tactical/Packs/Urban-Assault-XL.aspx
It normally function as my laptop bag but if I am allowed only on cary on bag this will be it.
Hi Gerhard,
Sorry if I went a bit luggage anorak there..... Some years I commute between UK and Europe nearly every week (with just a carry on), then head off to Africa for a bit of fishing and relaxation only to end up in a stupid argument with some jobsworth who wants to get in a pi$$ing match over my hand luggage being too heavy.
SLR lenses really add to the weight/bulk of my carry-on kit. I'm seriously considering researching a smaller camera for fishing trips but I know I'd miss the weather-shielding and burst rate of my 7D.
That Camelbak is a nice pack but it looks as though it busts every dimension limit for hand luggage on Vanuatu Air. The good thing about the dedicated carry-on bags I mentioned is that they are essentially one main compartment that will take a ton of stuff in a smaller dimension overall (the Osprey holds 3 litres more than the Camelbak but has a smaller profile, on paper at least).
It all boils down to the person on check-in duty when you rock up; If they're in a good mood and you don't show the strain when they ask you to show them your carry-on..... ;D . I just had one too many fights when I was flying to West Africa so I invested in a smock with huge pockets (I refuse to admit defeat to a bunch of retired trolley dollys).
If you're in Saudi and need a hand with sourcing any kit feel free to drop me a line, always glad to assist.
Sami, I wish I could learn the self restraint to limit myself to so few lures!
Cheers
Dave
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Thanks again Dave,
The info is valuable.
My time is a bit limited now as I am flying home (Pretoria) from Saudi on the 9th of September and then out to Vanuatu on the 12th of September so thanks for the offer on sourcing.
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Dave,
Sami, I wish I could learn the self restraint to limit myself to so few lures!
Cheers
Dave
Dave, It is always a hard task to limit yourself, but think about it by the end of the day you will end up using 2 to 3 poppers and couple of stickbait and you ask yourself why did I pack all this tackle and i barely used any of them :)
Hello Sami,
Not so much fishingtackle as i touched you would take with you.
I allways think i have to much and useless tackle with me.
Next trip i will not take more as 5 or 6 rods with me ( do we need PE5 in raivavae?).
Best regards,
Arnout.
Hi Arnout,
I strongly suggest you a PE5 rod for Raivavae,
there is always that period when small lures works and save the day :)
also you need to consider taking a break from the heavy tackle, casting a PE8-PE10 rod all day will wear you out.
Tight lines
Sami
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Thanks for the list Sami
Could you please list what terminal tackle, spare spools, spare braid and leaders etc you take.
Dave, Sorry i have no intention to hijack your thread :)
Hi Graig,
I normally take 2 spare spool, 1 for an 18000 and the other for a 20000,
since I use Hollow on all my popping reels i take a spool of Hollow line in case of a breakage and i can splice it if needed.
variety of Split rings ranging from 100lb to 400lb,
quality Ball Bearing Swivel such as the Owner TSS-54 for casting and the TSS-51 for jigging, all organized in Meiho Versus box
Variety of Shout Kudako hooks,
Shout PR Knot bobbing as i use the PR Knot for jigging and it never failed me through all the years of fishing.
Fluorocarbon leader for jigging ranging from 80lb to 170lb depend on the terrain and species.
Nylon Shock leader in 80lb, 150lb, 220lb and 300lb
this variety allows me to cover all rods in my possession from PE5 to PE10 but anglers need to adjust to what they have and what they intend to use in terms of rods, also target species and size need to be taking into consideration when packing.
Tight lines
Sami
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Great info thank you Sami,
Thanks for the list Sami
Could you please list what terminal tackle, spare spools, spare braid and leaders etc you take.
Dave, Sorry i have no intention to hijack your thread :)
Hi Graig,
I normally take 2 spare spool, 1 for an 18000 and the other for a 20000,
since I use Hollow on all my popping reels i take a spool of Hollow line in case of a breakage and i can splice it if needed.
variety of Split rings ranging from 100lb to 400lb,
quality Ball Bearing Swivel such as the Owner TSS-54 for casting and the TSS-51 for jigging, all organized in Meiho Versus box
Variety of Shout Kudako hooks,
Shout PR Knot bobbing as i use the PR Knot for jigging and it never failed me through all the years of fishing.
Fluorocarbon leader for jigging ranging from 80lb to 170lb depend on the terrain and species.
Nylon Shock leader in 80lb, 150lb, 220lb and 300lb
this variety allows me to cover all rods in my possession from PE5 to PE10 but anglers need to adjust to what they have and what they intend to use in terms of rods, also target species and size need to be taking into consideration when packing.
Tight lines
Sami
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Thanks Sami
I really need to practice packing restraint as I always take way to much ( about 30 poppers and 30 stickbaits or so) but end up only really using a handful and promise myself that on the next trip I am going to reduce the load but always find it difficult.
Next time I promise!
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Gerhard,
I use a Kelty backpack as my carry-on. It holds loads of gear: reels, camera, lenses, lures (without hooks), books, whatever I want, no problem! Plus, its a backpack, so you can wear it while commuting through airports, or just sling it over a shoulder. http://www.kelty.com/search.aspx?SearchTerm=Redwing
(http://)
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So flying out of Dammam airport in Saudi on Tuesday night customs decided that reels without spools are not allowed to fly as carry on luggage as it can be used as a hammer/weapon... >:(
Did not help trying to argue with the customs officers and had to get the small carry on trolley bag checked in.
Dont know why the change as end of July I flew out to Singapore from Dammam and back with no issues.
The previous flights going to SA and back earlier the year also no problems.
Planning to take 4 spinning reels with out spools in my carry on back pack and really hope I dont have the same problems with the trip tomorrow night to Vanuatu.
Has someone here had the same issue where customs do not want the reels to be taken on as carry on?
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Sorry to hear you had grief. It's a total lottery.... I had some travel bottles confiscated at Heathrow recently because, in spite of being sold as air travel toiletries bottles, they didn't have a label stating they were 100ml.....
Quite amusing that your lot have had their security minister taken out by a "reformed" terrorist with a stomach cavity packed with explosives but won't allow a fishing reel through security....
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Sorry to hear you had grief. It's a total lottery.... I had some travel bottles confiscated at Heathrow recently because, in spite of being sold as air travel toiletries bottles, they didn't have a label stating they were 100ml.....
Quite amusing that your lot have had their security minister taken out by a "reformed" terrorist with a stomach cavity packed with explosives but won't allow a fishing reel through security....
To be honest...
My suspicion is that they thought I am an American and that they would give me a hard time because they can.
Happens quite a lot in Saudi until they hear I am from South Africa.
Then its all smiles.
Its just part of the fun working in the region... ;)
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So flying out of Dammam airport in Saudi on Tuesday night customs decided that reels without spools are not allowed to fly as carry on luggage as it can be used as a hammer/weapon... >:(
Did not help trying to argue with the customs officers and had to get the small carry on trolley bag checked in.
Dont know why the change as end of July I flew out to Singapore from Dammam and back with no issues.
The previous flights going to SA and back earlier the year also no problems.
Planning to take 4 spinning reels with out spools in my carry on back pack and really hope I dont have the same problems with the trip tomorrow night to Vanuatu.
Has someone here had the same issue where customs do not want the reels to be taken on as carry on?
Hi Gerhard,
I ran into the same problem over a year ago when i was taking the flight from Beirut Airport to Dubai,
the security guy did not allow me to take the reel as a carry on, I tried to explain that the spool and the line are in the luggage but he insisted that the reel need to be checked in with the luggage , he end up calling one of Emirates representative that took me aside smiled at my face and let me go, after that incident I check in all my reels in the luggage..
Tight lines
Sami
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Thanks Sami,
I am worried about damage to the spinning reels in side the check in duffle bag.
The fly reels and over head jigging reels should be fine.
The spinning also weigh a bit.
As this is my 1st major fishing trip I would prefer taking extra lures and terminal tackle.
Two places that I will check in luggage is Johannesburg onto Emirates and Sydney onto Air Vanuatu.
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I always pack reels in check in, I'd rather be safe then sorry. As most trips take a lot of pre planning last thing I need after the amount off money and planning is to be reel less when I land, I put reels in a large Tupperware box for extra protection, it adds a little extra size to my bag but For piece of mind for reel safety
One tip that I've started to do on my last 2 trips is pack my rod case in a surf board cover and then put all my clothes/shoes and anything that I'm not worried about getting smashed stuffed in, as my rod case Full comes to about 11-13kg max. As most flights work on a bag limit as well as weight the extra 10kg in clothing means I can load my other check in bag strictly with reels and tackle.
My carry on is then used for camera/go pros and anything else I'm worried about getting damaged or can't fit in the surfboard, I find this packing system to work perfectly for me now.
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Gerhard,
I use a Kelty backpack as my carry-on. It holds loads of gear: reels, camera, lenses, lures (without hooks), books, whatever I want, no problem! Plus, its a backpack, so you can wear it while commuting through airports, or just sling it over a shoulder. http://www.kelty.com/search.aspx?SearchTerm=Redwing
(http://)
Looks like a nice bag Dan, which size do you use?
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Hi Gerhard,
I ran into the same problem over a year ago when i was taking the flight from Beirut Airport to Dubai,
the security guy did not allow me to take the reel as a carry on, I tried to explain that the spool and the line are in the luggage but he insisted that the reel need to be checked in with the luggage , he end up calling one of Emirates representative that took me aside smiled at my face and let me go, after that incident I check in all my reels in the luggage..
Tight lines
Sami
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Well your reply, together with other similar replies of anglers checking in their reels did concern me Sami
Especially that I had incidents with other things that got broken or even taken from the bags, this wasn't recently, but I'll have a heart attack if that heppens to my Stella!!
One year ago most people said it is better to keep them as carry on(without line) and that they rarely have problems with that
Now I can see many checking the reels
I traveled with reels only once and I had no problem, That is really one tough decision
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Guys,
Just an update.
i have taken my spinning reels as carry on.
johannesburg - Dubai - Sydney- Vanuatu
No issues at any of the customs.
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Has anyone considered the Shimano Tropical bags?
Would be good for both carry on and deck bag i guess.
CW
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Gerhard you back yet how did the trip go?
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Gerhard you back yet how did the trip go?
The trip was amazing.
Still trying to adjust to the 9 time zones on the body clock.
Round trip was roughly 40 000km.
The only bummer of the trip is the GT's had lock jaw and the ones I did get to hit the popper or stickbait did not get pinned.
The Doggies also had their challenges.
I will go back at the drop of an hat and the planning for the next trip has started....
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Has anyone considered the Shimano Tropical bags?
Would be good for both carry on and deck bag i guess.
CW
Chris,
I will look into these bags for future trips. They look like they will do the work nicely for both carry on and deck bag
http://www.anglerswarehouse.com.au/product_detail.asp?productnospaces=shimano_tropical_tackle_system_bag_-_medium_5769
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I tried the North Face Base Camp Duffel Bag. The local shop only had a M size which is 72l and although I got away with it on a recent trip it is actually too big for hand luggage and too big for a boat gear bag, as you tend to pack in the kitchen sink.
They claim it is waterproof never got it wet so unable to confirm allow waterproof it is.
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I like the options hPa offer for possible carry on/deck bag
http://www.divingdirect.co.uk/hpa-m30#page1:infscr2487
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I think the HPA Extreme with roll up closing and not a zip is the way to go.
HPA Dry Duffel 50 Extreme Waterproof NO Zippers
$109.95
SKU: 301029
Brand: HPA
Weight: 1 800
Product Description
Famous HPA quality in a larger duffle designed for the expeditions of your life. Made from indestructible TPU, a special durable fabric that is used to make Zodiac and HPA RIB boats. This bag will not let you down 100% waterproof closure and it will float unless filled with bricks or lead! Can we worn as a backpack, or the padded straps can be removed As of September 2nd we are now stocking Three (3) Colors, Hi-Vis or some call it Safety Orange, Black and Orange. The Orange is a heavy PVC material and the Hi-Vis Orange is a lighter weight TPU material. All Dry Duffle 50L are 100% waterproof and will float.
21" x 12" x 12"
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Bit of a thread revival but I use a Studio Ocean Mark reel bag - it can take all my reels, a 15" laptop, Go Pro and associated kit, phone/wallet/passport/Kindle/Ipod, etc. A nice bit of kit that I use as my carry on bag along with an HPA roll. Spools, multipliers with non removable spools, jigs, accessories, etc., go in the Loomis roller bag in check in along with the tube with my rods and clothing in.
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I use the same SOM reel bag. Like it a lot. But because it's large (which is good) I took too much and hence it got really heavy!
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I ended up getting a 25ltr HPA duffle.