Travel Bag for Carry-on

[SealScott]

I'm a minimalist when it comes to air travel and prefer to keep everything in a carry-on. I'm heading off to Mexico in a few months and would appreciate some recommendations for travel bags or creative packing ideas.

Here's what I'll be taking:
Dive Rite EXP fins, 4/5mm full wetsuit, light backplate and wing, single tank long hose reg setup (no console), boots, hood, two small computers, two lights and a light load of clothes.

[CaptnJack]

It won't all fit in a legal sized carry-on, no way. to be legal as carry-on the sum of the length, width and depth must be 45" or less. The fins and suit will need to be in a checked bag along with any knives or cutting devices. For the return flight, any batteries you have of any type will need to be in a checked bag. MX security will not let you carry on any batteries (even ones that TSA wants you to carry on like lithium ions) in a carry-on.

[Grateful Diver]

My buddy had a couple crescent wrenches confiscated from his carry-on ... apparently the MX security is as random about what they allow/disallow as TSA is.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[CaptnJack]

My buddy had a couple crescent wrenches confiscated from his carry-on ... apparently the MX security is as random about what they allow/disallow as TSA is.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

No tools, no cuttering things of any kind (including shears), no batteries (even alkalines). They are very consistent, its just their definition of a 'threat' is not the same as TSA.

[Peter Guy]

Scott, just accept that you'll need to check at least one bag. Also, you don't save much, if any, time by not checking a bag (except perhaps at SeaTac) since customs generally takes longer than having your bag available for retrieval.

By the way, I had Mexican authorities confiscate a set of Allen wrenches in addition to a crescent wrench. Now that I think of it, I've always put all of my batteries in my checked luggage. My carry on consists of computers (diving and laptop) and cameral gear and a change of clothes (and any meds).

[GearHead]

Since you're carrying a full set of gear, you'll need to split it between a checked bag and a carry-on. The fins, backplate, wing & wetsuit will need to be checked. As others have mentioned, any cutting tools also need to be checked. I take my regs, computers and lights in a carry-on. Typically for longer trips, I'll have a carry-on in the overhead plus a personal bag. I put my resort wear in the overhead carry-on, and use a large laptop bag that can hold my regs and computers.

The checked bag needs to weigh less than 50 lbs. Allow extra weight for a somewhat damp wetsuit on the return trip. I use a luggage scale to confirm. If you don't have a large bag already, a wheeled duffel of some sort is convenient for getting through airports. A good laptop bag will loop over the handle of the roller bag.

I'm looking forward to the Mexico trip as well.

[GearHead]

About batteries - the TSA requires Lithium-ion to be in carry-on bags, which sounds like the opposite of the MX security. So far, I haven't had any trouble carrying Li-ion batteries outside of my dive lights in separate plastic cases. The canister for my Hollis LED15 often gets extra scrutiny, though.

The TSA also likes to scan the regulators separately, similar to a laptop computer. I put mine in a separate regulator bag, which then goes inside my personal bag. I remove both the laptop and regs for the X-ray.

[Desert Diver]

You need to check a bag. Mexican customs once stole all my lithium batteries at the checkpoint and showed me their regulations. Basically you can have a "reasonable" number of spares beyond what fits in your devices but they need to be in origional packaging. This is open to interpretation by the security guy. I've had my checked bags looked over by TSA and they said nothing about the batteries. Could they? Yep, probably but you just have too much bulk and weight to get by with carry-on only. Pack your carry-on carefully and you can get by with one checked bag. United doesn't charge for the first one.

Brian

[CaptnJack]

About batteries - the TSA requires Lithium-ion to be in carry-on bags, which sounds like the opposite of the MX security. So far, I haven't had any trouble carrying Li-ion batteries outside of my dive lights in separate plastic cases.

Yup - they will make you go back and check them or throw them out. Do not bring any diving batteries through MX security. The exception is laptops, phone, and camera batteries, they are fine with those. Just don't bring more than 1 laptop and 1 camera per person down with you or you will have to pay duty.

[WylerBear]

I can get almost all my gear in my Dive Caddy which I carry on. I have trouble getting my fins in it but it supposedly can be done. With the compression straps it is very easy to get it down to the size you need. I then carry a pretty hefty "personal bag" to carry all the incidentals. You still can't take a shears or a dive knife or batteries. But look at the Dive Caddy. It may be what you are looking for.

[KneeDeep]

SealScoot, you'll need to check a bag.

I just got back from Playa De Carmen in March with my wife. Now, my wife and I both packed most of our stuff on carry on.Though my wife dives with a BC and couldn't pack it for carry on, so her's we loaded some minor cloth items with the space she had with no BP/W (but everything else was added in hers). Then one checked bag for remaining dive item and another checked for all our clothes.

On my carry on: (Wifes was same minus the BC we put in check)
SS Backplate, harness, ad STA (STA removed from BP)
Wing (Removed from BP)
Reg set (7ft config in reg bag w/ Yoke adapter)
Dry Hood
(Dusty) Canister Light (battery and charge in checked bag)
2x masks
Boots
Cam Bands
1x Backup Light
Dive computer
Compass
dive books

Checked Bag:
Fins (x2)
Wetsuit (x2)
Snorkel (x2)
BC (wifes)

[SealScott]

Wow! Thank you ALL for your input.
Based on your advice, I've decided to carry on my computers and regs and check the rest.

This will be my first time out of the country (Canada doesn't count) and my first big dive vacation, so I really appreciate the help!