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Old 12-16-2010
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Gear Bag for Airplane Travel

Last Saturday night I went to SFO to check in for my return flight after a couple of days at Laguna Seca. The fellow at the counter eyed my Sparco bag, picked up a very large ruler, measured the length and width and height, and declared the bag to be five inches over the limit. I commented that I had flown for several years with that bag on Delta (including the flight out from Hartford) as well as United and American and had never had anyone pull out a ruler and tell me the bag was oversize. He replied that it would be a $90 surcharge for me to have them put the bag on my flight. With no choice, I paid the $90.

So the questiion I have is what bag do those of you who fly to race weekends use to tote your helmet, suit, other equipment, and general clothing? Clearly, I need to find one that (a) fits the linear dimension limits of Delta and any other airline and (b) protects my helmet and seat insert from abuse. Any suggestions? This is a pain in the butt, and with airlines looking for ways to scrounge up extra money from passengers, my guess is that enforcement of baggage limitations will only increase.

Thanks for any ideas.
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Old 12-16-2010
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Re: Gear Bag for Airplane Travel

I dont check bags and am lucky every time cause the helmet bag is a tad big
i finally figured out after almost 2 years that i can leave my seat with skippy
that means i never check bags anymore for the 40k/yr miles i travel for racing at SB

btw yes i should be in bed but i cant sleep - i snapped awake after 3 hours ...grr
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Old 12-16-2010
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Re: Gear Bag for Airplane Travel

Ted,
What was the dimension that you exceeded? The question would be is that dimension an arbitrary number that Delta made up to generate the fee or do all the airlines all have the same number but have chosen not to enforce it until now? They are making a huge killing with all those baggage fees now. Very frustrating.

Greg,
You fit all your cloths and gear for a race weekend minus your seat in an overhead bag? That's impressive. I'm guessing you don't bring much in the way of changes of cloths eh?
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Old 12-16-2010
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Re: Gear Bag for Airplane Travel

Quote:
Originally Posted by dalyduo View Post
Ted,
That's impressive. I'm guessing you don't bring much in the way of changes of clothes eh?
Come to think of it I have noticed a particular odour coming from Greg after about day two on a race weekend!!!! Now we know the secret!!!
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Old 12-16-2010
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Re: Gear Bag for Airplane Travel

Ted, I have used a separate helmet bag fro Hans and a large rolling duffel for my seat and clothes. The helmet bag can sometimes be carried on if the planes overhead is large e no ugh. On smaller puddle jumpers they generally allow me to gate check it which is ok since you get your bag back as soon as the plane arrives.

Not sure if the rules have changed recently.
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Old 12-16-2010
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Re: Gear Bag for Airplane Travel

Quote:
Originally Posted by dalyduo View Post

Greg,
You fit all your cloths and gear for a race weekend minus your seat in an overhead bag? That's impressive. I'm guessing you don't bring much in the way of changes of cloths eh?
i put my socks in my helmet bag

if they were paying attention - im bringing 1.5 carryons onto the plane

not having to check bags is a huge plus as i hate waiting for up to 2 hours for my stuff to roll off the plane.
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Old 12-16-2010
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Re: Gear Bag for Airplane Travel

still mystified at how you can carry on everything needed for a race weekend.
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Old 12-16-2010
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Re: Gear Bag for Airplane Travel

Ted, I've seen the bag you use, so I assume you were checking the bag and not looking to carry it on ?

If so, have you looked at the T&C's on Delta's (and the others) website to see if they have a documented size limit for checked bags?
If they don't, a letter is in order I'd say.

On the other hand, if you were looking to carry it on, most, if not all airlines, as you probably know, have those silly contraptions near the counters or gates that you can try to put your bag in to see if it fits the carry on size limitations. Rare is the bag that fits into them, from my experience.

Viz
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Old 12-16-2010
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Re: Gear Bag for Airplane Travel

Quote:
Originally Posted by dalyduo View Post
Ted, What was the dimension that you exceeded? The question would be is that dimension an arbitrary number that Delta made up to generate the fee or do all the airlines all have the same number but have chosen not to enforce it until now?
It is not an arbitrary number nor special for Delta. The limit is 62 linear inches, which means add the length, width, and height and keep that sum below 62.

By the way, golf club bags are exempt from the linear dimension limit. As for my Sparco bag, perhaps until now the airlines have chosen not to measure and get picky. (Analgous to the slight cushion we generally all get on the highway with respect to the posted speed limit?)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tireman View Post
Ted, I've seen the bag you use, so I assume you were checking the bag and not looking to carry it on ?
Yes, checking at the counter. The limit is noted in the various baggage regulations at the Delta website. I did write an email to them in which I mentioned not only my history of flying with the bag as checked luggage on Delta, United, and American, but also the fact that (a) while sitting on the plane I observed several persons with carry-on luggage that clearly exceeded both size and weight limitations and (b) while waiting at the carousel upon arriving in Hartford I observed a couple of bags come out that were even bigger than mine. I got a corporate mumbo-jumbo reply from Delta thanking me for my input (valuable customer, important to get feedback, blah-blah-blah) but telling me that what the guy did in charging me for the bag was correct. So much for even getting a token bit of customer relations.
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Old 12-16-2010
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Re: Gear Bag for Airplane Travel

Quote:
Originally Posted by WatertownNewbie View Post
......By the way, golf club bags are exempt from the linear dimension limit.
Except for the helmet, a golf bag might just work

Viz
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Old 12-16-2010
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Re: Gear Bag for Airplane Travel

You guys are all living in the stone ages... When will you luddites finally embrace miniaturization? I use my HISTK 1000 to make my 93" long OMP super-deluxe race bag into a little itty bitty thing. It's all the rage.

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Old 12-16-2010
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Re: Gear Bag for Airplane Travel

I read recently that the airlines have made BILLIONS this year on baggage charges. Obviously a huge (maybe only) profit center for them. And how much can you argue with the baggage clerk. You Want your luggage with you.
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Old 12-16-2010
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Re: Gear Bag for Airplane Travel

A lot of folks (not necessarilly racers) are shipping their bags instead of paying absurd airline fees. I'm not so sure there's a cost savings, and for a race weekend, it could get complicated doing this. (Where to pick up, where to drop off as you rush to make a flight home).

Hmmm, could there be a Skippy opportunity here ? Ship bags via dependable carrier, well in advance of the race week(end), SB sends a van, one time, for pickup. Or, bags are delivered to SB at the track. SB sends the van back with the back at the end of the weekend.

Just a thought.

Viz
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Old 12-16-2010
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Re: Gear Bag for Airplane Travel

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tireman View Post
Ship bags via dependable carrier, well in advance of the race week(end), ... Or, bags are delivered to SB at the track.
There is an MX-5 driver in the western region who does exactly that and always uses FedEx. Has the stuff delivered to the track c/o SB.
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Old 12-16-2010
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Re: Gear Bag for Airplane Travel

Great idea but you've got to be very careful when you use that thing and not stand to close. It could add new meaning to the term "shrinkage".
Quote:
Originally Posted by sydude View Post
You guys are all living in the stone ages... When will you luddites finally embrace miniaturization? I use my HISTK 1000 to make my 93" long OMP super-deluxe race bag into a little itty bitty thing. It's all the rage.

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Old 12-16-2010
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Re: Gear Bag for Airplane Travel

For commercial travel I use a small "carry on" size bag for race gear. T shirts, head socks, gloves and shoes stuffed inside helmet zipped in helmet bag (with radio ear pieces) and turned on its side. HANS on its side fits well over helmet bag. Drivers suit wedges in other half of bag. Visor tear offs & GoPro camera with mounts fits in open space around the HANS. All zipped and ready to carry on or check. Upon arrival this rides on top of regular roll-aboard case with weeks clothes.

Most commercially available gear bags are way to big! Easy answer is to get a smaller bag.
My two cents,
JP
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Old 12-16-2010
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Re: Gear Bag for Airplane Travel

Seen at Hong Kong airport...

Ticket cost ____________ $125.50
Excess baggage charges___$542.75


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Old 12-16-2010
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Re: Gear Bag for Airplane Travel

Quote:
Originally Posted by sydude View Post
You guys are all living in the stone ages... When will you luddites finally embrace miniaturization? I use my HISTK 1000 to make my 93" long OMP super-deluxe race bag into a little itty bitty thing. It's all the rage.

you certainly could have the world's coolest model car collection
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Old 12-16-2010
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Re: Gear Bag for Airplane Travel

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Pace View Post
For commercial travel I use a small "carry on" size bag for race gear. T shirts, head socks, gloves and shoes stuffed inside helmet zipped in helmet bag (with radio ear pieces) and turned on its side. HANS on its side fits well over helmet bag. Drivers suit wedges in other half of bag. Visor tear offs & GoPro camera with mounts fits in open space around the HANS. All zipped and ready to carry on or check. Upon arrival this rides on top of regular roll-aboard case with weeks clothes.

Most commercially available gear bags are way to big! Easy answer is to get a smaller bag.
My two cents,
JP
Thanks JP. The smaller bag is what I am thinking about getting, and the additional helmet bag is a great idea in combo with a carry-on bag. Time to notify Santa.
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Old 12-16-2010
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Re: Gear Bag for Airplane Travel

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Originally Posted by cdh View Post
still mystified at how you can carry on everything needed for a race weekend.
Did you ever see his race weekend wardrobe? Can you say T SHIRTs?

If you use them at least twice by turning them inside out you can get a full after hours weekend in for the size of two Hanes!
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Old 12-17-2010
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Re: Gear Bag for Airplane Travel

Curbside check-in and a $20 will get all of your overweight/oversize luggage (even with 10 people) onto the plane with no hassles...try it sometime.
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Old 12-17-2010
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Re: Gear Bag for Airplane Travel

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Originally Posted by cdh View Post
still mystified at how you can carry on everything needed for a race weekend.
my seat stays with SB

my helmet and hans fit into my racing helmet bag, which is just small enough that they dont stop me from bringing it onto the plane (at least not yet) and it really is too big.

my real carry on has my boots and and boots and laptop

after having flown away for so many races and hating to check bags, this has been a real boon for me!!!

btw - im starting to really like sebring
turn 17 and 1 are unique!!
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Old 12-18-2010
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Re: Gear Bag for Airplane Travel

Quote:
Originally Posted by LimeRockRacer View Post
Did you ever see his race weekend wardrobe? Can you say T SHIRTs?

If you use them at least twice by turning them inside out you can get a full after hours weekend in for the size of two Hanes!
lol
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Old 12-19-2010
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Re: Gear Bag for Airplane Travel

http://www.scottevest.com/v3_store/Carry-on-Coat.shtml
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Old 12-19-2010
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Re: Gear Bag for Airplane Travel

Am I the only one who thinks this thing looks like the must have fashion accessory for suicide bombers? I'm sure the TSA loves it.

Other than looking like a flasher's coat and being ridiculously bulky... What's not to like? And even better explaining how wonderful it is to your favorite junk groping TSA employee when you're going to Florida and show up wearing that thing.

Silly sidebar: I was getting on a Singapore Airlines flight in July and had put my computer bag inside my rolling carry on bag as the rolling bag wasn't full. The counter person asked me to put my carry on bag on the scales and then declared it too heavy for carry-on (don't recall what the limit was). I said "Ah, I can fix that" and took the computer and it's bulky shoulder bag out and put it on my shoulder making the rolling bag well within the weight limit. "Very good sir... Thank You" said the counter person and I was on my way. Now I was still carrying exactly the same weight onto the plane but I had satisfied her need for the rolling bag to be under a certain number... Remarkable.
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Old 12-19-2010
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Re: Gear Bag for Airplane Travel

The shirts in the bottom pockets are hilarious.
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Old 12-19-2010
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Re: Gear Bag for Airplane Travel

Quote:
Originally Posted by dalyduo View Post
Silly sidebar: I was getting on a Singapore Airlines flight in July and had put my computer bag inside my rolling carry on bag as the rolling bag wasn't full. The counter person asked me to put my carry on bag on the scales and then declared it too heavy for carry-on (don't recall what the limit was). I said "Ah, I can fix that" and took the computer and it's bulky shoulder bag out and put it on my shoulder making the rolling bag well within the weight limit. "Very good sir... Thank You" said the counter person and I was on my way. Now I was still carrying exactly the same weight onto the plane but I had satisfied her need for the rolling bag to be under a certain number... Remarkable.
Sure, and then they put you next to the sweaty guy who's 200 lbs overweight, has nasty BO and takes up a seat and a half...
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Old 12-19-2010
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Re: Gear Bag for Airplane Travel

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Originally Posted by dalyduo View Post
Am I the only one who thinks this thing looks like the must have fashion accessory for suicide bombers?

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