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laine

I ski like a girl. Fast.
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I have a Kulkea Powder Trekker that I use every time I go to the sloes. But my husband and I are planning a trip to Japan over Xmas (Tokyo and then Niseko) and I'm also looking at a heli trip for next year. I'm a proponent of carrying my boots on the flight, but my Kulkea bag won't fit in the overhead or under the seat.

What do people generally use when they bring their boots on a plane? Just a regular carry on?

thanks!
 

Philpug

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Wear them? ;)

Transpack Sidekick Pro is a great pack for airline travel. It is a back pack that carries your boots as compared to a boot bag you wear on yoru back. It fits easily in the overhead compartment and is very efficient with it's shape. There is also a spot for a laptop.

1491511812043
 

BMC

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I just travelled to and from Japan with JAL with a Burton Boot Backpack, which fit my boots and helmet plus iPad and a few other things, and comfortably fit in the overhead compartment.
 

BoofHead

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If yourvboots fit in a regular carry on and you don’t go overweight, why not use it? We carry our boots on in $15 eBay boot bags; have done for years. I have big boots so I swap a boot with my wife ie she has one of my big boots and I have oneof her little boots.
We also fit in helmets, goggles, and miscellaneous junks to bring bag up to allowable weight.
Just had a look on eBay for bags like ours but couldn’t find any.
These bags are similar. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Dare-2b...014016&hash=item2cc5da0a01:g:MZUAAOSw4Dxaapat
 

trailtrimmer

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I really dislike single purpose boot bags for airline travel and for general skiing. They are never big enough to fit all your stuff, especially if you race or want to bring a couple pairs of goggles and layers for changing conditions.

For the plane, I have the largest wheeled carry on that I can fit in the airline limits. In it goes my boots, socks, gloves, baselayer, mid-layer, goggles, pants, balaclava, tooth brush, deoderant. On my body I wear my ski jacket. I have everything I need to ski but a helmet which I can rent for under $10 if my luggage gets lost.

My main bag is a Nordica Race XL Gear Backpack. In it goes my helmet, more socks, spare gloves, additional baselayers and all my street clothes, toiletries, etc. The giant XL pack is awesome for non-travel use. I can fit everything I need to ski or race in one bag and has a separate lined compartment for the boots. No need for a boot bag that can only carry most of what you need for a ski day and not all of it.

My baggage fees are $50 for a sport tube double and the big Nordica pack.
 

Wade

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I have this one, which I bought specifically because it works well for airline travel.

https://www.amazon.com/Dakine-DLX-Cargo-Pack-Tabor/dp/B01BUM58BW/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

The boots laying down sideways and the straps to cinch the bag down to a lower profile are what makes it work with the airline carry on restrictions (it fits in the carry on test frame when cinched down a little). For airline carry on, I can get in everything I need for a day of skiing except my helmet, plus an ipad, laptop, book, chargers, etc, cinch the bag down, and still pass the carry on test.

If you're not concerned about the carry on test, it still fits comfortably in most overheads fully expanded and with the helmet in it's compartment.

In addition to meeting all of the airline requirements, it carries pretty well with the boot weight being close to the wearer's back and the shoulder straps include a chest strap.
 
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dbostedo

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https://www.dakine.com/en-us/bags/travel-bags/snowboard-gear-bags/boot-pack-50l/
Fits easily in the overhead, although it technically is not within the carry on parameters.

I also have this one, and use it to carry my boots, helmet, googles, and accessories both at home to the mountain, and on planes for trips. I have had to gate check it a couple of times on smaller planes, though I'm not sure if there's a bag that would fit on those - boots might have to be separate to fit if they're brought on board.
 

bbinder

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crgildart

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I have yet to see a bag that will hold both boots and helmet which fits the official 22"x16"x9" carry on max outer dimensions. That said, with a little, or a lot of persuasion you can re arrange things, remove the helmet or boots, and smash most boot bags in to that size check box. However, it appears they are now even instructing agents NOT to allow people to SMASH/FORCE a larger bag in to the size check box at the gate. Here's a recent news story about that. They apologized to this lady but didn't go so far to say she was correct and the gate agent was incorrect about the bag being the proper size..

United Airlines workers caught arguing with woman over carry-on bag in video
 

SBrown

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I really don't like lugging heavy things through the airport, so I just strap my boots together and carry them as my "small" item, and use a backpack as my large carryon. I have also done the rollaboard version, that works well, too.
 
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PTskier

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the official 22"x16"x9" carry on max outer dimensions
That varies by airline. Many are at 22 x 14 x 9. That size includes the wheels, a dimension sometimes not listed when shopping for the bag.
https://travel-made-simple.com/carry-on-size-chart/

The regional short haul planes often used for ski destinations may have small overhead bins and put the larger carry-ons into the plane's baggage hold, anyway. The passenger puts their 22x14x9 bag on the cart and hope it gets put into the plane--if weight and space allows. I've seen a mountain of luggage under a tarp on the pavement at DEN when the Aspen plane took off at max weight--no capacity for all the luggage. Skier's luggage is both bulky and heavy. Some airlines are limiting ski group bookings to 25 skiers per plane for this reason.
 

crgildart

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If the days of being allowed to cram a slightly larger bag in to "the box" were to end.. How many people would seriously consider wearing their boots from the gate on to the plane to avoid having to check their boot bag/boots?
 

CrystalRose

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I have the boot trekker and if I take the boots out of the bag I can fit both in the overhead. Michael's powder trekkers fits in the overhead without removing the boots.

I just purchased a Kulkea powder trekker and it is a bulky looking bag when full. Have you ever had someone question you? What airline did you use?
 

surfsnowgirl

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I just purchased a Kulkea powder trekker and it is a bulky looking bag when full. Have you ever had someone question you? What airline did you use?

Michaels had no issue with his powder trekker. We've flown on Air Canada. He checked his with his skis to count as one bag when we flew united. On Air Canada they fit in the overhead bin no issue without any finagling. Put the powder trekker next to the boot trekker and it'll look much smaller. Just put minimal stuff on it, helmet inside and bare minimum in the other compartments so that it's not bulked up.
 
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laine

laine

I ski like a girl. Fast.
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Palm Springs
I have the boot trekker and if I take the boots out of the bag I can fit both in the overhead. Michael's powder trekkers fits in the overhead without removing the boots.

I just purchased a Kulkea powder trekker and it is a bulky looking bag when full. Have you ever had someone question you? What airline did you use?

Yeah, I love my Powder Trekker for my regular use. But I was just looking at the dimensions and it seems that it won't fit, per most airline regulations. I don't love the idea of buying another boot bag when I have one that works, so I was more just curious about what most people do - who have a side-load bag like that.
 

surfsnowgirl

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Yeah, I love my Powder Trekker for my regular use. But I was just looking at the dimensions and it seems that it won't fit, per most airline regulations. I don't love the idea of buying another boot bag when I have one that works, so I was more just curious about what most people do - who have a side-load bag like that.

I hear ya. My boot trekker is a bit big but I've just checked in with my skis the last 2 times. I did make it work by taking the boots out and putting them in the overhead next to the boot trekker and it was fine. Michael my SO fit his powder trekker in the standard sized overhead bin on Air Canada without any problem. Perhaps it was because he only put the bare minimum of stuff in it to minimize the bulk but it fit easy enough. People's rolly suitcases are pftem bigger than the powder trekker and they have no issue. You are allowed a backpack type carry on along with another small bag so the boot trekker fits the bill fine.
 

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