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mdf

entering the Big Couloir
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Team Gathermeister
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I had that same Dakine bag. First trip the skis moved quite a bit from check-in at the airport to arrival at the resort. Same on the return plus my look pivot heel piece which I packed oriented facing the sides of the bag was now facing the top of the bag due to the skis rotating a 1/4 turn and they punched multiple holes in the bag! Sets of perforations clear thru in the size and spacing of the heel-cup part that clamps onto the boot protruding DIN thing. And no the Look Pivot's dildo (lack of a better word) did not pop up as it would if clicked in. I returned the bag to REI. No such trouble with the Ski Vault 2x roller, so far the thing is bomber, it is on the heavy side but also made of a Nylon which is a stronger textile and less prone to tear than a Polyester bag like the Dakine.
Maybe I'm lucky -- I haven't had any problems. I don't think it is an especially nice bag, but it isn't especially bad either. It's good enough.
 

neonorchid

Making fresh tracks
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Joined
Nov 21, 2015
Posts
6,693
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Mid-Atlantic
^ Could be luck of the draw, where the bag ended up in the pile of bags during travel. I will say use caution with how you pack everything if you have Look Pivot bindings where the heel-cup points face up when in the open position.
 

Ogg

Skiing the powder
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Joined
Jun 3, 2017
Posts
3,484
Location
Long Island, NY
I don't have the roller but I am quite impressed with the build quality of my Kulkea Kantaja single bag. It could easily fit two pairs of skis and pretty much everything I need for a week long trip other than my boots and helmet.
 

sparty

Out on the slopes
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Joined
Feb 15, 2018
Posts
1,005
However the same problem though exists with the db, with No straps and No divider; but which somehow people like the bag. This puzzles me too.

They say you need to pull up the brakes, then use 1 pair of skis; bases out for the sides and 2nd pair flat in the middle, then use your boots and/or clothes as stuffing to fill the void and keep everything from moving around.

I bought a Db last summer, as the wife and I were headed on a trip, our older bag didn't look like it was going to make it through that many transfers, and the Db was one of the only highly rated bags that was available.

After traveling with it, I am a fan. It may have helped that the second pair of skis were smaller (my wife's Cham 107s), and I will admit that a little more width would have been nice so my Animas (116 underfoot) could have been flat and side-by-side more comfortably rather than kinda jammed in. I did go with a belt-and-suspender approach on brakes, putting the Shifts in walk mode and applying rubber bands just in case they released, and then packed other stuff around the skis to stabilize them (particularly gloves near sharp edges); I didn't find the lack of straps problematic even after thinking I might. My biggest complaint is that I can't fill all the space in the bag without being way over the weight limit.

Admittedly, if the TSA (or agency of choice) decides to pull the skis out, there's a non-trivial chance they're going to put them back in a less-than-ideal manner.
 

pjs32000

Booting up
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Joined
Jan 25, 2019
Posts
20
After a lot of research I think I'm down to either the Thule RoundTrip Ski Roller 192cm or Transpack Ski Vault Double Pro. My skis are 180cm so the Transpack is nice since with I'd only need to open one expansion zipper and it will save me a little space vs the Thule. Also I the Transpack uses more rugged material so it should be more durable, but likely comes with added weight.

Does anyone know the empty weight of the Transpack? Does the shoulder strap in the center of the bag tuck away at all for checking the bag on a flight? If not it seems like that has the potential to get snagged and torn off. The features I like about the Thule are the "S" zipper allowing the bag to open up better and the stated reinforcement in the ends to help prevent sagging. Has anyone had issues with sagging on either of these bags?
 

raytseng

Making fresh tracks
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Mar 24, 2016
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3,330
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SF Bay Area
After a lot of research I think I'm down to either the Thule RoundTrip Ski Roller 192cm or Transpack Ski Vault Double Pro. My skis are 180cm so the Transpack is nice since with I'd only need to open one expansion zipper and it will save me a little space vs the Thule. Also I the Transpack uses more rugged material so it should be more durable, but likely comes with added weight.

Does anyone know the empty weight of the Transpack? Does the shoulder strap in the center of the bag tuck away at all for checking the bag on a flight? If not it seems like that has the potential to get snagged and torn off. The features I like about the Thule are the "S" zipper allowing the bag to open up better and the stated reinforcement in the ends to help prevent sagging. Has anyone had issues with sagging on either of these bags?
I don't have either of these bags, so I cannot comment, but they both look solid.

My one comment is I would not tuck away those extra handles nor worry about them snagging, if it truly has an additional shoulder strap that's clippable you may remove that. You want your bags to have decent solid straps to help everyone who is going to handle it. When you send that bag down the conveyer belt and it passes through that magical rubber curtain, it doesn't magically transported to a spa and treated to a manicure and pedicure. If your bag is missing holds and/or solid additional straps, the handlers are going to grab it by the weaker compression straps and or bottom and awkwardly heave or swing your bag, making it more likely that your bag is going to be caber tossed, javelined or or roll or jumble awkwardly off the cart or when it gets thrown into the pile. If you have nice balanced center handles and a side strap miraculously your bag will at least be tossed relatively flattly and miraculously your luggage is less damaged at your destination.

Imagine you're the guy getting $20 an hour running the baggage cart and you've got to heave 30 bags from your cart onto a belt and you got to get them off ASAP. Don't make your bag less huckable for them.
 
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mdf

entering the Big Couloir
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I don't have either of these bags, so I cannot comment, but they both look solid.

My one comment is I would not tuck away those extra handles nor worry about them snagging, if it truly has an additional shoulder strap that's clippable you may remove that. You want your bags to have decent solid straps to help everyone who is going to handle it. When you send that bag down the conveyer belt and it passes through that magical rubber curtain, it doesn't magically transported to a spa and treated to a manicure and pedicure. If your bag is missing holds and/or solid additional straps, the handlers are going to grab it by the weaker compression straps and or bottom and awkwardly heave or swing your bag, making it more likely that your bag is going to be caber tossed, javelined or or roll or jumble awkwardly off the cart or when it gets thrown into the pile. If you have nice balanced center handles and a side strap miraculously your bag will at least be tossed relatively flattly and miraculously your luggage is less damaged at your destination.

Imagine you're the guy getting $20 an hour running the baggage cart and you've got to heave 30 bags from your cart onto a belt and you got to get them off ASAP. Don't make your bag less huckable for them.
One thing I like about my bag is that it has hand-sized handles on both ends and the middle. A previous bag had a shoulder strap and sometimes the person checking in bags would ask me to remove that.
 

Tony

tseeb
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Jan 17, 2016
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Northern CA
Hard to beat the Level Nine Defiance Rolling Double Bag for $89.99 although it looks like they are out of the 190 cm one. I may have gotten the last one of those earlier this month for 10% off using code SPRING10 and was glad I had it walking from baggage to TRAX in SLC a couple of weeks ago with two pairs of skis in it. It seems like a third pair could fit binding to binding in the middle although it may be over weight limit. Bag has straps to hold skis, but as posted in some of the reviews, they may be too short for 100+ mm powder skis and my wife's 150 cm skis were barely long enough to reach straps. Wheels are ribbed so they even roll on snowy paths.

My old non-rolling double bag needed a lot of patching and sewing before Feb trip to Canada and barely fit 188 cm x 116 mm powder skis with 186 x 94 other pair. It survived the trip without any further damage.
 

pjs32000

Booting up
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Joined
Jan 25, 2019
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20
I don't have either of these bags, so I cannot comment, but they both look solid.

My one comment is I would not tuck away those extra handles nor worry about them snagging, if it truly has an additional shoulder strap that's clippable you may remove that. You want your bags to have decent solid straps to help everyone who is going to handle it. When you send that bag down the conveyer belt and it passes through that magical rubber curtain, it doesn't magically transported to a spa and treated to a manicure and pedicure. If your bag is missing holds and/or solid additional straps, the handlers are going to grab it by the weaker compression straps and or bottom and awkwardly heave or swing your bag, making it more likely that your bag is going to be caber tossed, javelined or or roll or jumble awkwardly off the cart or when it gets thrown into the pile. If you have nice balanced center handles and a side strap miraculously your bag will at least be tossed relatively flattly and miraculously your luggage is less damaged at your destination.

Imagine you're the guy getting $20 an hour running the baggage cart and you've got to heave 30 bags from your cart onto a belt and you got to get them off ASAP. Don't make your bag less huckable for them.
My assumption, perhaps incorrect, is that the compression straps on most of these bags are intended to be used to lift, push and pull the bag so they should be pretty hefty. In my experience with luggage in general, loose straps and rollers/conveyor belts don't play very nicely together which is why I asked about the shoulder strap on the Transpack, which in the photos doesn't appear to be removeable.
 

Henry

Out on the slopes
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Sep 7, 2019
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1,229
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Traveling in the great Northwest
Some airlines are beginning to require hard cases...they pay fewer damage claims. Here's Air Canada:
"Skis and poles must be packed in a rigid and/or hard shell case specifically designed for shipping."

Many airlines expressly prohibit putting anything other than skis & poles into a ski bag and anything other than boots & helmet into a boot bag in order to get the "ski bag & boot bag counts as one bag." I've never seen anyone nailed on this, tho.
 

Ogg

Skiing the powder
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Jun 3, 2017
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Long Island, NY
Some airlines are beginning to require hard cases...they pay fewer damage claims. Here's Air Canada:
"Skis and poles must be packed in a rigid and/or hard shell case specifically designed for shipping."

Many airlines expressly prohibit putting anything other than skis & poles into a ski bag and anything other than boots & helmet into a boot bag in order to get the "ski bag & boot bag counts as one bag." I've never seen anyone nailed on this, tho.
I've heard AirCanada is pretty strict and will actually check what's in your bag but most other airlines won't. None of the airlines will cover any damage unless it's in a hard case.
 

raytseng

Making fresh tracks
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Mar 24, 2016
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SF Bay Area
I've heard AirCanada is pretty strict and will actually check what's in your bag but most other airlines won't.
Whoever you heard that from, probably was just being an ass in line.
Maybe fron Lufthansa and the Germans maybe, but Canadians? no.
This is the type of thing that if you have even the minimum amount of social graces and social awareness you would never experience or be able to navigate around
 
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mdf

entering the Big Couloir
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Team Gathermeister
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Whoever you heard that from, probably was just being an ass in line.
Maybe fron Lufthansa and the Germans maybe, but Canadians? no.
This is the type of thing that if you have even the minimum amount of social graces and social awareness you would never experience.
Agree. I worried about that before the Whistler gathering. It was not an issue.
I think that kind of policy really means "if we screw up and destroy your stuff, don't look at us."
 

pjs32000

Booting up
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Jan 25, 2019
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I still haven't pulled the trigger on one of these. Are there any new models for 20/21 of note worthy of checking out?
 

Slim

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Duluth, MN
I agree with the several people above, who’ve mentioned that an issue with most double bags is that, by the time you put 2 pairs of skis and poles, and some other things in, you are getting close to the 50lbs Max, before the bag is full.
The problem with this is that I like to pack the bag tightly to keep things protected and prevent them moving around.
If there is a lot of empty space, stuff slides around, skis are flying around inside, banging up the bindings.
 

Steve

SkiMangoJazz
Pass Pulled
Joined
Nov 13, 2015
Posts
2,338
My bags both have internal straps to hold skis in place. They open ski bags a lot. We get the TSA slips in them. I don’t put much in there so it doesn’t fall out when inspected.
 

Teumie

Putting on skis
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Joined
Sep 29, 2022
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129
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Belgium
Not sure this topic is still alive.
Looking for a ski bag to take on a plane. I typically would take the car so it probably will not see heaps of use.

I only need it for one pair of skis.
Was thinking the Dakine Fall Line as it also fits my boots, helmet, clothes, etc - so I can just go with the ski bag and a carry-on.

My skis are 172 so I assume the 175 is the size to go?

The DB seems to be discontinued (or very hard to get hold of in Europe at least).

Any other ideas?

Cheers
 

mike_m

Instructor
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Joined
Nov 13, 2015
Posts
385
Location
Summit County, Colorado
DB bags plentiful on Google. Whether available in Europe not known. Great bag. Still going strong after five years and multiple flights. Highly recommended.
 

S.H.

USSA Coach
Skier
Joined
Nov 14, 2015
Posts
1,822
Location
New England --> CO
Not sure this topic is still alive.
Looking for a ski bag to take on a plane. I typically would take the car so it probably will not see heaps of use.

I only need it for one pair of skis.
Was thinking the Dakine Fall Line as it also fits my boots, helmet, clothes, etc - so I can just go with the ski bag and a carry-on.

My skis are 172 so I assume the 175 is the size to go?

The DB seems to be discontinued (or very hard to get hold of in Europe at least).

Any other ideas?

Cheers

black is still available.
 

James

Out There
Instructor
Joined
Dec 2, 2015
Posts
24,453
Not sure this topic is still alive.
Looking for a ski bag to take on a plane. I typically would take the car so it probably will not see heaps of use.

I only need it for one pair of skis.
Was thinking the Dakine Fall Line as it also fits my boots, helmet, clothes, etc - so I can just go with the ski bag and a carry-on.

My skis are 172 so I assume the 175 is the size to go?

The DB seems to be discontinued (or very hard to get hold of in Europe at least).

Any other ideas?

Cheers
Don’t think anyone would recommend sticking your boots in there. Maybe after the plane lands. I largely stopped padding with clothes after the airline dragged a ski bag, ruined the bindings, and melted holes in the vest in there used for padding.

It depends what you’re doing. Manhandling a heavy loaded double ski bag onto trains in Europe, while wresting the other bags, isn’t fun.
If just one pair, I’d be tempted to go single bag and as light as possible. Maybe even no roller, but you want shoulder strap.
 

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