Which Ski Bag?

[schmick]

Hey Guys,

Think I'm going to require upgrading my current ski bag for my o/s trip to Japan.

Just looking for a single that fit skis and poles but also protect them from the rigour of travelling. Boots will be taken carry one.

Any experience with either of these?

http://www.backcountry.com/dakine-concourse-single-ski-bag

or

http://dakine.com/ski/ski-bags/padded-single/

The 'Padded Single' I think is the newer model of the two, however, the Concourse can be had locally for about $79.

Anybody have any experience with either or any idea about the differences?

The Concourse is kind of appealing because it has internal straps to secure the skis and an internal pocket.

Hmm...

[Paul Oberin]

Travel in Japan is much different to travel to the States and Canada, to the States you are allowed 2 bags up to 23Kg each, Japan it is only 1 bag of up to 23Kg.
If going via Tokyo you need to have wheels and be able to carry everything, not rely on a trolly / cart, so if taking a ski bag, boot bag, suitcase, carry on you will struggle.
I found what works best for trips to Japan is get a decent wheelie bag and use that as your main bag, then take a carry on.

[schmick]

Paul,

Thanks for the reply. Hmm, didn't realise we were only able to carry one piece!

We are flying QANTAS to Japan and they website says the following about sporting equipment.

"Snow skis and snowboards must be protected in a ski bag. If the snow skiing equipment and your checked baggage exceed your checked baggage allowance, airport excess baggage rates apply. No more than one pair of skis, one pair of stocks, one pair of poles and one pair of ski boots is permitted per passenger."

I thought that meant I could carry 1 x Ski Bag, 1 x Checked as long as it didn't exceed 23kgs? My carry on would only include a backpack.

Hmm, some of those Wheelie bags are like 6kgs on their own. Do you struggle getting it in under the 23kgs with all your gear, clothes, etc.?

[Paul Oberin]

Paul,

Thanks for the reply. Hmm, didn't realise we were only able to carry one piece!

We are flying QANTAS to Japan and they website says the following about sporting equipment.

"Snow skis and snowboards must be protected in a ski bag. If the snow skiing equipment and your checked baggage exceed your checked baggage allowance, airport excess baggage rates apply. No more than one pair of skis, one pair of stocks, one pair of poles and one pair of ski boots is permitted per passenger."

I thought that meant I could carry 1 x Ski Bag, 1 x Checked as long as it didn't exceed 23kgs? My carry on would only include a backpack.

Hmm, some of those Wheelie bags are like 6kgs on their own. Do you struggle getting it in under the 23kgs with all your gear, clothes, etc.?I helped design a bag for a company which of course I now carry in my shop, it is light weight and yet can carry about 35Kgs worth of ski gear when full, I found bigger and heavier bags couldn't even be half filled before going over your weight limit and the bags themselves were heavy enough even when empty, I am sure you are allowed to carry more than one piece, it is just that in Japan there are stairs etc where you can't really use a cart, lifts are hard to find and often you are in a hurry to get your train or next flight, so I find a wheelie bag and carry on is two items as I only have two arms, a third bag would require a cart.

http://www.paulski.com.au/bags-for-snow/wheelie-bag

As your carry on is a back pack you should be fine, mine is a little case with wheels and an extendable handle.

[BPL]

whatever you get, go light for Japan. Think about protecting your skis with a fleece of something. Same with your bag - some of the brand name bags run to 4 kgs + and if taking ski boots you cannot afford that. For our clan (2 x adults 2 x kids) lightweight wheelie bags for all and a thin ski bag for the kids (which of course Dad gets to carry).

Pack early and if you think you are going over then contact the airline and buy some extra kilos - much cheaper if you do it in advance and quicker than at the check in.

[schmick]

I helped design a bag for a company which of course I now carry in my shop, it is light weight and yet can carry about 35Kgs worth of ski gear when full, I found bigger and heavier bags couldn't even be half filled before going over your weight limit and the bags themselves were heavy enough even when empty, I am sure you are allowed to carry more than one piece, it is just that in Japan there are stairs etc where you can't really use a cart, lifts are hard to find and often you are in a hurry to get your train or next flight, so I find a wheelie bag and carry on is two items as I only have two arms, a third bag would require a cart.

http://www.paulski.com.au/bags-for-snow/wheelie-bag

As your carry on is a back pack you should be fine, mine is a little case with wheels and an extendable handle.


Paul,

That's a great suggestion in regards to the bag.

What features does this bag have? Does it have like any internal straps to secure the skis, pockets, etc.?

Assume that it's padded? Whats it made from?

Out of curiosity, what does it weigh?

[Paul Oberin]

What I wanted was a really lightweight but still durable bag, to get that light weight you have to get rid of the gimmicks and stuff that is not required, such as pockets and internal straps, it is made from the same tough material as all the other bags, it is padded and I am about to take one home where I have accurate scales and will weigh one of them, I weighed one here at the shop on conventional scales and it weighed 2.5 Kgs, but not sure how accurate that was.

[Paul Oberin]

Weighed it at home and it is 3.2Kgs which is accurate.

[blutek]

MrsB's SporTube (hardshell plastic & wheelie) weighs 3kg. It's 9kg with skis.
30kg a person should work with some discipline.
skis + boots = 15kg. clothes etc limited to 10kg + 5kg luggage bag.
You can relace the ski bag + luggage bag with a wheelie board bag & gain some kg's by packing everything into the one bag of 23kg (but check this with QF first).

You only have to get there, you can post boots home using surface mail (6 weeks). Post Office has boxes.

[schmick]

Thanks for the info guys.

I really want to carry as least luggage as possible, so I'm liking the option fo just piling everything into a wheelie bag such as the one Paul has mentioned above. Will it be difficult to put these on say the Bullet Train, Metro trains when in Tokyo?

I want to get a Dakine Boot Pack in order to carry my boots as 'Carry-On'. This should save me some checked weight.

So, Wheelie Bag 3.2kgs + Skis = Say 10kgs?

This will leave me 13kgs for Ski Clothes, Normal Clothes (Tokyo for 5 days following), etc.?

Will that work?

Not sure where you have 30kgs from Bluetek but Qantas (We're code share with JAL) only allows 23kgs total checked weight! =(

BTW, where can I get something to weigh my bag before depature, etc.?

[Paul Oberin]

I have found that if the allowance is 23Kg they will almost always let you get away with having 25Kg, except maybe those budget airlnes I hear they are more strict.
For the bullet train there is room at the end of each carraige for wheelie bags etc, Japanese are really honest people, we put our bags in the area for them and went right up the other end and didn't even keep an eye on our bags, they were fine, your biggest risk is other westerners on the train.

[blutek]

Sorry for the confusion, I was referring to your total 30kg luggage allowance, being 23 checked + 7 carryon.
How you distribute the 30kgs doesn't matter as long as you get 7kgs into the cabin bag - your boots could still go in the wheelie bag (23kg max).
Also, you will find a backpack (or similar) is more practical as carryon. It can be used each day when out shopping, or visiting tourist sites or onsens, or skiing with camera gear, etc. We have to get 10kgs in ours (with JAL, & same also for Jet* - with only 20kg checked but 10kg carryon).
We ordered the small hand held luggage scale over the internet.

[schmick]

For the bullet train there is room at the end of each carraige for wheelie bags etc, Japanese are really honest people, we put our bags in the area for them and went right up the other end and didn't even keep an eye on our bags, they were fine, your biggest risk is other westerners on the train.

Hey Paul and Co,

Thanks for the info. The guys I am travelling with are worried about taking our bags on the Shink from Nagano to Tokyo.

In regards to the Shink, do you think there will be adequate room for 2 x Wheelie's, 1 x Ski Bag, 1 x Suitcase? Is there any charge for taking luggage and additionally, what are the chances of getting all this gear onto the Shink on a Saturday (5/2). Will we need to get there early, line up etc.?

Additionally, is luggage able to be taken on the Metro Trains / Underground, etc.? Once we arrive in Tokyo, we need to get to Shinjuku as we are staying there at Citadines.

Most websites seem to say that you can only take minimal luggage onto the Shink and there is really no info about Metro/Underground restrictions.

Would it be better to courier our bags from Hakuba to Shinjuku? Is that the Black Cat service?

[SA]

You won't have any problems on the Asama shinkansen. You can take luggage on the metro and underground as well.

[blutek]

As you are in Tokyo for a couple of days, send the ski bags by Takkyubin direct from Hakuba to Narita airport. They will store them at the airport until your departure day (it's worth the small cost).
The closest station to Citadines is the Marunouchi Line to Shinjuku Gyoemmae station (Exit 2 - then turn left).

[schmick]

As you are in Tokyo for a couple of days, send the ski bags by Takkyubin direct from Hakuba to Narita airport. They will store them at the airport until your departure day (it's worth the small cost).
The closest station to Citadines is the Marunouchi Line to Shinjuku Gyoemmae station (Exit 2 - then turn left).

Hi Bluetek,

Do you just arrange the Takkyubin from the Hotel we are staying at in Hakuba?

One issue with this is that two of us might be bringing only one bag which includes all our clothing, ski gear, etc.

Might just need to pack an additional backpack or something in order to transfer our gear once we finish skiing.

[blutek]

Yes, the hotel will help, check a day or two before departing so you can get it sorted. You can also send it from other places as well (eg: convenience stores). It's only about 2000 yen a bag & worth it to have it waiting at Narita as the Metro subways can be difficult. I think it needs to be sent about 3 days before departure, they have some requirement like that. Can you put your boots in the ski bag and free up the carry bag. You can always buy a large durable plastic shopping bag if needed when there (like a duty free bag).

[schmick]

Marunouchi Line to Shinjuku Gyoemmae station (Exit 2 - then turn left).

Bluetek,

Have you ever transported ski gear on this line?

Also, do you know when the peak times of travel are? We will be heading from Nagano to Tokyo on a Saturday. Leaving 10am from Hakuba.

[blutek]

Yes I have, it is a popular line - but the Ginza line is worse. Your Saturday 13:00 travel is outside any peak period, but should still be busy. If you only have one bag each it will be quite manageable. There will be people getting off the train when it arrives at Tokyo which should free up a bit of space for you. It won't be like a weekday - and for that reason, take the Narita Express or Limousine bus back to Narita from Shinjuku. Don't use the subway until after 09:00 on weekday mornings.
Print this subway map, it's colour coded:
http://mappery.com/Tokyo-Metro-Map-official

The Chuo line (express) is the fastest way from Tokyo to JR Shinjuku station.

[schmick]

Hi Bluetek,

Thanks for the info.

Got another question.

We're actually flying JAL from Sydney to Narita but it's codeshare with Qantas, does that mean the Qantas baggage allowance applies?

[John Deere]

Should be the airline you booked with

[Podlettte]

as JD said, airline you booked with.

Don't worry about luggage on trains of any type, the only issue is how much you have to carry and lugging it around.

We flew into tokyo last year and headed straight out of customs to the takyiuban (sp?) and had the address for where we were staying printed out in kanji (our booking agent sent us a jpg of the address :) ) handed it over and pointed to what we wanted sent and then only had carry on for our stay in tokyo. Return trip we carted it all back on the shink from nagano, but we were heading straight to the airport, so no real drama, escalators everywhere, never too far away.

You don't pay extra for luggage on a train, just store it at either end of the carriage in the alotted spots and go take your seat.

You'll have a ball!

[schmick]

Guys, one last thing, I just read this on the QANTAS website. Will this be a problem with my Ultralight Wheelie?

"Total dimensions for each piece must not exceed 158cm (62in). Dimensions for checked baggage are calculated by adding together the width, height and depth of the piece of baggage."

[Paul Oberin]

Hasn't been a problem for me on my last 4 trips where I used that same bag and flew Qantas.

[schmick]

Paul, cool...

Just a question when you pack your wheelie, do you put your skis poles in the middle of the bag and clothes around them, or do you put skis and poles to one side then clothes?

Additionally, should I cover my skis with something and have you ever had any problems with the ski edges damaging your clothes (ie. tearing, etc).

Sorry for all my questions, never had to pack a ski bag before! Hahaha...

[Paul Oberin]

I separate my skis and lay them flat one either side and first thing I put in my bag, I then put my poles in between the two skis and everything else on top of that.

[John Deere]

Put the skis to the outside, if they can handle jumping off rocks they can handle baggage handlers!

[schmick]

I separate my skis and lay them flat one either side and first thing I put in my bag, I then put my poles in between the two skis and everything else on top of that.

I was thinking this same thing after I saw a vid from the guys over at Auski. I've used some rubber bands to make the skis flat and hold the bindings down, is that OK?

Also, do you use the 'side' spaces to fill with clothes also or is this a no no? have you had any problems with edges damaging your clothing?

Here's a picture of my effort. All up 16kgs! You can read about my method of calculation in the 'What's it like to ski in Japan' thread. I figure even if I'm out by a little, 7kg should be plenty of buffer?

Did I do it right/OK? :unsure:

[Paul Oberin]

Can you come around and pack mine, that is nice and neat, mine are just shoved in.
Looks right to me, and a rubber band to hold the brakes is a good idea, having a light weight bag helps keep the overall weight down, mine is 19.8 Kgs at the moment, I think I will throw in another set of socks as my limit is only 20Kg and 10Kg carry-on.

[schmick]

Haha, I can do that for you Paul... Figured it's the least I could do for answering all my questions! Hehe...

BTW, you don't have any issues with edges damaging your clothes?

[Paul Oberin]

One trip I wrapped my clothes around my skis and all my clothes got cut up badly, now I keep clothing clear of my ski edges if I can, some people run tape over their edges to protect their clothing. My ski edges are usually sharper than most peoples these days as I use a diamond file on them every day I use them, this makes them sharper than they leave the factory by quite a bit.