Luggage Bags

[Tonofclay]

Hey oh, I'm heading out to PG in May from Ontario(first treeplanting experience) and just i'm just wondering about the whole luggage thing. It says on the air canada website that your luggage can't exceed 62 inches.. length, width and depth. That seems super small to me and i'm having a hard time finding a hockey bag smaller then that to actually fit my stuff.

What do you guys usually use to bring all your camping stuff over to BC?

[Scooter]

I've had tons of planters show up with regular sized hockey bags.

I just looked at Canadian Tire. The biggest bags I see there are 40 inches. For example this one:
http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/reebo ... sjdypwrKHs

By the way, there are cheaper bags than this. And I'm sure this link won't work anymore after a year or so.

Perhaps you're confusing inches with centimeters? 62 inches is just over five feet.

[Tonofclay]

hmm, yeah this website is really confusing me lol.
http://www.aircanada.com/en/travelinfo/ ... tract.html
It says "maximum overall measurement" 62 inches

I'd just hate to have to pay 100$ extra if that was the case.

[Scooter]

That means in any one dimension. So you could have a bag that is 61 inches long, 61 inches wide, and 61 inches high, and be ok.

I wouldn't recommend it. That's a big bag.

If you're uncertain, look at the dimensions of the bag that I just pointed out, and call their toll-free number to chat. I think you'll be fine with any sort of hockey bag that you buy at Canadian Tire, or a similar outlet. I think the weight is the bigger issue.

And if you somehow managed to buy a six-foot long hockey bag (72 inches) which was too big, I think you can still take it as a special item. At this time of year, it's not uncommon for five or six people on any flight in Canada to have pairs of skis, and those are longer than 62 inches.

On a separate note, calling is probably smart anyway, for piece of mind. I looked at the Greyhound website back in the fall when I wanted to ship something from BC to NS. They said that the weight limit was 100 pounds, and gave all the dimensions. I went out and bought a case that fit the dimensions, and loaded it to 97 pounds, duct-taped it all up, and took it to the bus station. They weighed it and said it was good, then started to process it all, and suddenly said, "Wait, you can't ship this, the limit is only 70 pounds if it's going east of Manitoba." I might have known that if I had called to confirm, rather than relied on just the website.

(On a positive note, the girl helped me unpack it and gave me an extra cardboard box that she had, and we just re-packed everything into two parcels and I shipped it that way).

[Tonofclay]

Oh sweet, thanks for that info. I've got about 15 hockey bags that are under 60 inches haha.

The weight factor will definitely be the interesting part!

Calling seems like the best bet for sure, I feel like there's a lot of mis-communication on websites.

[fluffer]

The 62" overall is length+width+height added together. I think Scooter must have misread from the link you posted. If it is over those dimensions or 50lbs they can ding you another 100$ fee on top of the 28$ checked bag fee.

Military duffle bags have worked for me. Canadian ones are roomier than the US ones. There may be bigger options that are not hockey bag big. But you might get away with a hockey bag if it isn't overstuffed since it has no defined edges to measure.

[Scooter]

I didn't even read the link. I just know that I've only ever been charged the standard fee, even for fairly large bags that would certainly be bigger than 62" in all three dimensions added up. But I guess it would be a bad idea to count on that.

[Tonofclay]

Yeah that's odd..62 inches all added up still seems super small to me. My hockey bag is 37 inches in length, which isn't bad but its the width and depth that getcha I guess.

I'm curious if they measure it with stuff in your bag or they use the original shape with nothing in it.

[Scooter]

I know that any time they've looked at the size of my carry-on as being perhaps too big, they point out the metal rack things and say "if you can squeeze it into that, you're fine." So the measurement would be what it can be squeezed down to with its contents.

[backcountrysister]

Just like Scotter. I fly a lot. Size is the key and how you pack stuff. But weight is the big one. Especially when 23kg is max for flights. I'm super proud to say I have been able to carry all my coastal planting gear, into 1 suitcase. Burton makes them they are called "wheelie cargo bags"and so does Dakine. These bags are actually 2 bags that zip together under the basic 1 bag size. When this separates it can save you on over weight if packed properly. I love & live in mine. I've maxed it out on weight and have been able to fly with 2 shovels, caulk boots, bags, falling gear& helmet. On top of clothes, sleeping bag, bivi sac, thermos and toiletries.each side weighing just over 21 kg. 22 is max for walk on the ferry FYI. 23 kg on flights. I pay 26 bucks for extra baggage fee instead of the over weight charge. It can get super expensive.

[Scooter]

have been able to fly with 2 shovels, caulk boots, bags, falling gear& helmet. On top of clothes, sleeping bag, bivi sac, thermos and toiletries.each side weighing just over 21 kg

That may be the most impressive thing I've ever seen posted on this forum.

[backcountrysister]

I'm very proud of it. By far, my best personal accomplishment traveling. Hahaha. But for people like us Scotter. These bags are amazing. I think they run about 300 bucks. I've saved at least 4 times that since purchase.