 Poster: A snowHead
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Snowheads, please furnish me with your opinions and experiences so that I can justify buying new things 
I have a wheeled ski bag, it's massive and clunky so I don't use it, my skis are 162cm and am considering a more compact solution to transportation. I'm after a new bag. Maybe a 165 snowboard bag (is there a massive difference, apart from width?).
When I go to Chillfactore I tend to cram all my stuff in my boot bag and use their skis, might be inclined to take mine if I could fit my bag in the car! Would a wheelie one fold into a locker okay? As for airline transporting, I'm not sure if a carry bag is practical with a wheelie case or a wheelie ski bag and rucksack for gear? I'd like to make it as easy as possible to get use out of my skis. Do some bags have useable boot spaces or is it just space?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I think you could carry your ski to the CF without a bag. A wheeled snowboard bag may be shorter and fatter than your ski bag so you can get enough gear in so that you only need one hold bag for airline trips.
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@kittya, I use a Dakine board bag (a small one, because I am) into which I put skis, poles, and most of my other clobber, keeping the weight under 23kg. I also have a very light wheely piece of hand luggage (it's actually a shopping trolley) into which I put boots, helmet and enough clothes for me to be able to ski without having to go shopping in the event of my main bag going missing - all I would have to do is hire a pair of skis. I used to use a rucksack for the hand luggage, but it was very heavy and unwieldy, a small wheely bag is easier all round.
The only slight problem with this system is that I have a small car and getting a fully-packed board bag, even a small one, into it is a struggle. (If I'm going to Hemel, or travelling further afield by car, I just throw my skis in loose. I see no point in packing them in a bag.)
Edit: cross post with Lechbob. He's saying essentially the same thing, only more concisely!
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Tue 19-12-17 17:28; edited 1 time in total
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Thank you. I looked at that bag in decathlon last week - it's just too big. I think I want something compact (suitable for short car ride and a plane journey). Trying to not have two bags...
Maybe I need two, who knows?
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I think I may have surpassed all previous levels of numptiness, I had never considered taking my skis unbagged anywhere... 
@Hurtle, is your snowboard bag on wheels as well as your trolley? I'm very tempted by the Dakine board bag.
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I'd just chuck the skis away as that way there's no risk of wasting good snow.
I also have a small car with the engine in the middle. I can't fit my boards in a flight bag into there, or for that matter into any car I'm likely to pay to hire.
But that's no big deal ... I just take the boards out of the bag for car travel.
For uk snowdomes / dry slopes... I don't use a bag, it's a different problem from airline travel.
I suppose skis are more car-interior hostile than a snowboard is, so perhaps the car needs protecting from them. Bubble wrap?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Hurtle wrote: |
| ... I also have a very light wheely piece of hand luggage (it's actually a shopping trolley) into which I put boots, helmet and enough clothes for me ... |
I’m looking for something more lightweight. Do you have a link?
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Definately get a wheeled bag if you plan to use it for holidays. I can't see why you need one for visiting a snowdome. I would just carry skis with Velcro strap on them.
If you have a roller bag as @Hurtle, says most airlines let you take this as either a sport bag or instead if a suitcase in whuch case you fill it with gear up to 23kg allowance and take hand luggage. More than enough space and weight for a week skiing.
I also have a single (although I can get 2 pairs of skis in it if I really try) but this has no wheels so can be awkward to carry.
A tip I use is get your hand luggage trolley case and take the end handle of your roller ski/board bag, book it over the extending handle of hand luggage and you can pull both around pretty easily.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@ALQ, unfortunately the very compact one I have, made by Hoppa, has been discontinued.  But it's similar to this https://tinyurl.com/ybabflob and this https://tinyurl.com/y9lnkcxz I suspect both would conform to airline requirements, especially if not over-filled. The other advantage of this sort of thing is that it is so cheap!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@Hurtle, Just need it to be lightweight and fit my boots (bsl 315) n helmet. Looks like it might do. Ta v much! 
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| philwig wrote: |
I also have a small car with the engine in the middle. I can't fit my boards in a flight bag into there, or for that matter into any car I'm likely to pay to hire.
But that's no big deal ... I just take the boards out of the bag for car travel. |
How small is your car? I can get my Fall Line double 195 into a Renault Twingo with no hassle....and as a benefit it restricts the number of other people that can get in the car at the same time.
Wheeled bag is great as long as you can fit within weight limit. On EJ I book large sports equipment (32kg allowance) and take 2 pairs of skis and cram the bag full of clothes and coats. Remaining clothes and ski boots go in carry on.
If my skis were only 165 then I’d definitely consider a board bag.
Last edited by So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much  on Tue 19-12-17 21:20; edited 1 time in total
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You know it makes sense.
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And for getting my double ski bag in the car I push the passenger seat right back flat in my wee Corsa. And still get 2 folk in the back plus boot space is free.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I don't bother with anything but the lightest cover when going to snowdome or UK resort in car, but have always used wheeled bags when flying. I take a fair bit of stuff/weight, to be fair, rucksac and hold luggage, and couldn't cope with carrying another bag: pulling a wheelie is bad enough.
Had various ones over the years, mostly snowboard ones (Mr G has a 168 board so they're not short - 177 Ride I think the current one is).
I have used wheelie bags to put clothing or other gear in (as well as skis/board) when weight allowances permit, but often just take 1 pair skis + 1 board or 2 boards or 2 pairs skis. Can get any of these combinations into a decent sized fabric snowboard wheelie.
Struggle to get the wheelies in the car (Skoda estate) without them sticking between driver and passengger or sticking forward over the passenger's shoulder.
Do also use a non-wheeled padded board bag (170) held onto the other wheelie or a wheeled holdall (hold luggage) with a webbing strap & buckle: works enough for dragging stuff through the airport or car park.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Dakine Low Roller - takes skis, boots and more
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Rollers
Pro's: get more kit in & easier to drag round airports.
Con's: heavier (eats more of your baggage allowance) and bigger (harder to get into cars)
I've gone from rollers back to carry bags (quiver killers help get two pairs in a small bag) and just put up with the airport faff.
For snow domes, I put the boots in a rucksack and don't put the skis in anything.
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I have this coming for Christmas (for my trip to Val D'isere in January) - https://www.decathlon.co.uk/comfort-500-black-id_8398420.html - as I wanted something lightweight and not too expensive!! It has wheels but very small and apparently of lightweight construction plus the top rolls down to the length of your skis.
The only slight concern I had was that it is not padded but I was advised by a friend to just wrap a couple of towels round the skis (always useful to have with me anyway!) althought skis are fairly resilient given what we do to them on the mountains!!
I can't give a full review yet as I haven't actually tried it but I did do a bit of research prior to deciding on that one.
I also bought the boot bag from Decathlon recently and that seems perfect for boots, helmet, goggles etc...
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@tonyswift, wish I'd seen that earlier, that's exactly the kind of bag I want!
@kittya, agree with everything above. I own a big roller bag - but now I only use it for storage. This winter I'll be travelling with one of my unpadded/no wheels bags again - can still get enough in (2 pairs skis, 1 pair bindings, poles, main ski gear and some apres-ski gear), but much lighter and easier to get around.
(Boots get stuffed with socks and base layers, and go in my on-board bag).
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My son (skier, not a boarder) has one of these in a 156cm:-
It is a brilliant piece of kit.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Gaza, That looks nicer than the Dakine one, but I bet it's more expensive.
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If you're gonna get a transfer from a company that uses Renault traffics, if it is shared ( or Private and lots of people), then the bag should be shorter than 1m62 as that is the max interior width.
Longer bags can be packed by placing them lengthways under the seats, but there's only room for 2, as there is a kind of release mechanism under the 3rd seat. Longer bags are a PITA as it affects the way all the other luggage is loaded, and if you are the first to get out, the whole shebang will need unpacking to get your bag out.
If you do not want the bejeasus "manhandled" out of your kit I would strongly suggest dropping the driver a twenty (more if you like ) BEFORE he unloads it, rather than waiting till everything is out before handing over this minimum tip.
If there's more than 2 long bags, one will have go go sideways across the van, and if your skis are longer than 1m62, then their flex will be tested a bit en-route. Ones with wheels are heavier and more awkward to load / unload so might be subject to more "persuasion" to fit in the van.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@WindOfChange,
isn't this a bit nuts? not many people's skis are shorter than 162 these days are they?
Don't transfer companies use rear or roof ski racks? I'd generally expect my ski bag to be on/in one of them on a shared transfer.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@jedster, Roof racks are a big no-no, as it limits which car parks you can get in, and which peages you go through.
Some vans have rear ski carriers, most do not.
The transfer business is a race to the bottom - customers complaining about the cost, companies doing what they can to keep costs down.
Normally the drivers just have to manage it.
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@WindOfChange, just how the chuffin nora is a person to know what vehicle the transfer dudes are using before buying a bag?
What's the odds on a Renault traffic turning up at Turin for me next outing? Knowing me & my fortunes it'll be high but surely not a serious consideration?
@Gaza, that looks a very good option, may prove prohibitively expensive compared to the dakine options - wheeled & not wheeled.
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@kittya, Look at the price of your transfer.
If it's cheaper than the others, and provided by a company boasting a big fleet of vehicles, then there'e a good chance it is a Traffic. ( In France anyway- dunno about Italy).
A big bag is not a show stopper, as it can be put diagonally across the top, or diagonally vertically, but it will definitely not endear you to the driver, and if it is tight, then they will find a way to get it in, but some force is likely to be exerted to make it fit.
The problem really comes when there are 8 pax, each of whom has a large case/bag, a boot bag an a big ass ski / snowboard bag.
And neither you as the passenger or the driver has any control over what other people bring.
Some companies ask passengers to state when booking what kit they have and make allowances, but not all customers complete the form, and the drivers still play 3-D Tetris with your kit.
I once was doing a shared pickup from Argentiere / Cham, I had six people from Arg, and when I went to get the 2 from Cham ( who rocked up 20 mins late), one had a pair of x-country skis (>2m) that they had just bought in Cham. There was no way I was going to make all the other pax wait while I unpacked all their stuff to find a space for these skis, especially as they had already had to wait 20 mins for the last pax.
The guy made some comments as I tried to fit the skis in without bending them too much, but when I suggested that as no prior arrangement had been made, he could leave them in Cham, rebook another transfer to accommodate him and his skis, or let me try to get them in, he chose option 3.
You'd have to be pretty unlucky for all the 8 pax to have big-ass ski bags but it does happen at peak times.
I know there are drivers and ex-drivers who contribute to this forum, and most of have a word for people who get a massive snow-board bag, then cram all their stuff in, and then get funny when you have to "manipulate" it to make it fit on a shared transfer.
It's similar to punter.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@tonyswift, that looks to be the best of both worlds. Any idea how much it weighs?
And skis are pretty tough; I don't bother with padding.
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FAQ
, the world is most definitely my lobster and I'll be hunting for proper (useable) travel bag rather than one for all..
