Fear of being asked to check in TB bag

[Robw]

Hi all

I do most of my travel in Europe where the carry on dimensions are smaller. I have an A30 which should be fine for the restrictions but there is quite often the chance of being asked to put luggage in the hold as lockers etc are full. Flying back from Amsterdam recently this was very much the case but I just managed to get the a30 through.

But for the time I don’t I’m thinking I need a really lightweight zip cover / hold-all to cover the a30 / TS or whatever using. Realise this won’t protect bag from major scrapes but will stop it getting oil, dirt or whatever on and hopefully keep it looking nice.

Has anyone found such a bag? Needs to be really lightweight (almost like a rain cover) so it takes up minimal space but can be used in case of emergency?

TIA

[threeteez]

https://forums.tombihn.com/packing-l...nvestment.html
https://forums.tombihn.com/general-b...up-tb-bag.html

Those are a couple previous discussions with a similar concern for the bag's exterior with one or two suggestions. I haven't checked any bags, but wouldn't be thrilled either since my A45 is original Nordic/Solar (irreplaceable so precious to me). Maybe some others will chime in with some more recent real world experiences.

[Go Navy]

Although I'm not a hiker/backpacker, I think some pack covers are made for that user market, usually rainproof. So, if you haven't already, check some of the major online suppliers of backpacking/trekking gear.

[steeps]

Could you make one out of Tyvek?

[turnleftbrighteyes]

I think I chime in every time someone expresses this fear: TB bags, even the halcyon ones, really are built like tanks. These are not shabby bags. They'll be fine. These bags? Look the same now as they did new. I mean, if the baggage handlers want to destroy your bag, they will, but that applies even to hard-sided ones, too.

Funnily enough, my biggest bag woe happened when I-- unusually for me-- carried the bag on. I had some bath salts (I was in London; I like British bath products), and I managed to crush the box and so my A30 smells like a spa now. Not the worse thing that could happen, but weird. Plus, I'm now paranoid drug-sniffing dogs are going to wonder what's happening in my bag, because why does it smell so strongly of eucalyptus and old British prerson? To be clear: I was planning on using said bath salts to take a bath, as I vaguely gather they occasionally maybe have other uses?

[kmw]

I've (reluctantly) checked a ballistic A45 for an overseas flight. It was nerve-wracking, for sure, but came back looking the same as when it left.

It did not come back smelling of eucalyptus and old British person, though, unfortunately.

[pvn]

To be clear: I was planning on using said bath salts to take a bath, as I vaguely gather they occasionally maybe have other uses?

There are some synthetic drugs that are referred to as "bath salts" but it's a completely different product than what you've been carrying.

[GoStanford]

I have checked in my Dyneema/Halcyon A30 a couple of times, and it came out looking great. This is the older Dyneema material with the white grid lines, and although some of my bags with this material show dirt on the corners, the A30 and the Pilot I have in it have looked great, and the Pilot is my carry-on bag that always goes on the floor, so it's getting plenty of exposure to the materials on the floor, but it's still fine. I do wipe both bags off with a very lightly damp cloth before storing them.

Most recently, I checked in the A30 because I had an unanticipated purchase that came with a large aerosol bottle of waterproofing spray, so I was carrying the shopping bag with my purchase on board along with my Pilot, and the waterproofing spray was 200 mL, so I had to check it. The bag came out great, and the convenience was worth it. It looked tiny compared to the suitcases on the baggage claim belt.

[backpack]

Hi all

I do most of my travel in Europe where the carry on dimensions are smaller. I have an A30 which should be fine for the restrictions but there is quite often the chance of being asked to put luggage in the hold as lockers etc are full. Flying back from Amsterdam recently this was very much the case but I just managed to get the a30 through.

But for the time I don’t I’m thinking I need a really lightweight zip cover / hold-all to cover the a30 / TS or whatever using. Realise this won’t protect bag from major scrapes but will stop it getting oil, dirt or whatever on and hopefully keep it looking nice.

Has anyone found such a bag? Needs to be really lightweight (almost like a rain cover) so it takes up minimal space but can be used in case of emergency?

TIA

The Yeoman Duffles are made of Ballistic Nylon, but they can be folded to a small size, choose the size that fits the A30.

I can attest that the Yeoman Duffles work great at protecting Halcyon TB Luggage Bags, I used a Large one to protect my Halcyon A45.
The Medium might fit the A30.

[G42]

IMO the best way to counteract fear of what might happen to your TB is to read the thread showing how durable they are and how they look after folks have had them for years through all sorts of wear and tear. TB makes very sturdy and durable gear - that is what brought many of us here.

[Robw]

Thanks all. Some of those solutions look ok but not too exactly what looking for. I appreciate TB nags are really well made and robust. It is more stoping oil and marks appearing on bags than anything else. Will update if ever find the perfect cover for a Aeronaut or TS

[whyvo]

not sure if i'll get flamed for suggesting this but... i usually travel with an additional super large plastic bag - the kind used by chinese and hong konger vendors to move things about... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-white-blue_bag
they're $2-3 from where i'm from (singapore) and the really large ones should fit the A30, maybe A45. maybe can be found in a chinatown near you. It doesn't look good, but it should protect from oil and marks. and they're really light. have not used them for that purpose tho, and i've checked my ballistic A45 without problems but now that you mention it, i think i'll protect it next time.

edit: in 2006 Louis Vuitton's laundry bag caused a stir as they seemed to be taking inspiration from these bags. XD

[bchaplin]

I agree that Tom Bihn bags are built tough, and most of the time, should come back fine from being checked. However, I've also had checked suitcases show up stained with some kind of black substance (oil? mud?). It depends on how clean the belts are, I guess. So I usually try to plan things so that I am reasonably assured overhead space for my bag. This might mean selecting my ticket based on the airline's boarding strategy, or finagling early boarding privileges. It really depends on the flight, though. A lot of times I worry about this, only to find there is plenty of overhead space. And sometimes things are just out of your control.

If I think there is a chance of a bag being gate checked, I pack a foldable duffel that is low-priced enough so that I don't mind offering it as a potential sacrifice. In the US these are available from Eagle Creek, Matador, and Sea to Summit, to name a few. You can find one that serves a dual purpose, such as a shopping or beach bag. Of course there is a tradeoff of durability to compactness: the Tom Bihn Yeomans Duffel stands on one end of that spectrum, whereas a cheap nylon might be more prone to ripping, but would take up less space when folded. The bag described by @whyvo is also an option. I don't see those in the US very much, but similar items seem really common in West Africa.

[G42]

Hey everyone, I feel like my comment about the durability, etc. may have come off sounding snarky or dismissive or (!) a flame.
I am sorry.
I fully understand folks wanting to keep their stuff nice.
I thought it would be helpful if we all remember that the bags are not fragile, in case that reduces anxiety.
And if I'm overanalyzing this, please ignore it!

[bchaplin]

Hey everyone, I feel like my comment about the durability, etc. may have come off sounding snarky or dismissive or (!) a flame.
I am sorry.
I fully understand folks wanting to keep their stuff nice.
I thought it would be helpful if we all remember that the bags are not fragile, in case that reduces anxiety.
And if I'm overanalyzing this, please ignore it!

@G42, to be fair, it seem that, most of the time, checked bags come through the process fine. I've heard a lot of anecdotes from people with TB gear confirming this, not only in this thread but elsewhere, and I remember only one report of a bag getting damaged by the machinery. In that case, a protective cover would not have helped. (And when my suitcases got stained, it wasn't in Europe.) However, I also prefer to keep my bag with me for other reasons.

I've never actually had to gate-check a non-wheeled bag, and so the duffels I sometimes carry have not been put to use. I'm just putting them out there as an option for extra "insurance".