After nearly 20 years of going to sea I’ve learned how to pack exactly 49 pounds of gear to avoid being charged for overweight bags. But that was before I threw in the towel on carrying a military type sea bag and capitulated to the practicality of a bag with wheels. I settled on a Samsonite Detour 34″ wheeled duffel, which has been an outstanding performer so far. The only problem is the Detour’s significantly heavier than a canvas bag. At 11.1 pounds, it leaves you with only 38.9 lbs. of capacity before incurring a
$100 charge each way for overweight bags. The Detour can easily hold 65-70 lbs. packed full and unfortunately the minimum complement of gear needed for an all-weather sea voyage is more than 39 lbs.
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Checking Bags for Free with a Credit Card
I’ve been holding a United Club card since last year which allows two free checked bags. With Southwest now charging for bags, the time has never been better to hold at least one credit card allowing you to check bags for free. Unfortunately you need status at United to avoid a charge for overweight bags. While taking a second suitcase to sea would be impractical, it occurred to me that the Samsonite Detour is so large I could pack a second bag inside it.
I needed a bag that’s small enough to function as a very large packing cube, but large and durable enough that it can stand on its own as checked luggage. If done right, I could pop the second bag out of the Detour at the airport, check both of them in under 50 lbs, and easily recombine them before leaving the baggage belt on arrival.
Samsonite UpLIFT: The Key to Free Overweight Bags
Seeking out a flat-sided duffel it didn’t take long before I landed on the Samsonite UpLIFT.
The UpLIFT is a unique and interesting bag. It’s sold as a duffel online but in person it’s more of a hybrid between a duffel, messenger bag, and soft-sided briefcase. It ships flat and is very packable if you’re taking it along empty. It can either stay flat in a carryon suitcase or fold over itself to stow alongside folded clothes.
It’s marketed as an overflow bag and frankly seems better suited to that purpose than many other bags carried for extra capacity. The bottom is about 6.5″ wide when deployed. Overall shape is a triangular peak culminating at the zipper that runs the full length of the top.
The shoulder strap and handles are minimalist and not extremely comfortable to carry when packed heavily. I don’t think this bag is designed to be carried often. In fact I’m not planning to physically carry it anywhere: it’s going to live inside the Detour. Most travelers will likely get a lot of use from the included StackIt strap. This bag can easily roll along atop a carryon. The zippers are beefy and the hardware attaching the shoulder strap is full brushed steel. They aren’t cheaping out on design here.
As you can see, my plan came together perfectly. All of my heavier items like Yetis, hair clippers and toiletries pack into it. It fits in the Detour like a hand in glove.
