Carrying fins on a rucsack?

[Alison]

Hi
Ive just bought a new rucsack off ebay to carry my kit for my hike across the beach, its plenty big enough to hold the lot with room to spare, BUT its to short to hold my fins Ive been playing around all afternoon trying to figure out a neat way to do this. Without having to buy a fin bag, has anyone got an idea how to do this? Surely I cant be the only one who carries their kit for miles in a sack?
The best Ive come up with so far, is to stick the gun handle in the loop for an ice axe then wedge the fins behind the gun and use a strap to hold the top of the fins but its really messy I really cant afford to buy a bag now, Im saving for my wedding, so I really need somebodies help please dont make me carry them in my hands anymore :waterwork
Please form an orderly que to answer this question for me The one thousand'th reply wins a mystery prize rofl

 

[miles]

Hiya Ali

Plain and simple. Use the snap clips that keep the main compartment close. Thread them through the footpockets.

We used to spear a place called Rooikrantz. Entails 20minute walk down a mountain, well, 10minute walk and 10minute climb down actually. Used to use a big backpackers rucksack for my wetsuit and kit, flippers tied to the back and weightbelt around the waist. Gun in your hand, which doubled as a walking stick. The worse part was walking the 40minutes back to the car with 4-5 yellowtail kingfish weighing 4-8kg's each!!!!!

Works great!!!! Never had any hassles. Will try and post a picture later today of my rucksack with fins attached. Batteries died in the digital camera

Anycase, a picture of Rooikrantz

 

[Alison]

DUH!!
Why didnt I think of that? Thanks Miles Love ya to bits XX :inlove

 

[mishu1984]

it would help to have a pic of your ruck sack. what i used to do was put the fins in my back-pack and just zip it up as much as i could and then just pray to god it wouldent open up.

 

[DeepThought]

Buying/making some extra straps is easy and cheap. You can connect the fins by strapping them to your backpack in a way which they don't move and rattle, end of story. You can connect so many extra stuff to backpacks that way, not just fins: sleeping bags, field matresses, tents, unconscious dive buddies and animals...

Now I can finally vote the right way in the poll, what a relief.

 

[Alison]

Thanks all Ive done a bit of Miles and Michaels suggestions and its seems fine.
unconscious dive buddies? How about bone idle? Does that count?

 

[ajwaverider]

In search of a gear bag

I actually need to buy something to put all my gear in.What's the name of the rucksack you bought Alison?I was thinking of getting
one of those large hiking backpacks but not sure how it would stand up to the saltwater. It's tough to find a bag that will fit my fins.I found these nylon/velcro straps that have a D ring at one end that I use to strap down gear on my kayak,they were bought at a outdoor store that has different sizes.

 

[Huan]

At the risk of sounding like a smug Bas*&"d Picasso do a bag which is exactly what you are looking for: A large Dry Bag that will hold all your gear including fins it comes with straps that make it a backpack.
I had the same problem and also the added inconvenience of Rain while i am in the water ,doesn't bother me but my clothes were getting wet.
check the picasso site or maybe the DB shop carries them.
The advantage is:
your gear stays dry while you are diving in the rain
your car /back stays dry when you carry your gear back
your fins fit in

good investment IMHO

 

[Murat]

I needed a bag too and encounter with bargain at the diving shop. I bought cressi diving bag, pretty simple stuff but effective way of carrying gears. It does not hold gara 3000 so ALISON can you show how you modified it to hold fins???

 

[Alison]

Its just a cheap rucksack off ebay, it cost me £15, it holds 75L. My last one was a 35L Karrimor that I bought in 1992, thats still going strong but just way to small. As for carrying fins I did as Miles said, put the main sack closing straps through the foot pockets, then got another nylon strap looped into some straps at the bottom of the sack and around the fins to stop them floping about My Brother is away with the camera this weekend so I'll post a piccy on Tuesday

 

[fuzz]

I use this:
http://www.stahlsac.com/submariner/panama.html

I'm sure there are better designs, but this is one of the best I've tried personally. It's extremely durable (stitching & materials), has a very tough bottom, & has drain holes to help lose those extra ounces/pounds you're shouldering.

 

[mishu1984]

you can waterproof your rucksack by spraying it with waterproofing material for shoes. it comes pretty cheap and works great
good luck

 

[Alison]

Sorry I forgot about the photo so this is the general view of it, the sack closing straps fit through the foot pockets, then the green strap through some bits at the bottom of the sack around the fins to stop them flapping around

 

[Alison]

This is trying to show the straps through the foot pocket

 

[Alison]

Try again rofl

 

[portinfer]

Lucky I found this as recently I have been cycling with my gear which involves strapping the weight belt to the saddle and hefting the rest of the gear in a large rucksack with the fins in the bag but diagonally to make room for your head between the heels (no smutty comments, please !).
Seems to work.

Managed to fut the fins in a tiny day sack with just a mask and snorkel yesterday for some minimal sessions - put the fins in the bag then pass a strap around them at the top and under the top back of the rucksack straps. This holds the fins close to your back and stops them flapping about. Don't have a digital camera so
you will have to ask for more if you dont understand !

There might be a problem with your methind Alison if you are climbing up/down as the bottom of the fins will hit your calfs - better (in my opinion) to have the gear sticking out of the top.

Thinking of designing a diagonal cross-loading bag for fins - for walking/tricky approaches. This came about after hauling full gear down to La Jaonnet the other day - a long walk with some mean steps ont he way up with full gear at least (but luckily made easier with no fish to carry back up :{ )

Ed

 

[Murat]

thanks for the pics Alison...

 

[mjacobs]

Rucksack dry bag

Hey, I just found one of these last night at my local shop:

http://www.ems.com/products/product...mplate=search/results.jsp&bmUID=1092075087795

The shop in Annapolis actually had it on a second tier sale for $39.99.

Mark

 

[Jon]

Ted and I use these mesh gear bags we bought at a local camping store. They cost us $17 (U.S.) a piece- which would make it almost free for those of you on the Euro.

We can fit our long fins, wetsuits, spearguns, and all of the rest of our gear in one. It can be thrown over your shoulders like a back pack, or just hand carried if the load is light- like on this walk through the woods to get to a secret 'public access' on a sweet little lake in Wisconsin.

I know that the bags are long enough for any kind of freediving fins that we've tried to date- Ted uses Special fins and I use C4's. I am not sure if it would fit a pair of 80's, but I wouldn't be using those for spearfishing anyways.


Jon