Ski Bags are a pretty simple premise. To make dragging all of your ski kit overseas easy and comfortable, and to keep the dastardly airlines from damaging your new, shiny, skis that you purchased here at aussieskier (wink wink).
Over the last 30 years, the aussieskier crew have become fairly experienced travellers. For the most part, doing back to back winters both here in Australia and various parts of the world. America, Canada, Europe, Japan, we have definitely had some fun sampling the worlds mountains and the amazing snow found across the seas. We have picked up a few tips about travelling over the years, so if you have any questions, definitely get in touch.
We have narrowed down the world of ski bags, as we are confident that we stock the best options. Douchebags are a shop favourite as their ease of use and versatility is unparalleled. Dakine Ski bags are so simple and well built that they last longer than most peoples knees. Between these two brands, most people can find an option that suits their requirements and hence we don’t see a huge amount of need to stock much more.
Factors to Consider
Wheels
Considering cavemen worked out the wheel thousands of years ago, its hard to consider travelling with a bag without wheels. Full ski bags can weigh upwards of 25kg, your shoulder will thank you for wheels.
Padding
Baggage handlers are rough on baggage. Doesn’t matter if you fly first class or budget, the same people are throwing your bags around the tarmac. Padded bags last longer and offer better protection for your gear.
Compressibility
A Douchebag speciality, when you aren’t using your ski bag, compressible bags take up less room. Roll it up and forget about it, rather than trying to stuff it under the bed.
Length
Getting Ski Bag length right is important if you want to avoid the dreaded bag sag. The feeling of having the bottom of the bag drag along the ground of the airport is not a nice one.
For Dakine models, aim to be within a few cms of the length of the bag. The Dakine double models allow for skis to be a little on the long side. To demonstrate this, we’ve taken 2 pairs of skis that would traditionally fit in a 185cm bag (185 Atomic Bentchetler and 183 Armada TST) and shown them in both a 185cm Boundary and 175cm Fall Line.
By the looks of it, the 185cm Boundary above could realistically fit skis that are 10cm longer than the ones shown. The Straight tape measure of these skis is 182.5 and 181cm respectively and fit in the Fall line 175cm tightly. Safe to say if your ski length is less than 180cm they will fit in a 175cm Fall Line.
Weight
Lighter is better in the world of ski bags, means you can take more of your precious cargo without busting your baggage allowance.
Ski Bags Comparison Tables
We have composed a range of information about all of the different ski bag options for you to assess in one place.
| Single Ski Bags | Wheels | Padding | Compressible | Lengths | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Douchebags Slim Jim | Yes | Yes | Yes | Adjustable 150cm – 205cm | 1.5kg |
| Dakine Padded Single | No | Yes | No | 175cm, 190cm | 1.3kg (175cm) 1.4kg (190cm) |
| Dakine Ski Sleeve | No | No | No | 175cm, 190cm | 700g (190cm) |
| Double Ski Bags | Wheels | Padding | Compressible | Lengths | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Douchebag | Yes | Yes | Yes | Adjustable 150cm – 205cm | 3.8kg |
| Dakine Boundary | Yes | Yes | No | 185cm, 200cm | 5.4kg (185cm) 5.7kg (200cm) |
| Dakine Fall Line | Yes | Yes | No | 175cm, 190cm | 2.8kg (175cm) 3.1kg (190cm) |
| Dakine Low Roller | Yes | Yes | No | 157cm, 165cm | 2.3kg (157cm) 2.5kg (165cm) |
Its widely known that Australians love to travel, especially for skiing. Head to Whistler or Niseko and chances are the people waiting on your table and checking you into the hotel will be Aussies. Something about our winters being short and our mountains being hills. If you have made it this far, chances are you have a ski holiday planned and you are getting ready to go. We hope you enjoy it!
