reviews

Simms Bottomless Pit Luggage

Reviewed by Scott Richmond

Simms Bottomless Pit, Model 80. $329.95 retail. Available at many fly shops and online stores.

Images

Click thumbnail for enlarged image

f you drive to your favorite fishing venue, you probably don't have a problem packing your gear. Just chuck a bunch of bags, boots, rod tubes (cooler, float tube, pontoon boat, oars, life jacket, anchor . . . no point in traveling light) in the back of your rig, and you're off.

But if you're going a few thousand miles in an airplane, you've got a different problem: you need to cram a lot of gear into two bags, plus a 20-pound (max) carry-on. And if you can get that down to one bag plus the carry-on, so much the better, because three bags can be hard to manage once you're on the ground. Besides, do you really want to double the odds that the airline will lose your luggage?

With so many anglers traveling to remote locations these days, there's a growing market for specialty fishing luggage. Look at the website of any big gear maker and you'll find their take on the issue.

Simms, noted for their wading gear and outerwear, has joined the fray and gone into the luggage business. I recently tried out their roll-around case, the "Bottomless Pit Roller." There's good news and bad news.

The Bottomless Pit

Basically a big duffle with wheels and a handle, the Bottomless Pit features:

1. 34 inches by 18 inches by 14 inches. Capacity: 80 liters.
2. Super durable, ballistic nylon and 420 pack-cloth exterior with synthetic pack-cloth lining.
3. Two large handles for hoisting the bag
4. Two metal rails on the back for stiffness
5. Heavy-duty retractable handle for roll-around use
6. Large horizontal opening with zippered magnetic closure
7. Zippered, easy-access storage compartment on exterior for tickets and magazines
8. Elastic pullout ID carrier
9. Zippered accessory pocket on interior
10. Zippered rod tube case
11. Zippered, water-resistant boot bag

There are two versions of the Bottomless Pit. The model 80 holds 4-piece rods, and the model 135 holds 3-piece rods. That just means that the model 135 has the extra length to accommodate longer rod tubes; naturally, it's more voluminous as well.

A handy feature of this bag is the magnetic closure on the main compartment. There's a zipper, of course, but when you're at your final destination you can keep the bag closed without the zipper.

In addition, there are adjustable straps across the front that you can cinch down to adapt the bag to different load sizes and keep your gear from shifting around. While these straps are useful, I have a concern: most of the baggage handlers will hoist the baag by those straps; I've watched them do it more often than not. There are prominent, sturdy handles for the purpose, but the baggage boys go straight for the straps, not the handles. I bet those straps are the first thing that will break on this bag. I can't fault Simms for that; it's just human nature.

Overall, this is an excellent roll-around. It's roomy, built like a tank, has a hide like a rhinoceros, is easily wheeled around, and protects your gear. However, you can pay a price--literally--for all those attributes, as described below.

The Price of Carrying Stuff

Recently I filled up the model 80 with everything I needed for a one-week trip to Christmas Island, plus ten days in Hawaii. It easily held everything for the fishing trip, but I had an extra duffle for some of my Hawaii stuff. There's a lot of room in this sturdy bag.

However, "room" and "sturdy" can be a problem. Many airlines have a weight limit: if your bag weighs more than 50 pounds, they'll charge you an extra $25. And if you change airlines, the other carrier will hit you up for $25, too. And that's just the one-way charge; you'll pay it again on the return journey. Fly roundtrip on two carriers, and you could be looking at an extra hundred bucks. Some airlines reportedly don't even allow bags over 50 pounds.

The reason for the weight limit is to protect the backs of baggage handlers and TSA people (more accurately, to protect the airlines from lawsuits and insurance claims).

The model 80 Bottomless Pit weighs 17-18 pounds empty. That means you can only pack another 30+ pounds of gear before you're run into the airlines' 50-pound weight limits. And the model 135 holds even more stuff--and weighs more when it's empty.

I worked around this issue by packing an extra duffle bag and shifting gear back and forth depending on which airline I was on. It worked, but it was less than ideal.

You'll face this trade-off with most bags. Sturdiness and durability mean weight, unless you spend a lot of money on high-tech material and construction.

Bottom Line: Sturdy and roomy, but weighs a lot. Reviewer Rating: 4

Scott Richmond is Westfly's creator and Executive Director. He is the author of eight books on Oregon fly fishing, including Fishing Oregon's Deschutes River (second edition).

Uploaded 04/07/2006.

User Reviews

5=tops  3=average  1=low

No user reviews have been submitted yet.

You must be registered and logged-in to submit review comments. How to do this.

Simms Bottomless Pit: Lots of room, but that can be a problem