Purdy Neat Things Pilot Stealth Bag

[Jet727]

Does anyone know where the best place to get the Pilot Stealth Bag, either online or elsewhere? Where is the cheapest place? Also, if any of you are using this bag, how do you like it compared to Travelpro. Thanks.

 

[a320drivr]

I got mine from www.luggageworksonline.com

 

[HalinTexas]

Where is the cheapest place? Also, if any of you are using this bag, how do you like it compared to Travelpro. Thanks.

No such thing as a cheap PNT bag. Best bag I've ever owned. Will buy another when this one finally gives up.

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

Heaviest bag I've ever owned. Will buy a lighter, cheaper one in about 5 or 7 years when this fortress of a bag finally gives out.

 

[PurpleTail]

You gotta figure your cost per use average which should be pretty low.

I went all out and got the bag, attachable clip on tote, name on the handle, company logo, etc for just under $350. Should last me 10 years, so thats $35 a year or just under $3/mth. Will the TravelPro last that long?

I consider the Stealth bag a must have which equals a tax deduction

 

[sleepy]

Try wingman luggage. I just got one of their bags. It is a little smaller than the PNS bag, but it only cost $285.00. My last TravelPro held-up for about 5 years before it came apart.

 

[atrdriver]

Got mine from luggageworksonline. 3+ years old and still looks like new, except for a few scratches. Will buy another IF this one ever takes a dump. And yes, it was a deductable expense.

 

[USNFDX]

PNS also makes a ABS plastic version of the stealth. It looks the same, just has a plastic frame instead of metal. It is lighter and cheaper. I have had it for 2 yrs with no problems

PS: I tried the EBAGS thing advertised in the ALPA mag. COMPLETE PIECE OF CRAP......but at least they took it back with no problems.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Travel Pro is for business travelers and new hire FAs!

 

[Jim Smyth]

PNS also makes a ABS plastic version of the stealth. It looks the same, just has a plastic frame instead of metal. It is lighter and cheaper. I have had it for 2 yrs with no problems

PS: I tried the EBAGS thing advertised in the ALPA mag. COMPLETE PIECE OF CRAP......but at least they took it back with no problems.

I have the same bag you mentioned above. I got it as a first run trail bag at a slight discount though them before they actually came out and I had to give them a few reports on it. I got it in 1996. It doesnt look that great anymore but still works well. I have had to do some work on it over the years too.

 

[328dude]

Best bag I ever owned. The side rails do tend to get bent from rampy's throwing it up on the edge of the baggage compartment. Other than that. Awesome

 

[mjs]

try the Stop Over Store. they are located in msp and dtw terminals, but if you order online at www.stopoverstore.com, you can get free shipping and pay no tax if you live outside minn. or michigan. plus they say they will fix them for you if they should break and give you a loner while they are fixing it. when i ordered one last week for a christmas gift, it shipped the next day.

michelle

 

[Speed]

Does the 737 Stealth have a place to slip your laptop computer into? I went to the web site, but it didn't mention it and I couldn't tell from the pictures. Also, is that the best bag for the 737-300/500/700...or will the regular Stealth work too?

Rather than attaching another bag, I'd like to be able to just slide my laptop into a compartment on a single travel bag. I'll be new to the airline industry soon...any tips from you veterans out there about taking your laptop on trips? Pros/Cons?

Thanks,
Speed

 

[beechdriver]

Speed,

I decided to get the SIGG bag they have at Sam's Club. Very nice bag, with a built in laptop sleeve. Of course, I might get on line and find that it's a bit too big to fit easily in the 737, but it was only $89.00 and it's a really NICE bag - well built and nice features. It's pretty comperable to the Costco bag, but just a bit more solid. At worst it will become a bag for someone else in the family, but I'm hopeful it will work for me. Not to thrilled about spending close to $300 on a bag. My last rollaboard cost me under $100 and lasted through 6 years in the commuters.

See ya in Dallas!

 

[CWASaab]

PNS also makes a ABS plastic version of the stealth. It looks the same, just has a plastic frame instead of metal. It is lighter and cheaper. I have had it for 2 yrs with no problems

After my first plain-old-regular roll-aboard gave in to the abuse of everyday airline life I purchased the ABS bag from PNT. Mostly choose it due to its lighter weight. After about four years of being tossed into the back of the saab I had to replace the entire bottom pan (a single piece of ABS). Like others I know my problems started with small cracks around the screws on the front of the pan. Those cracks eventually extended to the bottom of the bag and led to a hole forming on the bottom, where snow or water could possibly get into my bag.

Since my bag was beyond the three year old mark, the stopover store (mentioned above, in MSP and DTW) was going to charge for parts and labor. I opted to do the replacement myself, purchasing the replacement bottom from them (thay had the part in stock-so this is not an uncommon situation). The metal screws that hold the bag together seat into metal nutplate type deals, that are set into the ABS. In taking the bag apart to replace the bottom I actually broke several of the nutplate type things right out of the ABS thanks to some stubborn screws.

When the bag was about six years old I also managed to break both of the interior tubes that the handle retracts into, they are basically just PVC pipe. With those tubes broken the bag became pretty much useless.

My solution? Sucked it up and bought the metal framed bag. Metal bottom, metal interior tubes metal top (did I mention that I had also suffered a crack to the top of my ABS bag?). The obvious drawbacks are the cost and the weight. Then again the bag is designed to be rolled, not lifted or carried, and who among us couldn't benefit from a few extra reps while at work.

I bought the second bag from luggageworksonline.

I have been very happy with both PNT bags, and I highly recommend them, especially the metal bag. It may weigh more, but my experience with the bags has convinced me it is worth dealing with a few extra pounds.

 

[Stinkbug]

Will this bag fit easily into the nose compartment of a citation?

 

[kelbill]

No doubt the PNT bags are nice, but they aren't perfect. Had mine 3 years when I needed to replace the handle and wheels. A couple of the zippers lost their pull tabs, and the sides get worn down sliding into the 737 each trip. I broke down and bought the cheap Costco bag for $89. Works like a champ, rolls smoothly, and I see hundreds of folks with them now. Another bag I looked into was a copy of the stealth (at least it looks that way). Check out www.crewneeds.com and see what they have to offer. Some commuter guy set up his own business, but the price is better than PNT. His bag was designed to fit RJs betters, so I think it would fit the citation better than the PNT.

 

[rwelch]

Got mine at www.outermarker.com
They have free shipping.
With that said the savings on shipping makes outermarker cheaper than luggage works or stop over store.

Best bag ever.

 

[TonyC]

Check out www.crewneeds.com and see what they have to offer.

ALL OF OUR LINE OF GEAR HAS BEEN EXCLUSIVELY DESIGNED TO FIT IN THE OVERHEAD COMPARTMENT OF ALL "REGIONAL JET" AIRCRAFTS AND CARRIES A LIFETIME WARRANTY.

AIRCRAFTS?






(Not to mention " all ... have ")


The Lifetime Warranty sounds appealing - - IF the company lasts.




kelbill,

Did you send your bag in for repairs? I've heard nothing but good things about the job they do - - it'll be like new again. I've even heard of them adding improvements while it's in the shop.

 

[kelbill]

TonyC,

Yeah, I get ticked when I see typos on professional web pages, but hey, the guy is a pilot, so I would expect that. As for my bag, I did NOT send it in, but did the work myself. I'm no mechanic but I'm no clutz either. You are correct in that I hear most folks rave about the repair work, other than the fact you have to ship it off for a while. Regardless, the bag was very expensive, and the sides were wearing down quite a bit in the 737. Maybe in a different cockpit it would last longer. I'm not bad mouthing the PNT folks, as the product is good, it is just the price that is a little much for what you get. Since I bought mine 4+ years ago, they have improved it with a new handle type and new roller blade wheels.

Hasta.

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

AIRCRAFTS?

(Not to mention " all ... have ")

Let he who is free from typos cast the first grammar/spelling cop post.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

TonyC,

Yeah, I get ticked when I see typos on professional web pages, but hey, the guy is a pilot, so I would expect that. As for my bag, I did NOT send it in, but did the work myself. I'm no mechanic but I'm no clutz either. You are correct in that I hear most folks rave about the repair work, other than the fact you have to ship it off for a while. Regardless, the bag was very expensive, and the sides were wearing down quite a bit in the 737. Maybe in a different cockpit it would last longer. I'm not bad mouthing the PNT folks, as the product is good, it is just the price that is a little much for what you get. Since I bought mine 4+ years ago, they have improved it with a new handle type and new roller blade wheels.

Hasta.

Why didn't you send it in before the three year warranty expired? They would have made it new for free.

 

[Stifler's Mom]

Owned m current PNS for 4 years, and just recently replaced the wheels when one of the bearings took a dump. If your luggage is stowed in the cargo bin with your company, go with the PNS steel frame. There is no way in hell anything made with less than steel will survive the rampers abuse.

 

[TonyC]

Let he who is free from typos cast the first grammar/spelling cop post.

Guilty as charged - - I've committed plenty of typos, misspellings, and grammatical errors in numerous posts. However, if I was designing a professional webpage to stand as the Home Page of my business, and I was targeting aviation professionals, I'd try awful hard to correctly spell their primary mode of transportation.


The plural of aircraft is ...

 

[Propsync]

Hey, I'm not trying to hijack this thread at all, but what is so great about these PNT bags? 3 bills, heavy as h3ll before you load it up, type rating qualities when full. I have seen many a F/A's blow through bags by eBags, Travelpro, and Samsonite. How can I pay $50 for a 22' Samsonite and still be using it five years later with no problem? I think we tend to be our own worst enemies when it comes to this stuff. Instead of packing 'what you really need' some try to prove 'all of this can barely fit'!!! My next bag will be from Target. The rest of you can budget your $35 a year, or more if the bag takes a dump. I'll budget my $5 a year. And pack a little wiser.

 

[klhoard]

. . . <snip>. . How can I pay $50 for a 22' Samsonite . . .<snip>. . .

.
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Wow, that's one big bag. . . I doubt it will fit in the overhead bin. . .
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[91100 100 set]

I have a luggage fetish...

... so I am always "shopping" for luggage. I do look at those PNT bags with envy, but I just cannot justify 300+ for a bag. My last Samsonite lasted me 4 years with only a wheel assembly replacement (under warranty, down for 3 days at a local shop), and it's still usable now. It could use another set of wheels, but it's now living a happy life officially retired in my closet holding all my winter/skiiing clothes. My new bag is a $40 cheapie I found at Marshalls last summer. It's loaded with "American Airlines" insignia (yeah, I'm sure it's the official bag of AA) and its holding up just fine. The biggest draw? It's a dualie, it's got TWO sets of wheels on each corner. Considering the achille's heel of my last two bags were the wheels, I decided to give the dualie a shot. At 40 bucks, it's not an "investment" like the $300 bags, and even if it only lasts 2 years, I'm still making out better.

 

[TonyC]

Hey, I'm not trying to hijack this thread at all, but what is so great about these PNT bags?

I was a little leery about spending that much money on a suitcase, but my misgivings were put to rest the first time I packed the bag and pulled it. Maybe I'm a little weird, but I like to put on a fresh uniform shirt ever so often, even on the 12 day trips. I also prefer not to wear the uniform black shoes or running shoes when I'm foraging for food, but I like to have running shoes for that rare morning I get motivated to exercise. Throw in clean underwear and socks for each day, a jacket other than the uniform jacket (no, I don't care to walk around in the leather jacket sans wings, either) and a pair of jeans, a pair of casual slacks, and a few shirts, and all of a sudden I appreciate the room in the PNS (it's Purdy Neat STUFF).

I also appreciate the peace of mind that comes with pulling a bag that I know will still be zipping and rolling at the end of the 12-day trip. I remember deadheading to CDG with the bag prior to this one and hearing the PA announcement in the baggage claim area for me to go to the lost and damaged baggage area to claim my bag. It's no fun trying to nurse a busted zipper for the rest of the trip.

 

[Carl S.]

Go for the Costco bag, 89-99 Dollars. It can be returned when it breaks or is old looking for a free one, plus no shipping or loner bags to deal with. Costco asks no questions, just pick out a new and go!

 

[Propsync]

Tony C, I get what you're saying. I think there's a big difference in these bags when you start talking two week ventures. For big trips like that I guess I would consider it. For 2-3-4 day stuff, I still think it's overkill. Thanks for the 'international' perspective.