Travelling and Packing

[Longimanus1975 1]

I would like peoples thoughts on packing.

 

Do people take their full camera systems as hand luggage?

 

Does anyone put their systems in hold luggage?

 

If you put it in hold luggage what protection do you apply.

 

I ask the question due to my camera system growing and it beginning to weigh more than the hand luggage limit, I dont really want to have to pay any extra if I can get away with it, just wanting to find out what others do.

 

If I see good ideas I may even change the camera I upgrade to next

Edited February 8, 2012 by Longimanus1975

[johnjvv 11]

We just moved country and I practically carried all my camera equipment as carry on, the only stuff that went in the hold were batteries, chargers, strobe arm parts and extension rings, things that wont break. Everything in the hold was extra and I would have been able to take photos if my checked luggage got lost. All the carry on gear including a ThinkTank Airport bag weighed 13kgs plus a

backpack with lenses, my limit was 8, so before checked in I removed the housing and some other bits to reduce the weight to 8kg's in case they weighed it (they did not) and put them in backpack that my girlfriend took through. After passport control I put everything back in the main bag and was not bothered.

 

I think the key is to look as if you are not overloaded...a couple smaller bags look better than a big fat bag, I must say the ThinkTank is heavy at 5 kg's but it looks compact and protects gear well.

 

I would not put anything fragile in the hold as those bags get chucked around regardless of Fragile stickers...

[steviet 0]

I would like peoples thoughts on packing.

 

Do people take their full camera systems as hand luggage?

 

I carry mine on in a Porter hard case and it doubles as a fantastic cart to put other luggage on and wheel through the airport. I really like it, plus if it's packed well you can fit other stuff into it as well, shirts, shorts, etc... for added bonus. Plus in the event you have to gate check it it's in a hard case and less likely to get damaged.

 

Steve

Edited February 8, 2012 by steviet

[Steve Williams 0]

There is a bunch more information on traveling with your gear on this thread.

 

Cheers,

Steve

[bvanant 167]

I would like peoples thoughts on packing.

 

Do people take their full camera systems as hand luggage?

 

Does anyone put their systems in hold luggage?

 

If you put it in hold luggage what protection do you apply.

 

I ask the question due to my camera system growing and it beginning to weigh more than the hand luggage limit, I dont really want to have to pay any extra if I can get away with it, just wanting to find out what others do.

 

If I see good ideas I may even change the camera I upgrade to next

My wife and I both take our camera/video stuff in a ThinkTank bag. We both take enough stuff to be able to take photos/videos when we land. For me this means housing, body, lens, ports and a single strobe with arms and batteries. For her it is video camera, batteries and housing. In a big Storm case in the hold go the other stuff like more batteries, battery chargers etc., a bunch of video lighting and battery chargers for that, extra strobes, arms, lens ports, gears etc.

 

We have been very lucky in that the big box has almost always showed up the same time we did, occasionally it shows up a day later.

 

Bill

[Longimanus1975 1]

Cheers for all the replies. I have in the past loaded up all my pockets on my combats with things like strobes, arms, lense etc, but as I expand I don't think this is feasible, sooner or later I am going to get caught.

 

With most of my trips to the red sea, and them being really strict on baggage allowance I obviously want to make sure I am prepared before I invest in my new rig. I have trouble with all my compact camera gear so I don't know how all you slr users get by.

 

I suppose if you can't get all your gear in hand luggage you run the risk of your hold bag not arriving when you arrive

[Longimanus1975 1]

There is a bunch more information on traveling with your gear on this thread.

 

Cheers,

Steve

 

Just read through it all Steve, many thanks for this

[acuevas 4]

I carry all may photography gear with me.

I use two bags:

 

1.- The Lowepro Flipside 300, here I put my Nikon D7000 plus 3 lenses (Nikon 35mm 1.8G, Tokina 10-17, Nikon 60mm), I still have space left, I think I will be able to put inside the Nikon 70-200 VRII ones I get one. This bag goes behind the sit on the airplane without problems.

2.- NorthFace Duffel bag size small, here I put all my current underwater equipment, Aquatica housing, 2xz240, arms with stix floats, mini dome, Sola 600, chargers and batteries. I still have space left for a macro port and a medium size dome like a 6" dome.

 

If I need more space I can always put my camera inside the housing, as long as the gear is with me and has some protection I don't see a problem.

[kun1 10]

i usually carry 20-25kg as hand luggage. a big amphibico housing, wide angle lens, a set of lights and my video camera (usually inside the housing). All i do is get my friend to hold my carry on while i check in and then when he checks in i hold his. Oh yeah, i also carry my 17" laptop as well. its a bit of a chore lugging all of this around a airport but much better than handing it over to the airport staff

 

never had a issue. my biggest worry is when i put it in the overhead compartment and people start re-arranging baggage.. really annoys me, just leave my stuff alone.

Edited February 8, 2012 by kun1

[Longimanus1975 1]

i usually carry 20-25kg as hand luggage. a big amphibico housing, wide angle lens, a set of lights and my video camera (usually inside the housing). All i do is get my friend to hold my carry on while i check in and then when he checks in i hold his. Oh yeah, i also carry my 17" laptop as well. its a bit of a chore lugging all of this around a airport but much better than handing it over to the airport staff

 

never had a issue. my biggest worry is when i put it in the overhead compartment and people start re-arranging baggage.. really annoys me, just leave my stuff alone.

 

I have thought about this, not a bad idea, just can't travel alone!

 

I carry all may photography gear with me.

I use two bags:

 

1.- The Lowepro Flipside 300, here I put my Nikon D7000 plus 3 lenses (Nikon 35mm 1.8G, Tokina 10-17, Nikon 60mm), I still have space left, I think I will be able to put inside the Nikon 70-200 VRII ones I get one. This bag goes behind the sit on the airplane without problems.

2.- NorthFace Duffel bag size small, here I put all my current underwater equipment, Aquatica housing, 2xz240, arms with stix floats, mini dome, Sola 600, chargers and batteries. I still have space left for a macro port and a medium size dome like a 6" dome.

 

If I need more space I can always put my camera inside the housing, as long as the gear is with me and has some protection I don't see a problem.

 

Sounds to me that your hand luggage rules are very different to mine, we only get 5kg usually

[diver dave1 23]

Hand luggage in the U.S. on US carriers is not weighed. It is rarely checked for size. If it fits in the overhead, there is usually no issue.

So I can carry an entire D90 setup - Nexus housing, camera in the housing, 5 lenses, strobes, dome, ports in a Lowepro AW200. Chargers, arms, clamps, batteries, clothes go in a carry on size roller.

They let me carry it all on. Total wt is close to 31 kg. No charge, no hassles.

Dive gear goes in checked luggage.

When I travel to Asia on Asian carriers, I check the roller and put enough in pockets to pass the weight test, then put them back in the backpack.

[acuevas 4]

Sounds to me that your hand luggage rules are very different to mine, we only get 5kg usually

 

Here is about 8kg, but the Lowepro Flipside 300 doesn't count because goes under the seat, my duffel bag weighs around 10kg, but so far hasn't been weighed.

I always pretend that it is light as a feather.

[Stitchercaroline 0]

I take it all with me and have got it down to 5.5 kg in my carry on luggage and 6.5kg in my jacket, due to the number of pockets added by both the manufacturer and myself

 

 

 

I always carry a great big smile and am ubber polite with the staff and so far, touch wood...............

Edited February 18, 2012 by Stitchercaroline

[Longimanus1975 1]

I take it all with me and have got it down to 5.5 kg in my carry on luggage and 6.5kg in my jacket, due to the number of pockets added by both the manufacturer and myself

 

 

 

I always carry a great big smile and am ubber polite with the staff and so far, touch wood...............

 

Any chance of a photo of this jacket please

[Stitchercaroline 0]

Any chance of a photo of this jacket please

 

I haven't got a photo but it it just a simple canvas jacket I got from TKMAXX. I chose one with lots of pockets already in it, then stitched a large canvas pocket on the rear. This pocket can hold my netbook, macro port, and 2 INON strobes. It is closed with 2 long velcro strips. The strobe arms are placed down the sleeves to which I have also added velcro to keep them closed at the end.................... Obviously I never put the jacket on .

[Longimanus1975 1]

I haven't got a photo but it it just a simple canvas jacket I got from TKMAXX. I chose one with lots of pockets already in it, then stitched a large canvas pocket on the rear. This pocket can hold my netbook, macro port, and 2 INON strobes. It is closed with 2 long velcro strips. The strobe arms are placed down the sleeves to which I have also added velcro to keep them closed at the end.................... Obviously I never put the jacket on .

 

Funny that, I was in tkmaxx today looking for a jacket.

So basically you take a jacket, carry it under arm with all your bits in it. Do you get funny looks in countries where it is really hot;-)

[adamhanlon 0]

I am a great fan of carrying all my crucial camera and housing parts on as a carry on.

 

In my experience, backpack type bags seem to attract less attention at check in than wheeled bags. Whether this is a reaction the the idea that "if it needs wheels it must be heavy", or some kind of official policy I don't know, but practical experience may suggest the latter.

 

Of course my shoulder muscles suffer for this:)

 

Adam

[Longimanus1975 1]

I am a great fan of carrying all my crucial camera and housing parts on as a carry on.

 

In my experience, backpack type bags seem to attract less attention at check in than wheeled bags. Whether this is a reaction the the idea that "if it needs wheels it must be heavy", or some kind of official policy I don't know, but practical experience may suggest the latter.

 

Of course my shoulder muscles suffer for this:)

 

Adam

 

I agree with you Adam, only problem with that is the last 2 times I have left marsa alam, they want to weigh all your luggage together, and there was no leeway in being over your limit! Luckily I had a few bits in my pockets.

[drako 0]

Take as much as you can on carry-on.

On days of travel I wear a pair of cargo pants that can hold a ds-160 in each pocket. I also carry a photo vest that can hold sync cables, lenses etc.

 

In the end I can take a lot of weight off and put it on my "person". This gets around the staff asking to weigh your carry-on.

 

Also perception is huge. The Think Tank shape shifter and International combo work well.

 

Jose

[acuevas 4]

Take as much as you can on carry-on.

On days of travel I wear a pair of cargo pants that can hold a ds-160 in each pocket. I also carry a photo vest that can hold sync cables, lenses etc.

 

In the end I can take a lot of weight off and put it on my "person". This gets around the staff asking to weigh your carry-on.

 

Also perception is huge. The Think Tank shape shifter and International combo work well.

 

Jose

 

I have done something similar using a fisherman vest, when we travel with our technical equipment I put the 6 first stages in my pockets, the same can be done for the lenses and strobes.

[Longimanus1975 1]

Of all the people that fill their pockets/take a jacket etc, who has ever been checked or asked to empty them?

[acuevas 4]

Of all the people that fill their pockets/take a jacket etc, who has ever been checked or asked to empty them?

 

Some times, after pass the jacket through the scanner, I've been asked about those metal little things I'm carrying (the first stages), after a brief explanation I can move on.

[focker 15]

Any chance of a photo of this jacket please

 

 

Many people use these vest with 24 pockets: http://www.scottevest.com/v3_store/Travel_Vest.shtml

[Longimanus1975 1]

Many people use these vest with 24 pockets: http://www.scottevest.com/v3_store/Travel_Vest.shtml

 

Cheers for the link, they look very interesting

[rtrski 20]

Cheers for the link, they look very interesting

 

The e-vests are great for 'hiding' that you're carrying things while roaming around casually...for that reason I think a more traditional photographer's/fisherman's vest with very obvious pockets is best for the actual travel day. Don't want/need to appear to be 'hiding' things as you're not trying to sneak them past security (you will take off vest and run it thru scanner), nor do you want to give the impression you're trying to do any such thing. You just don't want them in the weighed luggage.

 

I tend to agree with those who say carry on anything you can, simply because of the threat of checked luggage not arriving or being rifled thru when out of your view. But in practice I find I end up with larger items checked regardless. e.g. Housing, camera body, lenses, strobes, various batteris and chargers can all carry on, but handle/tray base, large domes go with dive gear in checked bag. So if I were to lose my checked bag, I'd be nonfunctional underwater anyway.

 

Not sure there's a way around this. Some might argue that no one is going to steal only 'half' a housing, or a dome port alone, etc, which is the logic I kind of gain comfort from when checking. So its really just the airline misrouting baggage issue that's the primary concern.

 

On my last trip to Dominica I had a small 'reporter style' waist bag for a camera and a couple lenses that got packed into larger rolling scuba bag, with the domes and a few other heavy items inside it for protection in transit. I was a tad worried it might look too obviously like a camera bag and be a temptation, even though that's not what was in it, but there was no problem after all. Plus once I arrived, that became my above-water camera/lens bag for hikes, so it served double duty that way.

 

Even with a rather obvious fishing/photo vest with pockets bulging all over (I don't go overboard, but have had a macro lens, passport, sunglasses case, huge pocketful of change, snacks, baseball cap wadded up, various lens cleaning wipes, spare neck strap, AA battery charger, cell phone and Kindle all in pockets) I've never been asked to have the vest weighed. They have weighed my just-at-the-US-carryon limit LowePro Vertex 300AW backpack. Fully packed with as much as I can cram in it it's 33-35 lbs. Dominica carry-on weight limit was 40.