Travel Warning: Don't Pack a Pelican

[MikeO 5]

Someone tell pelican and the rest to make stealth cases. Ones that look like normal baggage. If they already do, all well and good. If not: Copyright Dean Burman 2006

 

That simple..

 

Dive safe

 

Dean Burman

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

HaHa! My bag is actually a Armor Stealth bag, so at least they got you on the name. Originally designed to look just like any other generic black roller suitcase. They came in three sizes -- the large had drain holes and was designed to hold SCUBA gear. I use a medium (the large was just that -- LARGE) and the sides are just hard enough for protection. I pad everything with clothes and bubble wrap . . .

 

http://shop.divebooty.com/569.html

 

Discontinued, but you can still find them around sometimes . . .

 

Mike

[mattdiver 0]

mattdiver

I like your solution!

Where did you get the foam from, please - and any tips for someone copying your idea?

Thanks

Ralph

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Hi Ralph,

 

First thing is to make sure everything fits in the suitcase you get, including some padding on all sides.

 

For the foam itself, I went to a shop that does re-upholstery (that should be easy to find in any city). If the shop can cut it for you using templates of your equipment, then it's easy (that's what I did!).

If they won't cut the foam for you, just get the sheets from them (2" for top and bottom, and 4" for intermediate layers). You can use a standard steak knife to cut the sheets to the shape of your equipment. That's all there is to it.

 

Mat

[Ryan 50]

I was hoping this was behind us, but apparently not-

http://dive.scubadiving.com/talk/read.php?...83375#msg-83375

[yahsemtough 0]

Unbelievable. And, we know someone flying through there in June.

[Kelpfish 15]

At some point someone said that the FBI was investigating this. Any news? Also, I was at the SCUBA SHOW 2006 in Long Beach and Continental has added Bonaire flights that do not go through San Juan. American, watch out!!

[depelos 0]

Just thought I'd say that I just traveled for 3 weeks from Cayman to USA to Bali and Sulawesi and to and fro in between and I carried all my camera gear in a big pelican case without any problems whatsoever. It is quite heavy though so it did limit what I could carry inside. I saw mattdiver's case in Singapore when I was there and it is definitely the way to go. Very light and with plenty of space - well done Mathieu.

[ryeish 0]

We were returning from a trip to the west coast when I discovered that all of my bags had been gone through. I had some memory cards in a ziplock bag stored with my shaving stuff and they were gone. Even my dirty clothing had been ruffled, which shocked me because I have some fairly stinky feet and my socks didn't smell too nice.

 

When I called the TSA they shrugged it off. I went down to the airport and talked to a "supervisor". This miscreant apparently couldn't get a job at McDonalds. When I asked her if I could file a complaint she got angry and mumbled something about my being a PITA. I was this close to punching her but one of the armed security goons was standing outside the door. I called the TSA main office, they were little help also.

 

Tell me something. These people, many of which have a IQ that rivals that of a cabbage, are protecting us? BS. The TSA and their minions and talk a flying frigging leap as far as I'm concerned.

 

/rant off

[ChrisJ 0]

Apparently at Intercontinental Airport Houston (IAH) a baggage theft ring was detected, after luggage was found in a dumpster IN the airport:

 

http://chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4429789.html

[thatporchdawg 0]

ChrisJ,

 

The stolen and abandoned luggage was found several miles outside the airport in a dumpster behind a pet store. No one here is really talking about how the bags left the airport or whether it was an inside or outside job. But the Chronicle's article discusses how easy it would be to lift luggage from airport baggage claim areas.

 

Oddly, the article quotes a man that had his bag tags checked against his claim tickets in San Juan of all places.

[RickM 0]

I too, made my own "custom case". Like Matt said an uphostery shop is the place to get foam. Make sure you get the heavy duty stuff they use in chair cushions. If you want to cut out spaces for your gear the best thing to use is an electric knife! It works great, you can make just about any custom shape you need.

 

Still think the best defense is to carry as much as you can onboard with you.... and have good insurance.

[davidrodkeller 0]

the only problem is that the guys stealing stuff in PR may also be the same guys manning the X-Ray machine.

Which is why any perceived measure based upon exterior appearance is ineffective as far as airports are concerned. If they can see inside your bag, they really don't have to have any regard whatsoever for what it looks like on the outside.

 

And it doesn't even have to be a situation where the guy manning the x-ray machine or doing the physical search is doing the stealing. It only has to be a case where he communicates with others, be it by voice, by sign, by marking, or by whatever line of communication allows him/her to let others know what cases/bags/boxes/luggage will be productive. And I doubt that a thief, having been advised a certain case has expensive camera gear, will refuse to steal from it because the case happens to be an old Igloo, looks like any other suitcase or is orange or yellow in color.

[ChrisJ 0]

Which is why any perceived measure based upon exterior appearance is ineffective as far as airports are concerned. If they can see inside your bag, they really don't have to have any regard whatsoever for what it looks like on the outside.

 

And it doesn't even have to be a situation where the guy manning the x-ray machine or doing the physical search is doing the stealing. It only has to be a case where he communicates with others, be it by voice, by sign, by marking, or by whatever line of communication allows him/her to let others know what cases/bags/boxes/luggage will be productive. And I doubt that a thief, having been advised a certain case has expensive camera gear, will refuse to steal from it because the case happens to be an old Igloo, looks like any other suitcase or is orange or yellow in color.

 

i have read that xray is not a "standard", a dog sniffing for drugs and explosives are standards protocols, but xrays are "random"

[bmyates 3]

i have read that xray is not a "standard", a dog sniffing for drugs and explosives are standards protocols, but xrays are "random"

 

Not only that, but if they DO xray your bags and the guy running the machine is part of a theft ring (or just a lone thief), there's NOTHING you can do. Therefore, I DO think the external appearance of the bag can make a BIG difference in reducing the chance of it being opened/pilfered, especially in third world countries where many of us travel.

 

The final straw that caused me to sell all my Pelican cases (4 as I recall) was when I returned from a trip a couple of years ago, and my big checked Pelican--on which I had placed two TSA locks--had one lock completely gone, and the other all twisted out of shape (by pliers or some other such tool). Apparently, whoever tore off the first one got interrupted or frustrated tearing the second one off. But I have little doubt that they partially targeted the case because Pelicans practically shout "expensive camera gear inside!"

 

The solution of Mike O. and many others here (i.e., use a "normal" looking case and create your own internal padding) is a good one, and seems effective from the anecdotal evidence I've seen thus far.

 

My own decision was to buy a couple of Lightware cases (available at B&H), which are hard-sided, but wrapped in nylon so they don't really LOOK hard. They're unusual enough that I don't think they draw attention or look like camera gear, especially if you cut off the Lightware labels, do a purposely sloppy job of spray painting something obtuse on the outside, and rub dirt all over them to make them look old and "industrial." Here's one of mine (before I cut the label off):

Edited January 8, 2007 by bmyates

[loftus 42]

I think it's still very important to carry whatever you can on board with you as the best policy. At bare minimum a camera, 1 strobe, housing, 1 port and 1 lens so that at least you're not SOL with nothing to use on a trip if something does get lost damaged or stolen. I can get this bare minimum in a pretty small bag if I have to, with the camera in the housing etc.

[bmyates 3]

I think it's still very important to carry whatever you can on board with you as the best policy. At bare minimum a camera, 1 strobe, housing, 1 port and 1 lens so that at least you're not SOL with nothing to use on a trip if something does get lost damaged or stolen...

 

I agree completely. I always take the camera and housing, a few lenses (macro, mid-range fish lens) that I can use with the macro port (dome is too big for carry-on), plus at least one strobe, and all the essential cords, etc. so that if my checked bags got totally lost, I wouldn't be SOL - I'd at least have a complete camera setup to use for that trip.

[davidrodkeller 0]

i have read that xray is not a "standard", a dog sniffing for drugs and explosives are standards protocols, but xrays are "random"

In the US and it's territories all checked bags are run thru X-rays and most also pass a CT. Most other (I hate to use this word) developed countries follow the same or more stringent protocols.

 

But even if one doesn't believe that machines tip off what's in the luggage or find solice in the fact that machines don't exist at every airport in the world, these thieves don't live in dark holes only to see daylight when they go to work at the airport. They work at airports like we work at our jobs......a lot. They know precisely what tactics are in favor for trying to fool them at any given time. They know what they are looking for and they know how to find it and they know how to get it out of the airport.

 

After having traveled with photo gear for a little over 26 years and having become somewhat numb to the threat of theft because I have seen too much of it to think there is any real protection from it, I don't believe we are ever going to fool these thieves by any of the tactics mentioned in this thread. I have come to accept that there are a few key things which, for the most part, cannot be hidden. If it is heavy, if it is in something hardsided (regardless of whether or not it "looks" soft-sided) or if it looks dissimilar to general baggage (Igloos, stencils, pelicans, etc.) any thief worth his salt will give it the once over......at least.

 

When we travel with gear we are playing craps at a casino. And the house sees people playing craps every day of every year, and there ain't no tactic we can employ that they are not aware of.

[davidrodkeller 0]

I think it's still very important to carry whatever you can on board with you as the best policy. At bare minimum a camera, 1 strobe, housing, 1 port and 1 lens so that at least you're not SOL with nothing to use on a trip if something does get lost damaged or stolen. I can get this bare minimum in a pretty small bag if I have to, with the camera in the housing etc.

While I agree with the premise, I have found it more and more difficult, and in the case of my last two trips to both PNG and Raja, impossible. Garuda Air and Lion Air wieghed my carry-on and made me hand check it. And leaving Brisbane for Pt. Moresby AN weighed my carry-on and also made me check it. So in my last two cases of using local carriers with stringent weight policies the prospect of being certain to have a usable camera/hosuing setup in hand was not realized, though I did seem to find some measure of calm in the fact that it was highly unlikely my photo case and carry-on (checked) would be stolen at the same time

[thatporchdawg 0]

So with these airlines that have strict weight limits for carry-ons, do they make you check the bag from the ticket counter or from the gate counter? Maybe its just me, but I feel that I get some peace of mind if I have to gate check a bag knowing that its less likely to see the bowels and that it only has to make the short trip from the gate/boarding area to the baggage hold of the plane.

 

I haven't been asked to check my carry ons yet, other than a gate check on smaller planes that have limited or no overhead storage.

[bmyates 3]

...I did seem to find some measure of calm in the fact that it was highly unlikely my photo case and carry-on (checked) would be stolen at the same time

 

Now that's looking on the bright side!

[Kelpfish 15]

Unfortunatly airlines are jipping the carry-ons these days. I tried to carry on my housing and cameras and lenses and they refused to let me (TACA) due to the weight. It was forego the trip or risk the cameras and housing. I had to pack everything in my checked just to get my laptop and some other critical items oin the carry on 22 pound limit that was heavily enforced. I am not in the market to re-engineer how I pack.

 

Beware.

 

Joe

[davidrodkeller 0]

So with these airlines that have strict weight limits for carry-ons, do they make you check the bag from the ticket counter or from the gate counter? Maybe its just me, but I feel that I get some peace of mind if I have to gate check a bag knowing that its less likely to see the bowels and that it only has to make the short trip from the gate/boarding area to the baggage hold of the plane.

 

I haven't been asked to check my carry ons yet, other than a gate check on smaller planes that have limited or no overhead storage.

It depends. Qantas, who I haven't flown in 5 or 6 years used to position keepers at the entrance to the ramp and they would check every carry-on that was about to board the plane. AN weighed my bag at the check-in counter and Lion Air and Garuda made me do a gate check.

 

Still, the carry-on I use for my housing, camera, lenes etc. is not as sturdy as my photo cases, so anytime I have to check it (whether at the gate or the counter) it I get very concerned about damage to the equipment. The bags are still tossed around when loading and unloading the plane.

[oveanave 0]

Planning a trip to BOnaire in March 2007. I am now scared reading this post... I assume that I can carry on the critical stuff........ ie, scuba gear, beer $, and camera stuff.... They can have the rest... leifpeterson@bellsouth.net

[markdhanlon 0]

I've got a long haul flight planned from Calgary, through San Fransisco to Singapore. I can pack all my gear in a Pelican 1550 which just barely exceeds the requirements for carry on luggage size (0.5" in one dimension) by United and Singapore Airlines (who I'm flying with), but exceeds the weight requirements since it weighs 35 lb. full. I'm thinking that I should be ok as I have never seen a carryon weighed before.

 

The other option is to pack it into another suitcase and fill the remaining space with clothes. However, I don't really want to check this luggage. Does anyone have experience trying to carry on a case of this size and weight? Any other suggestions? Thanks.

[thatporchdawg 0]

Does anyone have experience trying to carry on a case of this size and weight? Any other suggestions? Thanks.

 

I use the same case, and I've travelled rather extensively with it. Its been to Roatan (TACA), Cozumel (Continental), Dominica (Continental & American Eagle), Bonaire (Air Jamaica), and Bali (EVA and Contiental). No one's even looked at it twice.

 

Inside the case goes Aquatica housing, macro and dome port, two S&S strobes, arms, handles, chords, zoom/focus rings, extension ring. The trouble is making the darn thing look light! The camera/lenses/batteries/chargers/etc. go in a Lowepro Orion Trekker backback. I'm looking into a different way of packing everything. I feel I could get more stuff in a smaller space if I really tried. Of course the weight will still be an issue.

[CSPhoto 0]

Just be careful if going through anything European. The carry on size is now 56cm x 45cm x 25cm with this being the only bag (laptop and everything else must go inside it) with a 5 to 6 kg (11 to 13lb) weight limit supposedly more and more strictly enforced. The 25cm dimension used to be 26cm and those bags are being rejected. The baggage weight is generally 20kg (44lb) maybe with an extra 10kg for certain specified sports equipment. Overweight charges can be horrendously high.

 

Charles Stirling from the UK and having problems with flying and baggage.