Airline Travel

[Robert McDonald]

I'm making a airline trip to Florida in June. Will be there about 10 days. Would like to take my camera backpack with all of my 4x5 equipment (maybe $10,000 paid for contents). It is far too large to carry on. Am afraid to put in a duffel bag and check it. Too much chance it will be lost or stolen. Would appreciate answers from those of you who have done airline travel with your equipment.

Thanks,
Robert

[eric black]

I carry on all of my glass items tripod and head (detached so it doesnt look like a weapon) and film- everything else is checked into two big pelican cases (a 1700 and a 1650 with clothes as padding and making sure not to exceed the 50 lb limit. All of my equipment is insured against loss/stolen by a business policy- hope this helps.

[Kirk Gittings]

Seems like you are going to have to either check it, ship it separately like UPS, or break it up. Put your most valuable pieces, camera, lenses etc in a regular carry on and stuff your usual oversize camera bag with clothes etc., and leftover less valuable equipment, and check it. Then just reassemble your camera kit when you get there.

My Lowe case, for my usual 4x5 stuff is a carry on, but I also carry a couple of smaller bags with things I may need and areb less valuable (like extra ready load holder, back up light meter etc.), but don't use every shoot. These smaller bags get put in a larger checked bag along with clothes etc.

[David A. Goldfarb]

I also go with the "break it up" strategy. Camera, film, and lenses go on board, and the other items are checked. The tripod is checked in a Tenba TTP case.

[Louie Powell]

Robert -

I pack my camera, both lenses, a meter, half a dozen holders and darkcloth in my LowePro Nature Trekker backpack. It comes in at about 20 pounds (easy to schlep), and fits nicely in the overhead bin of a real airplane.

My spare film, empty film boxes (to transport exposed film), spare holders, 35mm SLR, paperback book, sunglasses, pda and cell phone go in a shoulder bag. Less than 10 pounds, and fits under the seat.

Both the camera backpack and shoulder bag go through the carry-on screening with no special treatment. Usually never captures the attention of the inspectors. And other than the minute or so that it takes to go through inspection, it remains totally under my control.

My tripod goes either into a separate canvas tripod case, or gets buried in a large suitcase along with clothes. That gets checked.

Note the comment about a "real airplane". Last week I flew to Edmonton on business (so I didn't take the big camera). A couple of the legs of that trip were in small planes - an Embraer jet and a prop plane. The Embraer was roomy and I think it would have accommodated the full complement of carryon, but the prop was another matter.

[Frank Petronio]

Pelican 1520 is the largest carry-on box that could be checked if need be, plus it has rollers. I use this plus a laptop shoulder bag, but I carry minimal gear.

[Robert McDonald]

Thanks to all who replied.

Robert

[roteague]

I take the lenses off their mounting boards, put the smaller ones in a fanny pack. The camera and other lenses go in a backpack. Everything else goes in checked luggage. Film goes into a small laptop bag.