Good tripod bag for flying?

[Tom Westbrook]

I need a good tripod bag or case for transporting a Gitzo 1325 carbon fiber tripod when travelling by air. I've been using the tripod's shipping box, but that's getting pretty beaten up. The Gitzo bag seems OK, but expensive and I haven't found any locally to check out. Will a bag and the tripod in it stand up to airline abuse? Or do I need to go with a hard-sided case? Recommendations and experiences welcome.

Thanks

[JC_3595]

Airline bagage handlers take pride in testing how well luggage is built. If you want an inexpensive alternative to a "padded" case go to the local home supply and find a piece of PVC tube that will fit your tripod, get some end caps with one being a screw on cap and some foam padding for the ends.

[David A. Goldfarb]

I've checked my Tenba TTP bag many times, and my tripod has always come out fine. You'll probably want the medium sized model (34, if I remember correctly)--the long one is for rolls of seamless and big light stands, and the short one is for relatively compact tripods. I usually pack it with the head attached and the handles loose or removed. It should be able to hold your Gitzo 1325 and one or two portable light stands or you can pack something else in the extra space.

[John Hennessy]

My 1300 series Gitzo fits well in a 6" PVC pipe lined with a blue, closed cell mattress pad used for camping. One end has a glued cap and the other a flat, screw-in plug. It has two heavy eye bolts on one side for a shoulder strap. Mine has no lock but one could be added.

Took about one hour to make but a long time to find the 6" PVC pipe and fittings. A sprinkler supply house had what I needed.

[Ellis Vener]

Lightware tripod case. I've used my tripod case for over 10 years with no damage to my tripods. Not cheap but how much do you have invested in your tripod, head & travels?

[Leigh Perry]

I have the earlier black version of the Gitzo bag for the 1325. It's very roomy -- a bit excessive. You need to regard it as another piece of personal luggage. I pack socks and boxers around the tripod and ballhead, which I leave fitted. It makes for a snug and well padded environment for the tripod / head.

I have just returned from a trip from Sydney to several locations in Europe. I also had the Gitzo levelling base fitted to the tripod for the whole trip. Seven or eight flights without incident.

[Michael Chmilar]

You want a bag with a huge "GITZO" name on the side, and maybe also "Carbon Fibre". That way, no one will steal it! :-)

[Ben Hopson]

Like Ellis I have had only good results with my Lightware case. I use it for my Ries tripod and being a little leary of checked luggage have lined the inside of the case with rigid styrofoam. I don't know if it is entirely necessary, but it gives me a little added peace of mind. Prior to the Lightware case I used a duffle bag with the tripod in a box which was wrapped in styrofoam. I used clothing, dark cloth and such to pad around the box. Never any problem and cheap, but the Lightware is so much nicer.

[Brian Ellis]

I've been using a Gitzo bag for quite a while and it works well. However, I think the best solution is a hard shell golf club carrier. Not only do they provide better protection than fabric tripod bags but I've been told that the airlines don't treat golf club bags as additional luggage so you can carry it without a penalty for extra luggage. However, I haven't tried using one so I don't know that from experience, just what someone told me. My Gitzo bag is treated as a piece of luggage and when I had two pieces of "real" luggage on a recent trip the Gitzo bag was considered to be a third piece and incurred a steep penalty, something like $50 each way as I recall.

[Jonathan Willets]

Hakuba's Medium Pro Tripod Case. $35, no plastic buckles to break, well padded & durable in my experience. Enough space to travel with an B1 on top, not that I'd ever give it to the airline that way, though.