Air Travel with multiple formats

[Hollis]

I am going to be heading back up to Alaska in a week or so and I am in a bit of a pickle as to how I am going to get the gear that I want up north. I want to bring 2 camera systems, my Canon digital and 2 lenses (35mm and 50mm) and my Wista 45 SP field camera. I will probably be bringing my 150, 210 and 360 tele lenses with me as well as a small loupe, dark cloth (can go in my clothes bag), meter, 545 holder with quickloads and numerous double darkslide holders as well. Oh, I will also be bringing my laptop too which complicates things further. So, how the hell do I get all this up there? Fortunately, I will be buying a beater car once there and will be driving home in it so getting it all back is not an issue.

My digital usually resides in a large LowePro bag but it is not very effecient and my 4x5 kit is in a large storm case, so, can't carry that on the plane either.


I am thinking that I might ship a small box of stuff to a friends house in Anchorage to pick up on my way out of town so I won't be so weighed down while in Bristol Bay.

Opinions? Ideas?

[eddie]

you can do it. i took my chamonix 4x5 and 8x10. and my mamiya RB67 with film ONTO the plane with me last time! (i also carried the lenes as they were pretty small.

get one of those rolling carry on bags. that will hold your 4x5 no problems with a lens or two and some of your digital gear. i also use a backpack for my laptop and you can jam more film and the like in there as well. them pack the rest of your stuff in the hull. i have sent many many LF items into checked bags with no problemns domestically and foreign travel.....they do not wantthat heavy "worthless" stuff anyway.

hope this helps. it is very doable.

eddie

[Walter Calahan]

Shipping to a friend is the best way to go. When I worked at USA Today we shipped gear all over the country and overseas via FedEx. Saved big headaches at the airport.

[Hollis]

Ill never check any sort of camera again after the TSA (or american airlines, your pick) robbed me of about 10,000.00 worth of gear a few years ago. Ill probably put the 4x5 into my backpack, put the digital and laptop into a lowepro Stealth reporter and then have a checked bag for my clothes, tripod, film tent, extra holders (empty), etc. etc. etc.

By the way, will the checked baggage X-Ray's ruin ISO 25 B/W film with one pass?

[Diane Maher]

I never put any film into checked baggage, regardless of ISO.

[Bob Denton]

I travel internationally with too much gear. I have 2 cases. One Pelican with suitcase-like wheels and handle and a LowePro backpack. In the Pelican goes my Hasselblad H1, Leaf back and it's four lenses. The LowePro has my Canon 5D, lenses and other stuff. I secure both with TSA locks. Now the fun part. I check the Bogen tripod (In a Bogen soft case) and I gatecheck the Pelican. Then I carry on the LowePro.

It works.

[kirkmacatangay]

Rolling bag and backpack that fits the carry-on regulations of your flight should suffice. I brought a Crown and three lenses, 8 Grafmatics, changing bag, film (RDP and HP5+), loupe and filters, & DSLR two lenses, CF cards, and a Net book with cords in one bag. I had enough room to have a second set of clothes (went to Hawaii, so very little to really pack). I had room for another 4x5 camera but decided i had too much already. The non-essencials like tripod (a light Slik) and latex gloves (for changing film) were in the check in. Very do-able to travel with large format.

Kirk

[IanG]

You can't trust the checked luggage scanners, but they are becoming safer.

I wasn't allowed to take my backpack as carry-on luggage on a flight last autumn, and had no choice. In my frustration & annoyance I forgot there was a pack of 100 ISO 5x4 film, when I got back to teh UK I just tossed it on a shelf.

8 weeks ago I was testing some old APX100 so put a sheet of the J&C 100ISO film in the tank too, it was perfect. I gave it to a forum member for his first LF 5x4 shoot.

Ian

[jp]

I traveled last month and put things together like this:

Checked backpack: clothes, laptop, cables, monopod attached and well secured with ducttape AND backpack straps, lens hood for 300 2.8, empty film holders wrapped up to prevent dust.

carryon personal item: film

carryon: Pelican 1520 case with 4x5 speed graphic, minolta light meter, 2 nikon dslrs, 3 typically sized nikon lenses, 300 2.8 lens, filters, CF cards, event badge/paperwork.

I was treated differently regarding the film at various stops, and managed to have it xrayed once, and almost opened once. Apparently a couple of carryon Xrays isn't too bad for it, but I aim to avoid it. The camera equipment was pulled aside and swabbed ALWAYS. I would highly suggest, and I plan to in the future, ups/fedex/mail the film to and from the destination to reduce risk to the film. sending ahead the tripod, film, and anything bulky would be a wise idea. Anything that can help you travel without checked baggage. Traveling is much nicer that way. Tripods/monopods aren't supposed to be carryon. I couldn't manage to get my laptop in carryon, but it would have been nice entertainment if I could. I mostly just needed it to communicate with home/work when traveling, and for backing up and checking the digital photos.

Various airport people I talked to highly discouraged putting film through the checked baggage xray, or even gate check xray. This included a small airport's terminal manager, a TSA person, and a big airport's gate counter attendant.

[William McEwen]

A few things worth mentioning:

1. An agent at the check-in gate once told me that the carry-on X-Rays are much stronger than the check-in X-rays.

2. Last year John Loengard (Life magazine photographer) told me he took several rolls of 3200 speed film (unexposed and also exposed) with him on an international trip, and it went through the X-Rays at several airports in several countries. In his camera bag, not in lead lined bags or otherwise protected.

He said there was no change at all on those emulsions. He said the concept that X-rays harm film is a myth.

3. Since 9-11, I have done no air traveling with LF. My motto is now the old "If I can't drive to it, then screw it." I used to hand carry the camera (8x10) and put everything else in a custom cardboard box and check it, and the tripod would go in its canvas case. Never a problem, (except the tripod arriving a day late one time) although I realize it was just a matter of time before my number came up and something was damaged or lost.

4. When Michael Smith and Paula Chamlee travel internationally, they often just load everything in their Land Rover and have the Land Rover put into a container and shipped ahead. Like pretty much everything else they do, it is probably the best option!