Travelling by air

[Mike1941]

Until now I have focused on landscape and macro photography. I recently caught the "BIF" and other "critters" bug in a big way and and added the Nikon 500mm f/5.6 pf to my bag.
In the past I carried my equipment as "carry-on" when travelling by air; however, I think the addition of the 500 pf may well make this impractical.
I am asking for ideas/suggestions/advice for transporting my camera, lenses as well as the rest of my paraphernalia safely and securely when travelling, especially when flying. I would prefer to keep everything together.

 

[John Navitsky]

what all do you have that you think it won't fit as a carry-on?

 

[Nobby]

Hi,

I use the MindShift Gear BackLight 26 which will go in any overhead locker with space to spare

This will hold the following in the main pocket

D850 with 500 PF f/5.6 attached [which I can swop if required with a 300 f/2.8]
D500 with 70-200 f/2.8 attached
24-79 f/2.8
16-35 f/4
TC 1.4
TC 2.0
Internal space for battery x 4 and SD cards and pocket blower
and a pair of binoculars 10X25

I have a monopod on the side and a bean bag and monopod head in the front pocket with plenty of room to spare

Fantastic bag

Nobby

 

[Abinoone]

Until now I have focused on landscape and macro photography. I recently caught the "BIF" and other "critters" bug in a big way and and added the Nikon 500mm f/5.6 pf to my bag.
In the past I carried my equipment as "carry-on" when travelling by air; however, I think the addition of the 500 pf may well make this impractical.
I am asking for ideas/suggestions/advice for transporting my camera, lenses as well as the rest of my paraphernalia safely and securely when travelling, especially when flying. I would prefer to keep everything together.

You definitely should take your camera equipment as a carry on! I do not trust the airlines to handle expensive equipment as checked baggage, although some people check gear using Pelican cases. I typically travel with two D850s, and 200-500, 24-70, and 70-200 lenses (and sometimes a 16-35), along with a 1.4 TC, filters, extra batteries, tripod head, etc. all in a carry-on bag. Regional airlines can be pretty picky about what they allow as carry-on, so I purchased a Think Tank Airport Advantage case (https://www.thinktankphoto.com/collections/airport-series/products/airport-advantage), which was specifically designed with regional jets in mind. I'm able to fit my entire kit in it, and haven't had a problem. I pack my Gitzo tripod separately in my checked bag, but keep the head in my carry-on. Hope this helps.

 

[Patrick M]

Recently bought a Peli 1535 air. Apparently fits in tne overhead, but I’ve not tried it yet.

http://m5pm.com/Peli1535

Photo from Peli

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[John Navitsky]

airlines can have different max dimensions for carry ons. i researched the airline i most cared about and found the max under seat dimensions and went to the camera store with a tape measure and found the largest bag that fit into those dimensions.

i ended up with a mindshift firstlight 40l. it’s worked well for me so far

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[NWGuy]

i ended up with a mindshift firstlight 40l. it’s worked well for me so far

[/QUOTE]
Using this same bag without any problems so far. Still trying to find the best way to arrange everything on the inside to optimize space. I really like being able to wrap the shoulder straps around the front and secure them so they are not flopping all over. The only problem with a bigger bag is the weight, had to pay extra in Costa Rica.

 

[Butlerkid]

I use the ThinkTank Commuter for both USA and international flights which holds my 600mm f4, body and a lens or so. I try to keep it under about 21 lbs. No problems fitting in the overhead. The ThinkTank Accelerator is larger, and fits in the overheads, but if I fill it, it gets too heavy for me to carry around! I also carry a computer bag which contains not only my laptop, but my chargers and card readers, external HDs, cables AND another body and lens! AND I wear a photo vest which holds ID, tickets, batteries, phone and other incidentals. All told, about 38 lbs of carry on.

FWIW.....I much prefer a back pack without wheels. Wheels add another 4+ lbs to the bag - and airlines frequently select bags with wheels for gate checking. YMMV........

 

[Rassie]

I usually use a 40l backpack myself, and I carry my 200-500mm lens in its own Lowepro soft case. Most large airlines allow one a carry-on bag as well as a personal item, so my big lens in its own case is my personal item. Never had a problem this way. That same lens case should work very well for the 500mm PF lens.

Henrys.com : LOWEPRO LENS CASE 13X32CM BLACK

LOWEPRO LENS CASE 13X32CM BLACK

www.henrys.com

 

[Mike1941]

Hi,

I use the MindShift Gear BackLight 26 which will go in any overhead locker with space to spare

This will hold the following in the main pocket

D850 with 500 PF f/5.6 attached [which I can swop if required with a 300 f/2.8]
D500 with 70-200 f/2.8 attached
24-79 f/2.8
16-35 f/4
TC 1.4
TC 2.0
Internal space for battery x 4 and SD cards and pocket blower
and a pair of binoculars 10X25

I have a monopod on the side and a bean bag and monopod head in the front pocket with plenty of room to spare

Fantastic bag

Nobby

Thank you very much.

 

[Mike1941]

I appreciate the suggestion and will look into that gear.

 

[Mike1941]

I use the ThinkTank Commuter for both USA and international flights which holds my 600mm f4, body and a lens or so. I try to keep it under about 21 lbs. No problems fitting in the overhead. The ThinkTank Accelerator is larger, and fits in the overheads, but if I fill it, it gets too heavy for me to carry around! I also carry a computer bag which contains not only my laptop, but my chargers and card readers, external HDs, cables AND another body and lens! AND I wear a photo vest which holds ID, tickets, batteries, phone and other incidentals. All told, about 38 lbs of carry on.

FWIW.....I much prefer a back pack without wheels. Wheels add another 4+ lbs to the bag - and airlines frequently select bags with wheels for gate checking. YMMV........

Thank you for the suggestion regarding wheels; I had not though about the ramifications. I'm also concerned about weight.

 

[Mike1941]

airlines can have different max dimensions for carry ons. i researched the airline i most cared about and found the max under seat dimensions and went to the camera store with a tape measure and found the largest bag that fit into those dimensions.

i ended up with a mindshift firstlight 40l. it’s worked well for me so far

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View attachment 33229

Thank you very much for the detailed photos. I had not considered packing my d850 without a lens attached. I will look at that arrangement to see if it will allow room for the 500 pf lens.

 

[Butlerkid]

Thank you for the suggestion regarding wheels; I had not though about the ramifications. I'm also concerned about weight.

If you have a very good backpack....meaning a solid belt to put weight on the hips....you can walk a very long distance. I'm 71 years old and only 5'3". Not nearly as athletic as I used to be. But I still carry my own gear as carry on. I highly recommend ThinkTank products.

 

[Mike1941]

what all do you have that you think it won't fit as a carry-on?

My 12 year old backpack is well padded; however, I have not found a way to fit the d850, 16-35, 24-70, 105 macro, and the 500 f5.6 pf at the same time. I am looking for a solution when flying.

 

[GrandNagus50]

This subject is often discussed in these forums, which reflects the real concern that many of us have about carrying our gear on planes. The bottom line is that one has to tailor one's planning for the particular airline and aircraft involved. Each airline provides information about the maximum dimensions allowed for carry-ons and also for the "personal item" you are allowed to place beneath the seat in front of you. Accordingly, there are LOTS of camera bags that are designed to fit within these allowable dimensions. I would check out bags made by ThinkTank, MindShift, GuraGear, f-stop, and Lowepro. B&H and other online stores have a great variety of bags and you can select by their external dimensions.

Mike actually does not seem to have all that much gear to carry; finding a bag that passes muster for air travel should be no problem. That said, photographers can run into problems when flying some international airlines where carry-ons are limited to 8-10 kilograms. They almost never actually weigh carry-ons, but the threat is always there.

People also should be aware that to reach many destinations you need to take a small regional jet for the last part of your journey. Some of these smaller Embraer planes have limited carry-on space, so even if you are flying via an airline that purports to allow full-sized carry-ons with no weight limit you can run into problems at the gate and you might be asked to "gate check" your bag. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE FOR ROLLING BAGS. So, if you are anticipating a flight where your carry-on size or weight might be an issue, it's a good idea to opt for a backpack-type bag, not a rolling bag.

You also can place some of your lenses in your "personal item" bag. There are lots of smaller camera bags and small backpacks that can accommodate camera gear. If Mike put two of his lenses into his "personal item" backpack, what remains could easily fit into a medium-sized backpack like a Mindshift Backlight 26L.

 

[BirdDogDad]

You might have a look at Vanquest products like this one: https://www.vanquest.com/best-sellers/trident-21-gen-3-backpack/

These are primarily designed for military/tactical use, and have not really been marketed to photographers. They are side-loading, which some might not like, but for me it has been the ideal solution. You have the full width of the bag at your disposal, not just the front-to-back depth. This makes them ideal for long lenses, drones, etc. I rarely travel with the same equipment every time, so the flexibility offered by the Vanquest pack is perfect for me. If necessary, I put my camera and lenses in another padded sleeve so they don't rub against each other, or even slip them into a sock--preferably a clean one. The Vanquest packs are extremely well made, reasonably priced and comfortable to carry, having a substantial waist strap. Several of the Vanquest packs are also safely within the size restrictions of just about any airline. Many of the backpacks being marketed claim to be "carry-on size," but push or exceed some published limits--especially when fully loaded.

I also purchased a small, inexpensive and lightweight folding luggage cart. Several of them on Amazon. If I know I will be walking long distances through airports, or having to shlep the bag for hours, I unfold the little cart and let it carry my backpack. Fold it up before you get on the plane and either strap it to the pack or just toss it in the overhead. I've never had any complaints from an airline about it.

 

[IainD]

My problem has been the weight of gear rather than the bag size. I had to drop my D3x and D3s with my 500f4 from the front hatch of 767 to the tarmac below. Fortunately they were fine at the other end! Not happy, though.

 

[Laurence Jackson]

If you're travelling outside of the US, be very careful. Don't get hung up just on the bag size, It's the weight that can bite you and Australian and European airlines are very strict about this, often/always weighing every piece of cabin baggage and these limits can be very low. Some empty roller bags can be upto 5kg....some cabin baggage allowances can be just 7kg TOTAL....

 

[Mike1941]

Until now I have focused on landscape and macro photography. I recently caught the "BIF" and other "critters" bug in a big way and and added the Nikon 500mm f/5.6 pf to my bag.
In the past I carried my equipment as "carry-on" when travelling by air; however, I think the addition of the 500 pf may well make this impractical.
I am asking for ideas/suggestions/advice for transporting my camera, lenses as well as the rest of my paraphernalia safely and securely when travelling, especially when flying. I would prefer to keep everything together.

If you're travelling outside of the US, be very careful. Don't get hung up just on the bag size, It's the weight that can bite you and Australian and European airlines are very strict about this, often/always weighing every piece of cabin baggage and these limits can be very low. Some empty roller bags can be upto 5kg....some cabin baggage allowances can be just 7kg TOTAL....

Thank you for the information; much appreciated.

 

[Marcus Slade]

airlines can have different max dimensions for carry ons. i researched the airline i most cared about and found the max under seat dimensions and went to the camera store with a tape measure and found the largest bag that fit into those dimensions.

i ended up with a mindshift firstlight 40l. it’s worked well for me so far

View attachment 33227

View attachment 33228

View attachment 33229

I too have had this bag for almost five years (love it too) and have flown with it a number of times. The very first time I flew with it (multiple flights from Vancouver to Kodiak Island, Alaska), I had it packed to the gills with two gripped bodies, 600mm f4, 200-500mm f5.6, Tamron 70-200mm f2.8, 24-120mm f4, Tamron 15-30mm f2.8 and assorted accessories. My gimbal and tripod were in my checked luggage. It was frighteningly heavy but I was still able to put it in the overhead bin on all flight legs and, as you said, it could even go under the seat in front of me which I've had to do once on a subsequent flight, albeit a shorter leg. It is a great bag but because it's fairly big I am too often tempted to fill it, simply because I can.

minus the tripod and gimbal, this is what I got in the bag that first time I used it.

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[RichF]

I travel with a Gura Gear 32L bag. I roll it through the airport and then if I get concerned about bringing aboard a plane, I put it on my back and put the computer bag on the cart - see below

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004B9V1R2/?tag=backcogaller-20

Another trick is travel in the forward cabin. I have put a 600 F4 and 200-400 F4 plus 2 1Dx and 70-200 F2.8 and misc items in the gura gear bag.

 

[Calson]

With my last 3 trips out of the country I have had a pelican case sent to the wrong airport and not loaded on my plane, I had my checked luggage offloaded to make room for crates of fish, and I had a strongbox that supported my weight without flexing completely destroyed by the baggage handlers. And they there is the theft at places like Miami Airport and that was when you could lock your cases. As of 2010 more than 400 TSA employees had been fired for theft.

So I advise people to carry on the plane anything they will need when they arrive at their planned destination. I have had a 32 liter backpack that weighed 37 lbs and had a 11 lb 600mm f/4 lens, 80-400mm, 14-24mm, two speedlights, brackets, batteries, two cameras, two teleconverters, a gimbal head, and a full size tripod. I know have a 8 lb 600mm f/4 and the 500mm PF and the 100-400mm zoom and a 18-35mm lens and two cameras and 4 teleconverters, F and S types.

But I put the heavy items, as much as possible, into a 18L backpack that also holds a netbook and the size qualifies as a "personal item" as it fits under the seat in front of me most of the time (actual space varies even on the same plane with aisle seats most like to have half the specified room).

The Gura Gear Bataflae backpacks have thinner insulation and lightweight coverings and I save about 4 lbs of bag weight and have 15% more space for my gear. The 32L is no longer being made but if something happened to mine I would buy a used one on eBay as nothing else is as good. I bought 4 of the Bataflae 18L so I would have ones for myself and my wife and two backups. Like my LowePro Stealth Reporter shoulder bags, sometimes manufacturers get it close to perfect and then discontinue an item.

I put my 32L bag on a folding trolley and use bungee cords to keep it in place when wheeling it through an airport. I wear the 18L on my back and so I do not look like I am carrying a great deal when I board the plane. The cart I fold and it goes under the 32L in the overhead bin. My tripod is short enough to fit crossways in the overhead bin and takes up 4 inches of space. I put my wife's tripod on top of mine and then our jackets are rolled up an put on top of the tripods. The 18L goes under the seat in front of me.

It pays to be among the first to board and if I do not have a frequent flyer status with an airline I will buy a premium coach so can board earlier for short flights of less than 6 hours and a business class ticket for longer flights.

This has been my strategy for many years and it still works despite everything although post the 9-11 hysteria and the TSA people I fly 80% less as the destination has to justify the limitations by the feds and the airline monopolies.

 

[Craig McGowan]

I have and use a F-Stop AJNA backpack with its ICU. This is carry-on size permissible.

While I am mindful of the weight limitations, occasionally the backpack may exceed the 7Kg or whatever the particular airline limit is. (7kg weight for me is sort of true...) If I have my carry-on luggage weighed on boarding and I'm over, I can quickly take out the ICU with the camera body and lenses. This approach has served me well over a number of years, in many countries and different airlines.

Oh yes, I always wear a big jacket when flying. Doesn't matter about the weather, be prepared in case the weather changes. With the added bonus the jacket can accomodate so much camera gear when required.

 

[Mark Garfinkel]

Carry On Luggage Size Chart – This has been update for 2022
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International Carry On Luggage Size Chart 2023 Update | The Luggage List

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Under seat carry-on (But there goes your leg room)

Underseat Luggage Size Restrictions for 20 Popular Airlines

The size restrictions for carry-ons are generally easy to understand. The most common size is 22 x 14 x 9 inches, which has become an industry standard. However

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