Travelling with tripod

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Sergio

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Hello everybody, I am planning my first trip to Florida and have already bought airplane tickets. I intend to bring my Nikon Z8 with the 24-120 and a 400mm f44.5 with converter 1/4 in my 26 L Mindshift backpack. I wish I had bought a slightly bigger one but that is what I have. I also intend to bring my large Gitzo tripod, a systematic series 4 which is rather substantial. My question is, can I carry on the tripod? I will hate to have them send it in the cargo.
 
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The airline approach can change depending on the number of passengers and how many of them have carry-ons.

Yours is a big tripod and you might get grief. Best if you can carry it in a bag slung over your shoulder and plan to try to store it overhead.

I would do what I can to get early boarding so you go on before it gets too crowded.

A first class upgrade if possible would allow for the possibility they might let you keep the tripod in the first class coat closet.

As a last resort see if you can gate check the tripod bag so you can pick it up as you deplane.

On a long term basis you might want to invest in a more compact travel tripod. A systematic 4 is pretty beefy for what you are bringing on this trip. You might also be able to rent a travel tripod for the trip.
 
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Sergio said:
Hello everybody, I am planning my first trip to Florida and have already bought airplane tickets. I intend to bring my Nikon Z8 with the 24-120 and a 400mm f44.5 with converter 1/4 in my 26 L Mindshift backpack. I wish I had bought a slightly bigger one but that is what I have. I also intend to bring my large Gitzo tripod, a systematic series 4 which is rather substantial. My question is, can I carry on the tripod? I will hate to have them send it in the cargo.
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I have exactly the same tripod, and when traveling by plane I pack it (without head) in my checked bag (a duffle). I’ve never had an issue, and it allows me a bit more freedom with my carry on.

P.S. For travel, another tip is taking a Flexshooter Pro hybrid gimbal/ball head. They’re small, lightweight, and provide a great way to have gimbal and ball head flexibility in one head.
 
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I am writing this post literally from a plane. For my travels with a tripod do I never bring it as hand luggage as I also have a backpack and laptop shoulder bag. Depending on the gear I bring is that a medium size backpack (Nya-EVO 26L) or the big one (Nya-EVO 60L or the MrJanGear Boris IV). The tripod, a Gitzo Systematic 3 series, goes in my suitcase. This is either a hard shell or a duffle bag.
 
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I’m traveling to Florida later this month with a couple of Z9’s, 400 f2.8 tc, 100-400, and 24-120. I’m thinking about leaving the tripod and gimbal head at home and shooting everything hand held. Maybe that is something for you to consider.
 
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I Think I've stated this before on another similar thread. As a former TSA officer I can tell you that anything that can be construed as a weapon CAN be denied passing the checkpoint. A tripod fits the description, thought it's up to the officer you encounter to make the call. I would not take the chance, check it in your luggage.
 
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Oldnintheway said:
I Think I've stated this before on another similar thread. As a former TSA officer I can tell you that anything that can be construed as a weapon CAN be denied passing the checkpoint. A tripod fits the description, thought it's up to the officer you encounter to make the call. I would not take the chance, check it in your luggage.
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What if my hands are registered with the FBI as deadly weapons? ;)
 
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Sergio said:
Hello everybody, I am planning my first trip to Florida and have already bought airplane tickets. I intend to bring my Nikon Z8 with the 24-120 and a 400mm f44.5 with converter 1/4 in my 26 L Mindshift backpack. I wish I had bought a slightly bigger one but that is what I have. I also intend to bring my large Gitzo tripod, a systematic series 4 which is rather substantial. My question is, can I carry on the tripod? I will hate to have them send it in the cargo.
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If it is possible, pack the tripod in your checked luggage. I remove the tripod head and the feet if necessary. It's possible to disassemble one section of legs if necessary. Pack clothing around your tripod legs as cushioning. If possible, carry on your ballhead and/or gimbal head. While they can be replaced, it is a nuisance and finding Arca Swiss replacements on short notice while traveling is a problem. If your bag is tight, try packing the tripod diagonally.

You can carry on your camera bag and a separate laptop or computer bag. That should allow you to have plenty of room for delicate and/or valuable accessories.

While I have carried on a tripod in the past, it counts as one of your personal items and is highly susceptible to need to be checked. It's a judgement call. I would not risk it.
 
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Oldnintheway said:
I Think I've stated this before on another similar thread. As a former TSA officer I can tell you that anything that can be construed as a weapon CAN be denied passing the checkpoint. A tripod fits the description, thought it's up to the officer you encounter to make the call. I would not take the chance, check it in your luggage.
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And if the tripod had spiked feet, I suspect that would only further strengthen their argument about it possibly being used as a weapon.

--Ken
 
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If the collapsed tripod is longer than 22.0 inches you are better off by having it a checked bag. This is why I never used my RRS TVC34L tripod when traveling by air. I ended up selling it and buying a Feisol CTR-3472 tripod that was shorter when collapsed and have used in on many tripd by plane.

I consider a series 4 tripod to be overkill for still photography. I used a series 3 that was good enough with a 15 lb lens and camera load. My Feisol supports a real world load of 66 lbs, and if I need more working height, as with animals up in the trees, I add the Feisol center column kit that is in a checked bag and only takes seconds to add at the hotel.
 
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Sergio said:
Hello everybody, I am planning my first trip to Florida and have already bought airplane tickets. I intend to bring my Nikon Z8 with the 24-120 and a 400mm f44.5 with converter 1/4 in my 26 L Mindshift backpack. I wish I had bought a slightly bigger one but that is what I have. I also intend to bring my large Gitzo tripod, a systematic series 4 which is rather substantial. My question is, can I carry on the tripod? I will hate to have them send it in the cargo.
Click to expand...
It's been a number of years since I traveled by air with a tripod, but at the time I was advised to check it in my luggage. I did that, and everything went fine, but on all four occasions, I got a note from TSA inside my checked bag that it had been opened and examined. FYI.
 
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Abinoone said:
I have exactly the same tripod, and when traveling by plane I pack it (without head) in my checked bag (a duffle). I’ve never had an issue, and it allows me a bit more freedom with my carry on.

P.S. For travel, another tip is taking a Flexshooter Pro hybrid gimbal/ball head. They’re small, lightweight, and provide a great way to have gimbal and ball head flexibility in one head.
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I have paired a Flexshooter Pro with a Peak design Travel tripod, both of which go fairly easily into my smallish, checked-in luggage. I use the combo with a Nikon Z 400mm F4.5 & a Nikon Z 800mm PF on my Z8. Not as sturdy as my regular tripod but much lighter, compact, allows me to hike and take videos at my destination. The heavier tripod goes where I can drive.
 
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TurtleCat said:
I was planning on putting my tripod and the gimbal head into checked luggage. Should I just check the tripod in and take the gimbal with me?
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Part of this is a matter of space, and part is practicality.

If you lose your luggage with your tripod, you can probably get a replacement tripod within a day to two - even on the road. You might get a cheaper tripod, or one that provides lower quality support - but you can get something and use your gimbal head right away. If you lose your ball head or gimbal head, a replacement is tougher and may not fit your Arca Swiss or other brand plates and brackets. Now you are stuck without support for the rest of your trip.

I try to carry my ballhead and gimbal head in my carry-on bags. I do the same thing with my battery charger, card reader, backup drive, and other critical items. Sometimes I will check those items on the way back home since the loss or delay won't cost me days of shooting on my trip. You can go through that thought process and decide what makes sense.

Along these lines, look at your destination and get a sense whether there are good camera stores or good transportation options that would allow you to replace checked gear if needed. Always have a plan - even if that plan is to buy replacements from Amazon.
 
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Butlerkid said:
I've traveled around the world several times over the last 40 years. Tripod goes in checked luggage. Never had a problem.
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Karen, do you take your 'regular' tripod and head or do you sub in a lighter, smaller tripod for travel? Facing that question at the moment. Thanks.
 
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Sounds like I am in the minority here but every time I have flown I have carried on my tripod, in a carry case, as my personal item. I have never run into issues with TSA (Mind you I only have rubber knobs ends and not spikes). I have a Gitzo series 3 and a traveler. Traveler is obviously a lot smaller and my tripod of choose now but I have flown with the larger one as well. Again I put it in case which I think helps with gate attendants (at least that is my theory) so they can't tell what it is. Also helps because if they know you have camera gear odds are they aren't going to ask you to weigh it. I have no doubt that others have packed their tripod in checked bags and have had no issues but I feel a whole lot better having it with me. I've seen the way luggage is handled so I personally don't take the chance. I guess in the end its a chance either way.
 
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ssheipel said:
Karen, do you take your 'regular' tripod and head or do you sub in a lighter, smaller tripod for travel? Facing that question at the moment. Thanks.
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I didn't own a light tripod until about 2 months ago! LOL! So I always took my RRS TVC24L and BH55!

2 months ago I got the Peak Design Travel (PD) tripod @ 30% off on Black Friday! In December we went to Europe and I knew all my photography would be handheld street and cathedral/basilica interior shots with only blue hour and a couple of churches that would allow me to use a tripod. So I took the PD tripod.

For my big lenses, I will always take my RRS tripod. For the 70-200 f2.8 and lighter lenses I use the PD tripod.

Regardless, they both go in the checked luggage.
 
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Butlerkid said:
I didn't own a light tripod until about 2 months ago! LOL! So I always took my RRS TVC24L and BH55!

2 months ago I got the Peak Design Travel (PD) tripod @ 30% off on Black Friday! In December we went to Europe and I knew all my photography would be handheld street and cathedral/basilica interior shots with only blue hour and a couple of churches that would allow me to use a tripod. So I took the PD tripod.

For my big lenses, I will always take my RRS tripod. For the 70-200 f2.8 and lighter lenses I use the PD tripod.

Regardless, they both go in the checked luggage.
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Thanks. Full tripod and gimball it is then for me for the north! And I was looking at that Peak Design generally for something small, so thanks too for that 'review' :)
 
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Oldnintheway said:
I Think I've stated this before on another similar thread. As a former TSA officer I can tell you that anything that can be construed as a weapon CAN be denied passing the checkpoint. A tripod fits the description, thought it's up to the officer you encounter to make the call. I would not take the chance, check it in your luggage.
Click to expand...
This has been my experience at Houston, TX airports. The TSA agents have told me that tripods are weapons and have to be checked. I know that not all TSA agents share this opinion. I always check my travel tripod in my checked bag and include the ballhead too as that has been consodered to be a weapon too.
 
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I have had enough troubles with checked luggage getting misrouted or severely damaged by the airlines to take all the photo gear I need on the plane with me or check it at the gate. This avoids problems with TSA thieves or with baggage handlers and airline equipment.

I have had checked bags take a week or more to finally be found by the airlines and with my last trip to Brazil I picked up my bag from the international carrier and walked it through customs and then checked it at the domestic airline's desk. The bag ended up in another town and it took 12 hours to locate it and get it sent to the airport in Sao Paulo and another trip to the airport to pick it up. On my last trip to Alaska the notorious Pennair removed my checked bag and that of my wife at King Salmon airport to make room for more fish from the boats. We had to make a trip the next day to the airport in Anchorage to get our luggage.

The problem is that in most towns one cannot walk into a store and find photo gear to buy at any price. On our trips that are 14 days or shorter the loss of a couple days of use of our equipment is a serious financial setback. If it happens on a tour with a group they are not going to delay departure for 1-2 days to accommodate our need to wait for luggage to arrive.

I have learned to do two things, minimize what is checked, and to arrive 1-2 days early to allow for problems with the airlines. Fortunately with the Pantenal trip we arrive in Sao Paulo 3 days before we were to be picked up by our guide and so no days lost with our excursion. In Costa Rica we arrived a day late as a result of our flight being cancelled due to concerns about a volcano spewing dust into the air which can damage jet engines and is not detectable by aircraft radar. In that case I had prepaid for a 7 day tour and we lost a day and needed to hire a car and driver to catch up to the group. Stuff happens and all one can do is try to mitigate the damage that results as much as possible. I do not rely on being lucky.
 
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