Checking in Photo gear with your airline.

[CoralKisser]

I was just wondering what others are doing when they need to check there expensive photo gear in as checked baggage when traveling? Is there insurance you can buy to cover such expensive gear? Most baggage coverage Ive seen only covers from about $750 -2000 depending on how much you want to pay for the insurance ($50 - 400) but this gear is worth around $6000.
Obviously I will be packing them in Pelican travel cases with locks on but Im just wondering if insurance for such expensive items is also available.

 

[scuba e]

Are you traveling solo? If not, I am able to get my nauticam housing, dome and macro ports, camera body, 3 lenses, strobes and arms in 2 carryons. one for her, one for me. If I were solo it would be impossible.
In that case i have insured thru DAN. Pretty reasonable.
I have read other posts that claim the pelican cases draw un-needed attention. I know one person myself that has had his pelican show up empty 2 times. Once thru Miami and once in Puerto Rico.

 

[John Gulliver]

The airlines' rules include "A camera" among the carry-on items allowed in addition to your carry-on luggage. I have never had any problem taking my camera, lenses, spare camera battery, charger, card reader etc in a medium-sized padded camera bag as "A camera". My housing, flat port, one strobe and arm and a single sync cord fit into a backpack and weigh just under 7 kilos altogether. The rest of my ports, strobes etc, together with T-shirts, underwear etc, go in an anonymous wheeled hard suitcase which I have lined with foam. Nowadays, I always rent all diving gear locally except my computers and prescription mask. The rental cost is very reasonable and all the dive centres I have been to in recent years have had modern, well-maintained equipment.

 

[ScubaSteve1962]

Here's a camera bag that can also be used as carry-own, includes a tsa lock.
Lowepro - Pro Roller x100

 

[CoralKisser]

On this trip Im solo. Otherwise I would do as scuba e suggests and have my other half take my second hard case as her carry on. Im allowed 2 checked bags of 50 lbs each on this trip. What I think I will do is put my small hard case (strobe, flat port, arms etc) in a large plain suitcase with most of my dive gear then take a 2nd smaller bag with clothes etc My housing and dome port I will carry on. Camera, laptop will be in my backpack.

 

[CoralKisser]

Just checked on the DAN insurance website and they only insure DAN members within the US. Im in Canada.

 

[mike_s]

I was just wondering what others are doing when they need to check there expensive photo gear in as checked baggage when traveling? Is there insurance you can buy to cover such expensive gear? Most baggage coverage Ive seen only covers from about $750 -2000 depending on how much you want to pay for the insurance ($50 - 400) but this gear is worth around $6000.
Obviously I will be packing them in Pelican travel cases with locks on but Im just wondering if insurance for such expensive items is also available.

$6k of camera equipment is NOT something I'd trust to "checked luggage". Locks mean nothing now that TSA has implemented their TSA lock and they are easily defeated.

Carry that stuff on. Loosing it will be expensive in checked luggage and also not replaceable while on your trip. You can always buy new shorts/shirts/underwear while on your trip if you loost that and it's covered by the airlines under $2k policy

Just checked on the DAN insurance website and they only insure DAN members within the US. Im in Canada.

DAN "North America" is available to US and Canada residents. (but not Mexico. Mexico uses another DAN subsidiary)

see DAN Divers Alert Network : Insurance : Diving Accident Insurance Plan

says:

DAN America membership and dive accident insurance are available to residents of the United States and Canada​

.



Note their "Dive Equipment Insurance" is actually provided by another company. Dive Equipment Insurance services are being provided by Senn, Dunn, Marsh, and Roland, LLC.


I can't view that website at work. but here's the link http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/danservices/equipment.asp

 

[mike_s]

I have read other posts that claim the pelican cases draw un-needed attention. I know one person myself that has had his pelican show up empty 2 times. Once thru Miami and once in Puerto Rico.

Both Miami and Puerto Rico are VERY HIGH THEFT airports in items stolen from luggage.


Last time I flew out of Miami I was hit. They stole a brand new pair of Cole Hahn shoes from my checked luggage.



just check the news stories on the issues of employee's stealing stuff at MIA.

miami airport luggage theft - Google Search


same thing for Puerto Rico.

 

[Viz'art]

Just checked on the DAN insurance website and they only insure DAN members within the US. Im in Canada.

In Canada they only offer the health package, it's too bad that there is no equipment insurrance as available in the USA. c'mon DAN, make it happen!

 

[Dgsmith]

I bought a sierra design bag. Eagle creek also makes one called the switchback. The main bag will fit all my underwater equipment and camera. a seperate backback that I put under the seat zips on the main bag. I put laptop, dive computor and more in the backpack . You can carry or roll the main bag once you have reattached the backpack portion.