How Do You Guys Travel with Your Gear?

[BFRedrocks]

I have the a6500 in a Nauticam housing plus two strobes, float arms, ports, CMC-2 lens, focus light, and accessories and my bag of choice is the Think Tank Airport Takeoff. It converts quickly and easily from a rolling bag to a backpack and it holds a ton. Yeah, it's pretty pricey, but it's built great and has worked for me for years. It's a bit too big when stuffed for under the seat, but if fits nicely in the overhead bin. Usually I roll it around the airport but switch it to backpack mode and throw it on my back when boarding...makes it easier to avoid having to gate check it.

Airport TakeOff™ V2.0

I carry the camera and two lenses in a separate small camera bag and my Nauticam WWL-1 in it's own case in a smaller rolling duffel bag I carry on.

 

[outofofficebrb]

I have the a6500 in a Nauticam housing plus two strobes, float arms, ports, CMC-2 lens, focus light, and accessories and my bag of choice is the Think Tank Airport Takeoff. It converts quickly and easily from a rolling bag to a backpack and it holds a ton. Yeah, it's pretty pricey, but it's built great and has worked for me for years. It's a bit too big when stuffed for under the seat, but if fits nicely in the overhead bin. Usually I roll it around the airport but switch it to backpack mode and throw it on my back when boarding...makes it easier to avoid having to gate check it.

Airport TakeOff™ V2.0

I carry the camera and two lenses in a separate small camera bag and my Nauticam WWL-1 in it's own case in a smaller rolling duffel bag I carry on.

Great bag. I think I axed it off my list when I was shopping for one because the exterior is 21" which puts it at a domestic size instead of 19" (international sized). (I do mostly international travel so needed to accommodate for that.)

 

[JackOfDiamonds]

Pelican case with foam fittings ,

You get it with a single block of foam and cut it out according to what you want to store inside.

A truck can run over your case and your stuff would probably fine.

 

[martincohn]

Airline: We are out of room in the overheads and you will need to gate check ur carry on.
Me: what about all of the lithium batteries in there?

So what happens? Anyone run into this scenario...

 

[outofofficebrb]

Airline: We are out of room in the overheads and you will need to gate check ur carry on.
Me: what about all of the lithium batteries in there?

So what happens? Anyone run into this scenario...

If you get an international sized bag, you can fit it under the seat in front of you if you get desperate. I would also look into a jacket with a ton of pockets like the Scott E Vest products where you can start evacuating the really fragile stuff out of the bag and into your jacket pockets. I carry their jacket when I travel to use as an airplane blanket and in case I really get push back on checking my photo bag. I would just be checking in the hardware and the bag itself. Don't pay full price for their products; they have codes for 30% off all the time.

You can also just remove the lithium batteries if all else fails.

 

[scrane]

Anything I REALLY don't want lost or broken I carry on.

 

[BFRedrocks]

Airline: We are out of room in the overheads and you will need to gate check ur carry on.
Me: what about all of the lithium batteries in there?

So what happens? Anyone run into this scenario...

You have to pull them out and carry them on, either in your personal bag that should fit under your seat, or in your pockets. Either way, they need to be in the cabin with you. I had to do that once on a small commuter plane.

 

[outofofficebrb]

At the airport tonight flying to Indonesia. Check in agent was going to give me a bag tag to clear my carry on for size and weight. He had me put it on the scale so he could put it on as it was closer to him, and I’m sure to also weigh it. I could see his eyeballs pop out of his head as he began to tell me I couldn’t carry it on and it’s too heavy. Zip-zip-zip I went to unzip my International 3.0. I said I couldn’t check it due to the fragile and expensive photography equipment. As soon as I lifted the cover he retracted and said I was good to go. He put on the tag without issue. I think it was double the 7kg limit and that’s not even including my backpack!

I have been doing this even with budget local carriers in Asia with no problems. Great bag...compelling presentation when you need it to show the gate or desk agents.

 

[Chrisan]

Great comments folks. I need to digest all of this. I'm going to buy something before a trip I have planned to Key West in November. It's mostly a party trip but I'll do a couple dives to check out my new underwater gear. And whatever I decide to pack it in. Then make a choice about what I want to pack the stuff in for some dedicated dive trips next year.

Thanks! Chris

 

[CanadaDan]

Hard shell rolling carry-on and a backpack as my personal item (favourite is the Droneguard 300 as it's the max personal item size and is a great case this purpose). Between the two they fit my housing, camera, tray, arms, strobes, lights, batteries, chargers, regulator, prescription dive mask, laptop, external drive and 1l toiletry liquid bag.

Thankfully the airlines I tend to fly (WestJet and Air Canada) both dropped carry on weight limits but I've managed to do it with each under the previous 20lb limit... but now I get to add my 1lb lead trim weights