Recommendations for traveling with camera gear

[Jak Crow]

I'm going on a dive trip to Raja Ampat later this year, and I'm obviously going to be bringing my camera gear, which is the following:

2 Olympus E-M1 camera bodies
Nauticam enclosure
1 Macro lens w/ lens port
1 Wide angle w/ dome port
1 Fisheye w/ dome port
4 Light&Motion 1200 video lights
2 YS-D1 strobes
1 to 2 backup strobes
Strobe arm system parts
2 Gopro cameras

I haven't travelled outside of the U.S. before so I'm looking for recommendations on packing these items for the trip. Obviously I want to keep as much as I can with me in my carry-ons. I have a carry-on sized hard case but I don't think it will fit everything. Any suggestions on what to use?

 

[3D diver]

I used to carry-on my cameras in a fairly conventional looking back pack. I had a pelican case, but it was too heavy to be practical. Also, a regular back pack may attract less attention than a "photography" back pack.

One thing I used to do was file an inventory of all my stuff with US customs. This establishes a record of what you are traveling with and streamlines the return inspection by proving you didn't buy it overseas.

 

[NWA395]

Carry on...

 

[KevinG58]

Carry on...

In as innocuous a bag as possible, with a couple of t-shirts and skivvies as padding. Although I've never had trouble nor met anyone who has had bags wrested away from them, instinct says the less conspicuous, the better (not that I don't look like a tourist, but maybe not a tourist toting $2k worth of photo gear...).
I've used an expandable backpack but now I have "spinner" carry on that's just under the maximum allowable size (not that a gate agent has ever plopped it into the measuring device).

But sooner or later and it looks like sooner for you, the regulators or some other dive gear may have to be checked to make room for photo stuff.

 

[diver 85]

Sounds like too much to get on as 'carryon'----how much all that weigh??.......Mine weights in @ ~ 16 lbs--all neatly packed in a (camera) backpack......But you have a hell of a lot more.........?You might want to 'steamline' it a bit???......

[/URL]Canon S95, FIX housing, S&S 110a strobes X2,Inon 550W lite, UWL-04 WA, UCL 165 macro lenses by GEAUXtiger, on Flickr[/IMG]