Travelling with Gear

[KenAaron]

I have traveled extensively internationally with photo gear and all the advice you have received is good. I always try to allow extra time just in case they want to seach my bags. Domestically I've never had my photo gear searched, internationally I have, but its never been a big deal. A lot of countries just do it automatically. The only thing I'd add to "nice and polite" is patience, don't get irritated. I always thank them.

[Ed_Rogers]

Excellent advice, I will take it all on my shoot.

Thanks very much,

Ed

[BillKoechling]

In Chicago the TSA people have unpacked my carry-on camera equipment. They wipe down the cameras with an explosive detecting cloth and let me put it all back together. In Florida they just sent it on through. This was on one trip last week.

Bill Koechling

[Mark_Werbeloff]

I often get my camera backpack inspected when I fly. This happened last week at the Atlanta Airport on a trip to Costa Rica. They have a new explosive detecting device that looks like something out of a star trek movie. They don't even touch the equipment anymore. Just be polite and you'll be fine. You'd be amazed how oversized some cases are that people get on the airplane. One guy nearly broke the overhead pin stuffing his big case in.

[PaulChaps]

Assignments in six states in the last 3 months here. My gear gets inspected often. I back up all my files to 2 places before I fly. Each airport is different. Ive never had a carry on weighed. All my cameras and lenses are in carry on's. Having my assitant travel with me is worth her weight in gold for even the most simple things like: guarding the equipment pile, additional carry-ons, additional checked in cases, etc. I use micro-drives and solid state CF - never lost an image in security, but I still back up 2X every time. If you have press or other professional credentials, have them with you on your person. Be professional and courteous. My carry on fits into every bigger jet, but on regional commuter jets, its too big. Check with your airline(s) re any special provisions for pro photographers.

[Ed_Rogers]

How about after the assignment and keeping it in a hotel? When I am finished with the shoot, and will not be flying back immediatly? Would you reccomend keeping it in the rental car where ever I go or in the hotel room (kind of iffy in my opinion). I will have the small travel locks (TSA approved) and will have a lock to lock it to any immovable object.

Ed

[Roger_Loeb]

Leaving it in the hotel ...

When I can, I travel with Pelican rolling cases. I have a set of cable locks, made by Master Lock, that have a 3/8" cable about 12' long. I put one around the Pelican case, through the handle, and around the base of the toilet in the bathroom! Pretty difficult to remove, although not impossible. Won't tempt the maid or her boyfriend.

If I leave equipment in the car, I lock the cable through a special fitting I had installed in the floor of my SUV.

I don't check serious camera equipment in Pelican cases on airlines. If you've ever watched them load luggage, they tend to throw it from the cart onto the belt. That's too much shock for my system, much less the equipment. I do pack batteries, tripods, etc. and check those. Mostly, I carry on the serious gear in a "Moose" MP-1 or MP-3 backpack. That lashes on top of my rolling briefcase, so I don't really have to shoulder all that weight. The backpack fits inside a Pelican case, which I check with all the less fragile gear. At the hotel I take all that other stuff out, put the backpack in, and chain the case to the toilet.

I used to travel with a law enforcement officer who routinely checked automatic weapons (machine guns) on airlines. He had a set of chains that went around the cases in both directions and locked with a really HUGE padlock. The chains were larger than a bolt cutter could get around. Interestingly, he also never lost a piece of luggage :-) Not sure what that does to the latest weight limit for checked luggage :-)

Incidentally, I'm about to acquire TWO Airport Security rolling bags from ThinkTank. Those will carry all my essential camera gear. I'll have my wife roll one of them, and we each take a Tumi briefcase that carries laptops and all our travel essentials (and one change of clothes plus toiletries, in case the checked luggage goes elsewhere). If I'm going to a destination where not having my checked luggage would be a catastrophe (back country of Alaska is a little hard for the airline to deliver your luggage), then I ship it with Sports Express to my first hotel stop. That way I know it's there before I even leave. Usually the tripod, Wimberley head, monopod, and similar stuff are in the shipped luggage. I check all that on the way home, when I no longer care if it arrives late. However, I'm careful not to put to much expensive stuff in a single checked bag, since the airline liability is pretty low.

Incidentally, Sports Express ships via Fedex, which tends to be much more gentle than airline baggage handling. I routinely ship lenses, etc. with Fedex without fear. If I were going somewhere with a LOT of gear, that's how I'd get it there and back.

Rog