Safe Airport Travels with Expensive Camera Gear…
Posted on August 24, 2009 by Christine | 10 Comments
I have flown a lot this summer with expensive camera gear, and making sure my gear arrives with me is always top priority. There are a few tips I would love to share that will hopefully help you out!
The first essential for me is bags to carry my gear in. I have two options that I choose from when I’m packing, and there are a few factors that go into deciding what I’m going to use: the size of the plane I’m traveling on, what I’m traveling for, and how long my trip is going to be. Bags are not cheap – but if you consider the gear that you pack inside of them, they are definitely worth the investment!
Flying on a normal size plane, a longer trip, and especially weddings where I want my backup gear with me as well, I pack my gear into two bags – my backup gear goes into my Think Tank Airport Bag
I’ve had to debate with flight attendants a few times about whether or not it will fit in the overhead bin – it is compliant with the dimensions, and it fits in wheels first even. For some reason, on some flights they have wanted to take it from me to gate check. I’ll then calmly discuss with them the value of the contents and explain that it does fit, and once they let me try it and see that it does they let it go. However, it will *not* fit on smaller planes like the Continental Express Jet fleet, so I make a point to watch what plane I’m booking when I travel for weddings.
My second bag of choice, and where I carry my primary, absolutely-must-arrive-with-me-or-I’ll-die gear, is the Surge Backpack by North Face. I use this in combination with my beloved ShootSac. My lenses go in the ShootSac, and the ShootSac goes in the main compartment of the backpack. My laptop fits in the laptop sleeve, and I still have room to pack some knitting, my Kindle
When I’m taking a shorter trip, traveling for fun and don’t need backup gear, I take just the backpack. That way, I can pack a rolling bag with clothes and toiletries instead. When I’m on a Continental Express Jet flight or some other small plane that has itty-bitty overhead bins, I make sure the essentials are in the backpack, and I gate check my rolling bag. (They require it, and you won’t have any choice – the plane is just too small.)
When I go through security, I pack my phone and all of my jewelry in one of the small interior pockets inside the Surge backpack. I do this before I get up to the front, that way my whole screening process is fast & smooth.
Never, ever, EVER check luggage with gear inside of it. Ever. Gate check it if you must, and be polite and calm about it when they ask you to do it and request the option to watch them load it on the plane. Try to be among the first to get off the flight as well so you can pick it up as soon as they unload it.
Make sure you have insurance that covers you while traveling with gear. Before I turned pro, mine was covered under my homeowner’s policy. Now I carry gear insurance which I purchased through the PPA, and I still have a rider on my home policy, after verifying with my agent that it will cover loss of pro gear. Always check with your company, as some private insurance policies will not cover professional gear. If you do the math, that could be a really, really expensive loss.
Flying with Fish has written some GREAT posts on traveling with your gear – one of his earlier posts was what me to buy the Surge backpack. He has written extensively about Protecting Your Bags at the Airport. More recently, he wrote about the Airport Screening Process from Start to Finish and Airport Thieves at Work and How They Do It. Be aware of your surroundings while you travel and be confident, and you will never have a problem.
What bags do you like to use when you travel with gear?
Related posts:
- Have Gear Acquisition Syndrome? Rent Camera Equipment!
- Home Again…
- Sleep Would Be a Good Thing…
- Just has to be Said…
- The Road Home…
Tags: backpack | bags | camera gear | North Face Surge | Photography Blogs | ShootSac | Think Tank | travel
Comments
10 Responses to “Safe Airport Travels with Expensive Camera Gear…”
I’m Quite Clever
About Me
Hi! I'm Christine. Wife to Mike. Mom of Jason. Owned by 4 cats. Houston & Destination Wedding Photographer & owner of Hot Mama Boudoir. Blogger since 2000. Living in Houston, Texas since 1985. Living in a 1920 Bungalow in the Heights since 2011.
Want to know more? Just ask.
Extreme
August 24th, 2009 @ 12:24 pm
Thanks for the flight tips and for the links to the gear bags!
August 24th, 2009 @ 12:29 pm
I love gear!
August 24th, 2009 @ 12:50 pm
I love my Pelican soft-side camera & laptop rolling bag. Like your Think Tag Airport bag, mines fits in the overhead compartment of most planes wheels first and has a slot for my laptop. I can pack my camera in my Tracy Joy bag and then pack the Tracy Joy bad itself inside the Pelican bag for double protection.
August 24th, 2009 @ 4:15 pm
We have the Tenba Small messenger bags for traveling. They’re big enough to fit mostly everything we need yet still small enough to be comfortable. I really love mine!
Thanks for the link about airport thieves. I’m always overly cautious, but it never hurts to be a little more paranoid
August 24th, 2009 @ 4:35 pm
I really like the Pelican bags, but they don’t have the locking system like the Think Tank bags – that has been a HUGE perk for me, especially when traveling alone.
Kyle, no need to be more paranoid – those articles are full of some great tips to help you protect yourself!
August 26th, 2009 @ 2:55 pm
These are great tips, Christine! While not directly related, I’m curious: What do you do with your gear if/when you stay in a hotel? I often take my gear with my when I travel, but I don’t feel comfortable leaving it behind in a hotel room.
July 12th, 2010 @ 7:31 am
Love the tips! Handling expensive gear is definitely a problem especially when traveling. Some people just don’t handle them with care. Insurance is really important, just in case.
July 14th, 2010 @ 7:13 am
Thank you for the tips Christine. Sometimes it is so troublesome to bring all your expensive gears especially when traveling. And yes, insurance is necessary.
February 6th, 2011 @ 12:08 am
Very awesome flight tips appreciated!
February 16th, 2011 @ 3:37 pm
Love the pelican bags.