Heavy Lowepro photo Trekker AW II on a plane!!

[Sendide]

hello dear fellas,
I am planing a long trip to morocco in a month or so and want to carry my Lowepro Trekker AW II with almost all my gear (10+grip, 17-40L, 50mm 1.4 , 100mm macro,20-105 USM, 550EX, MT 24EX and some accessories.
I wonder if any Lowepro Trekker AW II owner has ever carry it full packed with him inside the plane!!
any experience with that? isn't the weigh an issue here?
thanks for your precious help
regards
Khalid

[Jon]

If it meets carry-on size limits (they vary from airline to airline - check!), you can lift it, the airline doesn't insist on weighing your carry-on, and you can get it into the overhead bin, you should be OK. But if you can't make picking it up and carrying it on board look easy, you might want to break your gear into 2 (fragile, and not-so-fragile) smaller bags to get past the gate.

I've carried Domke F1 or F2 bags with 2x F1/autowinder, 1x T90, Vivitar 28-200, Canon 75-200, Canon 100-300, Sigma 24, Sigma 18, Tokina 500 f/8 cat, Viv. 283, Canon 300TL flash, extra batteries, film, and Kodak DC260 or DC290 on board along with a second bag containing laptop, power brick, cables, . . . for domestic and US-Canada flights.

More recently, Domke F805, laptop, D60, 550EX, Canon 28-90, Tamron 19-35, Tamron 90 macro, Canon 75-300, 550EX, 420EX, DC290, Elan 7e body, mouse, external CD-ROM drive, and a few books and magazines. It all fit under the seat, and the only hassle was the inspection process - all that junk had to be hiding something, right?

[Sendide]

thanks Jon,
well I'm not sure what the exact dimensions allowed for a carry on bag or case are, but I'll try to compare with the size of some allowed cases.
I just hope that someone had expeienced this before with the same Lowepro Trekker AW II
regards
Khalid

[ingouk]

Sofar i had the experience that if your main luggage is not to heavy, they wont weight your handluggage. But if your main luggage is heavier than it should be they mostly will also weight ur handluggage. AT least British Airways did it twice with me. Wasnt cheap. :)

[Sendide]

thanks for the tip ingouk :wink: , I'll keep it in mind. but it's the size of the backpak (acceptable or not?) that bothers me the most
best regards
kh

[BoySpot]

I was taking a look at that bag in an (expensive) visit to B&H the other day. (Boy, is that store dangerous if you have a credit card in your pocket!) The bag did not seem bigger than the wheeled carry on bags that are commonly used. I won't guarantee it, but I think you should be okay.

The key is, as already mentioned, don't look like you are struggling with it. The people with bags on wheels don't have to struggle because they aren't carrying the weight and no-one ever seems to check them.

[Sendide]

:D :D :D :D :wink:
boyspot; well , loaded credit card is all B&H ask their visitors for. they let you take care of yourself once inside :wink: especially if you are photography creazy (like most of us in this forum) ... there u go.
thanks for the opinion on the trekker
regards
Khalid

[Aylwin]

Acceptable hand luggage is around 55cm x 40cm x 20cm with 7-10kg max. Actual dimensions and weight limitations depend on the airline. It might be better to check with your airline in advance. The Trekker AW II (is that the Nature or the Photo?) is a bit on the thick side. It should be okay though if you follow previous advice given above. They're usually not too strict with backpacks unless it's a huge "travelling backpacker" type.

[blackviolet]

about the only carrier who is strict is lufthansa - about a month ago they were going to deny me my crumpler bag due to weight (they weighed *everybody's* bag. i ended up packing my laptop in my luggage :shock: (i took the hard drive out) and i managed to get my colleague to carry a lens and the batteries...

otherwise none of the other carriers i routinely fly (qantas, united, sq, ba, airnz, ana, tg, china east, etc.) ever care.

[jonnyhorizon]

i have traveled with my nature treker
the waist bely and shoulder harness do not fold out of the way easily
i carry extra velcro strips to tie them down as much as possible
also i take off the external pouches including the tripod pouch and put them in my check thru
also i do not attach the daypack
you should be ok otherwise...

[Sendide]

thanks for the reply and the help guys
appreciate it
regads
Khalid

[blinking8s]

i just bought the nature trekker aw II...should get here tomorrow, im stoked...FINALLY a bag and not stressin about breaking something when i set the bag down...

and the weather shell looks like an awesome feature...i end up in the rain all the time

i WAS going to get the dry zone, but the trekker AW II looked like it would be a better investment in the long run

now I just have to find some money to pay my credit card bill

[chris.bailey]

I have taken mine on a plane with no probs (BA and Air Lanka). I made it known at check in that it was camera equipment. Getting it in the overhead bins if you are not first at them is a bit of a struggle

[Rob Beltman]

Pretty much the same experience here. Took a Lowepro Trekker with me to Cuba, of course loaded with my 10D, my Eos 30 and all lenses, including the ultra-heavy Sigma 50-500 EX. The entire package weighed about 8 kilos. I flew with a pretty low-cost carrier and they never checked the bag at check-in.

I was however more worried about the 8 kilos dropping to the floor because of some half-wit passenger going for make-up or a disc-man while I would be asleep. Solution: at the gate I just explained it was sensitive equipment and was granted a special locker for my bag of goodies. The lady kindly suggested that normally this weight wasn't allowed and should be placed in cargo. I kindly replied that if I had weighed 3 kilos more, she would not have me travel in cargo either, right? It worked...as long as you remain calm and kind.

Rob

[Sendide]

thanks a lot guys,
tips and tips .... and tips.. 8)
good point rob, I should think about declaring it as sensitive stuff I think.
my backpack is a lowpro "photo" not "nature'' trekker AW II, a little bigger but not much difference. should work.
best regards
Khalid