Travelling With Gear

[jmika003]

Hi there,

Since there is lots of discussion about bags, I'm assuming that this is the appropriate forum space to ask this question.

I'm travelling by plane with my gear for the first time (in my carry-on), and was just wondering if you all have any tips?

One specific question I have is with regard to the security checkpoint scans. Is it safe to just run my bag with the camera, lens, CF cards, etc through the x-ray machine?

Thanks very much!
Jared

[ben_r_]

Youll be fine through the x-ray machine, dont worry about that. As far as carrying my gear on with me, I personally wouldnt do that with anything other than a Pelican 1514 hard case protecting my gear.

[SYS]

I had my camera gear, WD Passports, laptop, etc. in my Kata R-103 backpack run through the security checkpoint x-ray scanner without any issues.

[nordstern1]

my wife & i had travelled with our gear in crumplers, no problem...

[jms_uk]

I don't know where are you from or flying to, but I was barked at by TSA in Boston in December for not taking my camera gear out of the bag [which I usually don't have to do anywhere else] and placing it in a tray.

Now when I think of it, I didn't have to do it last year at either JFK or ORD. :eek:

But after that first incident, I've taken it all out on few flights in North America I had since then. Afterwards, I had few flights in Europe and North Africa - no problems at all.

As for the x-ray machines, don't worry - they are not harmful to digital cameras.

[jmika003]

Thanks all for the helpful responses!

_Jared

[Mocows]

I usually travel with my gear in Lowepro bags, I've had to take out the camera once so they would look at it but generally it's all good.

[berniesiao]

I don't know where are you from or flying to, but I was barked at by TSA in Boston in December for not taking my camera gear out of the bag [which I usually don't have to do anywhere else] and placing it in a tray.

Now when I think of it, I didn't have to do it last year at either JFK or ORD. :eek:

But after that first incident, I've taken it all out on few flights in North America I had since then. Afterwards, I had few flights in Europe and North Africa - no problems at all.

As for the x-ray machines, don't worry - they are not harmful to digital cameras.

Wow, that's pretty extreme....maybe a newb TSA attendant? I wouldn't be happy to take all that junk out. The worse problem I had was in India @ customs, trying to convince them that I wasn't there to resell the lenses and that they were in fact for my personal use. Other than that, never had any trouble going through the scanners.

[Jon]

I travel with Domke bags as my gear carry-ons. After the "liquid bomb scare" back in July '06, I made sure I had a hard suitcase that I could put my gear in in case I had to check it, but soft-sided works fine for carry-on.

Airport security staff have an incredible amount of leeway in what they can demand of passengers; it's easier to pull your cameras out along with your laptop even if they don't require it. I've frequently had my gear swabbed or otherwise examined when I didn't pull it out of the bag before X-ray, both in the US and abroad.

[JelleVerherstraeten]

Just went to portugal and I used my lowepro vertex 200. It just fitted the carry on size. That was a relief :-)

[tvphotog]

Just came back from Istanbul. Used my Tamrac Expedition 5X with a Gitzo 1541t strapped to it, and it all fit in the overhead easily without removing the tripod. I don't like the idea of checking thousands of dollars worth of camera equipment, so I carry it on.

[bolantej]

when I was subject to additional screening at SFO just recently, the two guys searching my bag and swabbing it were more occupied with some shapely female in line. I could have been carrying anything on board.

that being said, when they actually are checking for stuff, I've never had a problem with security.

[inustudio]

I travel to Japan with equipment in a dakine backpack. Everything went through the x-ray machines with no problems.

[Lowner]

jms_uk,

None of us would do that automatically. I would be very willing to remove everything from the bag if asked politely, I've done this twice within Europe and once the official was admiring the kit as it came out and we were both very relaxed about the whole thing.

My experience of US officials is that the uniforms have gone to their heads. They all seem to have undegone a "commonsense and politeness removal" operation.

[WanderingMind]

I'm happy with my Kata DR-467 for carry on, tripod goes in the hold in it's own case.