Show me your camera bag

That's a LOT! See my sig for bodies and lenses and that is what is in my Tamrac 787. Also has 2 Camera Battery chargers and 2 Quad AA Battery chargers. 8 AA Batteries, 1 Card Holder, and outer section holds 4 sets of triggers and more camera batteries. 6 Filters, a 1st Aid Kit, Adapter Rings, a pouch for USB Cords, a pouch for Camera cords and a Flashmeter too. My Flashes are in add on pouches on the sides. It is way heavy even for just storing. The 787 is the largest backpack style I think.

I do not have my Sunpak 622 or Vivitar 285 or Quantums in this bag, they are in my 614.

For those who use and bag check hard cases (such as Pelican, Storm, Hardigg, SKB, etc)... what kinds of damage has your equipment sustained in airline travel?

I've never packed camera gear in checked luggage, but over the years I've had baggage handlers break the handles off 2 Pelican rifle cases. Not exactly an easy task.

I've had pieces of the impact deflection ribs break off of several Pelican 1650 cases, and just last weekend had another piece break off an SKB hardcase. I've had a couple of handle breaks, and lost lots of those thin steel padlock reinforcement clips.

Inside, I've suffered several hundred dollars worth of damage to remote switches and brass release levers to various lens mounting accessory components (not the lenses themselves, which are packed separately). All damage occurs presumably following a TSA inspection, where the gear is not repacked as found, but any which way it can be stuffed back in to move on to the next bag.

It is kind of frustrating to arrive on the job with broken parts that worked perfectly when I pretested and packed for the job. Not everything can be carried aboard. This was last week's pack. Over 300 lbs. Most things individually wrapped, in case the case pops open and the contents spills out... which happened in the parking lot last week, with no damage. I've often seen the smaller 1560 case appear on the baggage carousel with one or more latches opened, so I zip tie the cases, and date/time stamp the zipties.

But I haven't been able to find a way to reduce small parts breakage from rough handling/repacking by TSA inspectors. I've never had any problems with lenses or bodies, but the small parts that I assemble for remote triggering and fixturing cameras in places where it is not possible for humans to shoot from sometimes sustain damage. The more "protection" I add to the pack, the more weight I add to the pack, and the fewer parts I can bring along to fixture the cameras in order to make those hard to get shots. Yet if I don't pack the protection, some pieces could get damage, and in the field, I do not have the tooling to fix, nor does any store carry the parts to replace.

I need to refine my pack further to prevent this, even though my pack has gone through many refinements over the last 15 years. I've been reading this thread for ideas, but haven't been able to get through all 6,000 plus posts in one sitting. I finally decided to post about my problems to get feedback, because most of the posts I'm reading are about backpacks, which I don't use. I only travel with hard cases, but need a better way to pack the small items inside those cases.

I don't mean this to be disrespectful, but have you considered including a laminated sign asking TSA to put things back correctly? Something like,

"Dear TSA,

You have a job to do. So do I. If you don't put these back the way you found them, they'll break. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Just a fellow trying to make a living."

You could also try a sign that says, "Stop breaking my sh*t" but I have a feeling it wouldn't go over so well.

Charles Brown wrote in post #17992015
All damage occurs presumably following a TSA inspection, where the gear is not repacked as found, but any which way it can be stuffed back in to move on to the next bag.

It is kind of frustrating to arrive on the job with broken parts that worked perfectly when I pretested and packed for the job. Not everything can be carried aboard. This was last week's pack. Over 300 lbs. Most things individually wrapped, in case the case pops open and the contents spills out... which happened in the parking lot last week, with no damage. I've often seen the smaller 1560 case appear on the baggage carousel with one or more latches opened, so I zip tie the cases, and date/time stamp the zipties.

But I haven't been able to find a way to reduce small parts breakage from rough handling/repacking by TSA inspectors. I've never had any problems with lenses or bodies, but the small parts that I assemble for remote triggering and fixturing cameras in places where it is not possible for humans to shoot from sometimes sustain damage. The more "protection" I add to the pack, the more weight I add to the pack, and the fewer parts I can bring along to fixture the cameras in order to make those hard to get shots. Yet if I don't pack the protection, some pieces could get damage, and in the field, I do not have the tooling to fix, nor does any store carry the parts to replace.

Have you considered FedEx or UPS overnight to your hotel or even to a FedEx/UPS pick-up location? At this point in time, sending your gear ahead has become very cost effective.

Daphatty wrote in post #17992627
I don't mean this to be disrespectful, but have you considered including a laminated sign asking TSA to put things back correctly? Something like,

"Dear TSA,

You have a job to do. So do I. If you don't put these back the way you found them, they'll break. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Just a fellow trying to make a living."

You could also try a sign that says, "Stop breaking my sh*t" but I have a feeling it wouldn't go over so well.

I've tried the signs, ever since this crap started back in 2002. They do not work. I've packed American Flags in the case, folded properly. Nice notes with smiley faces saying "Thank you for your service to our country". Doesn't mean anything. I shouldn't say that. Maybe it means something to someone, but not to everyone, and not consistently enough for me to lose the weight allowance on the flag, or "reverse" offend someone with a note that implies that I'm either kissing their heiny or trying to tell them how to do their job (please pack exactly the way you found them bla bla bla). Neither is note is likely respected, if it is even read.

Shipping.... Hard to justify the expense when the media bag rate the airline permits is so much less, combined with the number of bags (3... at 70 lbs each) that they already allow me to check at no cost just for being a frequent flyer with them (not quite a million miles, but close to getting there). However, I did have FedEx ship a case to a job once. It never got there. Three weeks later, I received the case back at home. Granted, this is an anecdotal case of misfortune, but it was enough for me to put the shipping option not just on the back burner, but off the stove altogether.

I think there is room for improvement in my pack. I'm hoping this packing/damage dilemma draws out other togs who haul heavy with their own non-pool gear, where all freight expenses incurred come out of their own pocket, not a media expense account. I need more ideas. Not that there is anything wrong with the ideas just offered... it's just that I've tried them without success. Granted, I could try again, and probably will. But I still want to pack so that I'm NOT relying on a stranger's cooperation... where it is a no brainer how to put everything in it's place (and yet still fit everything within space and weight limits).

Didn't see another in this thread, but I just sent back the Protactic 450 and bought this one.

I wanted a bag that I could get the camera out easy and just a little more room then my 302AW

Manfrotto Backpack 30. Super easy to get out even a gripped camera, more room then I need right now and holds my 13" thinkpad with ease. Really happy with it so far.

Gripped 70D
Attached 70-200 F4 IS
85 1.8
17-50 2.8 Tamron
Cheetah V860 & Cheetah V850
Spare batteries for everything
Rocket blower/shutterhugger
Cheetah flash triggers
Lenovo Yoga 13" Thinkpad

all sorts of cables, filters and ravpower wifi disk with plenty of room left.

A few of mine

Interesting, I am in a very similar conundrum and had narrowed my bag choices to the same ones you did. I was all set on the LowePro Protactic 450 but then saw the Manfrotto Pro Series and have been debating between the Manfrotto 30 and the 50. Did you look at the 50 what steered you toward the 30 over the 50 or the Protactic? Was it just the size?

MiamiC70 wrote in post #18000454
Interesting, I am in a very similar conundrum and had narrowed my bag choices to the same ones you did. I was all set on the LowePro Protactic 450 but then saw the Manfrotto Pro Series and have been debating between the Manfrotto 30 and the 50. Did you look at the 50 what steered you toward the 30 over the 50 or the Protactic? Was it just the size?

Spoiled by Amazon and their return policy is how I chose it. Also I only have a 13" Thinkpad so I didn't need the larger laptop area the 50 offers.

It looked like the 30 would hold everything and more than I had. So I figured I would give it a try and if it was to tight I would just send it back and get the 50. I have everything really spread out in the bag. I could easily put the batteries and flash triggers in the same spots I have the flashes and carry 2 more lenses if need be. I don't ever see myself as having 5 lenses though. I have not spent hours wearing it as a backpack. I bought it mainly to hold everything while here at the house and on vacation. When going out and running around I just carry a smaller bag with the camera and 1 extra lens.

The downsides of the bag I have found are that unlike a lowepro. The rain cover takes up a pocket. I really like how its just extra padding on the bottom of a lowepro bag. Also the sides could be stiffer. I have gotten used to the lowepro bags where you can open and close them with just one hand. Once you open the big area on the 30 you have to use two hands to zip it back up. I am going to try mounting some extra straps to hopefully help with this. Since I will be keeping this as my main bag for a while. Also one other very minor complaint with the 30 is that unlike the lowepro and even the manfrotto 50. The waist belt is not removeable. Since I don't use that in the short times I carry the bag. I wish they would have made it removeable as well.

Overall I really like the bag and how easy it is to access even a gripped camera with a 70-200 attached. Along with anything you store next to it. Getting to my other 2 lenses is easy and does not require me to open up the large compartment.


Here is a good youtube on it, there are not many out there for this bag. Keep in mind this guy has some small equipment.

https://www.youtube.co​m/watch?v=wLY0xRaWA2A

The Protactic 450 I really liked the looks of from the outside. But on the inside I found it very limiting on how it could be arranged and the fact that the bottom (under the lenses) being rounded at the edges and seams running across the whole thing made it to where nothing really sat flat. Another little thing I didn't like about it was that because of how it opened (the inside next to your back) meant that you had to put things in upside down so when you accessed them from the side ports they would be rightside up. Also the molly attachments looks cool. But in reality anything you attach back that is what you are going to be setting the bag on while you access to big opening. Meaning if you put a bottle on one side, you better mount something on the other side or that bag is going to want to roll over.
So after 4 days of trying to get it how I wanted and never succeeding I sent it back.


Hope that helps in your quest.

Great answer and thank you for your insight.

F-stop Loka with large pro ICU. This is my "speed efficient" layout... any of my lenses can go in mounted. I use a medium pro ICU when I need more space efficiency.

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Hmm, never packed my body on its side like that. You're giving me some ideas.

Just ordered a Lowepro Protactic 450 AW. I usually use a LowePro Pro Messenger 200 AW a fantastic bag I love but when loaded up it gets heavy. It is tough on your shoulder / back after a long day of shooting so I wanted to add a backpack.