Africa: Domestic Air Travel Weight - Max Total only 15KG / 22Lbs Allowed???

EDIT - Title should have read 33LBS (22 is a typo) - moderators, pl correct if possible...

We are traveling to Serengeti and Zanzibar from the US.
There will be 2 internal flights within Tanzania - Our travel agent advised that in the domestic flights, only 15 KGs MAX is allowed (including Check in and Hand Baggage)

Initially I was under the impression that if i too out my cameras out of the bag and hung them around my neck (same for wife) that we could get away without having them weighed in - but from some travel forums it appears that they even weigh the people (??!!!)

I am planning to travel with a couple of bodies and about 3-4 lenses and a travel cf tripod- which by themselves weigh about 20LBS - can anyone shed some light on this from personal experience?

How do people end up going for twenty day safari with huge fast tele lenses? Am i missing something?

Sanjay

On my first trip to Botswana I was told there was a weight limit of 15kg on the internal flight. I managed to get everything down to around 18kg and thought I could stuff 3kg in my vest pockets if required. When we finally got into the plane to take us from Maun to Xakanaxa I realised that most of the other passengers had a lot more than 15kg and none of it was weighed.

My next 5 trips I took internal weight limits with a large pinch of salt.

Its Africa, just give the check in clerk $20 to 50 and all will be ok.

The only time I have had carryon items weight in 40+ years of flying was in CapeTown last summer. For 100 Rand (around $15) the problem went away. Did not have any problem with carryons on the domestic flights between Johannesburg and Hoedspruit. Never underestimate the impact of baksheesh.

Thank you Sirs ! Your replies are highly appreciated - I feel so much better now.
Atleast i 'll have more than one pair of underclothes with me (Phew!!)

A late reaction but still believe this to be of help. I just came back from a trip to the Masai Mara (KE). I had booked a return local flight from Nairobi to the Mara (1 hour flight). Max allowance 15 kgs (incl handluggage). Carry-on luggage 18.5kg and checked 16 kg. Used Safarilink aircarrier. They weighed my luggage performed the perfunctory Oohs, Ahhs and Hmms. I had to pay USD 34 of excess weight. Their scales were kind to me as they came up with 15std + 17kg extra ($2 per kg). On the return flight nothing was weighed but then there's only an airstrip in the Mara. So in effect USD 2 per kg could be sees as 'for a return flight'. However had the flight been with one of the smaller (8-10 seater) planes this might have been a different story alltoghether.

There is no "true" weight restriction. As long as they see that you carry bags that weigh over the official limit they simply charge a fee and that's all