Packing kit for travelling?

Hi all,

How do you go about packing your gear for travelling, or would you always take it onto a plane as hand-luggage?

I am flying back over to the UK tomorrow for a week, and I wanted to take my kit with me (we're going to see our new puppy! ). My problem is that I also have a laptop, ipad etc to take with me. Last year I went to Malta and I packed my camera inside my main (hold) luggage, inside a pretty sturdy Crumpler bag .. everything was fine. I now have a bit more kit, and it won't all fit inside my old bag. I use a bog-standard "Amazon Basics" rucksack now which holds all my kit, but it's not as tough on the outside as my Crumpler was and won't offer much defense inside my main luggage.

How do you guys go about transporting your kit usually? I have a big rucksack for my Laptop etc for my carry-on luggage, but not enough space in there for all the camera gear too. I don't think I can take 2 bags on, so hold-luggage might be my only option. I will leave any non-essential items behind, but I do want to take a couple of lenses. I was considering a liberal application of bubble-wrap & clothes to keep everything safe!!

Cheers, James

I occasionaly travel with gear for work

Typically i have a shoulder bag (crumpler embarrasement, for 15" laptop, i think its the considerable embarrasement)
With my essential gear - the bare minimum i need to do my job gets carried on.
Typically its a 1DX, spare battery, 16-35, 70-200, 1.4 converter, 600EX-RT, ST-E3, kindle or ipad and a light jacket.
It all gets shoved in so it fits, and i take great care to not drop the bag, typically i stick it under the seat infront of me rather than the overhead

Second body, hoods, chargers, lightstands, tripod, softbox and clothes go in checked baggage (body wrapped in clothes at the centre of the suitcase)

Basically i like knowing i can hit the ground and start working, regardless of where my bag ends up.
If you are travelling with a smaller kit, it should be easy to carry it all on, just make sure you bag doesnt look to big or heavy

Packing gear in checked luggage increases the risk of theft and unfortunately the insurance coverage of the air carrier is minimal when compared to the cost of the gear. Best to take the most expensive items and bundle them into a carry-on carrier and the lesser expensive and less desirable (as a theft item) check as baggage.

Thanks guys,

Yah, theft is probably a bigger concern for me. I do fly a lot and (touch wood) it's not happened yet. It's just a short-haul flight (2 hours) but I guess that doesn't make much difference. I might wrap and pack some lenses in my carry-on with the laptop. I just hope they don't make me unwrap them all for the airport security!

Thanks again,
Cheers, James

I would never put my camera gear (bodies and lenses) inside checked baggage. Surely you have other stuff in your carry on that is less fragile/valuable that could take its place?

I pack all my gear inside a backpack and just take that as carry on along with my laptop.

Sirrith wrote in post #16860066
I would never put my camera gear (bodies and lenses) inside checked baggage. Surely you have other stuff in your carry on that is less fragile/valuable that could take its place?

I pack all my gear inside a backpack and just take that as carry on along with my laptop.

I dont - what i listed above is all i pack in the bag, otherwise it gets too heavy and bulky
its typically only one body that goes in the checked baggage, along with the cheaper stuff (chargers etc)
the work gear is all insured, and i am typically travelling as light as possible (which is pretty hard when travelling with two pro bodies and f2.8 zoom lenses)

when I'm travelling for myself, with my gear, it all goes carry on with me.
although my kit is now a lot smaller than it was
Leica M typ240 with 50 Summarit f2.5, sometimes my X100 too
Metz LED video light
Macbook air 11"
chargers
card reader
1tb HDD
Kindle
all fits easily in a Thinktank Retro7

EDIT
Here in Australia, most airlines have a 7kg carryon limit - one bag, and it has to be a certain size too
They dont normally check it, unless the bag is obviously heavy or too big.
I try and stay under the size limit, and close to the weight limit (although trying to make you bag look light when you pick it up helps sometimes too)

I think I'll do as Echo suggested for this trip. Pack the "core" components in my hand luggage where I can, and fill my hold luggage with anything not so essential. It's what I do with my laptop too .. the laptop itself stays with me, but the charger, external mouse etc all go in the hold to save weight.

Cheers!

Besides theft, check in luggage get thrown and beaten.

With many carriers not even allowing 10 kilos for carry-ons on intra-European flights your options are limited. As for size, some are also very restrictive. When they stick to their rules you are toast! Ample pockets are a way to work your way around these restrictions although I have already seen some ground staff argue about these when they are bulging!

since you can take a backpack and a carry on, I just have a backpack camera bag for my gear and laptop, then anything extra goes into the carryon.

My personal rule...only check stuff that you don't mind losing. Obviously no one wants to have their stuff stolen or lost, but if it comes down to clothes or my 6D, the clothes will lose every time.

If you're worried about the carry-on weight allowance, just buy a photography vest. If they say you're pack is too heavy, step away from the counter, put you vest on, and load it up with lenses. It's perfectly legal...they can't count anything your'e wearing against you and can only weigh your bag.

May sound silly, but it works!

Bryan

I use a Thinktank Airport v2 as my carry-on for photo gear. Holds a ton, my 17" macbook slips in the front and it isn't conspicuous

I check the tripod legs if I'm bringing a tripod, everything else gets carried on with me. If I'm afraid the body or lenses might get damaged in the bag while en route, I just throw in some extra padding so I don't have to worry about it. Never had any problems.

Carry on. Always.