AIR SHOW DILEMMA - HOW TO CARRY EQUIPMENT

Have any of you conquered the new restrictions on most military bases on what is allowed on base.

The base here is having open house this weekend - their instructions are: "Certain items will not be allowed onto the AirFest flightline and must remain in parked vehicles. These include backpacks, large bags, ..."

My camera bag is a Lowepro CompuDayPack. I have an Xti & the lens kit plus a 70-300mm lens that I'd like to carry plus a small CF card case. Any suggestions on how to carry them around for the day?

Take everything, you'll have no problem.

I saw that same sign at the Miramar Air Show on Saturday, and I had ALL my stuff with me in my big camera backpack...let just want you to open your bag and then they put a sticker on it that says it was searched.

Have fun!

id sling that xti over your body and stuff that lens into your pocket.

Photographer's vest. Even a 70-300 should fit in the big pockets nicely. If you don't like that, check out some of the lens cases from Lowepro or ThinkTank you can wear over the shoulder or on a belt.

Last time (several years ago, but post-9/11) they said the same thing but the security at Andrews (we weren't allowed to drive onto the base; had to catch a shuttle from outside) let my Domke F-1x through. There was a small mountain of backpacks at the check-point though. They may have gone easier on me because of the camera stuff, or because as a shoulder bag they could say it wasn't spelled out as on the forbidden list, or because the Domke, with a wide open interior and no padding on the sides, was easily cleared while a more heavily padded bag presented more potential for concealing contraband, or maybe because that's what a lot of PJs use.

Skippy29 wrote in post #4140922
Take everything, you'll have no problem.

I saw that same sign at the Miramar Air Show on Saturday, and I had ALL my stuff with me in my big camera backpack...let just want you to open your bag and then they put a sticker on it that says it was searched.

Have fun!

The Marines at Miramar are pretty easy going, but that might not be the case at another base. When I went to Luke AFB last March, the same restrictions were in force and they were pretty well enforced.

I'd consider carrying only what you think you'll need and keep the size of your bag to a minimum. Most of the parking for these air shows is a long walk from the flightline and you wouldn't want to have to haul the bag back to car if they don't let it in.

^Definitely. Get a vest, easiest solution. I have some cheap vest I got a long time ago and it held my 70-200 in one pocket, 100-400L in another, 18-50 or 10-20 was in my cargo shorts pocket and accessories were in other pockets on the vest.

So check out POTN vests. There's a good review of it too.

I just went to an air show two weekends ago. I carried my Domke F-2 and they serched it and let me in. My dad carried my tripod bag (I didn't need it) and they let that in as well. My friend Chris took his gear in a backpack (forget which one exactly but it is rather large). They did not let him in. This cost him about 1 1/2 hours taking back the gear to the car. He carried half his gear by hand back into the show. We saw several others with camera backpacks though.

If I had to do it again I would not carry a bag. I would just carry the items loose with either a vest or maybe some cargo pants to hold the smaller items. Put the 70-300 on the camera, kit lens and CF case in your pockets.

I would call the base police/security as well as the public affairs(and or the people in charge of planing the air show) if you have any question. Tell them that it is a camera equipment bag and then get the names of the individuals and ranks and write them down. I do not see a problem with it but just cover your bases first. I would try to bring the bag but if they do not allow it, have a secondary plan. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.

I live little over and hour from Whiteman's AFB, you know, home of the B-2. They have snipers posted on top of buildings during the show. They list the same restrictions on bags, strollers and what not. So I take as little as possible and when I get there it's crazy. People have pull wagons fill of junk and here I'm worried about my small camera bag. Don't fret it. It's an airshow and there's going to be people with a lot of camera gear. At worst they will search your bag and let you in.

Thanks for all the suggestions and if there are more please keep posting!

Well - I have talked with the Base PIO and they checked for me... No bags of any kind are being allowed thru the gates. This is in anticipation of the large numbers of people they are expecting so they will be able to get people in expeditiously. I guess its just the result of the awful world we live in.

So I like the ideas that ya'll (yes, I am from South Georgia) have given me here. I'll definitely look into a vest and use the bdu pants I have that I wear on duty with the fire department.

Thanks again!!!

Credentialed media for Miramar were not searched at all. They shuttled us in from the parking lot in golf carts and we went right by the security points. I guess they trust the the media...

I know the chief photographer for the local paper here, I may have to call him tomorrow. I recently helped him get his digital scanner reprogrammed so he could find out when things were happening around town. Sounds like favor repayment to me!!!

spectre wrote in post #4141418
I would call the base police/security as well as the public affairs(and or the people in charge of planing the air show) if you have any question. Tell them that it is a camera equipment bag and then get the names of the individuals and ranks and write them down. I do not see a problem with it but just cover your bases first. I would try to bring the bag but if they do not allow it, have a secondary plan. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.

yep thats what i would do. because personally being in the military sometimes the higher ups change things last minute and it doesn't matter. that probally would be your best bet