Too much to carry on airplane??

I know that most of you will not leave your lenses and cameras in your main checked-in luggage. I wouldn't. I carry all my gear in a Lowepro Slingshot AW300, which isn't exactly SMALL. When I travel, I usually have to bring my laptop (for work) and maybe another bag for clothes, toiletries etc. I can squeeze all that in to the laptop bag.

Has any airlines ever given you any problems for carrying so much 'carry on' luggage? If they were, what do you do?? You can't give up the laptop OR the lenses / camera..... Technically, only 1 piece is allowed weighing no MORE than 7kg.

Opinions? Experiences?

CTM wrote in post #5247783
I know that most of you will not leave your lenses and cameras in your main checked-in luggage. I wouldn't. I carry all my gear in a Lowepro Slingshot AW300, which isn't exactly SMALL. When I travel, I usually have to bring my laptop (for work) and maybe another bag for clothes, toiletries etc. I can squeeze all that in to the laptop bag.

Has any airlines ever given you any problems for carrying so much 'carry on' luggage? If they were, what do you do?? You can't give up the laptop OR the lenses / camera..... Technically, only 1 piece is allowed weighing no MORE than 7kg.

Opinions? Experiences?

When we traveled back east a couple of years ago, we were allowed two peices of carry-on luggage. I carried all the camera gear in a large backpack that also had space for a laptop. On the return trip I also carried a messenger satchel I had purchased during the trip. We never had any problems with either the arline or TSA.

Things seem to have changed in recent years the airlines are getting pickier about how much stuff you can carry on the plane. I think we're going to see a gradual move by travelers back to the trains and perhaps even the demise of several major airlines in the future. Between the greater restrictions on carry-on luggage and TSA, the airlines are dying.

I'm planning a trip in the fall, and pretty much already decided I'm going to drive, rather than fly.

Some international flights have weight restrictions on carry on luggage. The US airports are not so picky, but definitely 2 bags, one large rolling and one personal small bag are what I've been told is the right thing. This is why I am restricted to the Airport International and the Adventure 9. The backpack has room for my 17 inch Dell and 1/3 of the gear I need, including my 5D. The Airport Security carries every lens and flash, no accessories. That stuff gets checked in. I have everything labeled and ready to go in my checked in bag. And TSA has looked inside those bags every time. I get that little note that says they went through it. The best thing to do is call the airline a few weeks before the flight to see what is allowed. I once took a purse along with the 2 bags and I had to shove it into one of the two bags to get on the plane. I had a feeling they would do that so I had room in the larger bag.

Usually for domestic flights/airlines in the USA you can travel with a carry on bag and briefcase. My camera gear counts as the bag or briefcase, then I take another bag or briefcase with my laptop in it.

i went to st louis a few weeks ago.
carried my camera backpack and big bag with laptop in it.
they say one carry on bag and one personal item (laptop etc)

so i'd say the personal item can be the bag with both

Which is why the Adventure bags are useful, even if they are extremely heavy loaded.

My camera bag made it through carry on one time and on the return trip they allowed me through check-in but at loading they made me drop the bag and it went through the check-in baggage anyway.

Now I make sure I only carry what will be allowed, so I guess the airlines are making their point but I just watched on the news where airline employees were stealing from check-in baggage.

yeah, i got...."have anything electronic in that bag?"
"yeah, my camera"
"is the whole bag for YOUR CAMERA?"
"yeah"
"OHHHHHHH WOW a professional one?, well we're gonna have to search that"


lol. they think you're God if you have a bag for just your camera. or a celebrity or something. haha

Flew for the first time a couple weeks ago since 911. Going through TSA checkpoint was very easy and did not even have to open my carryon with a camera bag and video cam. BUT, the plane we flew on was an "express" and only 3 seats wide. Cabin was soooo small most folks had to "valet check" their carry on when entering the plane. Bag was placed in the cargo hold and given to us immediately upon exiting the plane. Kept a close eye on the bag as much as I could since it had my brand spankin' new 40D in it.

While I do not want to check either my camera or my laptop, remember there is a finite amount of space and just about every flight is full. That means everybody on that plane is wanting to carry everything they own. Sometimes you aren't gonna get it all aboard. And they are cracking down more and more. When they say 1 carryon and one small personal bag, they originally meant a carryon and a woman's purse. then they had to allow men to carry something the same size. But now that "Purse" size bag has become so large it barely fits the template. So now we have way too many people with 2 bags that squeeze to fit the template and there is NOT room in the cabin. And, your stuff is no more or less valuable or important than my stuff, so who's stuff goes downstairs?

They are rapidly going to take that question away. Too many people abused the system for too long and now everyone pays.

"Things seem to have changed in recent years the airlines are getting pickier about how much stuff you can carry on the plane. I think we're going to see a gradual move by travelers back to the trains and perhaps even the demise of several major airlines in the future. Between the greater restrictions on carry-on luggage and TSA, the airlines are dying." jwright, that is one of the silliest staements I have ever read. The airlines are in business to make money and too many people, sounds like yoou may be one, have tried top take to much advantage for too long and now they are going back to enforceing rules that have always been there.

And remember that they have to provide comfort and safety for everyone on thast airplane, not just one or two that want to carry way too much stuff. You want to carry more, you pay miore. Or go first or business class. And you obviously have not been on a train lately.

If I travel domestically, I opt for trains. But when it is overseas, I don't have a choice, I have to fly hence why I asked this question. I understand that everyone has the same right to bring what they value. I am just wondering if there is a special way to transport our beloved camera gear safely or just put everything in to one big bag?

Why didn't I just stick with the point and shoot? hahaha.....

I have a very large laptop bag that can carry other things in it as well, a daypack that fits my lenses and other essentials packed tightly in between, and a handy old 'duty free' bag that has allowed me to get away with 3 carry-on bags last trip, and this one can enable you to break the weight restrictions (kind-of, they'll grizzle, then let it through). "it's duty free sir, really - look..camera..lens..le​ns etc") I carried my entire kit (less one small lens) plus a laptop, 3.5" had drive, all my power adaptors for all my appliances (for Lao) plus anything else really heavy this way from Au to Lao and back as carry on. 21kg in all. The only problem was pretending that it was only 7kg hanging off my shoulders waiting in the long lines before checking in.
At 47kg myself, I figure I'm entitled to a few extra kg to carry on!

There's no way I'd entrust the airlines to pack on my camera gear, and treat it the way I do, no matter how many jumpers and sleeping bags it's wrapped in!

I have used lens bags attached to my belt so my main camera bag doesnt have too much weight.
Load up your friends and spouse with stuff too!
Were allowed 15kg for carry on I think.
Check with your local airline for the hard facts.
Airlines usually get touchy if its a full house.
If you got a lot of stuff, couriers are effective but expensive.

I flew from seattle to cleveland last summer. I carried my backpack(Dakine Heli pro) and my camera bag (Lowepro stealth reporter) and wasnt given any trouble at all, except that I always get checked extra because i am a shady looking teenager.

I fly twice a week, every week (USofA .. Domestic) from February to July and I routinely carry a LowePro Computrekker AW and a relatively generic briefcase on every flight. The camera gear goes in the overhead (in the bins accross the aisle from my seat so I can keep an eye on it...) and the briefcase goes under the seat in front of me.

On smaller planes like Dash 8s or RJs, I usually end up reversing this with the briefcase in the smaller overhead and the camera gear under the seat in front of me.

I've never had an issue or a hassle traveling this way...