Travel with gear...tips and recommendations

Hey all,

It seems that talking about traveling with different gear is something pain in .... for some people including me, regardless of how many bags we have still we confuse sometimes to how to load and travel with certain gear we use, so i would like to know your opinions/suggestions/r​ecommendations about that.

My gear that i always travel with:

- 2 bodies: nowadays i travel with one FF and one sport cameras [1 series]
- 4 main [must] lenses: 16-35, 24-70, 70-200, 100 macro
- 3 backup/bonus lenses: 24-105, 100-400, 50 1.4
- lenses that are maybe taken for some sessions: 300 f2.8IS, 500/600, fisheye, T&S[If i will have some of those lenses]
- Flash [580 EX/EX2]
- Memory cards
- Filters
- Rechargeable batteries and AC adapters
- Storage device [either laptop or those external LCD screen storage device]
- batteries for flashes or something
- cleaning tools
- cables and wires for flashes and cameras
- Tripod [leg & ballhead and and more accessories to use with them]
- Anything else for certain mission like strobes, battery packs,...etc.

So let's say i want to travel with all those above gear except those: Laptop, strobes and packs, few cables, some lenses [long tele(300-800), T&S], what will be your bags or way to carry them all in travel [Internationally or domestic]???

Hello Tareq.

For domestic flights...no experience with international flights

Here's what I'd do with with the 600. Put the lens in the Canon case and take it thru security but since it won't fit or they don't allow you to carry it onboard, you will have to check it at the gate (get red ticket, domestic not sure about international), now when you reach your destination, guess what, you get the lens as you depart the plane. With this method the lens is with you prior to departure and when you depart the plane but did not go thru the torture before being loaded on the plane or misplaced etc. I see people check their luggage at the gate all the time and get it at the gate when departing the plane. I don't know if they charge a baggage fee though. I just would not feel comfortable checking my 500 at the counter and having it tossed all over the place or possibly lost, stolen or damaged. I've read where one the differences between the 500 and 600 is that the 500 is carry on luggage and the 600 is checked luggage.

When I go on travel for the job I usually only carry my 1D3, couple of primes, one zoom, a flash and some other misc stuff...not as much as yourself but if I did I would have to invest in the airport Thinktank or something similar. For now my light stuff fits in either the Lowepro 200 or 400AW (i.e. carry on)

I would call the airline ahead of time to find out the rules and regulations.

Here's that link (pdf) from the Thinktank website where photographers give their personal experiences.

Hope other will chime in.

http://www.thinktankph​oto.com/airport.aspx

Just a thought

Reduce your lens max.4, two bodies, flash and tripod+ small items.

I use Think Tank Streetwalker HD and i have changed original belt for Pro belt. Then i have Skin pouches for belt( don't need to carry backbag all time). With pouches and belt i use Black Rapid RS-4 ..easy and lightweight combo

I see, i need or say i want to carry 2 bodies and at least 5 lenses, until now i didn't travel with long lenses rather than 70-200/100-400, didn't travel yet with 300, and i don't have 500 or 600, but this year i am planning to travel to Africa for wildlife/nature/birds/​landscape, so i think i will add either 500 or 600 [If i buy one of them], so this time it will be a bit heavy gear than the previous travels ago.

Any other tips out there?

First suggestion ... get a private jet and worries over

Second suggestion, figure out first what your Africa trip entails because the choice of what to take may be out of your control due to very restricted weight allowances on the small planes used for internal safari flights. If you travel via your own vehicle when you're there not really an issue. You actually don't need all that gear for Africa and it'll get in the way ... but I suspect you'll only learn this after the event.

I am modifying this a bit...

Tareq wrote in post #9961118
My gear that i always travel with:

- 2 bodies
- 4 main [must] lenses: 16-35, 24-70, 70-200, 100 macro
- Flash [580 EX/EX2]
- Memory cards
- Filters
- AC adapters
- Storage device ----> Look at the Epson P5000 or 7000 (awesome)
- batteries for flashes
- cleaning tools
- cables and wires for flashes and cameras

All of this gear will fit in a Lowepro Dryzone 200. Amazing backpack and is 100% waterproof. I travel to Alaska alot and got this bag myself. It holds everything I own (and accesories) except the tripod. And this will be allowed as your carry on.

Methodical wrote in post #10010117
Any other tips out there?

Waiting!

condyk wrote in post #10010989
First suggestion ... get a private jet and worries over

Second suggestion, figure out first what your Africa trip entails because the choice of what to take may be out of your control due to very restricted weight allowances on the small planes used for internal safari flights. If you travel via your own vehicle when you're there not really an issue. You actually don't need all that gear for Africa and it'll get in the way ... but I suspect you'll only learn this after the event.

When i travel anyway i focus on 2 or 3 things: Landscape, Urban/candid, Macro
For above i use my FF camera with 4 main lenses: 16-35, 24-70, 70-200, 100 macro
For some place in the world i may add nature or birds or wildlife, so with this i use my 1.3x camera and add one more lens: 100-400L

So i always carry two cameras, one as backup or do different job [one FF and one fast], and above 4-5 lenses are all i use, i add one or two more for fun: 50 1.4, and now 15FE
Now in Africa as i will do landscapes and nature and some African people/candid i will add a main subject which is Wildlife and birds, so with all above gear i will add 500 or 600, i always prefer to bring gear that i may use even for 5% then i just leave some glasses and then i regret that i didn't bring this and that.

DANATTHEROCK wrote in post #10011006
I am modifying this a bit...



All of this gear will fit in a Lowepro Dryzone 200. Amazing backpack and is 100% waterproof. I travel to Alaska alot and got this bag myself. It holds everything I own (and accesories) except the tripod. And this will be allowed as your carry on.

Are you sure? i will check that then.
In fact i don't ask to load all the gear in one bag, sometimes i can put some on my luggage bag, also with internal or domestic travels sometimes i don't carry all the gear, i leave something at secured hotel and take what i need, and i focus on something, i can't shoot everything on one or two days, also in that safari trip i will arrange few days for wildlife only and other days for landscapes and sometimes candid.

So if you think this bag is suitable then i will give it a look, thank you.

Going to leave some in the hotel you say.. might want to add a pacsafe to over warp the bag you leave in the hotel. Cable and lock it to some thing that can't be easily moved.

irispatch wrote in post #10013111
Going to leave some in the hotel you say.. might want to add a pacsafe to over warp the bag you leave in the hotel. Cable and lock it to some thing that can't be easily moved.

Yes, good idea, i really worry about Africa hotels [Kenya/Tanzania], mostly i will choose 2 or 3 stars, i can't afford 4 or 5 stars as the safari trip itself is so expensive.

Take a look at the Temba shootout medium or large backpack. I currently use the medium and i have tons of room left over(see signature). i have a fair bit more than I've listed, but nonetheless i still have tons of room left.
The quaility and construction of the backpack is awesome. They are very heavy duty with a nice zipped cover to protect the harness while being stored in flight or aat home.