Question Backpacking / travelling with underwater camera gear

[Laurent C]

Hi everyone,
Apologies if this has been discussed but I haven't found an answer to my question in the forum despite looking.
I am new to underwater photgraphy and just got most of my first uw camera set-up with an Olympus TG6, PT-059 housing, UWL-H100 and dome along with one flexible arm for a S&S YS01 strobe.

I will fly to Philippines in two weeks for a mix of diving (30%-40%) and other activities (60%-70%) and I was wondering how do you guys manage to travel with your camera gear, especially how to protect the dome and lenses, which look very fragile. We will be travelling between islands for 2 weeks, so I cannot go with something too chunky / heavy. Ideally, I would like to find a way to keep my gear in some sort of padded case, so it can go in my hand luggage, and not use a chuncky hardcase or rolling backpack/luggage as it would make travelling/backpacking quite a hassle. Has anyone have any recommendations?

Also stupid question but do you keep the lens attached to the dome while travelling?

Thanks,
Laurent

 

[tursiops]

Hi everyone,
Apologies if this has been discussed but I haven't found an answer to my question in the forum despite looking.
I am new to underwater photgraphy and just got most of my first uw camera set-up with an Olympus TG6, PT-059 housing, UWL-H100 and dome along with one flexible arm for a S&S YS01 strobe.

I will fly to Philippines in two weeks for a mix of diving (30%-40%) and other activities (60%-70%) and I was wondering how do you guys manage to travel with your camera gear, especially how to protect the dome and lenses, which look very fragile. We will be travelling between islands for 2 weeks, so I cannot go with something too chunky / heavy. Ideally, I would like to find a way to keep my gear in some sort of padded case, so it can go in my hand luggage, and not use a chuncky hardcase or rolling backpack/luggage as it would make travelling/backpacking quite a hassle. Has anyone have any recommendations?

Also stupid question but do you keep the lens attached to the dome while travelling?

Thanks,
Laurent

You've got a 7kg carry-on limit for Philippine airlines, and others. No way to really carry on your big lenses/domes.
Some common solutions are: wear your camera on a strap around your neck; wear a vest with many large pockets full of lenses; have a carry-on bag that weighs almost nothing so your contents can maximize.

Carry-on baggage

www.philippineairlines.com

"Each passenger is allowed one piece of carry-on baggage with a maximum total dimension of 56cm x 36cm x 23cm (22in x 14in x 9in) and maximum weight of 7 kgs. (15 lbs)."​

 

[Laurent C]

Thanks @tursiops for your answer.
My set-up is not that heavy, I would say around ~2,5KG, 3KG max so I am not too worried about the 7kg limit. Apologies if that was not clear but my question is more about how to store/protect and backpack with the camera gear. I will be travelling by plane, bus, boat and walking, so I cannot take something too bulky/heavy.

 

[MrChen]

Take a look at this thread, Question - Picking A Carry-On Bag

Maybe you can find some ideas there too.

 

[Pyndle]

Maybe too late for you but in case someone finds this thread:
I usually put the dome in check in luggage, and wrap it in bubble wrap and clothes, no big risk here.
I put my camera in the case and that goes in cabin luggage, together with all my other lenses, batteries, strobes, dive lights, and laptop.

I use a dedicated camera bag for that (lowepro protrek 450 aw), easy to carry stuff around. That bag is well over the 7kg limit, probably double. I've travelled a lot in Asia, on small ****** cheap airlines, almost never had issues. The key is to make your bag look small/light. Hide it as much as you can when you see the airline staff roaming around in the queues.

I've been asked only once to put my bag on a scale, just before boarding. I had a rainjacket with me that has massive pockets / nets inside, so I've put my 100-400m lense, 2 strobes and my laptop into that jacket. Then some batteries and the lights in my shorts pockets. They weighted the bag, it was fine. I've put everything back in the bag 3 minutes later

 

[Johnboy70_99]

I have been traveling the same way in the Philippines. I have a backpack that stays with me always, even on the boat. I carry my tg6 in it in a soft case, strobe, torch, prescription meds, batteries, laptop, and if there is space, a days worth of clothes. Laptop goes in hotel safe when diving.

When flying I check 2 bags. One is a medium size hard roller which holds my bcd, wetsuit, Regs, and has a little spare room for misc stuff. The other is a carry on size roller which holds clothes and pretty much anything else I need for the trip.

When I take ferry’s between islands and my gear is still a bit damp, I have a stilsac bag to hold my dive gear, and I put everything else in the small carryon which then I put in the medium size roller, it just seem easier to deal with on ferries and trikes, etc. I do end up paying for the extra checked bags on ferry’s and domestic flights in the Philippines, but it doesn’t add up to much cost relatively speaking.