How Do You Guys Travel with Your Gear?

[Hoag]

My dive camera is a Sony A6000 that I put in a Nauticam housing.

I put the camera with the 16-50mm kit lens and a 10-18mm zoom, the housing, a normal port for the kit lens and an 8" dome port for the 10-18mm, 2 Inon S2000 strobes, batteries, FO cables and some "other stuff" into a PacSafe knapsack that I carry-on as my "personal item". My tray & arms go in my checked bag & my mask (with prescription lenses), reg & DC go in my carry-on.

 

[martincohn]

Away international sized carry on

• Tray
• Arms
• GoPro and 5 batteries
• 2x BigBlue VL8000P-TC (double as tech light) and 4 total batteries
• All the batteries and storage cards for above (in a small Pelican case)
• 2x Shearwaters (in case)
• Chargers for above
• Another small Pelican case with gas analyzer x2 (CO, and He/O2)
• Primary mask (with the reader insert)
• Still need to go back and squeeze Kraken floats x2 in the mix (just got them they were backordered)

On the boat move assembled video rig into a Pelican 1500
3 Pelicans above go in a dry bag on the boat.

Laptop bag

• 15" MacBook Pro
• Couple of external SSD HD
• Power strip
• Regulators

Pelican Air 1615
Everything else, I typically travel with all dive gear minus tanks/weights.

 

[ScubaCelo]

On my last trip, outbound, I met a seasoned photographer with his gear fully mounted in his hand. He claimed it was very convenient and he got only smiles and support from security and airline staff. Never any discussion on weight or volume.

Tried it homebound and he was right.

 

[Chrisan]

I ended buying a Think Tank Rigged it as shown in the pic. Also have a small over the should camera bag for my lenses and such. Those 2 get carried on. My big bag is a combo dive/clothing bag that is siamesed in the middle. That one is checked. I also pack a lightweight ScubaPro mesh bag that is a backpack style bag to take on the dive boat.

 

[Craine]

I ended buying a Think Tank Rigged it as shown in the pic. Also have a small over the should camera bag for my lenses and such. Those 2 get carried on. My big bag is a combo dive/clothing bag that is siamesed in the middle. That one is checked. I also pack a lightweight ScubaPro mesh bag that is a backpack style bag to take on the dive boat.

Which ThinkTank did you end up getting? I’m looking for a pack that fits about the same-ish amount/types of gear.

 

[RTee]

The way we travel for scuba diving:

Checked bagage (one piece): Generic suitcase 44 - 50 lbs Scuba diving gear, toiletry articles exceeding carry-on limitations (liquid), generic first aid articles and...Tray, arms, clamps for my underwater camera housing;

Carry-on: clothing; and

Personal Article: Wife (her stuff),

Me: Tamrac Corona 20 Sling/backpack containing 2 X YS-D1 strobes, Kraken 3500 video/focus light, Olympus E-PL5 (less lens) in its Nauticam Housing, 12-50mm lens (rigged with zoom gear), a 14-42mm and a 40-150 mm lenses for topside photography, 12-50 Nauticam Port, 2 X Panasonic AA chargers with 4 X Eneloop Pro batteries + 8 X extra AA Eneloop Pro batteries, cables and chargers for camera and light + travelling laptop and power cord.

Well, I should correct myself and say...this is how I use to travel as I recently acquired a Sony A7 IV camera and, in the near future, will be shopping for an underwater housing and port assemble to support, initially a 16 X 35 mm lens and eventually, a 90 mm Macro. I may have to redistribute some of my set-up between the backpack and the carry-on and/or do load sharing with my wife to evenly distribute all components.

Corona 20

What happens when a camera backpack meets a sling? The Corona. All the features of a great camera backpack with the versatility and easy access of a sling.

www.tamrac.com

 

[jwarrenod]

My old Nikonos V with 1 strobe would travel in one small bag I'd throw in with my dive bag. Haven't done this in years but the new rig is going to roughly consist of:

Nauticam housing for a Sony A6500
Couple Sea and Sea DS2J strobes
Port and extension ring for a macro lens
A couple more extension rings
A 6" dome port
Usual extension arms, clamps, etc etc
That's about it for the foreseeable future.

All of the terrestrial gear, camera, lenses, etc will be in a separate bag.

What do you guys like best? A rolling case with a handle? Backpack mode? Anyone have roughly the same gear that can recommend a specific brand/model?

Thanks! Chris

I pack in this backpack.

AKONA Globetrotter All-in-One Carry-On Backpack - Blue
Reg bag on the bottom. Wrap 3mm shortie wetsuit inside the Zeagle Coveet XT BC and put mask and smaller dry box in as well. Find strap to the outside and I’m good to go. Some room for a few t shirts and swim shorts on the top too.

This fits in the overhead of non RJ planes. Which we don’t usually end up flying to places I’m gonna dive.

Not perfect, but works well.

JW

 

[Chrisan]

Which ThinkTank did you end up getting? I’m looking for a pack that fits about the same-ish amount/types of gear.

Ended up going with this one:

 

[ggibson]

I heard this tip from someone here—try a waterproof soft/padded cooler bag as storage (AO Coolers).

I can carry it separately, but usually on flights I carry on the camera only and pack the rest in a larger checked bag. The cooler also doubles as a personal freshwater dunk tank on boats so you can avoid banging against everyone else’s gear.

 

[BFRedrocks]

I heard this tip from someone here—try a waterproof soft/padded cooler bag as storage (AO Coolers).

I can carry it separately, but usually on flights I carry on the camera only and pack the rest in a larger checked bag. The cooler also doubles as a personal freshwater dunk tank on boats so you can avoid banging against everyone else’s gear.

I have the bigger AO cooler and bring it with me on every trip. It is great for protecting your camera on any transport to/from the boat, and as you said, it makes a great personal rinse tank for your system to avoid the mess that is the regular free-for-all camera rinse buckets on boats.

*maybe it was my tip you heard. LOL!