How do you pack your rig?

[ce4jesus]

When I had a P&S with strobes here was my strategy:
remove orings
Housings and strobes would then be wrapped in underwear, socks and paradise shirts (if someone really wants my gear they're going to have to earn it). all in an unmarked hardside suitcase.
Camera, regs, computers went in a carryon.

With a DSLR:
remove all orings
Housing, strobes, arms, lights, camera with 1 lens go in the Pelican 1510
Remaining lenses, regs, and ports go in a Lowepro backpack along with the laptop computer. Both are carryon size

 

[Gilligan]

There are lots of good ways but keep in mind more and more of the airlines are checking your carry-on bag.

I just returned from the Philippines on Hawaiian Airlines in Manila. They not only weighed my check-in bags but they also weighed my carry-on backpack and soft camera case. This is the first time I ever had any airline weigh my carry-on.

Pelican and Storm cases are great but are heavier than soft cases and therefore use up a larger amount of your weight limit. For that reason I gave up using hard cases. I use a small soft case with bubble wrap for my camera/housing/strobe/lenses/AA battery charger/AA bats. TSA opens it every time.

 

[diver 85]

I wrap a hand towel around my Canon UW case & stick it in my carryon with ME...along with my toweled wrist computer & regs----and a change of clothes of course......The camera itself goes in a simple little camera case(with extra batteries and 4-5 memory cards) 'tied' on the carryon handle----all stay with me in eyesight range......And I have a Pelican box that I could load all in(that I store my 35 mm S&S MM II camera in) but this is easier IMO....

 

[caymaniac]

I've split the Ike housing parts up and wrap them in my check on, then the strobe, camera/lens go with me in a soft back pack catty on. With the big Ike housing there's too much area to fit it all in a carry on. Also packing with my camera in my backpack helps in insuring my stuff is with me and I could take photos by reaching in the back pack. I'm have been concerned about my checked housing, however it has not been a problem in the last 5 years.

 

[bygolly]

Just returned from a trip to Oz and this was also my first trip where I took my DSLR, Ike housing and strobe. I purchased two carry-on rollies, one a Pelican and one from Underwater Kinetics. Here is a link for the UK version: Underwater Kinetics Cases
The UK model is around 2 lbs lighter than the pelican BTW.

All of the camera gear fit in both cases quite comfortably along with our dive computers and certain other goodies (lights, rescue strobes, chargers etc.) and we met the weight limitations for the Air Canada international flight. Camera, housing (with handle) and some small bits went into the pelican. Strobe, computers, chargers and other bits went in the UK model. Unfortunately we got on the plane a little after the other passengers and there was no space left in the overheads for both cases. We got one in but had to endure one stowed on the floor in front of us. Wasn't all bad though...it did make a good footrest. So try to get in the front of the line when your rows are called for loading to ensure a first crack at the overheads.

In Oz though it could have been a different story. Carry-on rules for domestic flights there call for a much lighter carry-on and a smaller size. I didn't want to risk a challenge at the airport so I modified my setup. I left the plastic cases at a friends and carried my housing and camera in a padded backpack. My wife carried the rest of photo gear (strobe etc) in another soft backpack and we travelled easily for the rest of the trip and still met the reduced restrictions for the Oz domestic travel rules. Other friends of ours travelled with their Pelican cases but were never challenged so I could have stayed with the system I used when I travelled on the Air Canada leg as it turned out. But I am not so sure I would continue to risk it because you never know when the airlines will tighten up on this.

After reflecting on what I did on this trip I will be doing things differently in the future though. I don't think I will use the plastic cases again because they do draw attention to themselves and they are too big to conform to all the carry-on rules one may encounter. Plus, I reasoned that since all of my gear is insured for loss I should reserve my carry on allowance for things that I can't afford to lose or for things I don't want people tampering with. So the camera with its memory chips, my computer with its logged dives, prescription mask and my regulator will be coming on with my carry-ons. I think my housing, strobe etc can go carefully wrapped in my checked stuff.

 

[AussieByron]

I use a Pelican 1620. Everything goes in it. Housing, strobes, lenses, even a cooler bag to carry the setup to the boat dives. It weights about 25kg and so far I havnt paid excess baggage (Trip to PNG, Vanuatu).

Smaller setups I used a storm case which was the largest one you could take on as carry on. Got away with alot of camera gear this way.

Regards Aussie

I get the following into my pelicn 1620:

Ikelite D80 housing
Ikelite 8 inch dome port
Ikelite 60mm flat port
Ikelite 105mm flat port
Ikelite spacer for Sigma 17-70 in the 8 inch dome
Ikelite DS125 strobes x2
Ikelite spare batteries for DS125 x2
Ikelite battery recharger x2
Ikelite 1.25inch ball arms x2
Ikelite dual sync cords x2

Nikkor 105mm Macro
Nikkor 60mm Macro
Nikon D80
Spare batteries for D80 x4
Tokina 10-17mm
Sigma 17-70mm

collection of cleaning gear and o-ring grease. Also a cooler bag which fits a whole setup for transport to and from the dive site.

 

[bridgediver]

some really good info here. I'm happy to see so many sharing how they do this but what may help is if you can say exactly what your rig is -- I'm sure packing a point and shoot with no strobes is allot easier than a DSLR with 2 strobes and various lenses and ports. Some have indicated what they are packing but others have not (or at least its not very clear to me:depressed -- could you edit your posts to say what you pack please?

This would be very helpful.

thanks

mark

 

[Gilligan]

I pack the following in this scuba regulator bag with some bubble wrap:

2 Olympus PT-010 housings each with a camera inside
1 Sea&Sea YS-90DX Strobe
1 Inon wide angle lens
1 AA battery charger (8 battery compartments)
1 portable hard drive/card reader
3 Housing O-rings in zip loc bags
1 wrist dive computer
1 fiber optic cable for the strobe with attachment
6 packs of rechargeable AA batteries (4 to a pack)

I leave the O-ring grease and small screwdriver set in my check-in luggage in case it gets challenged by TSA in the carry-on. My homemade camera tray with strobe arm is also in my check-in luggage.

 

[Larry C]

Samsonite softside rolling carry-on, packed with socks & underwear & a couple of tee-shirts for padding. I had the camera/tray/strobes semi-assembled with the batteries out. Weight was fine, and the only time I had to beg was when we switched to a big belly puddle-jumper in Honduras and they wanted to put it in the baggage hold. I insisted and carried it in my lap. Make sure it will fit under the seat or they'll make you check it on the little turbo-props. Bigger issue was the non-English speaking humpers at the ferry station. They insisted on packing it, because they wanted their tip and threw all the big stuff right on top. Fortunately, no harm/no foul.

 

[hammerhead man]

I have a Pelican 1510. Until recently I used the pick n' pluck foam but that wasn't working for me so I switched to padded dividers and love them. You can get much more gear packed and Pelican also make a lid insert with zippered pockets where I keep my FOC's, camera/strobe manuals, memory cards, etc. I wish I had switched to padded dividers earlier.

Regards,

Bill