Pelican Style Hardcase or Soft Padded gear bags

[slowhands]

Some people in some airports manage to break a Pelicase...
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I rather pay the price for excess baggage than be worried the whole trip about my expensive gear and i find 50$ is not soo much considering that inside the case are about 4000$ of gear.

Chris

The excess baggage is not insurance, it is a weight charge. The contents are uninsured if they are photographic items, laptops, jewelry. If broken or rifled, your loss, by international agreement. You can cover them with a rider on homeowners or renters insurance. But without that, you are out of luck.

If you travel through some airports, the baggage handlers steal stuff. Nigeria is famous for things getting "lost", but some airports in Asia have that problem.

So, take your camera and expensive stuff as carry on. Check the housing etc. Get a rider for your baggage.

 

[HerraduraDivers]

slpwhands,
i know the risks very well...
But is i know also the carry-on luggage is max 15-20 lbs and limitated to one piece, i see no way to bring camera, lenses, housing, ports, chargers, external disks, notebook in 2 max size photo gear bags/backpacks of a weight of about 40-50lbs in the cabin as carry-on.
Various try's by email and phone calls wit various airlines was without any success and i had never any exception to carry it with me.
Airlines say that it's basically my problem if something get's stolen.

If you have a connection or a hint how i can bring 2 carry-on photo bags as carry-on - but still traveling tourist class- i would apreciate that very much and it would make my necessary travels less stressing for me.

Chris

 

[vladimir]

But is i know also the carry-on luggage is max 15-20 lbs and limitated to one piece, i see no way to bring camera, lenses, housing, ports, chargers, external disks, notebook in 2 max size photo gear bags/backpacks of a weight of about 40-50lbs in the cabin as carry-on.

I carry my aluminum housing, dslr, 2 ports, 3 lenses, teleconverters, diopters, camera batteries, etc., on board in the very light suitcase I linked to above. It wieghs a little bit more than the 7 kgs that most airlines in Asia give for carry-on allowance, but it is close enough that they will let you slide (so far). My laptop goes in my shoulder bag--all the arilines I have flown on allow you another "personal item" in addition to your carry-on, usually understood to be a handbag or computer bag. My strobes are pretty sturdy, so they get checked in along with my strobe arms. My dome port also gets checked in. It has survived a dozen or more trips wrapped in a wetsuit to absorb any impacts. Yes, it would suck if my dome port ($1,000) cracked or my strobes were stolen, but I have already resolved to not let it ruin a trip. When my strobes and buoyancy compensator didn't arrive in Bonaire, I rented a bc and took natural-light photos for a few days until they caught up with me.

 

[NC Wreck Diver]

I use a Pelican case for transport to and from a dive spot via car/truck. I pack a mesh bag in the Pelican and transfer my gear to the mesh bag for the boat and back. Then I use the Pelican to transport home. It's been a few years since I traveled by plane (before the luggage fiasco), so I haven't been hit with the up charge for excess baggage. Since I flew a lot, they didn't give me a hassle for the 'Heavy" tagged gear (the joy of F/C). Even on my next 'Fly Away' trip, I would still use my Pelican case, and pay the charge. They are bullet proof. I also agree to stuff the pelican in a duffel bag, or at least don't put any dive gear stickers on the Pelican. Lock it up with a TSA lock (they will search when they see the knives). Watch Miami, they have the worst record for stolen gear. If you transport spearguns like I do, always tell them it's 'fishing gear,' never a 'gun.' Good luck.

 

[Searcaigh]

I put all my camera bodies, lenses, laptop, cell phone, GPS, dive computer, etc in a LowePro backpack, the housing with two strobes, arms, one macro port fit in a small Pelican roller case padded with T-shirts that get used during my dive trip.

All the rest of my dive gear goes in a standard suitcase with domeport (if I bring it) wrapped in my wetsuit, plus a spare strobe and set of longer arms (if the dome is packed)

When I dive locally the housed camera sits in the back seat of my Land Rover with the safety belt on